Condition of Spring Candidates

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

Condition of Spring Candidates

SOME FORWARD OTHERS BACKV/ARD

THE form and condition of horses entered for the New Zealand Cup and the forthcoming spring meeting is interestingly reviewed by our Wellington correspondent, who touches on candidates from all parts of the North Island.

(Special t<z WELLINGTON, Friday. Trentham trainers have spent the last week or so growling about the weather. There is not much else to do, so wet are the tracks. Work of a kind that trainers like to see their horses indulged in has been out of the question, but such a state of affairs is expected at Trentham in winter and in spring. The difficulties under which trainers here work at these times of the year give horses from other courses advantage over them, and it is hoped that in the course of a little time the problem of providing good winter tracks will be solved. The important point for the person outside of Wellington is to not place too much confidence in Trenthamtrained horses at this season unless they have done a lot of racing throughout the winter. They are liable to be more backward than horses trained elsewhere. PLANS UNCERTAIN Whether to go North or to strike out South seems to be the puzzle confronting the owner of Degage, Aro de Val and Roi de Val. He has entered members of his team for races at the Marton and Wanganui spring meetings, which are to be held next month, but at the same time he appears to be extremely doubtful about the wisdom of attending those gatherings. Another interesting fact is that the mainstay of the team, Degage, has been entered for the New Zealand Cup. Certainly the New Zealand Cup is not run until early in November, but the horses could find meetings to race at in the South before the big gathering takes place. The tracks at some of the North Island meetings will be heavy, but Wanganui should not be at all bad as it is one of the best of the winter tracks. Whichever way the team travels eventually its movements will be watched with interest. WHY HE WAS SCRATCHED . Talking of the heavy condition of the tracks at Trentham just now reminds me that this is given out as the direct cause of the withdrawal from the Marton meeting of Indian Sage, whom the average racegoer would have considered to possess an excellent chance in the principal fiat handicap to be run there next week. Indian Sage has had the racing to fit him to plug through the heavy going—presuming that the course will be heavy—but it is said that his trainer, being unable to work him sufficiently at Trentham since his return from Riccarton, decided against running him at all. BACK FOR N.Z. CUP When the Woodville-trained and Palmerston North owned mares, Piuthair and Clarinda, were in Wellington last week to be shipped to Australia it was authoritatively stated that they would be brought back to New Zealand in time to take part in the New Zealand Cup, which is set down to be run during the first week in November. Both are good stayers, and it is considered a good move to keep the big Riccarton event in view,, but there are other races on the programme of the Canterbury Jockey Club in the spring which should suit Mr. McKenzie’s pair. It should not be forgotten that at the last Canterbury spring meeting both of them got on the winning list, Piuthair winning the Metropolitan Handicap and Clarinda the Fendalton Handicap. Both these mares beat Footfall last season, Clarinda in the Fendalton Handicap and Piuthair in the Great Autumn Handicap. Word has been received in Wellington that all is not well with Roscrea, a member of the team taken to Australia by the Riccarton trainer, F. D. Jones. It is hoped that the trouble will not be serious, but time alone decides those questions. Roscrea is a half-brother to Limerick and Ballymena, so is highly valuable property, and it will be a great pity if lie does not stand training. He is the best looking of the line at his age and his trainer had a big opniion oC him when he sailed for the other side with his team. DOES GOOD TRACK WORK Among those doing good work on the New Plymouth tracks is the Aus-tralian-bred filly Miss Mercia, which was brought over here by’ Mr. W. Graham, owner of Te Monanui. Miss Mercia did not do much racing last season, but she is to race at New Plymouth and at Marton, and from her performances the public will be able to form their own opinions as to whether her private reputation has been exaggerated or not. Reports from Marton state that Banjuke has been doing his work well since the winter meeting at Wellington. He seems to be a better horse j this season than formerly and his friends have every confidence in him running big races at Marton and New Plymouth, particularly as the others engaged are not as strong as they might be. He will be ridden in his engagements by H. McSweeney, who won on him in Hawke’s Bay and at Trentham. Though Banjuke seems to be a better horse now than at any earlier stage of his career, it should not be jumped to the conclusion that he is a good one. He lias yet to prove that. ABOUT BEACON LIGHT Information comes from Hawke’s Bay that Beacon Light is standing up to his work in first-class style so far. This good horse has been unsound off and on, but if he can be got really well he will have a say in some of the big races this spring. New Zealand is not over-filled with real stayers and this chap is bred on lines that make him read like one. He has won well over middle distances and his victories last season included the Avondale Cup and the Champion Plate. One who has seen him working at Napier Park recently says Beacon Light appears to be absolutely all right and there appears to be every hope of his training on. Not many horses have been doing better track work at Hawera than Bisox, and though the tracks have been very soft she has recorded some good gallops over sprint courses. Her appearance in early spring events is being looked forward to, but there aro some who are unable to forget that alread- she has been very costly to them. They regard her as a hopeless disappointment. That is a grave mistake, as in some of the races in which she failed she was distinctly unfortunate in the running. A PROMISING IMPORTATION

Mr. Charles Boyle, of Wellington, has decided upon Sungift as a name for his imported filly by Australian Sun. The filly, which is one of the best-looking which ever landed here has been at Hawera in the care of O. Cox since soon after her arrival in the Dominion. Sungift has been sprinted and is said to have shaped very well indeed—so well that she has enhanced the reputation her looks ensured for her. Though Indian Sage has been allowed to drop out of engagements on the first day of the coming Marton meeting, the intention is to race him during the spring, and he will be present at the Wanganui meeting a week after the Marton fixture. The half-brother, by Lackham. to Degae-e has been given a name—Roi de Val.

THE SUN.) Among the Wellington horses engaged in the New Zealand Cup is Black Mint. His entry came rather as a surprise to Trentham followers of racing, as up to the present he has not proved that he can go beyond a mile and a-quarter and his size suggests to mam' who are a bit against very big horses that a two-mile journey will be too far for him. Probably his tranier will not make up his mind concerning the Cup venture till aft he has seen the weights. If he decides in favour of the trip there is one thing that can be said in Black Mint’s favour and that is that he is in really nice condition in which to commence a preparation for the November race\ SHOULD COME GOOD When Duke Abbey won at the Wellington winter meeting in July he created a very favourable impression, but he was beaten in a weak field later in the fixture, and people are wondering now if he is a really good hack or only a moderate. He is engaged at the Marton meeting next week, and in the course of his preparation for that gathering has been galloping nicely on the tracks, though he has done nothing outstanding. Probably it will be found that Duke Abbey is a better horse in the spring than he was in the winter. Mandarine, who is one of the Trentham representatives in the New Zealand Cup, is not yet out of hacks, and worse than that, is not even among the top weights in hack class. SURELY PAST HIS BEST Old Tame Fox is being kept going at Foxton, and lie is sure to be raced at the early spring meetings as gal-

loping on soft tracks was always his best asset. One time he was a very hard horse to beat on a muddy course, but on the form he has shown for some time back he will have to meet very weak opposition if he is to win a race now. NO RESPITE Royal Game, who had a strenuous time in the season just closed, is not to have much of a let-up this season as far as can be gathered. He was : raced at Riccarton, and is among the entries for Wanganui. Wanganui is one of the courses which should suit him. as he is smart out of the barrier. and the small course with its many turns will be all in his favour. BIG FIELDS There will be very big fields at Marton, and the club appears to be in for one of the most successful gatherings in its history. The biggest fields, of course, will be in the sprint races, but there is no question of the course not being big enough to hold them without a division; the course is more than big enough, but on the entries it looked as if there might be difficulty. WHEN JUST JOHN FAILED A number of enthusiasts in this end of the Island supported Just John for his engagement at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting last Saturday, and were very disappointed when they heard the news that he was neither first nor second. However, they propose to go on with him at New Plymouth. Just John is held in considerable esteem here. SMART HURDLER Up the line they have in Lady Acre one in which they place no end of faith. So much so, that they backed her as a good thing at the Pakuranga meeting. She missed, and now there are many wondering if the faith is misplaced. The fact is that the publice are too hasty in judging Lady Acre. The Ellerslie course had been thoroughly rain-soaked for long before the meeting, and the going was in a very bad state. Therefore it does not seem fair to write the mare off because of her failure. Many a good horse cannot handle a muddy track, and probably that is the case with Lady Acre. From what can be gathered she is pretty smart over hurdles and should make amends in the near future for her Ellerslie defeat. STILL GOING STRONG Old Nukumai is going along nicely at Foxton. He has not been given a great deal of work since his return from the New Zealand Grand National meeting, but he is wonderfully fresh and puts a whole lot of dash into his work. For his years he is one of the gayest horses in commission, and there is every indication that he will strip in great heart for the Marton meeting at the beginning of next month. The racing he did during the winter will stand well to him, and he will be one of the favoured division, notwithstanding the fact that he is a hurdler. It is possible that if Roy Reed is back in time he will take the mount on the Manehineel gelding. An impost of 8.12 is not one that W. J. Bowden, Nukumai’s usual pilot, could get down to with ease, and in any case Reed has ridden Nukumai with success previously, so there is every chance of the association being renewed. ONE OF THE EAST There is good prospect of Arataura being brought from the East Coast for the Marton meeting, where he will contest the hurdle races. Arataura has won several races over hurdles, and is said to have improved in the last few months. If that happens to be the case he has a chance at Marton, where the good hurdlers are out of the way. BENEFITS BEING UTILISED The Trentham horses which have been taken to Wanganui to receive the benefits of bping trained on a comparatively dry track are reported to be all doing well and to have advanced in condition since making the change. One of those who should benefit particularly by the move is Grand Knight, and he is now considered a strong probability for a race at Wanganui. It will have been noticed that the imported horse claims an engagement in the forthcoming New Zealand Cup. and as that race is not to be run for more than another three months yet, there is no reason why he should not be got into really good trim by that time. Grand Knight might not be as good over two miles as he is over shorter courses, but as he has won a Great Autumn Handicap, which is a mile and

a-half race, there is a chance that with the proper preparation he will go the extra half mile. The general opinion of him at Trentham, where he has done most of his work since coming to New Zealand, is that if he stands a preparation severe enough he will be

able to run out the two miles without any difficulty. Everyone at Trentham has a good word for Grand Knight, and they say that the public has not yet seen the best of him. ORCHID IS SPEEDY The sprinter Orchid is among the acceptors for the Marton meeting, and as he is a horse who races best when really fresh, he has things made to order for him next week. He is nice and fresh, and in addition he has the soft course and the turning track. All these things are in his favour, and on top of them all the field is composed of horses, many of whom are nowhere near ready and others of whom have little pretensions as sprinters. RELATED TO RUNNYMEDE A half-brother to Runnymede will make his appearance in the Wanganui Guineas. This is Gannymede, by Lord Quex from Tressida. Gennymede is a good-looking sort, and might turn out to be just as good as he looks, for he does his work on the track in a manner calculated to please any owner. MIGHT GO TO RICCARTON For the time being Euphonium is being nominated onl$" for sprint races, and it will not be till later in the season that he will be required to race over middle distances, Euphonium

was a bit of a disappointment year, as he looked better than before, but raced much below wa*was expected of such an improve looking horse. He is among the j®' trants for the New Zealand Cup, that does not necessarily mean that is to be given a preparation for tr race. If memory serves one correcuy, was nominated for the Cup a year w but he did not run. In any case, mvwill depend on how he shapes IB races he is to tackle in the next or so. However, it is possible be * go to the Canterbury’ spring as several of the team presided • by his trainer, O. Cox, have betn corded a nomination. UNLIKELY CUP STARTER While Te Monanui has been wm in.a:ed for the New Zealand Cup. is a feeling among those wn° him best that he will not be asK< contest the race. They conten he does not really relish extreme .F neys, and is likely to do mocb - for his owner if kept to middle ; tances. There is no doubt ox oo ■ about his ability to run out a m a-half at a solid pace, as his vv ton Cup efforts demonstrated. ever, early investors might be* ested to know that New . Fiy Tj\j o ' opinion is that Te Monanui w run in the New Zealand Cup. how correct that opinion is to . patient ones will not have long to discover. If there is no tion of running him. his °''. n ® r oftr i v j to withdraw him from the list ear j the piece.

A TOUGH RACE One of the most interesting f* spring contests should be the rat- - the Eclipse Stakes at WanganiU, Trentham has a couple of wo presentatives in it in Cranci fcotfc and Degage. However, they require to be well forward >jao- - doughty performers at ' ana, Star Stranger, Joy Kinjj* jgy der. Civility’ and Beacon L 1 I f n voun£ er nothing of a number of brigade, including Laughing is a Damaris. Paleta and Thaw. i lir i on gs tough field, but at seven 0( j Grand Knight is particularly * n . one of the best there is m t try at the present time an ably he will be a little mo*®* in condition than some of tn petitioned. He has demonstrsteo ously that he likes the gomg ganui when it is a trifle sof ’\ r S j_ h t runsafe to reckon on Grand Kn * ning a great race in what oug a fine contest.