Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 402, 10 July 1928, Page 10

Turf Notes

(By EARLY BIRD)

Atareria’s Good Chance Judging on his showings over the sticks to date, Atareria would appear to be a likely candidate for hurdling honours at Trentham this week. On the opening day he has 10.10 in the hack event, and although he has to concede good lumps of weight to some improving hurdlers he should just about hold his own. Winning Form Recent hurdle winners in Sir Moment and Patuki will be seen in action in the Vittoria Hurdles on the opening day at Trentham. The former loves the mud, and as the conditions favour him he is capable of springing a mild surprise. Patuki may go well, too, for he is not badly treated. Then there is Troilus, who at times has shown form that has been most impressive. Radiate r s Brilliancy The student of breeding would find much to interest him in Radiate, who should have been a winner of cups ere this. That he should have won his first race, a hack steeplechase, at Napier last month, shows that on breeding alone a horse cannot be expected to tLirn out a champion. Radiate is a line jumper, and one or even two races over the big fences at Trentham should go his way. If He is Right After competing at Napier Park Son o’ Mine was under a cloud, but the fact that he has been paid up for in the Hack Steeples at Trentham on Wednesday would suggest that he is all right again. He meets Radiate at a difference of 221 b., and this may well bring about the defeat of the top weight, for Son o’ Mine has shown very promising form. When he crashed at Napier it was the first time he had fallen, his four previous starts seeing him in a place. Unfortunately Son o’ Aline was scratched yesterday. May Get Some Money

Although he failed to complete the course at Ellerslie recently, Hangawera jumped very well, and on the flat country Trentham ground he is capable of springing a surprise in the hack steeplechases this week. He is by no means sound, but he pulled up all right after his fall last week, and he must have satisfied trainer AI. J. Carroll that he has more than a starter’s chance or he would not have taken him South.

Will Have to Improve At the Great Northern meeting last month Alangani ran some most promising races. At the Te Kuiti gathering three weeks later he went two poor races, over hurdles and country, so that it is difficult to see why his trainer has taken on the Trentham trip with him. Perhaps it was as company for Alia Bella. On the other liand, the form shown by Alangani recently was too bad to be true, and probably it is hoped that over the level Trentham country he will show up better in the hack steeples. If he goes as well as he is- able then he will get into the money. Since this paragraph was penned Alangani has been scratched for all engagements. Matu as a ’Chaser Matu is an Improving ’chaser, and there is every indication that he will serve his owner much better at this branch of the game than as a hurdler, at which lie was not always reliable. Matu won at Hastings at the second time of asking over country, and his performance was accomplished in a very smooth manner, even allowing for the weakness of the opposition. In addition to Alatu, the South Islander, Alainspring, is another that can be said to show promise, for he won at Ashburton the other day. The Hack Seven King Alart and The Alug have shown sufficient form in tlieii' recent outings to suggest that they will do as well as anything in the Te Aro Handicap on the opening day at Trentham, but there is such a big field in that event that an upset is a very likely contingency. There are a few other good hacks engaged, so that the market should have a wide range. A likely one is the Fordell-trained Otairi, who may be a winner at the meeting. Tripos Can Go The rising tliree-year-old filly Tripos (Kilbroney—Capping Day) had her initial racing experience at the Otaki meeting last month, and after the first day s run she showed up in improved style the second day, though still a good way from the winner. The experience seemed to have brought her on a lot, for she is shaping well now in smart track work. At Trentham the other morning she ran half a mile in 53. Her dam, Capping Day, was a very smart mare. As a two-year-old she beat Winning Hit in the Taita Handicap at the Wellington spring meeting and ran half a mile in 47. while among .the unplaced division were The Hawk, Anomaly, Grotesque and Palestrina. Tripos is in the Trial Plate at Trentham.

About King Lu It will indeed be surprising: if King Lu returns from Trentham this week without earning a winning bracket. He is a great galloper under winter weights and the prevailing conditions, so that everythig will be to his liking. Tinker will pilot him in his engagements, and this in itself is a big recommendation, for this horseman thoroughly understands him and has been up in most of his successes. Impressive Form The manner in which King Lu won the sprint at the Te Kuiti meeting was rather in the nature of an eyeopener, for he was carrying eleven stone in the heavy ground. However, he was the smartest out of the barrier, and in the middle stages was given a breather. Then a furlong from home he shot up to the leaders, and left them standing over the last bit, his winning margin being a couple of lengths. If that is not good form, and a great guide to Trentham, then there is no such thing. The company King Lu will face at Trentham is a bit better than the lot he vanquished here, but he can deliver the goods. A Useful Bracket Also in the sprint on the opening day at Trentham is Waltzer, who will be bracketed with King Lu if both run. It is very probable that Waltzer will be given a race, for he is under orders to contest hurdle events on the second and third days of the meeting. Although he was a winner on the flat last week at the Te Kuiti meeting, Waltzer may find the sprinters a bit too good for him. Still, he is a useful second string. The Mudlarks

Among the mudlarks that will be on hand to contest the sprint race at Trentham are Taboo (who likes it muddy to the knees), Luke Abbey, Oration (who showed good form at Ellerslie last month), Monoghan, Ring Boy, Bonogne, The Swell and Catkin. It is interesting to note that The Swell and Moromea both hail from a New Plymouth stable, and early indications point to the fact that the stable is not without hopes of bringing off the double. Beau Will Be Favourite It is very unlikely that Beau Cavalier wili be deposed from his early position of favourite for the Wellington Steeplechase. He will have his oid pilot, S. Henderson, in the saddle, and that will assist the doubters to have the top-weight on their side. The ! he au has a good weight, but there is 1 no hill to go over three times at Trentham, so this free goer will have a chance to show that his fourth in the Great Northern Steeplechase was sufficiently good to win the Wellington Steeplechase. Aucklanders will not hear of his defeat despite the muddy ! course.

Kawini's Prospects | Ridden more judiciously, Kawini | might have beaten Glendowie in tlm Winter Steeplechase on the final day of the Great Northern meeting', for he : was taken to the front nearly a mile from home, and consequently, for an unseasoned horse, he failed to survive Glendowie’s challenge from the last fence. In the Wellington Steeplechase Kawini w r ill again be ridden by the same jockey, and although on form and figures he should beat Beau Cavalier, the advantage of the latter in regard to horsemanship may well be the deciding factor, as between this pair, at any rate. Pouri's Improvement The capital display of jumping given by Pouri in the Otorohanga Steeplechase on the second day of the Te Kuiti fixture was something in the nature of a revelation, for he cleared the fences particularly fast. It was a remarkable improvement on his earlier efforts, and a repetition of that fencing will make him more than an outside possibility for the big jumping contests at Trentham this week. E. Warner will again be in the saddle. The easier fences at Trentham should suit Pouri, more so than the formidable obstacles at Riccarton.

Has Tuki the Pace? No doubt most of the Southern confidence will be reposed in Tuki in the Wellington Steeplechase. One is inclined to the view that Tuki, who finished second to Glendowie in the Great Northern, may not have enough pace to foot it with the field at Trentham, where speed is almost as much a factor as jumping ability, which latter is what suits Tuki best. The Grand National should be more to his liking, and if he can be produced as fit as he was at Ellerslie, then he stands a first-class winning chance. However, the waterlogged course to-morrow may slow them up, and this will give Tuki an excellent chance.

Two Unreliables Of the others in the Wellington Steeplechase, Maunga and Comical, (who has been schooling well again) two from the Bay, once the home of great ’chasers, have the anility, if not the inclination. Both will be at good prices, for their recent efforts have not been encouraging, although the way Maunga went at Ellerslie last month showed that he is good enough if he would only do his best. Comical might win, but in any event lie is a bad horse to follow, or has been since he was put over the big country, and should he lead the field home his few loyal supporters will have every reason to be on good terms with themselves Reduced Team

G. New’s team for Trentham threatens to be much smaller than anticipated, for Fee Simple and Lucre have been scratched, while Wanderlust is an unlikely starter. In such case Pangolin and Le Champ will be the stable’s only repesentatives. Although he proved capable of winning the Stewards’ Handicap at the Napier Park meeting last month. Wanderlust has not looked himself since Feilding, and it is evident that the Rangitero gelding has not retained his earlier condition. It is New’s intention to take Wandelust, Fee Simple and La Champ through to the Gisborne fixture.