Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 193, 4 November 1927, Page 6

Durf Notes

By “EARLY BIRD.”

The Cup

The New Zealand Cup is to be run at Riccarton to-morrow. One For Spoony

Spoony won the principal event at the W.A.T.C. meeting in Perth recently. He carried 9.2, was 'backed from an outside price to a short one, and scored by a head.

A Little Overweight Booster started _ a.t the rise of .the barrier in the Nainai Handicap at Trentham with 8.4, and finished with not less than 9.0. In other words, his rider rolled about in the saddle when it cam© to a finish, and the odd pounds were practically quadrupled when, in a close finish, every ounce tells a tale. —Otago “Times.”

The Penalty of Success Master Clarence 41b., Rowley 61b.. Moratorium 71b., and Spode 51b., were all rehandicapped in their engagements on the first day at Riccarton for their wins last Saturday. History Repeats Itself

Beacon Light was scratched at 2.5 p.m. yesterday for the New Zealand Cup. Twelve months ago this horse was withdrawn from this same race on the eve of the meeting. Many Early Birds There will be many early risers on on Thursday and Saturday of next week to catch the special train leaving Auckland at 6.50 a.m. for the Whangarei races. Incidentally, while on the subject of daylight saving, this “Early Bird” was not the writer of the letter appearing in last night’s SUN offering suggestions in regard to putting the clock forward. Special Horse Train A special horse train for Whangarei will leave Auckland at 9.40 a.m. on Tuesday, and horses going from Ellers-

lie must be loaded by 9 a.m. On the return trip the train will leave Whangarei on the night of the second day’s racing at 8 p.m. A Lone Hand A dividend of over three figures was recently paid by a horse Vho ran second at Aslot, Sydney, just before the mail left for New Zealand. Only one ticket was bought on the horse’s chance and it was held by a woman, who no doubt had a woman’s reason for making the bet. Assisting the Country The sum paid to the Government in the form of taxation in connection with the Thames Jockey Club’s meeting held at Ellerslie on Saturday and .. Monday last amounted to £6,811 2s 9d, made up as follows; —Totalisator tax, £-2,291 18s; dividend duty, £4,125 15s; privileges, £56 15s sd; stakes, £200; amusement tax, £136 14s 4d; total, £6,811 2s 9d. System Fiends Reference was made recently to the success of No. 5 on the card on the opening day of the Wellington spring meeting; A Dunedin winter in this connection has the following:—“On the first day of the Wellington spring meeting a punter backed five winners on a system. The meeting was held on the 22nd of the month, and the tenth month of the year. Two and two make four and one is five, so he backed number five in each race and landed five winners. The same system would have landed a winner and a second on the second day of the meeting, but such people should be invited to stay away from the races.”

A Good Treble C. Emerson has been engaged to ride Money Order in the Stewards’ Handicap. With Rapier in the Cup and Childsplay in the Welcome Stakes, Emerson will have a good chance of repeating M. McCarten’s treble when

he won the Cup on Rouen, the Welcome Stakes on Inferno and the Stewards’ on Glentruin. Arikiwai Well The three-year-old Arikiwai, who suffered with teeth trouble during his stay in Sydney, has been working in pleasing style since his return to Riccarton. The Paladin gelding, who will be ridden by G. Humphris in the Apprentices’ Handicap to-morrow, moved nicely in a working gallop on Tuesday. Te Monanui and the Cup Te Monanui gained many admirers for his New Zealand Cup engagement on Tuesday when he galloped attractively in company with Star Stranger, Rapier and David Garrick. A good many of the visiting trainers declare that the Potoa horse has seldom looked better than at present, and they expect him to take a deal of beating in to-morrow’s big two-mile raqe. The Swallow Catcher Childsplay* is likely to see a short price in the Welcome Stakes. She galloped in quite her best style over half a mile at headquarters on Tuesday, and with such a capable horseman as C. Emerson aboard in her Riccarton engagement, very few keen judges will support anything to any extent to bring about the defeat of the record-breaking Autumnus filly. Agrion’s Prospects

The New Zealand Derby candidate, Agrion, bears., a very bright appearance, and the manner in which he galloped over a mile on Tuesday indicates that he will have to be reckoned with in the coming classic race. Though he is not likely to start favourite for the three-year-old race it must be remembered that he got through a lot of work during his short stay at Randwick, and, as he seems to be approaching his best form again he will have to be reckoned with in future events. At his best the Limond colt represents first-class three-year-old standard. The “Slick” Judge At Caulfield recently several of his friends were complimenting the judge, Mr. J. Henry, on the celerity with which his decisions were announced, when the starter, Mr. Rupert Green, told an appropriate story. Many years ago, says a writer in the “Australasian,” when Joe Thompson was the “king of the ring” and his brother Jack a lesser light, Jihe first-named told Jack that a certain horse in a race at Caulfield would not be trying, therefore he could lay it “until the cows came home.” Knowing that his brother was particularly well informed about the doings of the stable, Jack Thompson considerably overlaid the supposed “dead ’un,” and with Joe took up a position near the winning post to see the race. To their dismay the horse they had fielded so strongly against came with a late run and passed the post apparently on level terms with another. “Don’t tell me he got up, Joe! Don’t tell me he got up!” exclaimed Jack, in tones of anguish. With many a gory adjective his more phlegmatic brother quietly but feelingly replied: “No, Jack, I won’t tell you the dasli, blank horse won; but in a moment the judge will.” And he did.

Riders At Riccarton A- McCormac will ride Yoma in the New Zealand Cup and Silver Rule and Margaret Birney on the first day. R. Reed has been booked to ride the following horses on the opening day: Star Stranger, Tea Miss, Tiega and Joy King. D. Watts has been engaged to ride Teri in the New Zealand Derby. Clarinda, who will be bracketed on the totalisator with Piuthair in the New Zealand Cup, will be ridden by the successful apprentice, W. Brown, in the two-mile race. C. Eastwood will have the mount on Equerry and Father O’Flynn on the opening day. P. C. Porter will pilot Count Cavour in the New Zealand Cup, while the Auckland light-weight, R. Reilly, has been engaged to ride the Trenthamtrained colt, Royal Game, in the same race. J. King will ride Don Jose in the Apprentices’ Plate. • Another Unlucky Stable A. Goodman is having a complete run of bad luck at present. Pantagruel went wrong a few weeks ago just when he looked like picking up a stake, and he has gone out for good. Then Black Mint developed soreness, and had to be eased off. Cerf was the next to injure a leg when galloping, and he has been blistered and put out in the paddock. This week Dainty Ways had her turn, falling over on the bitumen road at Trentham and injuring. a shoulder. She too is to have a short holiday. To keep them company Ring Boy is to be spelled for a few days, but so far he has escaped the epidemic of trouble.

Question of Handicapping The Dunedin Jockey Club is calling for applications for the position of handicapper for economic reasons, the club explains. The club is faced with a very serious problem, which, if it is not solved in the only possible way, may cause a further shrinkage in the popularity of the Wingatui race meetings. There is only one possible solution, and it is based on the fact that ability, or lack of it, in handicapping may make or break a meeting. Some of the handicapping this season has been quite opposed to the common-sense ideas of form, class, and the poundage likely to balance form and class. Rapier and the Cup

Rapier at 7.11 has the ideal weight for the Cup journey, sufficient to obtain the services of a rider of some experience and not too much so that it becomes a real burden. Rapier is one of the three entires in the field, and as he has done a solid preparation, culminating with his win at Motukarara with 231 b over his Cup impost, his admirers have plenty to enthuse about, writes “Vedette.” There is also this in his favour, that lie has won in all kinds of going. His Wellington Cup victory with 7.8 from Te Monanui 9.3. Rapine

10.2, and a smart field was a good effort. Rapier will have the services of C. Emerson. Too Much Of It Carnival Week in Christchurch provides racegoers with a surfeit of their particular form of entertainment. Tomorrow the New Zealand Cup, Stewards’ Handicap, and Welcome Stakes are the chief items. Monday is Derby Day, the Criterion Handicap being the other important race. On Tuesday a change is made to Addington, when the much-discussed New Zealand Trotting Cup will be decided. On Wednesday Riccarton is the venue again, the Oaks Stakes, the Canterbury Cup, and the Jockey Club Handicap being the star turns. Thursday and Friday visitors have the option of the A. and P. Show or the trotting meeting alongside, the latter being an irresistible lure for many. On Saturday at Riccarton the curtain is rung down with the Stead Gold Cup and Members’ Handicap. There is a growing impression abroad that the meeting is now overlong. At one time the country people came to the city for a week, but the advent of the motor-car has changed all that, and toward the end of seven days’ continuous racing interest always flags and many people leave for home prior to the end, comments the “Evening Post.” It is possible that in the near future both clubs will transfer a day from this fixture to one of the other meetings, possibly that in the midsummer, which in each case is only a single day.