Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 729, 31 July 1929, Page 12

Durf Notes

,:UNDUCILD BY

•LAKLY

For Saturday's Racing ' Acceptances for the Christchurch Hunt Club's meeting at Riccarton on Saturday close tonight. The Nationals The Grand National meeting opens at Riccarton on Tuesday week. Final acceptances close on Thursday of next week. Koatanui Sires Limond's bookings are practically full for the remainder of his lifetime. Mr. G. M. Currie informed the writer yes- | terday. On the other hand, there are j plenty of opportunities to secure bookings for the English-bred horse Pombal, j whose stock (now rising one year) give I every promise of developing into splendid gallopers. Pombal's services have j been practically confined to Koatanui I mares. This sire is nicely bred, being jby Pommern (son of Polymelus. by l Cyllene) out of Sunrise, by Kendal (son | of Bend Or). The first of Pombal’s j progeny to come under the hammer are to be placed in the ring at TrenI tham in January next. Lysander is : also to be placed at the services of i breeders at Koatanui during the forthi coming season. Big Betting On a recent Saturday afternoon ! about £700,000 passed through the totaiisator at Belmont Park, near New York (U.S.). Fernden At Wanganui M. Gardner has an addition to his string in the shape of the rising four-year-old gelding Fernden, by Red fern. Fernden (who was trained at Ellerslie recently) has shown that he can gallop, as-he has won twice out of four starts. He is now owned in Wanganui. Worth More Now In chronicling the success of Lord Ranald in the Wai-iti Steeplechase at Timaru, “Sentinel” states that it is understood that within the past few days an offer of £6OO was refused for the* Masterpiece gelding and G.X. Steeplechase candidate. A Family Affair The Ellis brothers had a great innings at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s winter meeting on Thursday, as F. W. and E. J. each trained a winner, in King Balboa and Silver Light respectively, and A. E.. L. J.. and A. S. were each returned as winning horsemen on Sweet Refrain, King Balboa, and Silver Light (jumper) in turn. This probably ranks as a New Zealand record for five brothers at an open totaiisator meeting, says the Southland “Times.” More For Sydney Mr. I-J. Cleland informed a Taranaki writer that Bright Glow, accompanied by J. Fryer’s Tonbridge two-year-old, woulcL leave for Sydney on Friday next. The daughter of Day Comet and Red Dolly is in the pink of condition ready to start her spring campaign. Both Roy Reed and Bert Ellis have applied for the riding but so far nothing definite has been decided. Mr. Cleland will follow over sometime in September Still Might Win The only mare that has made the acceptance for the Grand National Steeplechase is Uralla. It can be said with confidence that the big lepping event at Riccarton is not a mare’s speciality, for although the race has held a place on the winter gathering of the Canterbury Jockey Club for a great number of years, on only one occasion has a mare proved triumphant. the equine to perform the record being the Hastings owned, bred and trained Nadador, who carried the colours of the late Sir William Russell to victory in 1909. writes “The Squire.” On precedent the odds are against Uralla coming out of the Grand National Steeplechase argument in the premier placing.

Another One Ellerslie trainer J. Chisholm continues to add to his team, and the latest addition is the three-year-old Spring Abbey, by Quin Abbey, from Waiomi. Spring Abbey has had little racing, but he has shown sullieicnt promise to encourage his trainer to prepare him for racing ahead. Promising Light-weight There is a diminutive youngster attached to M. J. Carroll’s stable at Te Rapa who has the makings of a firstclass horseman given the right opportunity The lad referred to is L. Pell, whose weight is only live stone. Though only recently indentured Pell shows aptitude for riding, and if he continues to improve in this respect he should receive his share of mounts when he is eventually’ gi’anted a licence. Doing Better The maiden performer Tukunoa has been a member of T. Carmonfs stable for some time, but only these last few weeks has he been continually exercised at headquarters. A horse of high temperament, he invariably gave a lot of bother when formerly trained at Ellerslie, but marked improvement has been made in his education, and he has settled down to his work now. Tukunoa. has looksj to recommend him and if his galloping ability is in keeping with his conformation he should show a return on the expense he has incurred. Going to Sydney The exodus to Sydney of our best horses Ims been evident to a marked extent with each and every departure of the Sydney boats, but significant as it may seem, no Ellerslie trainers have essayed the trip. However, Ellerslie is not to be without a representative, for R. Lewis has announced his intention of leaving very shortly with Clockwork. There is no particular mission marked out for this hurdler, but he will be nominated for several of the important hurdle and steeplechase events and it will depend on the imposts he receives as to his racing programme. The probable date of departure may be Friday’ week. Reached Old Age The well-known racehorse, Scrap o’ Paper, a consistent performer on the turf and one of the last of the Seaton Delayal stock, rising 18 y’ears. came to the end of his career on Monday' night, his death occurring on the farm of his owner, Mr. J. Hoey, of Kamo. Merry Mint Out So far the Winter Cup has been disastrous for pre-post backers, writes our Christchurch correspondent. Paddon, the early choice for the big Riccarton mile, went out at the first acceptance, and now Merry Mint, who up till Monday ruled a strong favourite, has been withdrawn from all engagements. At the Trentham meeting earlier in the month Merry Mint .showed a glimpse of form that caused critics to form a very’ high opinion of him, but since then reports from his home track indicated that he was suffering from leg troubles, though it game as a shock when it was learned that he had been struck out of all his future engagements. Lady Limond Favoured The latest introduction into -the .Winter Cup discussions is the brilliant Limond mare, Lady r Limond. All through last week in Christchurch she firmed and she is so popular at the present juncture that maybe she will start the ultimate favourite for next month’s big race. Lady Limond won with the greatest of ease at her last public appearance, and Northerners named her as a probable winner of next month’s handicap from the appearance of the weights. With only 9.13 she has everything in her favour, and her great speed and early' brilliance man enable her to be in the forefront throughout. She is sure to stay' the distance, and at this stage of the proceedings she certainly 7 makes a strong appeal. Shifting House The sires Solussus and Hunting Song arrived at Napier this week from Gisborne, and were railed to Whakaranga, where their owner, 'Mr. G. Carrington, has purchased a property for establishing a stud farm. Wanganui Trials The weather was fine at Wanganui on Saturday' morning, but there was not much fast work done on the local tracks, though W. Rayner sent some of his team along smartly on the hurdle track, which was very dead after the recent rains. Ceremony 7, looking in great heart, was given an easy round and then slipped over half a mile in 49 1-5, doing it nicely. Pedestal and Alloy were companions in a half-mile spin, and they 7 left the distance behind in 52 2-5. Pedestal has improved greatly in appearance, and he promises to make good later on. Mask was given a round at half pace, and then quickened up to three-quarter pace for another circuit. It looks as if Rayner will have some trouble in keeping the son of Limond going. Patrol Stewards for Wingatui The annual meeting of the Dunedin Jockey' Club was held last evening. The following officers were elected: President, Mr. A. C. Hanlon; vice-president, Mr. L. C. Hazlett: committee. Messrs. J. A. Ainge, W. J. Coughlan, A. H. Fisher. J. Smith. Dr. K. Ross. The chairman expressed confidence tn securing lower taxation shortly’, in place of the present burden, which was very heavy on clubs. It was decided to appoint not less than four patrol stewards for each race meeting, to act under the stipendiary steward or Judicial Committee appointed for each meeting. Wrote His Own Price Bookmakers at settling over the recent Grafton (N.S.W.) races reported handsome wins on .the two days. Many of them declared it the best country' meeting experienced for years from a profit-making point of view. This should make the meeting popular in future, and a stronger ring from Sydney is likely' to be the result. One of the biggest operators here won £ 2.000 on the Cup alone. He had a big antepost book, but failed to lay a penny' piece against Chipwood. the winner. Most of the books had a ••skinner” over the Cup and the only' layer against the horse to any extent was the bookmaker who bet £SOO to £5. Defeat of an odds-on and several short-priced favourites brought about the downfall of many big bettors, and while one man from Sydney who had a horse running lost over £I.OOO. another forfeited £6OO on the two days. It was a small bookmaker who didn’t win £SOO. Several got well over the £I,OOO mark, while two cleared over £2.000 on the two days. Sydney 7 men who operated at the fixture and shared in the good fortune were Tom Low. J. W Priddiee. Jim Claffy. and F. Hughes. One bookmaker, when given 10s for a bet on Chipwood in the Cup. handed the backer a blank ticket and told him to write his own price. He did and after the race was paid £SO 10s.