Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 437, 20 August 1928, Page 10

Durf Notes

EARLY BIRD.

Marton Handicaps Weights for the Marton meeting are expected to make their appearance on Thursday next. • Wanganui Entries To-night Nominations for the Wanganui J.C. spring fixture on September 13 and 15 are due to close at 8 o’clock to-night. French Blood A field of 10 contested the Ascot Gold Cup, the greatest test of stamina provided by the English racing calendar. The placed horses were strongly infused with French blood. The winner was by a French sire, and the second and third were by horses discovered in France. A Slight Delay The Wingatui trainer, G. Feilding, handed in two nominations—Royal Saxon and a maiden—for the Otago Hunt Club’s meeting to the Sockburn telegraph office many hours before the time fixed for the closing of nominations, but the telegram was not received by the secretary until the following day. Canada Comes In It now transpires that of the National Stud lots that were sold at Newmarket (England) one night last month, the two that were purchased by Mr. Clarence ITailey—a filly by Silvern out of Compromise, and one by Spion Kop out of Flash of Steel—are bound for Australia, and the brown filly by White Eagle out of Albia that fell* to the bid of the 8.8. A. is for Canada, a new country for the bloodstock trade. Up to the Best? Reports from the South state that the imported mare Celerity 11. has commenced her spring preparation in earnest. The daughter of Gainsborough is looking bright and strong, and, all going well this season, it is hoped that she will be found in weight-for-age company when the conditions are favourable. Only Two—Two Too Many Sentence of two months in the second division was passed at Uxbridge, England, recently on an Uxbridge postman for attempting to defraud Messrs. Layfield Bros., commission agents, of Piccadilly, of £7 14s 4d. It was stated that defendant, who is an auxiliary postman, got an envelope stamped with the 9.45 a.m. date stamp, and after hearing the result of the 1.30 and 3.30 races at AVindsor wrote out a betting slip and put it in the envelope in the outward bound bag awaiting dispatch. The bag was searched, and in it was found the letter containing th& bet and 10s. The horses won at 5 to 2 and 100 to 0. Sadd pleaded guilty, and said these were the only two bets he had ever made.

For the Eighth Time In finishing as runner-up to Narrative on Saturday last, Kalos registered his eighth consecutive second placing at Riccarton. One For Marton Restaurant, who has been entered for the seven-furlong race at the Marton meeting a fortnight hence, was galloped six furlongs in company with Semi Circle in the mist at Ellerslie on Saturday morning, and although they finished on terms the former appeared to be doing it easily. Related To Many Colours The Cynic gelding Optimistic was sprinted half a mile in 54 2-5 at Ellerslie on Saturday morning, and he could have done better than that. He ranks as a four-year-old half-brother to those fair performers, Many Colours and Olympic. Optimistic may be given a race at Avondale next month. His One Regret An owner was much annoyed that his horse had made such a poor show at Ascot, lie vented his spleen upon the jockey for wretched riding. “I’m sorry, sir,” apologised the jock, “but I wasn’t meself to-day. I was badly thrown the other day, and was unconscious for four hours.” The owner gave the rider a long stare, then said venomously, “Well, it wasn’t long enough.” Over The Big Fences An interesting bit of schooling over the bigger fences on the flat at Ellerslie was witnessed on Saturday morning, when Pompeius (C. Regan), Importer (J. Sharkey) and Yum Yum (H. Chrystal) put up a pleasing performance. They all jumped well, and the first two repeated the performance, giving quite a satisfactory display. Pompeius is engaged in the Hunt Cux> at New Plymouth on Saturday week. Course Scratchings Much interest was taken in the form of In the Shade and Eorient 11. at Rosehill, Sydney, last Saturday, for local experts had given both a chance in their races. The former figured in the acceptances for the principal handicap (won by Fondant), but it is understood that he was withdrawn from this event on the course. Another non-starter among the New Zealand division was Jazz Baby. Two-year-olds Sprint It is but rarely that Ellerslie - trained youngsters are sufficiently forward at this time of the year to engage in fast sprints, and the exception seen on Saturday morning but proves the rule. Bennie, Norval Tea, Royal Menu and Neil went a nice three furlongs, and they did well to return 40 3-5 for the journey. Norval Tea was the first to get into her stride and led all the way. Did Not Live Up to It There was never any doubt os to the speed possessed by Fool’s Paradise, but he hardly lived up to his reputation here or since being sent to Australia. The Absurd —Mascot gelding is at present being prepared for the A.J.C. Epsom Handicap, and was given a race at Rosehill on Saturday, finishing third in the race won by Figure, who a fortnight ago had been third to Royal Tune (an Epsom fancy) and Prince Humphrey. A Fast Track Marella won the Tattersall’s Handicap, the principal event at Brisbane on Saturday, returning the smart time of 2.4 4-5 for the mile and a-quarter. Marella is a four-year-old horse by Valais from Eumaralla. Why It Was Dismissed In their judgment in the appeal of jockey C. Carmont, the judges said: “We have carefully considered the evidence of Carmont, Syme and Maguire given before the Rotorua Racing Club’s committee on June 23, 1928. We have discredited Maguire’s evidence. We are of the opinion that C. N. Carmont, by his admission of his close association with a disqualified person, was a party to a conspiracy that Dress Circle should win the Pohutu Handicap, run at the Rotorua Racing Club’s meeting held on February 13, 1928. We therefore dismiss the appeal.” Sex Allowance In England, Australia and New Zealand women are not licensed as jockeys, but in Austria there is at least one woman holding a jockey’s licence, and she is really capable. This is Miss Connie Reeves, a daughter of the English trainer, Herbert Reeves, who is located in Austria. When competing against male professionals she receives 101 b. allowance, and this advantage enabled her to win two races on the day the Austrian Derby was run. In one she beat the crack Hungarian jockey, Shejbal, by a short head, and she got a great reception from the public. She only had the two mounts. Won at a Good Price Roscrea, the half-brother by Rossendale to Limerick, got on the winning list for the first time at Rosehill, Sydney, on Saturday afternoon, when he won the Three-year-old Handicap. He was ridden by M. McCarten, and his starting price worked out at a bit better odds than the dividend returned by Narrative on Saturday. Roscrea is engaged in the rich A.J.C. Derby so that his win was promising, for he is credited with accomplishing his task in good style. Roscrea was McCarten’s only win on Saturday. Not So Old The Lucullus-Persis mare Nucleus, who won the Trial Hurdle Handicap at Riccarton on Tuesday, has had her age given incorrectly for some time past. She was described as a six-year-old last season and now is rated as seven, being described as aged. As a matter of fact, she is six years old. She won a two-year-old handicap at Avondale in the 1924-25 season, but was described in the index to the Turf Register as being three years old, and the error has been continued ever since, not only there, but also, apparently, in race books. Tuahine, trained at Riccarton by F. Christmas, is the seven-year-old progeny of Lucullus and Persis. Golden Wedding Improving An interesting gallop at Ellerslie on Saturday morning was that in which Golden Wedding, Nankin Blue and Sulla were given a spin over four furlongs. Golden Wedding seemed to be going easy alongside Sulla at the finish in the smart time of 51 1-5, with the three-year-old, Nankin Blue, easing up behind them. The first pair are well forward, especially Golden Wedding, and her recent efforts over the schooling hurdles have apparently worked a big improvement in her temperament and condition, so that she should do much better this term for owner-trainer W. Taylor. The «iext best time to this recorded on Saturday was the 52 3-5 registered by the maiden performer, Blue Spear.