Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 431, 13 August 1928, Page 10

Durf Notes

By

This Week’s Racing The last of the big- jumping meetings, the Grand. National, will be held at Riccarton to-morrow. Thursday and Saturday. A Length Behind E. A. Keesing finished second on Lornstoek in the Plate Handicap (one mile and 57 yards) at the Brisbane A.T.C. meeting on July 28. Lornstoek was favourite and was beaten by a length. A Blind Spot Commenting on the high fence nowin course of erection on the Ladies’ Mile at Ellerslie, a Southern writer comments: “Some people will wonder if another screen will be erected on the outside fence at a certain spot near the seven-furlong post.’’

Can They Do It Again? Nine horses are engaged to-morrow at Riccarton that got on the winning list at the Grand National meeting 12 months ago. They are: The Babe, Royal Lineage, Beau Cavalier, Solferite (twice), Passin’ Through, Taboo. Peneus, Tuki and Royal Game.

Question of Condition Gaze may be well handicapped for Tuesday and has excellent performances to recommend him, but he is not sound and appears to be sore all round until warmed up (says the Christchurch correspondent of the Southland “Times”). However, his connections would hardly have brought him to Riccarton if they thought he would fail to stand a race.

OVER THE BOBS

RIDERS IN THE BIG STEEPLECHASE TO-MORROW

So far no rider has been engaged for Pamplona in to-morrow’s Grand National Steeplechase, but arrangements have been made for all the other horses to contest the big event. It is notable that probably the two best riders figure at the very top and bottom of the list, these being Bowden and McDonald. Beau Cavalier w r ill be ridden by the former, so that on the score of horsemanship the topweight will not be lacking. The riders are as follow in the GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE

EARLY BIRD.

Wingatui’s Cup Hopes Wingatui winners of the Winter Cup have been few and far between. In 1903 two Wingatui horses in Vladimir and Pampero finished first and second, and Killowen’s success in 1920 completes the list. This year Royal Saxon. Miss Winkie and Antrim Boy are among the possibilities. Reed's Mount

R. Reed’s mount in the Winter Cup will be Haiti. Last year Haiti finished fourth in the race with 9.3, being in front 50yds off the post. This year he has 71b more, but his form is good, and he should run well. He has won, in easy fashion, his last four races. Reed has ridden him in his latest successes, and would be unlikely to accept a mount that he did not think had a reasonable chance. Last Thursday the Hastings gelding did a particularly smart gallop at Riccarton. Home Made—First Home?

L. Knapp took the hunter Home Made to Riccarton to race at the Grand National meeting. Home Made ran well enough among the hack hurdlers at Trentham to suggest that he will take some beating in his own class at Riccarton, and should be worth keeping in mind. He reads very well indeed in the Hunters’ Hurdles to-mor-row. Should Win Again

Although, of course, Loughrea is in a class by himself in the hunters’ events at Riccarton. Diana’s Lad, who won at the Hunt meeting, should get

some more stake money. He raced over hurdles on the West Coast during the many meetings held there in the midsummer, and was generally in a minor place. This form was good enough for the opposition the other day. He is a bold looking customer by Gay Lad, and is a good free goer, and a quick jumper. Left With Solferite Last year in the Winter Cup, trainer Pearson had two representatives, Taboo and Solferite, and the former, who was the stable fancy, could not do better than fifth, while the latter made no race of things over the concluding stages. Since then Taboo has passed out of Pearson’s charge, but both horses figure in the same race this year and both are sure to be among the well fancied division. It will be interesting to see how they fare.

TWO CHANCES

There are not many coupled horses on the totalisator at Riccarton to-morrow—the brackets so beloved of the lady bettors. However, there are a few, these being: Grand National Steeplechase: Dubious and Pamplona. Winter Cup: Black Mint and Royal Game. Trial Hurdles: Loughrea and Craigmore. In connection with Loughrea and Craigmore it is probable that the latter will be the stable elect in the Trial Hurdles, leaving Loughrea to take on the first event, the Hunters’ Hurdles.

Of £1,600; 3i miles. Beau Cavalier (W. J. Bowden) 12.5 Pamplona (no rider) 10.12 Pouri (E. Warner) 10.9 Tuki (A. E. Ellis) 10.9 Wiltshire (R. Syme) 9.13 The Babe (W. Scobie) 9.13 Dubious (G. Dempster) 9.13 Matu (A. Jenkins) 9.1 Passin’ Through (A. McDonald) 9.0