Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 590, 16 February 1929, Page 10

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

"EARLY BIRD"

More Money A feature of the racing at "Wanganui, Gisborne and Dunedin yesterday was the increased totalisator turnover registered at each centre. It will be interesting to see if the same state of affairs will reign again today at these places, and also at Te Arolia. A Newcomer A. K. Dee, who has been attached to the stables of F. Tilley and the late S. Waddell, is joining up with trainer F. Smith at Takapuna. It is stated that he intends to take on riding over obstacles. Classic Winners Riccarton’s two Derby winners of the present season, Nightmarch and Red Heckle, figure among the nominations for the Peninsula Cup. Trek tc Australia It is rumoured that the Dunedin owner-trainer, D. P. Wilson, will make a trip to Sydney at Easter time, taking Overhaul and Assemble as two of his candidates Working Well The Paper Money filly Nedda has been attracting attention in Australia by her brilliant track work. J. Fielder must have changed his methods, as he did not spin the filly out in her ordinary work at Wingatui. Dispute Ended At a meeting of the Taranaki District Committee, held to adjudicate in a dispute between C. Jackson, master, and I. Tucker, apprentice, evidence was heard on both sides and the committee decided to suspend Tucker's licence to ride for three months, under part 19, rule 9, of the New Zealand Rules of Racing. By Night Raid Miss Niglitraid, a two-year-old filly, by Night Raid from the Sarto mare Miss Hook, bred and owned by Mr. A. j F. Roberts, has joined Miss L. Doyle’s I stable at Riccarton. The filly received her early education at Timaru and is : to make her first appearance in the I Lyttelton Plate at Riccarton next Sat- | urday. For the St. Leger

Red Heckle is in strong work again. ■ He may be raced at the Midsummer i meeting on February 23, but F. ChristI mas has definitely decided upon running him in the Peninsula Cup at the Banks Peninsula meeting on March 2, as a wind-up to his preparation for the St. Leger, to be run at Trentham on March 16. lie has done well during his holiday. Well Bred

Luke Wilson is breaking in a rising two-year-old half-brother, by Psychology, to Runnymede, Raasay and Co. This youngster, with the exception of his colour, is unlike the general run of his sire’s gets, being more uniform and not nearly so long, l in the barrel and back. His dam j has now thrown in rotation a brown, ! a chestnut, a brown, and a chestnut. The last, a colt by Lord Quex, unluckily died when only six weeks, old. A Big One

Mention has been made by writers of the exceptionally big yearling by David that is being sent to Australia from here—by the way, this yearling was bred in Australia, not New Zealand, as stated —and it has been said that, without doubt, he is the biggest of his age in New Zealand to-day. This may possibly bo so, but Mr. ■). S. McLeod possesses a rising two-year-old full-brother to Gesto (Lord Quex —Queen Lizzie) that measures 16 hands. So, if the David colt is higher, he must indeed be a whopper. Turned Down From Melbourne comes a story of a woman jockey, Mrs. Hugliie Murrell, wife of a well-known hurdle rider. Mrs. Murrell, riding at a picnic race meeting at Murrumbeet, near Melbourne, rode two winners and finished third on two other mounts. She applied to the Victoria Racing Club for a licence to ride in regular race meetings against professional jockeys, but her application was turned down. A few years ago, when weighing only five stone, she won a point-to-point race on the old hurdler. Agricola, and smee then has been riding with varying success at several picnic race meetings. Hughie Murrell, her husband, is a well-known cross-country rider, and was associated with the great jumper Roisel in most of his successes. Set Sail Retires

It was recently stated in the South that Set Sail was to be permanently retired from the race track at the conclusion of the present season, and had she triumphed in this week’s Dunedin Cup it certainly would have been a fitting finale to a great racing career. But, following on a gallop at Wingatui on Thursday morning last, the Solferino mare developed unsoundness—a tendon being the cause of the trouble—and rather than break her down altogether her connections immediately terminated her career on the turf. At her best the gallant Solferino mare was a stouc galloper, and among her wins were the Oamaru Cup and Invercargill Cup, which event she won on successive occasions. Set Sail probably will be sent to the stud next season, and it will be surprising if she fails to make a name for herself as a stud matron. Mo Race

A mob of sheep interfered considerably with a race at the Canberra Turf Club’s Anniversary meeting at Acton racecourse. For most of the afternoon the sheep were placidly grazing on the Black Mountain side of the course, but just when the Farewell Handicap was about to begin they wandered across the track. There were three horses in the race—Mr. Tracey’s Pomenella, which had won the Trial Stakes earlier in the day: Mr. Grattain’s Master Conform, and Mr. Les. Boreland’s Queen Bess. Pomenella was a hot favourite, and Master Conform was well backed. At the back of the course these two horses were racing neck and neck, when they ran into the mob of sheep. The jockeys pulled their mounts back on tlieir haunches, then ran off the track to avoid the sheep. Master Conform hit one and was brought to his knees Having straightened themselves out, the horses raced on, and Pomenella won by three lengths. To the surprise of many, and the annoyance of numerous others, the stewards declared the event “no race.” and called off all bets. The decision was hooted, and appeals were made for a run-off. This, however, was not granted.

Franklin Meeting With Te Arolia fixture concluding on Saturday, the next on the country circuit is Franklin, on March 9, entries for which close on Wednesday. Miss Myrtle Sold The Ellerslie trainer. J. M. Buchanan, having completed negotiations for the sale of Miss Myrtle (Catmint — Wliitford Belle) to an Australian client, the five-year-old mare was shipped for Australia by the Marama yesterday. There has beep nothing out of the way in Miss Myrtle’s achievements on the turf, but the fact that she recorded rather a decent performance in running second to Modest Boy in the Ellerslie Handicap at the Christmas meeting here may have had some influence with the purchaser. Going Along All Right A comparatively young horse, a hard race gets 1:o the bo'ttom of Vallar, and he is usually in poor condition for the following few days. He has not been doing anything of a strenuous nature in his training since his successful outing at Takapuna, and he and Cor in ax have had useful pace work to keep them up to the correct pitch. Two or three sprints will key the pair up for a further attack on the stoke money, for both look bright and healthy at the present time. Improving Two weeks back —he was recommissioned then —Respirator looked very poor in condition, this due in most part to the operation carried out on him for respiratory trouble. He has built up splendidly since then, however, and is commencing to carry himself in his usual free style, progressing all the time. If Respirator gains his old galloping powers, and there is no reason why he should not, then his connections may look forward to capturing more than one race with the big-striding son of Tea Tray. On the Easy List Karsovina, the two-year-old filly by Hunting Song from Lavenham, trained by her owner, Mr. J. Manuel, is doing little in the way of exercise just now. She continues to grow, and for that reason will not be required to race until she is a year older. Quiet At Ellerslie There was little work at Ellerslie this morning and for the next week at least things in general will be very quiet. Just on 100 horses are trained off and on at headquarters, but with a lapse of racing for three weeks —the Franklin meeting the next—trainers are not asking their candidates to do more than good pace work. Number Two Grass This was the track available for trainers at Ellerslie this morning, but the only one. to use it for a gallop was W. J. Hawkins, who sent Cay Cockade seven furlongs in 1.37, the first three in 42 1-5. T. Chaplin rode the gelding and had him under a pull all the way. Mishap to Golden Wedding

Golden Wedding’s fractiousness at the barrier at the Christmas meeting at Ellerslie warranted her being placed on the schooling list, and her ownertrainer, W. Taylor, had no option but to make a hurdler out of her. With this object iri view Mr. Taylor has some hurdles erected on his property at Epsom, and there he lias been endeavouring to get the Kenilworth mare accustomed to this branch of the sport. That things have not gone too welL with the chestnut was evident when she was seen during the week. Golden Wedding had endeavoured to negotiate several fences one morning, but getting into an obstacle she received injuries which will require careful treatment for some time. The near hind leg was cut rather badly, while a hip was grazed to some extent. This is distinctly unfortunate for Mr. Taylor, for Golden Wedding with her undoubted speed would have been better than the average hurdler. No doubt it will be winter before she is seen in action over the sticks. On Matches

Big fields are always very interesting from a spectacular point of view in racing, but they never arouse the interest or live in history with the same prominence as that occupied by some of the famous matches which have taken place on the turf, says “Sentinel.” One notable exception is that enjoyed by Carbine, whose win in the Melbourne Cup put him on a pedestal to be admired by all the racing world. Sometimes a race may become an accident, as did that between Panmure and First Glance in the Hazlett Memorial of 1916, when they had a battle royal for supremacy. One of the most notable duels that has ever taken place at Wingatui or anywhere occurred when Pampero and Canteen met in the Mosgiel Handicap of 1903. They were the only acceptors for the race and the training notes consisted of tlieir track work and very little more, because only three went to the post for the Electric Handicap. Pampero

carried 5.13 and Canteen 8.11, and the betting closed with the son of St. Clair starting a £SB better favourite than the grey, who was then on the threshold of his win in the New Zealand Cup. J. McCombe was up on Pampero and L. G. King on Canteen. They rode stride for stride all the .vay, and so turned into the straight. On they came neck and neck amid great and growing excitement. The old general, “Jack,” by superior horsemanship, got his mount home by the narrowest of margins—an official nose, and the rider’s head. Horemanship won the day, and that may be the deciding factor in the Hazlett Gold Cup to be run this afternoon. Hard Up The Napier Park Racing Club has decided to issue only one pound tickets on the totalisator at their forthcoming autumn meeting next month. This decision has been come to because of the extra expense entailed in the issue of ten shilling tickets, as compared with one pound tickets, and to the fact that the totalisator receipts did not justify the continuance of this extra expense. The Napier Park Racing Club and Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club, both of which bodies have been severely affected by fallingrevenue for the past few years, have been compelled to face the position of attempting to counteract this decline in revenue, and have very reluctantly come to an arrangement to discontinue the issue of complimentary tickets. There is no doubt that those who give any thought, to the matter at all will recognise that as things are a.t present the clubs are not in a position to continue this practice if they desire to be fair to their own members, and those who are responsible for the club’s financial affairs (says the Hawke’s Bay “Herald”). Those who have in the past been the recipients of the club’s favours in the shape of complimentary tickets will, we feel sure, realise the very large amount which, year after 3*ear, has been so generously given by the club in this way, and will show their appreciation by increasing the club’s membership or otherwise continuing their patronage. Racing clubs, like business people, and private individuals,, cannot be expected to continue indefinitely the giving of favours when they cannot afford it.