Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 288, 25 February 1928, Page 6

Turf Notes

Conducted by

"EARLY BIRD”

The Dannevirke Fixture The autumn meeting of the Danne* viirke Racing Club is to be held on Wednesday and Thursday next. "Chaser Back to Work Sea Comet is being hacked about the roads preparatory to undergoing a preparation for the jumping season. Over the big fences Sea Comet has

proved himself a fine jumper, but a lack I of stamina has been effective in stop- | ping him in long races. Taking On Weak Company The chestnut mare Ash Tray, who showed some pace in her engagements in the early spring, is at present in the Bay of Plenty being prepared for local events.

Returned to Active Ranks Tho Day Comet filly Skyrider, who likewise comes from J. Coyle’s Manawatu stable, was showing a good turn of speed in the early stages of her career, but had to be accorded a let-up at a critical stage. She is back in the active ranks, looking all the better fox' her spell. Out On The Farm Although he has shown speed in his training operations and has raced prominently at times, Wyoming has done little of note. He is at present on his owner’s farm. As he is now seven years old, it is extremely unlikely that Wyoming will show improvement, although' he might do better if put to hurdling. To Carry The Chequers The Palmerston North owner of Keddar, Mr. E. Trevor, in partnership with Mr. McMillan, will have two Lord Quex youngsters to carry their colours in the not far distant future, one of them being a full-brother to Keddar. The pair are racy looking youngsters and they should be heard of later on. Not Being Hurried The Acre gelding Desert Lad. who runs in the same ownership as Some Lad. came to hand very quickly early in the season, when he ran a remarkable race at Levin to win the maiden at his first time of asking. Since then his owner has wisely not hurried him. and although he continues to attend at the Awapuni tracks, little is oeing asked of him. Mentor Takes Over H. H. Doyle, who lias been appointed private trainer to the Auckland sportsman, Mr. W. Scholium, has received two members of that owner’s string, the others having been turned out to permit of their adding some condition. The two he has so far received are the hurdler Royal Flight and a four-year-old Swift Flight mare* but only the latter was in attendance at the tracks on Tuesday morning, her companion enjoying a run in the paddock. The mare is a racy looking sort who promises to develop a good turn of speed. Hurdle Horseman Moves Hector Gordon, who has been quartered at Marton for several years past, has taken up his residence in Palmerston North. Gordon sustained serious injury when Arataura came to grief with him at Dannevirke, and he carried the marks of the fall for a long time. However, he shows little evidence of such now and, with the jumping season coming on, he should not lack for mounts. In the past season or two Gordon has displayed an aptitude for winning on animals who were making their debut at the jumping game. New Trainer’s Fine Start “The man who gets things done” is a phrase applicable to the Te Rapa trainer, A. Tinker. Tinker took only two horses to Rotorua and he won with both, while they each recorded a second placing, which was consistency itself. Archeen did the honours on the first day, and Rangi Kokiri took his turn on the second day. With Glendowie (2> and Mervette (3) to go to the recent successes, Tinker has done extremely well during the few months he has been in the training business. The only other horses he has started are King Merv and Billy Boy, and they have been out only once at a tote fixture. There are not many trainers who can show that record in the time. Strange to say, he isn’t in at Te Aroha, but will be at Franklin. Piuthair Turned Out Piuthair, who quite failed to do herself justice owing to the hardness of the tracks, has joined Clarinda in the paddock and will not tnake a reappearance until conditions improve. Meantime T. Lloyd has taken in hand the three-year-old Callanmore (by Absurd), who, like the elder pair, claims Black Ada as his dam. This youngster was backed with confidence on one or two occasions as a two-year-old, only to fail, and he was then operated upon for trouble in the respiratory organs. He has returned to the active ranks nicely built up and well ready to enter upon a more strenuous career. A Nice Youngster Valerie, an older full-sister to the brilliant Reremoana, would have made a great name for herself on the race track had she kept sound. As it was she won some good races before being sent to the brood mares’ paddock. Eighteen months ago Valerie produced a chestnut filly to Chief Ruler, and the youngster was described by Mr. G. F. Moore as one of the best he had ever had at Bushy Park, where Reremoana and other great gallopers first saw the light. This week Mr. Moore’s trainer, Oriey Cox, took the Chief Ruler filly to Hawera to be prepared -for racing, rtnd it will be surprising if the youngster fails to make a name for herself. A TRUE FISH STORY Mr. H. V. Massey, the writer, vouches for the truth of this story: “I had always wanted to smoke a pipe,” he writes. “After several attempts I gave my ‘taste’ up, for with each trial I got a blistered tongue. One evening I read in the paper that a certain fisherman could catch more fish when using Edgeworth. So I decided I would try ‘his’ tobacco for I am no poor fisherman! The next day I smoked my first Edgeworth; I still smoke Edgeworth; I catch fish and never get ‘a. lpite’ from Edgeworth.” 5

| Caught Colds j After racing at Wanganui last ThursI day, Damaris and Covent Garden developed bad colds. A Change of Scene ! Unless the Minister withholds his j sanction —and this is thought unlikely I —the autumn meeting of the Marlborough Racing Club will be held at ! Trentham on Saturday and Monday. ; April 21 and 23. Rapier for Trentham I Rapier is training on nicely for ! autumn engagements. He has been nominated for the Peninsula Cup, but his serious objective is the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting, where he may be a starter in the Thompson Handicap. as a preliminary to the Trentham Gold Cup. Letdy Desmond in Work O. Cox did not take Mr. Donald’s filly, Time Will Tell, back from Wanganui and the filly will be turned out for a spell. The same trainer has Lady Desmond back on the tracks again, and the filled leg has fined down splenj didly, and with ordinary luck should ! not cause further trouble.

Clash With Avondale It is stated that the Manawatu Racing Club has changed its dates to April 18 and 19, with the approval of the Dates Committee. The first day clashes with the concluding day of the Avondale fixture, when the All Aged Stakes is run, and as there are two classics and one weight-for-age race at Awapuni it is likely that the Avondale weight-for-age event will be affected.

Looks The Goods When the Acre —Mungaroa two-year-old Patearoa made his appearance at Manawatu big things were predicted of him, but his owner was subjected to disappointment, for, following his being given plenty of time to grow, he developed a heavy cold which threw him out of work. However, he continues to look the part of a racer and his turn will no doubt come. Trainer Changes Quarters J. Hastie, who has Holus Bolus under his care, has taken up his residence at Awapuni. The Boniform —Believe gelding has had an interrupted preparation owing to a cold, but he is now throwing off the effects and will soon be quickened up in his work, although he will, in all probability, not figure in public till the Wellington fixture. It is understood that it is the intention of his owner eventually to put him to the jumping game. May Lose Their Colours Although notices have been sent out to owners calling on them to make the triennial re-registration of their colours, accompanied by a fee of ss, several have failed to take the necessary action. Unless renewed, the colours are automatically cancelled, and in many cases such a course would cause consternation to forgetful owners. To Join Nucleus The Arrowsmith —Gladiole filly Marcia showed no pace at all in the Maiden at Wanganui, and Messrs. O’Neill Bros, subsequently disposed of her to Mr. F. Ehrhorn for 21 guineas. Mr. Ehrhorn has been lucky with his purchases of horses which nobody else wanted, and Nucleus has given him enough to add to his string. Out Till Next Season Count Cavour will not be persevered with any more this season. The injury to his leg, the result of a fall at Auckland, mended so slowly that it was realised he could not be got ready for the Trentham Gold Cup next month. It was therefore decided to turn him out and he will be spelled for several months, after which he will be started on a preparation for spring engagements. The mishap to the Solferino gelding was unfortunate, as his second in the Auckland Cup, under 9.5, showed that he was back to his best form.

When Tracks Are Easier King Smock has been submerged, in the literal sense, down Thames way, his headquarters, for some time. He had some racing in the earlier part of the present term, but *he hardly appeared to be at his best. The Snow King—Lady Smock gelding was blistered some time back and was on the easy list for several weeks. He has

only recently made his reappearance on the track at Parawai, so it can be taken that Deeble’s charge will not be back again to racing until the autumn. That is a period of the year when he has gone well in the past, as he likes to feel himself getting into the ground. A track that has suited King Smock particularly well in the past is the Waikato Club’s surface at Te Rapa, where there is ample room and still more for the slow beginners, the long striders and the good stayers. Triumph for Greenstead It cannot be often that, in a field of over a score, the money places at the finish are occupied by the only three gets of a particular sire that were starters. However, this was the somewhat singular, perhaps unique, result of the running of the Three-year-old Handicap at the Moorefield (N.S.W.) meeting last Saturday week, when the Welkin horse Greenstead, who has made a great name for himself as the begetter of sprinters, was able to claim as his progeny Greenwich, Green and Beckwith, who ran first, second and third, with only half a length and a head between them. Rugby Idol As Trainer “Give it to Dufty!” is a phrase that had its origin in the days when the elongated J.H.D., from the Goldfields, used to put ’em across the bar and between the uprights with great frequency for Auckland against interprovincial rivals. J.H.D. has been training horses off and on for the greater part of the period since he discarded the jersey. At Parawai he has the hurdler Lucilius in his charge, also another jumper in the making. This latter is known as Cullus Boy, who might develop into a useful hurdle horse. Harvest Day is the flat galloper on hand, but he now appears too far advanced in years to do much good for himself.