Waikato Horses Should Be Prominent To-Morrow

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 263, 27 January 1928, Page 6

Waikato Horses Should Be Prominent To-Morrow

Budget From District Headquarters f)UR WAIKATO TURF CORRESPONDENT WRITES HoPEFULLY CONCERNING THE PROSPECTS OF HORSES FROM THE LOWER END OF THE PROVINCE CLAIMING ENGAGEMENTS AT TAKAPUNA THIS WEEK-END. THE DISTRICT IS STRONGLY REPRESENTED AT THE FIXTURE, AND. AS IS USUALLY THE CASE. A GOOD PORTION OF THE STAKE MONEY WILL FIND ITS WAY TO THE WAIKATO.

THERE are now close on 50 horses in the various stables which make the Waikato Racing Club’s property at Te Rapa their headquarters. In common with most other places, the grass tracks on this circuit are very dry, and practically all the work is undertaken on the plough. The course caretaker, Tom Wilcox, has this stretch in very fine order. Te Rapa gets strong winds at certain periods of the year, and constant top-dressing

of the plough is required. The trainers who are operating at this centre include W. C. Woods, J. F. Tutchen, M. J. Carroll, A. P. Brady, A. Tinker, T. E. Wilson, P. W.. Scally, R. McMiken, and Tom Wilson, while there are a few with smaller teams. WHERE TRANSFORMER RESIDES Trainer Woods has Transformer, Flying Juliet and Orchus entered at Takapuna. The big Thurnham gelding, Transformer, has not been keeping the flag flying this season at all, but there can be no doubt about his qualifications when he is right. He had a fall in the Racing Club Handicap at the Auckland meeting, and while he appears to be all right, the:*e is always a doubt about horses when they meet with mishaps. If he gallops at liis best on the day Transformer will keep the field moving n

the Takapuna Cup, as 8.1 is not a prohibitive weight for him when he is in form. As his party are going on with the engagement, they must oe hopeful that Transformer will be acting up to somewhere near his top form. NOW DOING BETTER The Romeo mare, Flying Juliet, woo was" a useful galloper last season, has not been doing it right this term. Her best showings to date were at toe Thames meeting at Ellerslie. After a spell she was produced at the Waipa Club’s fixture in December, but disappointed her party greatlj* by her lack of finishing dash in her two engagements. Flying Juliet looks better now and has been doing fairly well in her work, but most punters this way will wait till her quality is put to the test before going in at all heavily. Orchus went well the last time he was seen at the Shore, when the brother to Ruffles won in maiden company and might have repeated the dcse but for stumbling when in a handy position rounding the top stretch. He was started once at the Auckland meeting, but didn’t show up in the better company. Orchus has a useful

has an occasional turn and a reasonably long straight gives the Day Comet mare a show. BRANSON TO RACE ON SATURDAY Pat Scally is working away with Branson in view of Takapuna duty for the Greyspear gelding. Report has it that a broken bloodvessel kept the; horse out of the recent holiday racing. Branson is working well, but

he gives the impression that he is a shade jolly, and will require racing to tune him up. SUNNYSIDE LODGE TEAM With the chief supervisor of Sunnyside Lodge team, M. J. Carroll, absent at Trentham with Paganelli, the members of this stable are being worked by the stables’ head lad. Macroom is having most attention, as she has engagements at Takapuna to fulfil. The natty little daughter of Archiestown looks none the worse for her recent racing. She has been very useful this season. When she was at Takapuna in the spring she “surprised the natives” by dead-heating with Ti Tree in the Plate and paying nearly half a century for the honour. She has won twice since then. Hard tracks do not appear to affect this sprightly little lady, who will be nodding acquaintance again before very long. Athenry is having a spell, owing to injuring himself while having a hurdling outing at the Waipa meeting. In Arms, the Quin Abbey —Bell Crispin filly, also in Carroll’s team, is being kept going and so is Kerry Dance, the chestnut descendant of Nassau and Glesando. He may make a return to racing at Matamata. There is mention of Pinon being given another preparation. The King Lupin—Mignon mare went wrong last season, but she has had a good spell and there is a hope of her pulling through. Pinon showed a lot of pace when she was on deck. Havering, the well built chestnut descendant of Quin Abbey and Dreamer, will race as a geldiirg in future. He is a quality gentleman and it will be surprising if he fails to place a goodly return in stakes to his owner’s credit.

FROM TUTCHEN’S STABLE Trainer Tutchen has none of his team entered at Takapuna. New Moon had a let up after a trip to Awapuni and Marton at Christmas-New Year, but the little Kilbroney gelding is on the move again. He doesn’t stand a great deal of racing, but can nip along when fresh. Matamata will probably be his next start. Young Pretender, who missed the holiday racing through getting injured in his box on the railway when returning from the Taumarunui fixture last month, is back again on the tracks. The Some Boy 11. gelding shows pace like most of his breed. He was in good form on the occasion of the spring fixture at the North Shore and when he has had a few more gallops will be ready to keep the best of his grade moving round the country. Abbess, the sister to York Abbey, is a regular worker with the team. She is inclined to get on her toes but is settling down better with age. Abbess has a lot of pace but cannot be rated over solid; Prince Rufus is pottering about on the track. The King Rufus gelding is ageing, but he should still be good for a few jumping races. It is likely that he will return to steeplechasing