Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 134, 27 August 1927, Page 6

Durf Notes

By

’‘EARLY BIRD”

Wanganui Handicaps Weights for the first day of the Wanganui spring meeting, also for the annual fixture of the Egmont-Wanga-nui Hunt Club, to be held at Wanganui on the intervening day of the spring meeting, are due on Monday. Avondale Entries The near approach of the Avondale' spring meeting is heralded by the announcement that nominations close at 5 p.m. on Friday week. New Zealand Bred Among the winners at the Rosebery (Sydney) pony meeting last week was Merry Knight, an aged gelding by Mountain Knight from Merry Gain. Smart Paper Money Bank Note, one of W. H. Dwyer’s team at Wanganui, is said to be well forward for his early spring engagements. The Paper Money four-year-old can muster up a lot of pace for six furlongs when in the mood.

Should Be Good Cione, a three-year-old full sister to Phaola and the two-year-old Prodice (Catmint —Hyades), bred *>y Dr. E. PI. B. Milsom, claims an engagement in the Maiden at Marton next Friday. Cione runs in the same colours as Rapine and Star Stranger, and claims an engagement in the Wanganui Guineas on Thursday week. Beneficial Holiday Prior to the Great Northern meeting Karamu had been galloping well, but on the eve of the racing he went slightly amiss, and was not a competitor. Since then he has had an easy time, and in the interim has put on a lot of condition. The son of Hymettus is back on the tracks at Ellerslie, and will undergo a preparation for hurdling events at the Avondale meeting. Dogs Must Start Tin ' hare stewards have tasted blood. They disqualified an owner for giving his dog whisky. The owner gave as his reason the fact that the dog had competed earlier in the day at the Liverpool live hare coursing. But nobody can argue with the stewards’ verdict. However, the disqualification of W. Casey, for a month because he didn’t start Red Limes at Epping, after the dog had run twice previously earlier in the day, doesn’t seem so just. Mr. Casey is the president of the Liverpool Coursing Club, and he didn’t start his dog because he reckoned that he had had enough for one day. H’e has appealed against the verdict of the tin hare stewards.

Should Make Good H. I-lastedt is allowing Spalmoor every chance to become settled down, and the Spalpeen gelding has never looked better. It is the intention to give the chestnut plenty of flat racing, and later on to try him over the battens. It would be pleasing to see Fortune’s wheel turn in trainer Hastedt’s direction, for he is one of the most painstaking mentors at Ellerslie. Back at Work The seven-year-old Day Comet— Cuiragnes horse Daylight is to join up with F. Loomb’s string at Te Awamutu. It is 18 months since Daylight sported silk, that being at the Taranaki meeting in February, 1926. Daylight has been a fair performer who has saluted the judge on several occasions, as well as earning a fair amount in place money. His efforts from now on will be awaited with interest. To Commence Toil Antrim Boy, who recently joined W. Patterson’s stable, is carrying a lot of condition. He has not, after his lengthy spell, been subjected to any track work, but it is his trainer’s intention to begin to round him into shape at the beginning of next month. At present the useful son of Some Boy 11. is only being hacked about the roads. May Do Better Prior to the Pakuranga meeting Charitaine had been doing good track work, and it was anticipated that he would run prominently at the Hunt gathering. However, the son of Chesterfield gave a very poor display but taking the state of the going into consideration the horse cannot be condemned on that showing.

Starting a Preparation In addition to Ahi Ngaro and Salamander. J. Manuel is handling a six-year-old mare by Loch Dhu from Flash Lady. The mare was only broken in about seven months ago, and is very green at present.

Change of Quarters The two-year-old colt by Quin Abbey from Sea Bird, which was broken in by F. Weston at Ellerslie, has gone into J. T. Jamieson’s stable at Papakura. The youngster on appearances should develop into a good one, and under this mentor's charge should have every chance to become right. Dannevirke’s Hack Cup The Dannevirke Racing Club has, as a tribute to the splendid service rendered the club by Mr. G. Harris, one of the stewards, in the matter of course alteration, allocated a cup to be known as the Harris Cup, for competition among hack owners at the meeting set down for September 14. The trophy is unique in. design. Mr. Harr s has been personally responsible for the providing of straight starts for the six, seven and eight-furlpng events, in addition to other improvements, and appropriately enough, the cup has been attached to the mile event, the latest distance for which a straight start has been made. . Mr. Harris has announced his. intention to donate a gold-mounted whip to the winning rider of the event. Services Appreciated

Mr. J. M. Johnston, secretary of the Manawatu Racing Club, is gifted with undoubted ability in respect to the planning and laying out of race tracks and racecourse appointments. Awapuni is a monument to him, the beautiful nature of the surroundings and appointments being a direct tribute to the personal supervision exercised by that officer. His abilities in this direction have been recognised afield, and the new Marton course and buildings thereon have been laid out from plans prepared by him, the range of visibility from the new grandstand, in view of the style adopted, being stated to be second to none in the Dominion. Mr. Johnston was also responsible for the lay-out of the new totalisator on the Egmont course, and recently in tribute to the valuable service rendered by the Manawatu secretary, Messrs. Tonks, vice-president, Williams and Preston, of the Taranaki Club, journeyed through to Palmerston North to present Mr. Johnston with a solid silver salver as an expression of gratitude for the service he had rendered the club. Hunt Visit to Tauranga

The Waikato Hunt Club’s visit to Tauranga has been fixed for the second week in September. Sub-commit-tees of the Bay of Plenty Hunt Club are busy in making all arrangements. Permission has been obtained from various farm owners to allow the run of the hounds over their property. In previous years the visit of the club has been most successful and pleasant, and there is every reason to believe that there will not be any exception this year. A ball is being arranged for the visitors. All the Cracks

There is -every prospect of a brilliant race for the Warwick Stakes, to be run over a mile on w.f.a. terms at Warwick Farm next Saturday. The following nominations were received in Sydney when the list closed: —Limerick, Valamita, Ronsard, Commendation, Boaster, Pantheon, Fujisan, Rionscup, Amounis, Coin Nut, Valicare. It may be mentioned that Amounis is now joint favourite with Limerick for the Metropolitan Handicai).

Gone to the Dogs Despite Lord Lonsdale’s prediction of an early lapse of interest in greyhound racing, the sport seems to have a firmer grip. At the White City, London, crowds have increased to 100,000. The “Daily Mail,” in applauding the appointment of an independent racing committee of three prominent turfites. Sir Humphrey de Trafford and Lords Westmoreland and Cliesham, at the instance of the Greyhound Racing Association, says that it will give the sport a status which hitherto it has not possessed. Stayers as Sprinters The feature of the work at Randwick last Tuesday week was the speed shown by some of the notable stayers now being prepared at headquarters for Randwick engagements. Amounis galloped half a. mile in 49i, which proved faster than any of the sprinters could do. Limerick’s three furlongs in 37 was one of the smartest performances of the morning, for a short course, but over seven furlongs the noteworthy effort was credited to Eric Connolly’s imported pair, Devonshire and Murillo. They ran the distance in 1.29 i&, and the gallop indicates that they must be getting very near their best form. Popular Official Mr. E. V. Sutherland, who has acted as judge for many racing and trotting clubs has, owing to the pressure cf private business, decided to relinquish some of these appointments, but has signified his intention of continuing to act for the Auckland and Otahuhu Trotting Clubs. His place in the box will be exceedingly hard to fill. Does It Matter? Royal Mint was entered for the Melbourne Cup, but this fact did not perturb Melbourne’s biggest bookmakers, who will learn with apparent unconcern that the Catmint gelding was withdrawn yesterday from the big Flemington race at the Auckland Racing Club’s office.