Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 580, 5 February 1929, Page 10

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

Rotorua Meeting < This is to be held on Saturday and ■ Monday next. First day acceptances ' close at 9 p.m. with the secretary at Rotorua, or at 5 p.m. with the secretary of the Avondale Jockey Club. Auckland. Taranaki Fixture The summer meeting of the Taranaki Jockey Club is to be held at New Plymouth on Thursday and Saturday. This will be followed by Wanganui on the same days next week. Gisborne also races on Thursday and Saturday of this week. Hakanea’s Double The outstanding performer at Matamatu on Saturday was undoubtedly Hakanoa. He scored comfortably in the hack sprint, and shouldering a 51b penalty lie had to go his best to win the Hack Cup. In this latter event he was on the outside of three horses coming into the straight, and under punishment he finished very gamely to win by half a length. It was a smooth performance, and indicates that now he is out of hacks Hakanoa should not be out of place in open company on the country circuit at least. Better the Second Time After running a fair race in the High-weight. Ripon Abbey was saddled up for the Hack Cup, and he finished fourth, a length behind the winner, and

but for being asked to go outside three horses at the home turn he might have been closer. Ripon Abbey has the pace and he should be a useful proposition for owner-trainer R. Hannon round the country circuit.

Wanted a Race? Siao-si was beaten on his merits in the Matamata Cup. He enjoyed a good run all the way, and when he made u forward move crossing the top he managed to get an uninterrupted run on the rails, an immense advantage. He was first into tfie straight, ana hard ridden over the last furlong nyt even Tinker’s strenuous efforts could pull his backers out of the tire. There was only a head in it at the finish, with Queen Arcli in front. Thirty yards from the post fcJiaosi faltered, but he was a beaten horse and might not have won. Won Handsomely Queen Arch registered a good performance in die Matamata Cup, lor she had. to cover some extra ground to hit the straight witii tile favourite, Siaosi. tihe was on the outside of three horses ail the way across uie top, but in the run home she was always going better than Siaosi. It was mougnt by many that tile hard ground would not assist Queen Arch, but sue took kindly to it and rewarded her owner-trainer with a fine dividend and a handsome cup. Coming Back On his recent showings it appeared as it Town unu had tireu oi tfie racing game, but at Matamata on {Saturday he seemed to have rresliened up. One of me last to leave tne mark in the sprint, no ran Macroom to a length, ana two races later he met with similar misfortune at the barrier, to be beaten only a head by Huey Rose in a great finish. .Now that he has shown signs of returning form Town Bird is one worm keeping in nnnd. Hike Prince Hu, winner oi the mgn-weignt, Town Hird runs in the colours of Mr. a. Coubrough, and is trained at Cambridge uy VV. J. McLean. Belted As soon as the barrier rose in the Tirau nigh-weignt at ivxatamata on Saturday Prince hu rusneu to the iront, and along Uie back was five itiigms ciear, ana at the home turn lie was still there, six lengths anead or the others. In tne run to the judge Prince hu tired, but tne outers also nad had enough chasing him, and the bolting one won by a length irom Schorr. Tn« latter wound up xavounte, and looked .cixuy wen, so that he will be In the limenglit belore very long. Promising Apprentice There is a promising apprentice rider hailing from he Arolia in J. Chandler, standing about four leet and nothing in his riding boots, but as yet he has little uaiance in the saddle, an essential factor that will no doubt come to him with experience, Ins lack of size being au against him just now. lie had a rough ride on Joy Hay in the Hack Cup at Matamata on Saturday, and going along the back his mount mterxertu with Always, who was knocked light back to last. It is probable that Cnandier will have liis activities cunnneil to apprentice races in future, but no is young yet, and has plenty of time to prove himself. He rides at about 5.7. The Worst?

There are a good many cups run for on what is known as the Auckland country circuit, but it is doubtiui if a worse field could be got together than tnun which eontestea that at iVLaiuinaui on Saturday. Of course Queen Aren and Siaosi represented good class, but the otner three were out of their class The result proved this, fur Queen Arch beat Siaosi a head, with at least eight lengths back to Red Hay, and another eight at least to Tinoiti, fourth. Duly Won On the book Macroom was a sound ... position in Lho sprint at Matamata, and so she proved, for she won eomloriably from Town Bird. Macroom had been galloped on at Takapuna, but sno had made a splendid recovery and looked well when she was saddled up. in a weak field slid was allowed to better than even money. An Outsider A real surprise was launched by the Matamata trainer A. McArthur on Saturday. He saddled up Flapperette in the ilinuera Handicap, and she was neglected on the totalisator, the holders of the £94 worth of tickets upon her chance collecting a big dividend. Flapperette was hard ridden all the way, and she came through on the rails to win gallantly. She is a tliree-year-old filly by the defunct Quin Abbey from Red Fern, a mare whose name does not figure in the Stud Book, and she has lots of pace, even if she has to be hunched along t<> make her produce it Flapperette in her only previous appearance ran third on the Matamata

course at the non-totalisator meeting last New Year’s Hay.

“EARLY BIRD"

Leitrim’s Brother Much interest was taken in the first .ppearance in public of the full brother to Leitrim and half brother to Dobbin. This was at Matamata on Saturday, and in a big field in the Putaruru Stakes he acquitted himself in a most promising manner. He was not well drawn, being out ten horses from the rails, and the turn not a furlong away. He jumped off well, but was outside •veral horses crossing the top, a. was handy into the straight, where he made an effort, but it was too much for him. Nevertheless it was altogether a satisfactory first run, and it should not be very long before he can be recommended in earnest, for that race and a bit more work should work wonders in his condition. At Extreme Odds Trainer P. Brady nearly brought off a long shot at Matamata on Saturday with Kiri in the. Putaruru Stakes. This live-year-old daughter of Lord Multifid and Carmanian Queen drew number three position and was always going well on the rails crossing the top, and hung on to get second, a placing which drew very nearly a double figure return. Another outsider who showed up a bit in this race was Valorie. who was going great guns on the home turn just behind the leader. This Valkvrian filly (she is out of a Conqueror mare) finished well up, and had she won would have given a return of close on a couple of hundred, for there were only nine tickets on her. I mproved After his two erratic displays at the barrier at the spring meeting at Te Rapa, it was pleasing to see Vaistreet so much improved in his manners when he lined up in the Putaruru Stakes at Matamata. The two-year-old drew the rails, and Gilmer hopped him out smartly, and it was only in the last few strides that he was beaten into third place. The backing of this youngster suggested that somebody, perhaps the owner, perhaps not, had got in early with a big commission, for the machine had barely commenced business on the race when £llO was shown as oeing on Valstreet. At that figure he remained for some time, and he finally wound up with £lB7. Who was the early bird who made sure of getting set?

Cleaned Them Up Te Taone made a thorough job of the lot opposed} to him in the Putaruru Stakes at Matamata. A. Cook turned him out in excellent order, and he eventually wound up favourite, but at . liberal price. Always handy to the leaders, Foster brought him along in the straight to smother the opposition, and he scored in a manner suggestive of further good things in store for his owner. The chestnut is by Archiestown from a daughter of Quin Abbey, the mare being unnamed, and on this breeding Te Taone should make a jumper. lie looks the part, too, so that later on we may hear of the big fellow doing things over the obstacles. However, as he is but a three-year-old. there should be many more races for him on the flat. Winning Jockeys Two apprentices, lv. Gill and O. McInally, divided the riding honours at Matamata on Saturday, the former securing his success through the agency of Hakanoa, upon whom he won a double, while McInally brought off a surprise by getting the little-l'an-cied Flapperette home first later in the day having the winning ride on Macroom. McInally had really a great day, for he was also on two seconds, and a ticket on each of his live mounts would have shown a clear profit of over £lB. K. Gill also rode two firsts_ and two seconds out of six mounts, his followers on the day coming out with a profit of nearly £4. Four other jockeys steered winners, they being W. Reid, Prince Lu; L. Manson, Queen Arch; F. Foster. Te Taone: and A. Tinker, Lucy Rose. Trained the Winners

Hakanoa’s two wins at Matamata over the week-end placed the bluntly trainer, B. S. Paterson, at the head of the list of winning trainers. Other mentors to turn out a winner were: W. J. McLean (Cambridge), Prince Lu; R. B. Hines (Te Arolia), Queen Arch; A. McArthur (Matamata), Flapperette; M. J. Carroll (Frankton), Macroom: A. Cook (Te Awamutu), Te Taone; and G. A. Reid (Te Arolia), Lucy Rose. Stopped Badly It was reminiscent of old times to see Whaka King bowling along in front of his field in the Waliaroa Hack on Saturday, and there was keen speculation as to whether he would hang on In the straight he was a. very tired

horse, and although he hung on to Hakanoa for a time the latter asserted himself in convincing fashion, Whaka King getting second money. Now numbered among the aged division, it is not. likeiy that Whaka King will improve a great deal on his past efforts. Out of Action Southern followers of the turf and the many friends of Mr. J. Graham in particular will be sorry to hear that King Balboa will not race at the Dunedin Jockey Club's autumn fixture and his sister, Queen Balboa, may not take her place in the Dunedin Cup field, writes “Sir Modred.” King Balboa, it appears, has been in the wars and a kick from another horse, and, what is surmised to be a strain, otherwise suffered, have put him out of court in the meantime, with the result that F. W. Kllis lias decided to treat him to a month’s spell—the son of Balboa has been unlucky throughout the current season and from one cause and another has never been seen at his best. Queen Balboa, on the other hand, raced well vi }> to a short time ago, when she developed intermittent lameness. She is looking well and is undoubtedly forward in her preparation, but it is on the cards that she will not be raced at Wingatui on Thursday week, and it might be as well for her admirers to keep this fact steadily in view.