Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 586, 12 February 1929, Page 10

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

"EARLY BIRD"

Meetings This Week There is a big racing programme to be undertaken this week, with sport at Wanganui and Wingatui (Dunedin) on Thursday and Saturday, and at Te Aroha on Saturday and Monday.

Short —Very Ti Tree’s price when she won at Rotorua the first day was just about as short as Limerick’s will be next Saturday when—of if—he beats Aussie at Wingatui. In fact, it was only a “deener” more than Gloaming returned when he beat his sole opponent, The Hawk, at Hastings a few years back. Favourites Score

Four first; favourites won at Rotorua on Saturday—The Begum, Archeen, The Lover and Ti Tree. Despite this the profit from favourites on the day would only have amounted to a couple of shillings. A Good One

Readers of The Sun’s comment on the running in the Putaruru Stakes at Matamata the previous Saturday must have been surprised when the Snow King gelding paid very nearly a double-figure return for running second to Arcade in the Rotorua Waimangu Stakes on Saturday. Yesterday Snow Prince beat a ;eak field pointless. In Form Followers of jockey R. McTavisli at Rotorua on Saturday were in clover. He had only four rides for a win and two seconds, but the dividends he returned amounted in all to a few shillings short of a score. Promising A promising sort of a maiden seen out at Rotorua was Loving Cup, a three-year-old gelding by Quin Abbey from Shell Shock, racing in the colours of Mr. Mervyn Wells. The gelding showed plenty of speed over the early part, and may prove capable of picking up a stake before the country circuit ends. Rough Riding The turn going out of the straight at Rotorua is indeed a bad one, but it cannot be said that this was the cause of all interference seen during the running. This was particularly bad on Saturday, several horses having their chances ruined by receiving a few bumps. No doubt bad riding was in the main to blame. Won Easily Probably the easiest win scored at Rotorua the first day was that registered by Arcade in the Waimangu Stakes. At the end of three furlongs this maiden took charge, and after that it was only a jog for him. By Marble Arch, from an unnamed daughter of Glen Albyn, Arcade had previously shown promise at Te Rapa in the spring, but it was not till Saturday did he show what great improvement he had made since going into Tinker’s stable. Good Performance Half a mile from home in the Mokoia Handicap at Rotorua on Saturday the favourite. Archeen, was apparently in a hopeless position, standing the field several lengths’ advantage. From there, however, Tinker gradually urged the old fellow along, to such effect that he was a possibility at the turn for home. Finishing too good for the opposition Archeen ran out a winner by half a length, and in doing so probably put up the best run in his career. The Lover’s Cup

Quite the best race he has run to date was his showing in Saturday’s Rotorua Cup, and that The Lover should win was a tribute to his trainer, and rider, for it was a strenuous fight over the last furlong, with The Lover hanging on gamely to snatch victory from Queen Arch. Now that he has commenced winning among the handicap horses it can be taken for granted that the Romeo gelding will go farther and win metre important races than the Rotorua Cup. His win gave J. Cammick his first success since he met with his accident at Kawakawa. This makes the third cup won this season by The Lover — Takapuna and Te Kuiti hack cups and the Rotorua Cup. Out of Action

When galloped at Matamata last Thursday morning Siaosi came back a bit lame, having apparently put his foot into a hole. He was all right when he went out to contest the Rotorua Cup on Saturday, being at a nice price too, but twice during the race he went over on the injured member, the second time right on the home turn, where he was actually in the lead, and he was not too happy when he returned to the birdcage. It is quite likely now that Siaosi will be put aside for a time to enable him to get over his disability. Started Twice In his two races at Rotorua on Saturday, Schorr ran well, but was sadly handicapped by indifferent horsemanship. He was finishing nicely in fourth place in the cup, and he had a chance of making Ti Tree’s task very much more difficult in the Arawa Park Handicap, an opportunity that his rider did not avail himself of. Schorr beat all but Mosque in the big event yesterday, running an excellent race. Run Truly For a three-horse contest the concluding race at Rotorua on Saturday was a remarkable affair, for it was truly run and won. They were travelling very fast over the first bit, and on the turn going out of the straight Tl Tree carried Lucy Rose out wide giving Schorr a chance to draw up level on the inner. However, Ti Tree, who never looked better, was too good for the other pair, and finally won well bj a length. To show how they were going over the first part of the journey it is only necessary to state that the first two furlongs were reeled off in a tick under 27.

U nsatisf actory Backed down to even money—it might have been a bit shorter than that Owairaka gave his backers in the Pohutu High-Weight at Rotorua on Saturday something to think about. He was pulling hard all the way, and going out of the straight he crossed over too sharply. Enterin/; the back stretch McGregor pulled him back sharply, and he went back on to a couple of horses behind him, Glena Bay being one to strike trouble. Owairaka was again in the picture at the home turn, eventually finishing fourth. Questions were asked of the rider after the race, and his explanation was accepted. But it was poor compensation for the owner of the horse and nis army of backers. With Tinker in the saddle yesterday, Owairaka failed badly in the Hack Cup. his tendency to run about in his races being in part responsible.

Trainer Seriously 111 It is not so very long ago that F. Tutchen, the well-known Waikato trainer, was a hospital patient, and now it is stated that he is back in hospital once more, and tnat his condition is regarded as serious. Not for Aussie It was announced at Rotorua that A. Tinker was not going to Dunedin to ride Aussie in his engagements this week, so that the Fortafix gelding will be piloted by R. F>. Bagby in the sprint on Thursday and in the Hazlett Memorial, in which he will meet Lin: rick and others, on Saturday.

Two Rides, Two Wins Jockey H. Wiggins rode at New Plymouth on Thursday and Saturday, and at Rotorua yesterday. At the latter fixture he had only two mounts, and he punched them both home first. They were Mosque and The Begum, winners x)f the two principal events. From Rotorua last evening Wiggins motored to Frankton Junction, where he joined the express en route for Dunedin, where he is to ride Papatu in the Dunedin Cup on Thursday, and other horses.

Disappointing After his fine showing at Matamata the previous week, Hakanoa looked almost a good thing for the hack mile at Rotorua on Saturday, and he was backed accordingly. However, he gave a very disappointing display, never being in the firing line until the judge was on high, when he was travelling well in fourth place, not more than a length and a-half behind the winner. Had not Hakanoa been interfered with by Brampto*. five and ahalf furlongs from home the former might have shown up in a better light. He was not very prominent in the sprint yesterday.

Pulled Through A hot favourite in The Begum just pulled her backers through in the hack six furlongs at Rotorua on Saturday. The Chief Ruler filly was just a bit slow in getting off the mark, and to get near the front on the turn into the back she had to cover some ground. However, she was soon in charge after that and was always doing it well in

front to the half distance. Here Prince Val, who began from an inside position, put in an appearance, and finishing very last got up to within half a length of The Begum, the latter probably going as well as the second horse as they passed the judge. Yesterday The Begum took on the best sprinters, and after apparently being beaten by Branson at the half distance she came again and was going away at the finish. A Quiet Time N. Cunningham is having a comparatively easy time just now with the members of his stable, for none of them will be racing for the next few weeks consequently their tasks are only of the lightest nature. Possibly Modest Boy and Hyde Park will be extended a nomination for the Ohinemuri Jockey Club’s meeting—still a month off —and if the pair do pleasingly during the interim it is on the cards that they will be taken there. The Master Back Having had an operation for respiratory trouble Master Doon has recovered sufficiently well to be placed in active commission again. D. Moraghan is not asking the Lucullus gelding to do much, and it may be when the winter months roll round that we will see the one-time Railway Handicap winner make a further bid for honours on the turf. For Te Aroha The Lover, The Thorn and Palmares, members of J. Williamson’s stable who raced at Rotorua over last week-end, will not return to Ellerslie just yet awhile, but will go straight on to Te Aroha, where the trio all claim engagements. Their form at Rotorua indicates that they are in great fettle, and it would be a pessimist, indeed who would say that they would return home without participating in at least; a small share of the stake money. Odin, from the same stable, will be taken to Te Aroha either to-morrow or Thursday, for he claims an engagement in the hurdle race, an event in which he will be ridden by S. Henderson. On the outside of the course proper at Ellerslie this morning Odin covered seven furlongs in 1.35 3-5, obviously just a good working gallop. It is some time since he has raced, and possibly he will need an outing or two. Something for the Boys Gold-mounted whips, presented by Messrs. J. A. Ainge. owner of Pink Note, and J. Lindsay, owner of Meadow Lark, will be presented to the riders of the winners of the Dunedin Cup and the James Hazlett Gold Cup next week. The Llanore Incident More details are now available in regard to the short-weight incident connected with Llanore on the second day of the Hawera meeting. It appears that J. Brown, trainer of the filly, left the lead-bag containing the poundage missing hanging over the rail in the saddling stall. The apprentice jockey, T. Webster, noticed first that the lead-bag was absent when he failed to pull the correct weight, and an official being dispatched to the stall, discovered the lead-bag as stated. The mistake is one easily made, but a decidedly costly one to the filly’s connections and to the racing public. J. Brown may console himself possibly that no less a racing personality than the redoubtable Eric Connolly was guilty of a similar omission in an important event in Melbourne just a few years ago—a mistake which probably cost as many thousands of pounds as there were units involved in the Llanore case.