Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 246, 7 January 1928, Page 8

Turf Notes

Conducted by

“EARLY BIRD”

A Long Absence After a spell extending over a couple of years, R. Brown has recommissioned the five-year-old Nuki Boy. The Some Boy 11. gelding was never .raced as a two-year-old, his only performance to date being an unsuccessful attempt at Thames. Many Injured Among the casualty list after the Auckland meeting were the following: Count Cavour’s hind leg was “up” after his trouble on the third day. Joy King’s legs were under treatment. Limited, Don Jose and a number of others were in similar trouble, and pennanee was galloped on on the last day, having a plate and a piece of his foot torn off. Lost All Form - New Moon showed practically no form in his outings at Marton, and has apparently gone off. The Kilbroney gelding was fairly smart over a mile last season and showed distinct promise, but he shaped like a moderate on Monday and Tuesday. His form at Awapuni last week was also poor, and must have surprised trainer J. F. Tutchen. To be Sold

Grand Knight is not likely to carry the cerise and white chequers much

longer. He appears to have become rather tired of racing, and his two showings at Ellerslie disappointed his connections. He is booked for sale by auction this month at the Trentham sales. Wants Some Riding

Macroom failed to show her true form at Awapuni and Marton, and after the first , day at the latter fixture it was decided to try*a stronger boy on the chestnut. McMahon was given the mount in the open seven furlongs, and for him Macroom went much better, finally dead-heating for second money with Brigadier Bill behind Polar, who was a hot favourite, beaten into third place on the opening day.. Macroom is very well, but is apparently a moody customer. There was merit in her winning efforts at Takapuna and Taumarunui. Coming Back

Twelve months ago Whenuanui was doing great things among the hack sprinters, and after carrying big weights successfully he was sent to Trentham to take on the open sixfurlong performers. He did well too for his first attempt, dead-heating for second money, but after this he went right off, and he did not win another race for nine months. This was in the open seven furlongs the first day at Marton, and hb led practically the whole way to score convincingly. He was beaten the following day, so it cannot be said that he is back to his very best. However, that he ran so well last Monday points to the Acre gelding\being on the road to a complete return to form. Paid a Good Price Dobbin showed fair form as a sprinter when trained up this way last season by A. McArthur. Now he is prepared by E. W. Watson at Awapuni. The Quin Abbey gelding was produced in the Railway Handicap the first day at Marton, and was sent out at a double figure quotation. Ridden in behind by an apprentice, Dobbin went after the leaders as soon as they came into the straight, where his boy, nothing if not enterprising, pushed a way between Arrow Lad and Vast Acre, interfering with the former, and then winning nicely by a length. The next day Dobbin was a fair third in the three-horse race. Nevertheless, his first day’s running was promising, and he should be heard of again when the company is not of the Aussie calibre. One Representative 'At present the Hunterville sportsman, Mr. James Bull, is experiencing a lean time in the racing world so far as winning races is concerned. The only horse he had racing over the holidays was Brigadier Bill, who showed some pace again when he deadheated for second in the final event at Marton. The Brigadier looks well, and he should play a part in next winter’s jumping events. Mr. Bull would no doubt dearly love to have a horse worthy of filling the gaps left by the exits of Ngata and Omahu from the race track. A .Matter of Finance Owners will not patronise a meeting where the stakes are poor if there is another body offering better money; sentiment, they say, is all very well, but with them in these hard times racing is a business. This was what the Marton Jockey Club has experienced for the past two meetings at New Year. There was a paucity of runners at Feilding 12 months ago when its gatherings eventuated there, for there were four four-horse fields on the two days. Last Monday at Marton there were 51 runners, and on the second day there were 52. As against this Stratford, which raced at the same time, had good fields, attracted no doubt by the bette.r stake. money on offer. Marton has its new course to pay for, and so in this respect is up against it, but it appears certain that in the light of its experiences for the last two summer meetings that better stake money will require to be offered to attract the horses, and the public.

A Useful Trophy The trainer of the winner of the Avoca Handicap at; the Dargaville meeting next Thursday is to receive a gold split-second watch, which is a donation from the business men of Dargaville. Powhiri’s Promise One of the most promising hurdlers put to the game recently is Powhiri. He won both days at Marton, and although considered by many fortunate to catch the judge’s eye the first day ho was meeting Elysianor on worse terms the day after and beat him again, this time without any doubt. Powhiri is trained by that good man with jumpers, L. Knapp, so that in the coming jumping season we can expect Powhiri to be taking his place with the best of them and holding his own over the sticks. The Clifford Plate There is no .better horseman at present in New Zealand than A. Tinker (according to a Wellington writer), and usually he is extra patient, and moreover he rides King Lu to perfection. In the Clifford Plate, however, it looked as if he gave away a good chance of beating Rapier when he made his run on King Lu three and a-half furlongs from home. The northerner put in a brilliant burst, which took him right up to Rapier. Had it been delayed a little later the layers of odds on may have had another setback, for Rapier had to be ridden to win, and it was not the bloodless victory that most would imagine.. Mithra's Debut

Apparently the Takanini trainer, J. T. Jamieson, has some more good horses to introduce racegoers to. His latest to grace they turf was the two-year-old Mithra, by Australian Sun (sire of In The’ Shade) from Bonum. The Australian-bred youngster made a very impressive showing. She ran green for the first furlong and a-half, but from this to the end she went fast, and after being tailed off got up to beat her stablemate Patadawn by a head for third money. The race was run over six furlongs, so that Mithra can be ticked off as one likely to be running on later. The filly is engaged at Trentham. Torquil’s Price

Torquil started only once at the Auckland meeting, when he finished third after being taken out wide on the turn into the straight. This was very promising, and many were waiting for him, but in vain. The three-year-old brother to Tiega and Killoch was under offer to an Australian buyer during the holidays, and it has been announced that the sale was completed, so that the chestnut will in future do his racing on the other side of the water. The purchase price was said to be £SOO. Torquil had a private reputation, so that it will be interesting to see if he lives up to it in the land of heat and drought. A Weak Finish

Henna was produced the first day at Marton, when she was saddled up for the Cup, and she was a bit unlucky to be beaten into second place. She lost a couple of lengths at the start through her rider, an apprentice, being caught napping, and then she. was off the course crossing the top and coming into the straight. Then she got to Stormy at the half-distance, and it was only the weak finishing effort of her rider, plus the stronger efforts of A. E. Ellis on the favourite, that got the latter home by a head. Henna was made favourite in the principal event the next day, but after being handy at the turn she faded out. She does not appear to be too solid, although she has been racing more consistently this season. Flights of Fancy

In the open sprint the first day at Awapuni Civility was galloping very fast at the finish, and on the strength of this was solidly backed to win a middle distance handicap at the meeting. However, she ran very badly, and the Elysian mare was relieved of her remaining engagements over the holidays. The trouble that came against her from the racing point of view was of an unusual nature, for it was said that she was suffering from a complaint that usually comes to her sex about this time of the year, with the difference, so it was announced, that

the trouble was of an imaginary nature. If she shows signs of form later on Civility can be ticked off as a sure starter in either the Riccarton or Ellerslie Easter Handicaps. Vast Acre a Good Sprinter

At the Feilding meeting recently Vast Acre proved herself a brilliant hack sprinter, finishing first and third in her last two outings there when she carried 9.7 and 10.3 respectively. The daughter of Acre and Lady Butler has been expected to win an open sprint, and she was given her first opportunity to do so at Marton on Monday. As . usual she began brilliantly and led the field to the distance, where she began to stop, and then Dobbin and Arrow Lad passed her, but she was eventually placed second. On the next day her followers got more than their money back when she downed a hot proposition in Kiosk in a th.ree-horse race when in receipt of 19 pounds. But he was not the Kiosk that won the Feilding Stakes.