A. Cook Has Fine Team In Training

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 425, 6 August 1928, Page 10

A. Cook Has Fine Team In Training

YOUNGSTERS GIVE PROMISE TE KARA NOT FOR HURDLING (Special to THE SUN) TE AWAMUTU, Thursday. oome horses of note are trained by the well-known mentor, Mr. A. Cook, whose commodious and well-appointed stables are situated just outside the borough of Te Awamutu, on the Great South Road, adjacent to the Waipa Racing Club’s course. A maiden performer that shows great condition is the big half-brother to Te Kara, for he is listed as by Lucullus or Paper Money from Te Kara’s prolific winner-producing dam, March. It is agreed that this rising four-year-old favours Lucullus, for he has a typical head and make-up that go to show parentage in that direction. He gives one the impression of being a good sort, ready for stern duty when called upon. While he may not perform as well as Te Kara, he should race creditably with the colours up. A quality-looking mare that has yet to sport silk has Stormy for a halfbrother, and is by Nassau from Gipsy Martian. She is a bay with plenty of spirit and shape that pleases from all viewpoints, and is registered as Becalmed, her breeder being Mr. H. W. Burch, of Hamilton. Trainer Cook thinks highly of this mare, and it -will be interesting to see how Becalmed conducts herself when she makes her debut on the turf. Te Kara Doing Well Te Kara is looking younger and brighter than he has been for some time, and is a credit to his painstaking trainer. He is a picture of health and liveliness, and it will take a good performer yet to beat him at level weights. There has been a disposition to accept the inference that the bay son of General Latour will be performing over hurdles in the near future. His owner, however, regards him much too highly to take any risk of Te Kara breaking his leg in an obstacle race, as so many other good performers have done when relegated to hurdling. Of a different type is Speechless, the Australian-bred daughter of imported Demosthenes and Queen Kora, for she is as easy-going as anyone could wish. Speechless has already shomn promise in the racecourse, and her Auckland owner, Mr. J. N. Hislop, has good reason to hope for further satisfactory achievements in the coming season. A Hack To Remember Another interesting equine was the mare Partial Eclipse, by Nassau from Sibford, a half-sister to Awarere, winner of the last Railway Handicap. Partial Eclipse accounted for a small handicap at the last Hamilton meeting. She is the type to prove a winner in hack company before long again, but as yet is not keyed up for serious business, being allowed the run of the paddock all day. A few rousing gallops should see her fit for racing. An unnamed mare rising four years is by imported Catmint from Paulina, and thus a half-sister to Eileena, an inmate of W. Stone’s stable. Mr. Cook’s charge does not resemble Eileena a great deal, but she also looks a likely sort. The “surprise packet” of the stable is a coming two-year-old chestnut colt, half-brother to Stormy and Becalmed, for he is by imported Chief Ruler from Gipsy Martian. Built on solid lines, the youngster gives one the impression of being the best-developed juvenile in the Waikato. The chestnut is sure to attract a great deal of attention when he is prepared for racing. He has great girth, immense quarters, and has a very intelligent head. RACING FIXTURES August 4.—Christchurch Hunt. August 4.—Poverty Bay Hunt August 14, 16 IS. —Canterbury J.C. August 25.—Hawke’s Bay Hunt. August 29. —Dannevirke R.C. August 30.—Dannevirke Hunt. Sept. I.—Otago Hunt. Sept. I—Taranaki Hunt. Sept. s.—Marton J.C. Sept. 13, 15.—Wanganui J.C. Sept. 19. —Manawatu Hunt. Sept. 22.—Ashburton R.C. Sept. 22.—Napier Park R.C. Sept. 22, 24.—Avondale J.C. Sept. 27. 28.—Geraldine R.C. Sept. 29.—Palcuranga Hunt (at Elierslie) Sept. 29.—Hawke’s Bay J.C. Oct. 6.—Kurow J.C. Oct. 6, B.—Auckland R.C. Oct. 11, 13.—Dunedin J.C. Oct. 13.—Carterton R.C,

SCOOPING THE POOL

TWO-YEAR-OLD PONIES Remarkable feature of the last few weeks’ A.R.C. (Sydney) pony racing is the manner in which two-year-olds have almost scooped the pool in pony events, and the success of those youngsters so early in their racing careers says much for their chances of reaching the very top. Fop, owned by Bailey Payten, and Flicker, trained by Frank McGrath, are undoubtedly the most promising 14.1 ponies in Sydney at present, and Promara’s successive wins at last two starts have brought her so far into the limelight that punters are now prepared to support her with almost any weight in any class. This success, too, of the youngsters is in direct contrast to a rule that pony punters once held to, and the operation of which saved them many pounds. When to be Careful They made it a habit to refrain almost religiously from backing two-year-olds against all ages, even in the pony events, and the frequence with which youngsters, capable of winning in their own age on registered tracks, tailed on A.R.C. courses showed that though height may have been no bar to them, they could not overcome the added maturity of opponents. But Fop, Flicker and Promara are apparently two-year-olds out of the ordinary on A.R.C. courses Flicker, in New Zealand, was only narrowly beaten a couple of times by the champions, and Fop, raced in registered company, would command respect, despite his lack of inches. Both those ponies, too, have won with nearly nine stone and when next 1 r , on Y al 7 l i’ uns ’ she trill certainly be asked to lump similar weight vided they retain their pSny cefuflcates, winch, however, is doubtful in the case of Fop, they will make things paiticularly hot in a year or so for age will bring along even greater pace than they possess now-, and certainly greater stamina.