WELLINGTON NOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 701, 28 June 1929, Page 12

WELLINGTON NOTES

VESFERUS SHOWING GLIMPSES OF BEST FORM HINTS FOR WAVERLEY (Special to THE SUE) WELLLXGTOX, Thursday. Airtight is working particularly well at Hawera, and will be at his best for tho steeplechase at Waverley on Saturday. Tie has not a very strong iot to beat, and is sure to be one of the afternoon’s favourites. Although Mountain Crag has been nominated for hack steeplechases at the forthcoming Wellington meeting, his party must be getting rather tired of him, as he has failed them very badly on several recent occasions. He ran badly again at the recent Hawke’s Bay meeting, and since his Marton fall seems to have lost confidence at his fences. Atareria was never better than he is at present. L. Knapp has reformed film, and he now goes much more freely in his races than ever he did in the past. The Whakatu Hurdles at Hastings was nothing more than an exercise for him, and he had it won such a distance from home that it looked as if he could have won by a furlong had his rider sent him along. U all goes well with Balloon, he will be brought to Trentham for the winter racing, u.s he handles bad ground fairly well, and will be suited by the big course. After his win at Napier I ark lie was well backed at Hastings, * h . e , luck ' vas dead against him. His third on the first day was the result of a good finishing effort. On the second day he got away badly and was in bother from start to finish. Nukumai Puzzles Nukumai appeared to be a trifle lame , hl ? £ali , in . the Hawke’s Bay steeplechase, but it is understood he is all right and that he will compete f* the Wellington meeting. If he takes on the big steeplechase he will only need to jump well to be a nuisance to the best of them. But opinion is verv divided concerning his jumping. Some hold that he will never make a steeplechaser, others that if the pace had been on he would not have fallen at Hastings. One thing is certain; his lumping is open to considerable improvement at the present time. A very bad exhibition was given in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase by Maunga. His best for a long while was his showing at Ellerslie. and there he was ridden by the South Island cross-country rider, H. Anderton, whose tactics seem to suit him better than those of his other pilots. A cot case after racing at Hastings was Ra.ngi Sarto. He was running a great race when his unsoundness came against him, and even then ho finished a creditable fourth. No doubt another effort to patch him up and win a race will be made, but the job is getting harder every time. As Fine Acre won over hurdles at Napier and ran a good second in a big field of hacks at Hastings, he need not bo forgotten when the racing at Trentham comes round next month. There is talk of Zippor contesting tho Winter Cup. He beat a moderate lot of hacks at Hastings, and a “Winter Cup appears to be flying rather high. Certain it is he will have to do better than he has ever done in the past if he is to win the big Riccarton mile. There is a suspicion that Royal Damon has a soft streak in him, as he persistently fails at the end of his races. However, he has shown that he is a good jumper, and he might win a hurdle race this winter. One For Trentham One horse who should hit the very top of his form during the Wellington meeting is Vesperus. Tho racing he had at Napier Park did him so much good that he was actually backed to beat the sprinters at Hastings. This was not in his line and he failed, but placed in a mile race the next day he Inst h v only a nose to Merry Damon, who is a really good horse among this class. Vesperus will now come on to Wellington for the middle distance races and he will have a lot in his favour. There will be the big, roomy track, the heavy going and a bit of distance. The little Paper Money filly Moutoa Treasury is a smart galloper, and she is to be kept going for winter and early spring engageemnts. Most likely her next outing will be at Trentham in the Whyte Memorial, in which she has 9.9. She is not up to big weights, but with 91b above the minimum her owner is almost certain to run her. The Auckland mare Princess Rain ran such a good race in the Trial Plate at Hastings last Saturday that she should be considered very hard to beat in her engagement at Waverley this week. The field she met at Hastings was better than the one which will go to the post at Waverley. for the winner, Great Lady, is a smart galloper. The Wellington Steeplechase candidate Brigadier Bill is being condemned in some quarters for his failure to win the June Steeplechase on the second day of the Hawke’s Bay meeting, but the fact is that the fault was not his. 1-Ie was going extra well close to the leaders two fences from the winning post when Bon Aryan fell and Brigadier Bill had to be almost pulled up to avoid going over the top of him. He then came again and ran second, so his admirers need not hold anything against him on the score of what occurred at Hastings. Whether he can win the Wellington Steeplechase is another question. When Comical hit a hurdle four or five furlongs from home in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle Race he curled up badly. I-Ie is still far more in the boom than he is entitled to be. Manly is to be ridden in the Patea County Cup at the Waverley meeting on Saturday by H. Goldfinch. It is reported that the New Plymouth gelding has been working particularly well in recent weeks and that he is expected to run one of his best races. If he wins he will pay a good price, as there will be one or two better backed, as far as can be gathered at the present time.

Kopi’s Derby Trial With very little information in the cables concerning: the doings of horses engaged in the Derby in England, we in this part of the world were left to surmise much. Kopi was an interesting horse, for, like the previous winner, Felstead, he is by Spion Kop, and therefore a descendant of Carbine. For that reason New Zealanders and Australians would have liked him to win, but he fell during the race. Latest files from England give accounts of a curious incident concerning the horse’s success in the March Stakes at Newmarket early last month. In error the colt’s trainer declared Winter as the rider of Kopi. That jockey's lowest riding weight is Bst 91b—81b more than Kopi was set to carry. The trainer realised his error half an hour before the jockey went to the scales, but his application to the stewards to substitute Wragg as the rider was refused. Although with the extra weight he was meeting the Derby Cup winner, Constant Son, and Silex Major, who was only twice unplaced in seven attempts last season, at 71b worse than weight-for-age. Kopi was made favourite at odds on, and he won, according to the critics, as a true stayer. Before the races 20 to 1 was offered and accepted about his chances in the Derby, but after his win the best price available was 12 to 1. He started at even shorter odds.

Wade also has a pair, Paul Lucerne and Onward. The former was a really good hack, but on Ellerslie running Oration should hold most of them safe. Some Acre, after a promising showing at Feilding at Easter, won well at Marton last month. He claims two engagements tomorrow, and with the opposition far from strong may go well in both races. Hipo won the principal handicap on tho opening day of the Egmont Winter Meeting, beating among others Spearmiss, Goodwill, Yoma, Bisox, Mendip, Blimp, Manly and Teri. He is not at all badly treated in the Patea County Cup. The following are some of the riding engagements made for tomorrow: A. McCormac. —Royal Acre, Potoaform, War flame and Talma. H. Dulieu. —Huirangi Girl, Potency, Onward and Corwen. H. Wiggins.—Kawhakina and Hopwood. H. Goldfinch.—Mark Mint, Billet, Manly, Singer and Whenuatonga. R. Reed.—Anolo, Bonogne, lciogne and Animated. T. Green.—Piuthair, Vinella and Bione. C. W. France. —Monoghan and Goldlike. The following horses promise to come in for keen support in their various engagements: Trial Stakes. —Bione and Naselle. Wairoa Handicap.—Oration and Denier (if absent Cool Mint). Hack Steeplechase.—Airtight and Huirangi Girl. Patea County Cup.—Hipo and Royal Acre. Oturi Hack Handicap.—Some Acre and Warflame. Kohi Hack Handicap.—Hopwood and Vinella. President’s Hack Handicap.—Some Acre and Broxt. The acceptances are as follow:

11.45 TRIAL STAKES Of £115; furlongs. Golden Penelopise 9 0 Flower . 9 9 Ngawhine . . 9 0 9 7 Gold Like . 9 0 Bione . . . Corwen . . . 9 0 9 3 Patrolet . . . 9 0 9 3 Corneroff . . 9 0 9 0 Valma .... 0 Animated . 9 0 Potoaform 9 0 Iciogne . . . WlienuaRemora . . 9 0 tonga . .. 9 0 12.25 WAIROA HANDICAP Of £190; furlongs. st. lb. st. ]b. Valkon . . 10 5 Monaghan . 7 Bonogne . . 10 2 Paul Lucerne 9 0 Oration . . 10 1 Monsogne . 9 0 Denier 9 13 Toapaiti . . 0 Cool Min t 9 7 Onward . . . 9 0 “I -j HACK STEEPLECHASE Of £200 2 miles. Airtight 10 13 Lively Fire 9 5 Huirangi Scrap Iron . 9 Girl . . 30 ? Waitaunaha. 9 3 Gilgai . . . 10 4 Joke Form . 9 0 Sunart . . .10 4 Ratapiko . . 9 0 San Fera . 10 3 Risk .... 9 0 Pikimai . . 10 2 Spy 9 0 Askari . . 10 0 Haeremai . 9 0 Grand Lupin 9 5 Harrowgate. 9 0 1 PATEA CUP Of £275; 1& miles. Piuthair . . 10 ? Kawhakina Ilipo . . , 9 11 Royal Acre 0 A nolo . . 9 7 Monsogne 9 0 Manly . . 9 5 Merry Denier . . . 9 2 Mason . . . 9 0 2.40 OTURI HACK Of £125; G furlongs. Singer . . 9 12 Bione . . . i> Some Acre 9 9 Mark Mint . 9 5 Ngawhine W ar Flame 9 3 Boundary . . 9 0 o KOHI HACK Of £130; 7 furlongs. Marjoram 10 2 Clover Leaf . Hop wood . . . 10 o Remora . . 9 Singer . . . . 9 1.1 Joke P orm . . War Flame . 9 3 Corwen . . . Vine! la . . . 9 2 Puawhato . . 1 ortalice . . . 9 0 Calithe . . . Auctioneer . 9 0 .Patrolet . . 9 0 4 PRESIDENT’S HACK Of £115; 5 furlongs. i Broxt . . . . 10 0 Princess Rail Some Acre . . 9 10 Gold Tree 1 Potnieer . 9 8 Black Odin . Mark Mint . 9 G Golden Flower 9 6 ! Xaselle . . . 9 4 Varsity . . . Potency . . 9 0 Mararga . . 0 Rillet . . . . 9 0 Potoafonn . . 0 1 Animated . 9 0 "Valma . . . 9 0