Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 192, 3 November 1927, Page 6

Durf Notes

By “EARLY BIRD”

REMINDERS Acceptances for the Whangarei Racing Club’s spring meeting will close on Friday at 5 p.m., and rqay be lodged either with the secretary. Mr; F. W. Webster, Whangarei, or with Messrs. Blomtleld and Co., High Street, Auckland. Nominations for the spring meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club and also linul payments for the Takapuna Plate are due at 5 p.m. on Friday. Acceptances for the Feilding Jockey Club’s meeting vfrill close at 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 24. Paleta Will Stay Paleta, says a Wellington writer, may not even yet be quite right, but he has gone on well since winning the Croat Northern Guineas. He will run in the Riccarton Handicap on opening day of the meeting preparatory to tackling the Derby. His trainer has no fears regarding Paleta’s ability to get the mile and a-half. Kiosk is a very tit horse and has greatly pleased his trainer lately, so much so that he is particularly confident of his prospects in the Stewards’ On Thursday morning at Wanganui Kiosk gave Civility a lump of weight and ran half a mile with her from practically a stand in 49, and they were wide out. Dwyer, it appears, was unaware that the value of the Shorts Handicap at Trentham on Saturday did not entail a penalty to the winner, otherwise he would have raced Kiosk at Trentham. “Greater Love Hath No Man!” At a meeting of the committee of the Dannevirke Racing Club on Thursday it was reported that there was a small profit on the spring meeting, which was regarded as very satisfactory under the circumstances. It was decided to forward a letter of sympathy to Mr. G. J. 10. Bickford, treasurer of the club, in his present illness, from which he is recovering. Mr. G. Harris, a member, of the committee, forwarded his resignation, giving no reason except that “ho believed it would be in the best interests of the majority of his fellow stewards.” Members extolled the value of the services of Mr. Harris to the club in the past, and it was decided to ask Mr. Harris to reconsider his position. The resignation of Mr. C. IC. Thompson as auditor was also deferred. Mr. Thompson recently resigned owing to having an interest in a horse running at the meeting. A Cup Possibility It is no unusual thing for horses returning from Sydney to freshen up in New Zealand, and twelve months ago Count Cavour improved sufficiently to win the New Zealand Cup, comments “The Watcher.” Piuthair, according to all reports, has done remarkably well since her arrival at Riccarton and quite a number of people are prepared to disregard her lack of form in Sydney and support her in the New Zealand Cup. Even at her best Piuthair would have no easy task in the Cup under 8.8. She was very lucky to defeat Rapine in the Wanganui Cup when right at the top of her form, and she was also favoured by fortune in defeating Footfall in the Great Autumn Handicap. In addition to this the spring is not a good time for mares. Few of them have been good enough to win a New Zealand Cup. In the last 20 years it has been won outright by mares only three times—Lady Lucy, 1909; Sinapis, 1913; and Orotress, 1920. Warstep dead-heated with Indigo in 1914, and great mare as she was, Indigo was finishing all over her. Moreover, they all had just over 7.0, with the exception of Oratress, who carried 8.7. This ranks as one of the best performances ever recorded in a New Zealand Cup by either sex, although outside of Vagabond 8.13, Royal Star 8.1, and Johnny Walker 7.3, the field she beat was not formidable.

Derby Candidate Martarma will be ridden in the C.J.C. Derby by F. E. Jones, while Silver Paper, who is said to have done particularly well since he last raced, will have the services of A. E. Didham in the Welcome Stakes. A Repeat Performance? Creation is a long time reproducing his track form in a race. He was numbered among the fallen at Cambridge on Labour Day and then at Ellerslie last Saturday he was all over the course in the straight and was a close third. Creation Avon at Whangarei in the autumn and from present indications his connections are going to attempt to repeat the performance next Thursday. Brother to Pegaway Josie Melville and King Peg showed some pace in the division race at Ellerslie last Saturday. The former goes fast for five furlongs and then stops quickly, and this is not the form that wins open sprints, in which class she was started on Monday. King Peg was one of those hopelessly left in the second division, and even then lie finished in front of several that got away well. King Peg is a full brother to Pegaway, and carries the colours of Mr. M. H. Tims, of Te Kara fame. This maiden should do well in the near future. Judge’s Box's Form At last Judge’s Box has shown her true form, for she won her division the Borough Handicap last Saturday very convincingly, coming away in the straight to win by a margin of nearly

three lengths. Judge’s Box is a full sister to Affirm, a good winner in Victoria, and the pacemaker in this week’s Melbourne Cup. Now that she has struck form this daughter of Nassau may continue her successes. She is not .badly treated at Whangarei nex? week with 8.13 in the hack sprint. Safely Over Glqnotus finished fast, as usual, in the hurdles at Ellerslie last Saturday, getting third, after being well up for the most of the journey. Produced in the steeplechase on Monday, the jumper was hard ridden to take the water jump, a’n obstacle he possesses a horror of, and under the whip he cleared this all right, amid the applause of his backers. Pic was-fairly close to the leaders until a faulty leap at the double sent him back, and although he made an effort, at the end he was easily beaten by Pendavies. Horse Not to Blame Kamehameha went a fine race in the hurdles at Ellerslie on Saturday and was a bit unlucky to be beaten by Mangani, a defeat for which the rider must take, a big share of the blame. There was a peculiar accident at the last fence in this race. Mangani blundered, while Kamehameha, on the outside of him, ran the fence down. Following Mangani was Rahepoto, and he got out of his stride to also falter, and then Kendal, at the back of the latter, followed suit and fell pretty heavily. .This was probably the reason why Kendal did not fulfil his engagement in the steeplechase the second day, added to which the ground would be a bit too hard for him. Brother to Ruffles Orchus led into the straight in maiden company at Te Rapa, and again at Ellerslie last week he was in the picture until the field began to race to the judge.. There i 3 little doubt of the pace of this full brother to the speedy Ruffles and he should not be long in coming into his own. In the same race here was Flying Tresses, and she was raced on the second day in open sprint company. This filly should not be long in the maiden class. Coming To Hand Considering that he was having his first race for over eight months, Daye went well in his outings at Ellerslie at the week-end. On the first day he was badly ofi: the mark, but on Monday he was in the limelight until a furlong from home. Then he weakened and

at one stage it looked as if he would carry Nancy Lee out. Fortunately the latter had too much pace and soon got clear. Dave figures in the open sprint at Whangarei next Thursday, and he is not badly treated with 7.11.

Backers Concerned In winning the Thames Steeplechase on Monday Pendavies gave a fine display, but the backers who made him such a good favourite, together with

his bracketed companion, Wiltshire, must have wondered what on earth his rider was up to most of the time. Pendavies was up and down during the race, and when he cleared the second to last fence and then ran wide it seemed all up. However, this fine jumper had something left in reserve, and he just cantered home from the last fence. Pendavies apparently likes the Ellerslie course, for he has won several races over the hill. Next winter should see him taking his place among the best ’chasers in the country and acquitting himself well. Likely Maidens Ash Tray ran two good races at Ellerslie last week-end, and when she is raced over a sprint course she will take some beating. The daughter of Tea Tray. was fourth on Saturday, after being prominent all the way. Another likely maiden seen out in the same class was Good Boy, a four-year-old by Some Boy 11., who promises to turn out useful. Coming to Hand Subdivision can go very fast for six furlongs and consequently his first race of the season, in the second division of the Borough Handicap, last Saturday, was watched with interest. Not too well favoured at the start., the son of Surveyor had to cover some, extra ground, and for his first race did well to get second to Judge’s Box. On Monday Subdivision was produced in the open sprint, and failing to show his usual brilliance over the first part, had no hope of catching the leaders. The Takapuna meeting should see the chestnut in good form. One to Remember Abbey Day won a race at the last Whangarei meeting in the autumn, but in the interim she has done very little good. Last Saturday she ran a fine race, finishing a fair second to Rarakau, form that caused her to be supported for a similar event on Monday.. She failed to repeat her first day’s effort and fifth was the best she could do. Abbey Day is engaged at Whangarei next week and once again it may bo a case of horses for courses. Form Was Wrong

It was expected that the racing she had at Te Rapa would have wrought sufficient improvement in the condition of Flying Juliet that she would

have be,en able to race prominently at Ellerslie in the company she was called upon to meet. However she failed completely, but little notice should be taken of this. Later on it will be found that the daughter of Romeo, who won the Great Northern Oaks last autumn, retains all the pace she showed as a three-year-old last season. Missed Chances

Whaka King gave little indication of the speed he possesses* when he was saddled up twice last Saturday at Ellerslie. The first time, in a distance that might have suited him, he had a hurdle jockey up, and later on in the day he was tried out over a mile. He made the running in the latter event and then faded right out in the straight. In the first race he was always making heavy weather of it. On a round course Whaka King would win hack races, and perhaps better, over sprint distances. At present he is still eligible for maiden events. A Liberal Price

After her fine showing at Te Rapa a week previously, it was surprising to find Rarakau at such a good price in the first division of the Borough Handicap, three others being preferred to her. At the end, after covering a lot of ground and then running about m the straight, Rarakau won comfortably, and is evidently a bit better than has been thought. One that seemed to have a chance against her was Golden Wedding, but when her rider used a spur on the home turn the filly left rails and was off the course in a trice. When she settles down Golden Wedding will win some hack races. Got a Good Price

1 I ? o h . e Flying Handicap at Ellerslie last Saturday Modest Boy ran quite a fair race considering the~class he was up against, and so when he made his appearance on Monday among a weak lot of hacks he looked a good proposition and furthermore N\ Cunningham had him looking his best. The result was an easy win for the Some Boy 11. gelding, who had the race won at any stage. He pulled his way to the front nearly a half mile from home, and that was the end of it, and his supporters W'ere rewarded with a fine price. One By King John

Hie only New Zealander to show un prominently at Flemington on Saturday last was Eridanus, who dead-heated for first place with Windbag's fullbrother Bicolour in the 12-furlongs Hotliani Handicap. He is a five-year-old gelding got by Mr. T. H. Lowry’s imported sire King John—who met with a watery grave in Wellington Harbour When being shipped to Australia for •^ak —from the Martian mare Starglo-iv. though got in the Dominion, Eridanus was foaled in Australia, his dam having been purchased by a breeder over there. He has been running with considerable success this season, but up „o the time of our iast Australian mail leaving had not come into the betting for the Melbourne Cup, in which he was an acceptor^