TURF NOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 666, 18 May 1929, Page 10

TURF NOTES

CONDUCTED BV

May Be Good A few yearlings have put in an apj pearance at Ellerslie, but not one has ; impressed so much as the youngster attached to W. Kemp’s stable. By the fashionably bred sire, Chief Ruler, and from Aliss Ethel, he is a half brother to trainer Kemp’s other pair in training, King Emerald and the speedy Gold Money. Thus bred on the right lines and with an appearance to fully justify the contention that he is going to be good, it is small wonder that his owner has no wish to part with him, notwithstanding that’ substantial offers have been received from sportsmen | anxious to purchase this aristocraticlooking youngster. Material to Work On Five two-year-olds are housed in J. ; Williams ton’s stables at the present time but one in particular said to be very j promising is the gelding by Thespian— Rose Queen. He will race under the cognomen of Thespis. Sportsmen, who saw his three-quarter brother. The Thorn, in the earl}’ part of his career, say that Thespis bears a striking resemblance to his relative. A start has not been made with this string of youngsters just yet, but very shortly they will be making an appearance at Ellerslie. Not a Strong Team Kauri Park and Killute are the active members of J. Lambess’s team just now, but tlie outlook at the impending Ellerslie fixture does not appear too bright for this painstaking mentor. Killute has been somewhat of a failure, while Kauri Park has not been up long after a few weeks inactivity. The latter. however, is a fair type of hurdler, but the trouble with him is to keep him sound. Kauri Park, by the way. was taken out of the Great Northern Hurdles at 3.40 p.m. yesterday. Shows Promise For some time J. Chisholm has been indulging Sulla in a course of schooling, the Lucullus gelding having acquitted himself in pleasing style in his recent essays. Lack of actual experience, as in most cases, may tell against Sulla when he is given his first outing in public, but a fairly reliable jumper and one with a good turn of speed, he can be depended upon to show up in a promising manner.

“EARLY BIRD

A Fortnight Hence Today fortnight tlie Great Northern Hurdles and Cornwall Handicap come up for decision at Ellerslie. The Great Northern Steeplechase is decided two days later —Alonday, June 3, King’s Birthday. Demise of Topthorne Perhaps the best known hunter in the province, Topthorne, who at one time belonged to the huntsman and also to the Government .House stables, was found dead yesterday in his paddock. Topthorne was owned by Air. A. E. Watkins, of Alission Bay. A Stable to Follow N. Cunningham’s small but select team is nicely forward to play an important part in the decision of events at the Great Northern meeting. High iPtch and Hyde Park are particularly well at the present time, and both of them noted mudlarks, several backers will be influenced in supporting the stable’s representatives. And then there is Standfast, a hafek of promise, and Cynthia N., who appears to have brightened up with a change of environment. Aptitude for Jumping Master Doon is being schooled regularly at Ellerslie, and he is now as competent as most hurdlers at headquarters: in fact, he has it on a lot of them. Were he to see out the hack hurdle events at the coming meeting he w'ould, perhaps, show’ an appreciable increase in owner-trainer D. Aloraghan’s banging account. More Money? For consistency this season few horses have equalled Vallar’s record, and though there may be more stakemoney in the offing for him at the Great Northern meeting, it will depend largely upon the weight he is assessed at. Vallar is not being required to do tasks of a strenuoLis nature, for racing has left him as well as could be wished. Concrete Preferred No tasks of a severe nature are being exacted from Branson, for it is improbable that he will be racing at the June meeting at Ellerslie. He is not partial to an easy track, and P. Scally has no intention of racing him if the conditions are unfavourable. Surprise Packet Having been obliged to compete in open company toward the latter part of this season, through winning a hack event at Ellerslie at Christmas, Eager Rose has run some excellent races, but has just been a bit short of the required standard. She was not so well then as she is now, trainer A. Kemp having spent much time and patience in building her into a solid mare. 3f a surprise is to be effected at Ellerslie next month, it may come from this quarter.

“The Iron Horse” Readers of Nat Gould stories will remember one entitled “Thrown Away,” or something like that. The following story reminds one of an incident in that novel: The Poverty Bay “Herald” states that an old-time racing incident of 50 years ago was related recently by a Gisborne sportsman, who recalled that in 1877 or 1878 the racehorse Perfume, owned by Owen McGee, was brought down from Auckland in the Pretty Jane, over-carried to Napier in consequence of rough weather, and on the return a few days later, the weather being still rough, could not be transferred to a lighter; consequently was thrown overboard and swam ashore. The horse was walked out to Waerenga-a-hika the same morning, and won two races that day, proving that there was some pretty good stuff in horseflesh in those days. Left, and Then Won

Shingle Short! Alost backers considered the Chrysolaus gelding very aptly named when he took a step back instead of forward at the start of the Three-year-old Maiden Handicap at Alenangle Park, New Soutli Wales, the other day. Shingle Short had been made an even-money favourite for the race, and his failure to jump off with the others a,ppeared to spoil his chance to such an extent that one bookmaker offered “Gold Money” odds against him. Shingle Short overcame all his difficulties, however, as he soon made up most of the lost ground and won with the greatest of ease by two lengths. Once again the lightweight jockey W. Cook showed how brains count in riding. After he had taken Shingle Short through the field into sixth position he did not indulge in a mad rush to pass the rest of the opposition. He gave Shingle Short a furlong in which to recover from the pressure that had been applied in the early part, and having got the horse thoroughly balanced he raced him to the front in the straight, and still had plenty in reserve at the end. Shingle Short is trained by F. Nowland, who also has the New Zealander Puff, and looks like developing into a useful performer. Fixing the Hurdles

In the late hours of the Friday night someone cut the connecting ropes of the majority of hurdles that had been erected for the first race to be held by the V.A.T.C. on the following day. April 27 (says the “Globe”). Fortunately it is the habit of the officials of the V.A.T.C. to inspect the jumps just prior to the race, and the defect was discovered and remedied. As this is by no means the first occasion upon which a similar attempt has been made to interfere with obstacles at Caulfield, the position is causing some concern to club officials. It is difficult to attribute a motive that would be in the interests of any particular horse, and most of those who know the circumstances are inclined to place the offender in the same class as the hedge burner who for a couple of years has been operating so extensively round about Alelbourne. The effect of cutting and weakening the fastenings on the rails is that the inside panel would offer only slight resistance if a horse should hit the hurdle. So much trouble has been gone to each time that it indicates that the person concerned is under the belief that this work has not been detected. If he realised that it was discovered from the start surely lie would not have taken further risks. It is probable that similar efforts will be defeated by erecting the hurdles on the morning of the races, but even then a close inspection and a subsequent guard will obviate any nefarious work. Genuine Regret

A punter who had brought off the surprising feat of backing the winners of the National and Lincoln in a double telephoned to his bookmaker. “Hello," said the layer irascibly, “who’s that?” “Smith speaking,” replied the lucky man in a cooing voice. “So sorry you have been tr-r-roubled.”