Truf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 201, 14 November 1927, Page 6

Truf Notes

By

“EARLY BIRD.”

Takapuna Acceptances Acceptances for the first day’s events at the Takapuna Jockey Club’s meeting on Saturday and Monday, November 26 and 28, are due at 5 p.m. next Friday. Weights will be announced to-morrow. Marton’s New Year Programme The fine new course at Marton is expected to be in tip-top order for the Marton Jockey Club's summer meeting on January 2 and 3. Since the spring meeting a couple of months ago the course has been sown and topdressed with the result that this splendid track will be in great order. The principal event is the Marton Cup, worth £SOO, while the other events are also well endowed. Last summer the Marton fixture was held at Feilding, and fields generally were small, most trainers preferring to do the Stratford gathering, with the result that competition was exceptionally keen and races hard to win. For those who are taking their , horses away for the holidays, the Manawatu and Marton circuit appears to be one worthy of support, for these two courses are but twenty miles apart, and both on the Main Trunk line. Entries for the Marton fixture are due on December 9. Gala Day’s Chance After he had won the Whangarei Cup in such fine style on the opening day, Delightment pulled up very sore, and he was not abel to take his place on Saturday. This presented Gala Day with his chance, and the Quin Abbey gelding made no error about his task, being in front from the rise of the barrier until the line was crossed. On the first day Gala Day pulled himself about a lot during the running, and when permitted to run along in front over the shorter journey he more than held his own. Pace Too Warm Quincoma won so well on the opening day of the Whangarei meeting that he was given a show in the principal event on Saturday. fte had every chance to prove himself, always being nicely placed, and when it came to a finish he could not. respond very well, a poor third being his portion. The Quin Abbey gelding is a good horse, in anything a little short of good handicap class, and so, too, is Athenry, who faded out in the same race on Saturday, not being able to keep up the fast pace set by Gala Day. Nearly a Nasty Smash Eden Hall was beaten by a good horse in Delightment in the Whangarei Cup, in which he went a fine race all the way, finishing second. He was again heavily supported on Saturday, and he had his chance ruined through his rider endeavouring to force a way through an opening that was not sufficient to take the horse. Eden Hall nearly fell, and he lost a lot of ground as a result. The luck has not turned in favour of Eden Hall as yet. Second Best Sleepy Sol lias improved considerably lately, and on Saturday he pushed Gala Day to nearly a length in the principal handicap when in receipt of 101 b from the winner. The Marble Arch gelding was not started the first day on account of the hard ground, but the surface on Saturday had been loosened by the galloping it had received, and so he was allowed to take his chance. Although carded among the aged division, Sleepy Sol is wearing well, and he should be a good horse for his owner, Mr. F. W. Stonex, on the country circuit, for he carries ■weight better than many others. Two in the Afternoon Dave has not taken long to come to hand, and trainer J. Williamson had the pleasure of leading him in a double winner at Whangarei on Saturday. The first day of the meeting he did not appear to be able to handle the sharp turns, but there was no doubt about the manner in which he negotiated them the second time. In fact, it was to this in a large measure that his dual success was due. McTavish kept him in on the rails behind the two pacemakers, and when they went a bit wide he got an uninterrupted run on the inside. It was in this manner that he won both the open short races on Saturday. He was leniently dealt with in being raised three pounds for his first win, but he was all out when he completed the double.

The Auckland Cup Handicaps for the Auckland Cup are expected to be announced on December 2. General entries for the Auckland summer meeting close on the same date. Serang Finishes Well On the first day at Whangarei Serang was unable to raise a gallop, despite the fact that J. Buchanan turned him out in great condition. On Saturday, with the sting out of the ground, Serang was again well back in the early stages of the open sprint, and he came with a wet sail in the straight to snatch second money on the post. However, there were but five starters, and the white-faced chestnut gave no return to his supporters. Serang is still giving glimpses of his true form, and when he gets a track to suit him he will make his presence felt. Will Come Good Piet ran two good races at Whangarei, and both days was noticed running on at the end. The small course was all against the Magpie gelding, and when he gets on a roomy track again he should be able to finish much closer than he did at the northern meeting last week. Piet is still a bit green, and with the experience he is gaining should eventually turn out to be a payable proposition. He is now a five-year-old, so that he is getting along in years. Couldn’t Get Clear High Finance had almost a runaway win in the open sprint at Whangarei on Thursday, and was heavily backed on Saturday to repeat the performance, carrying very nearly half the money on the machine. She was beaten from the very sart, for Awarere kept her at it and did not let her have it all her own way. While it brought about the downfall of such a hot favourite it was also responsible for the defeat of Awarere, who had run himself out before the judge was reached, and failed to survive Serang’s late run. Had High Finance been allowed to establish her usual lead she might have won. Awarere Goes Fast It can be said that luck did not greatly •favour Awarere in his three starts at Whangarei last week. He finished second to High Finance on Thursday and on Saturday he was produced on two occasions. Ini the open five furlongs he was backed down to ridiculous odds, and he looked a winner till he left the rails in the straight, leaving a “horse and dray” opening for Dave, and the favourite gave some small return to his supporters for second. Awarere’s second start of the day was in the open sprint, with the result already recorded. Here again he left the rails, and it was Dave that put in the run through the gap. Two Days at Kawakawa A conference between representatives of the Waipapakauri and Bay of Islands Racing Clubs was held at Whangarei, and it was agreed to hold a combined meeting at Kawakawa on January 19 and 21 or January 20 and 21. The Waipapakauri Club recently applied to the Minister of Internal Affairs for permission to race at Takapuna but this was refused. The club was advised to race at Kawakawa and it is pleasing to learn that satisfactory arrangements have been made with the Bay of Islands Club for a combined meeting. Off the Course Wenday was conspicuous in both her outings at Whangarei, but whatever chance she might have possessed was spoiled by her rider asking her to do too much. For most of the journey she was on the outside of two and three horses, and on a turning track that means a great deal of extra ground. Despite this handicap Wenday finished close behind the placed horses in the concluding event on Saturday. Scat Strikes Form It has been some time since Scat won a race, but his win on Saturday in the concluding event at Whangarei was fully anticipated on the strength of his third in the open sprint a couple of days previously. On Saturday Scat was made a warm favourite, and always being near the van when he was not himself making the pace, he took charge again in the run home and had enough in hand to beat. Uralla and Golden Krist, both of whom finished strongly.