AT ROSEHILL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 460, 15 September 1928, Page 6

AT ROSEHILL

Toohey On Limerick In The Hill Stakes OWNER WANTS R. REED The well-known Australian jockey, J. Toohey, is to pilot Limerick at Rosehill (Sydney) this afternoon, but whether he will ride the champion at the big A.J.C. meeting, commencing to-day fortnight, is not known. An endeavour is being made to get Roy Reed to go across to ride Limerick. What will the Sydney critics say to this? Trainer F. D. Jones had cabled Mr. H. A. Knight, Limerick’s owner, with reference to a rider to replace McCarten, and he has replied suggesting J. Toohey, one of the best horsemen in Australia, and a master over a distance.

Regarding the Australian Jockey Club’s spring meeting, which will open at Randwick on Saturday, September 29, Mr. Knight has

communicated with the North Island horseman, K o y Reed, offering him the riding of Limerick, but so far he has had no reply. Reed is retained for Mr. A. B. Williams’s horses, but it is hoped that he can make arrangements for the Sydney trip. If so, he will leave

Wellington by the . Ulimaroa next Friday and after doing the big meeting at Rand wick, he can return to the Dominion in ample time to ride at the Trontham meeting on October 20 and 22. Seeing that Star Stranger claims important engagements at the forthcoming Avondale and Auckland meetings, and also the two-year-old Hunting Day in the valuable classics, it is problematical whether Mr. A. B- Williams could, in justice to himself, release Reed so as to enable him to go to Australia and miss the Avondale and Auckland spring fixtures. Indeed, such an action would be a most magnanimous one, particularly in view of the fact that good riders, as Mr. C. J. Graves said, are few and far between. Limerick’s Race To-day The race in which Limerick is to contest at Rosehill this afternoon is the Hill Stakes, run over a mile at weight-for-age, and it is extraordinary that among the eight likely runners, half the field comprises Dominion horses. They are Limerick, Raasay, Prince Humphrey and Satrap. Other probable starters are Greenline, Rionseup, Murillo and Valamita. It is expected that Winalot will be spelled to-day. Limerick will carry 9.7, and it goes without saying that he will be at long odds on. Satrap is reported to have done well during the past few days and may give an improved showing. Good Sydney critics are giving Prince Humphrey a good chance of defeating Mollison over the Derby distance, so apparently he has improved since leaving these shores. Therefore Prince Humphrey’s showing against Limerick at a mile will be followed with interest. The Hill Stakes is an interesting event altogether, quite apart from the fact that Limerick, of course, stands

right out on his own. Limerick has 9.7 against Prince Humphrey’s 7.9 under the Australian weight-for-age scale.

DISTRICT TEAMS

FOR SPRING FIXTURES STRONG SUPPORT FORTHCOMING The Sun’s special correspondent covering the Waikato district* reports that there will be a strong contingent for the Avondale and Ellerslie meetings. The racing at Avondale will be the first of the programmes to be tackled in numerical strength by the inmates of stables in South Auckland. Te Aroha will be particularly well represented in the fields next week-end, but Cambridge, Paeroa, Te Awamutu, Matamata and Te Rapa are other headquarters from where trainers will have strong teams. The Chief Ruler —Gipsy Martian colt, who appears in the field for the Avondale Stakes in the nomination of Mr. IT. Burch, has apparently been left in by oversight. Reports from Te Awamutu indicate that the chestnut has not sufficiently advanced in his preparation to he ready for the race next week. When he does get moving along on the tracks he is not likely to be a sort to i*each racing trim without a good deal of time. To Tackle Big Country

Pukerimu is among the jumping brigade from the Cambridge district who should make advancement in this department of the game. Pukerimu will most likely take on the big jumping item at the Pakuranga Hunt Club meeting toward the end of the month. With the advantage he has for schooling over countx-y, his education is not likely to be left lacking. Those who have seen him in action have few fears as to Pukerimu making • a success of the cross-country programme, and the eaxTy impression he has made has been quite of a progressive nature. Pukerimu has plenty of pace but whether he will stay is a point that one would hardly be sufficiently bold to make an affirmation on at that juncture. To Awamutu is a centre that has always pi'ided itself on the constancy of its tracks so far as their suitabilityin all weathers for galloping needs is concerned. They are liberally supplied with sand formation, and the weather of the past week has been of the brand to fully test them out, but they have come through with flying colours. With half a dozen or more tr*ainer*s having teams averaging eight or nine horses constantly operating there at this period of the year, it can be realised that there is plenty of activity and a demand te be met which box*ders pn the comprehensive. The members of the Waipa Club, on the occasion of their annual meet-

ing on Friday, paid testimony to the value they put on the services rendered to the club by Mr. Frank Quin by returning him to the position of president. It was a richly deserved honour. As one of the foundation members of the club Mp. Quin has been a stalwart worker in its interests and in fostei’ing the cause of racing in tlx© Waikato for well nigh a quarter of a century. Has His Opportunity It appears as if the first duty to be allotted Ramblin’ Kid in the new season will bo the Ladies’ Bracelet Handicap at the Pakuranga Hunt Club’s fixture. The ‘Yambling one,” if memory serves me right, won a race of this natui*e in the Hawke’s Bay district the season before last, but there lias besn nothing to the credit of the Winterbourne gelding in a winning way since that time. The little racing he has been indulged in has been over hurdles. Ramblin’ Kid is credited with being brighter looking now than for a long time and as the field he is to meet at Ellerslie is only a moderate one, he. should have his chance. , He is also in the hurdles and it is possible that he will start in both. Siaosi has had his early ti-y-outs as a jumper at To Awamutu and, all things considered, his owner-trainer must be satisfied with the degi’ee of advancement the Elysian gelding hg.s. made. The big fellow turns on his speed early in the proceedings, but fie is likely to tone down these tactics, as his education advances. With the necessary experience Siaosi should make a particularly good hurdler, as he has the strength and the pace for the business. It does not look, on figures at any rate, if he has any of the best of it at Avondale in being asked to give weight to Farndon, Highflown and Potoanui who have won hui'dle races in the past season.

Lassau, who is entered for the Bracelet at the Pakuranga gathering, is a mare by Nassau from Deraowa, and is among the horses P. Brady is getting into shape at Te Rapa. Lassau has shown no great promise so far. I have noticed her at some of the hunt meets in the past and her efforts there have sobered her down considerably. From the jumping aspect, Lassau is by no means a bad one, and it will not surprise me to find her being given some racing in this branch dur*ing the season. Nancy Lee and the New Season Although there has been talk about Nancy Lee being tried out over middle distances, the spring of the year will find her in her customary place among the sprinters. Later on, no doubt, the programme for her will be extended, so far as the distance is concerned. In looking over the stakes statistics of. last season I find that Nancy Lee’s earnings ran out to the good tally of £1,445. The Lucullus—Flagship mare was a x*eal little surprise packet at times and she ran very few bad races. She is getting no younger, ’tis true, but she is good for many more races yet. Orehus is going to have his fix*st try over the timber at the Avondale meeting. The Te Aroha trained gelding is certainly holding out some hopes by his preliminary prepai*ation. However, like every change of operations, it is going to be a matter of time and experience. If Orehus fulfils the expectations of some admirers he will settle down to fencing fairly promptly, but it will be wise to await developments. The Labour Day meeting of the Waikato Hunt Club is going to have the opposition of the trots at Whangarei this year. It would be idle to deny that this will not make some difference to the attendance figures at Cambridge, but the defection, if any, is not likely to bo material. In fact, from this point of view, an easement would be by no means an undesirable happening and, in point of fact, there is a sufficient congregation of sportsmen free on Labour Day to make both outings ‘ go big.” Requires Racing Fapatu will b© seen in action at the

Avondale meeting. Judging by his looks and the measure of track work ho has got through at Te Awamutu the Romeo galloper will be some way from being at concert pitch. Papatu is of the ilk that a solid race does more benefit to than weeks of pi*epai-ation. The Paeroa owner-trainer, IT. Spinks, has Billikins fairly well advanced in her preparation for the racing term of 1928-29. Billikins’s winnings amounted to £4BO last season, during which she was not raced extensively. There is no doubt about her speed and as there is evex*y of her being more solid this season, Billikins should give an advanced taste of her quality. Ohinemuri was the sheet anchor of this small team last season, when over £1,400 was to the credit of this smart gallopei*, who should have another effective term as a stake earner. The admirers of Te Kara have been rather pleased since the Cup weights for Avondale were announced. They confidently claim that even the passing of another year has not dimmed his dash sufficiently to count him out of the mile and a-half race with 8.5. When viewed alongside poundage he would have in his best day, there is a lot to be said for their reasoning. To my view, however, the General Latour gelding is now sufficiently far on the slide as a handicap px*oposition to count him out against the many young and improving opponents in the field. Te Kara looks firm, and stretches out with a lot of his old-time freedom, it is allowed, but “there are others/’ and we’ll leave it at that.

Among the hacks going along on the tracks at To Rapa, those who follow the doings first hand have a favourable word for Luminary. He is a chestnut gelding by the English sii*e Dav Comet, from Thurnline, the latter hailing from the Thames district. Luminary will be at the Avondale meeting, a course on which he won a race last season. As it will be his flrstserious gallop of the season, a mile may prove beyond him, but if all that is mentioned about him is reliable, he is a young galloper of some promise at least.