TRENTHAM HOPES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 431, 13 August 1928, Page 13

TRENTHAM HOPES

FANCIES FOR RICCARTON HORSES EXPECTED TO DO WELL (Special to THE SUIT; WELLINGTON, Saturday. Trentham will be represented by a strong team at the coming fixture of the Canterbury Jockey Club—perhaps a stronger team than has represented it for some years past. All are now at Riccarton, and they were nearly all in the best of fettle when they left here. As usual we are not rich in jumpers, but in Matu we have a promising steeplechaser and in Standard one who should make good as a hurdler. Matu shaped really well at Hastings and at Trentham, and won a race at each j place. He had done well since then till just recently, when he knocked a leg. For a while it looked as if the Riccarton trip would have to be abandoned, but he made a quick recovery and has been walking soundly on the limb for some time now. However, his preparation was interrupted and that is not in the favour of a horse who has to race over the Riccarton fences. He seemed a trifle sore again just before he was shipped, and it is possible he will not be seen at his best. Has Plenty of Pace The other jumper, Standard, has not yet started in a hurdle race, and is to make his bow at Riccarton. He has done some really wonderful schooling at Trentham, and if he stays on in his races he should come home with some of the stake money. He has a deal of pace, but not many of his sire's stock stay. He has been hacked about a lot by his trainer, and the treatment appears to have done him good. Royal Damon completed his preparation for the Winter Cup satisfactorily,, and there is every hope that he will run a good race. Certainly, if he runs up to the expectations of some of those who have watched his work at Trentham he will only need ordinary luck in running to be one of those in the fighting lino at the finish. He is a line sprinter and has shown that a mile is not beyond him. Whether he can win a mile is another matter, but it need cause no surprise if he answers the question in the affirmative. Captain Williams has him as fit as ever he was in his racing career. Panther—a False Favourite? Better fancied for the Winter Cup even than Royal Damon is Panther, in S. J. Reid’s stable. Panther is one of the Ivilbroney breed, and he is improving with age. an occurrence not uncommon in Kilbroney’s stock. He surprised many by running a good second in one of the open sprint races at the Wellington winter meeting and since then he looks a great deal better. For that reason alone he should be well backed for Tuesday’s big mile, and in addition he has worked well. With his light burden Panther should be one - of the hardest of the whole field to beat. At present he is the actual favourite. Black Mint was beaten in a gallop by Decoy Bird the other morning, but that need not be held against the Catmint gelding, as Decoy Bird has a fairturn of speed and has improved since coming to Trentham. Historic accompanied Panther on the Riccarton trip and it is possible he will hold his own in minor engagements. He has not much in the way of performances to his credit, but he is a much better-looking gelding now than he was last season, and if he continues to improve he might yet do well. He was galloped half a mile with Roi de Val before leaving for the South, and showed to advantage in the spin. Roi de Val, though beaten by Historic, is no slug, and if he does well on the Southern trip might very soon reward his new owner with a win. No doubt, if he does not travel well, he will not be raced. Lady Gay has been galloping well and should be able to show her best when next she races. A Better Horse Now When Gaze passed through here on the way to Riccarton he looked really I well, and it is understood that he he is better now than when he raced at the Wellington winter meeting, where he ran a first and a third. His soreness is less acute than it then was. Star Ranger, with whom the veteran trainer, J Lowe, has not had a great deal of luck, has gone wrong and pulled up very lame at Trentham recently. It is quite on the cards that he will be out of action for a considerable time. Staghunter is coming on nicely and should be able to give a good account of himself this spring. News from Foxton is that Nukumai has done well there since the Wellington meeting, and that he will be a

very fit horse for his engagements at the Grand National meeting. Formerly the old gelding did not get a great deal of schooling over hurdles, but if he has stood up to it well he should be all the better for it when he steps out for the big hurdles contest on Thursday. Kaiti is better now than he was last year, when he was well fancied for the Winter Cup, and he appeared to be a particularly fit horse when he left here for the South. He will be ridden in this year’s big mile by Roy Reed, and in this Island has a fair following for the race.