Masterton Fixture And Trentham Hopes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 795, 16 October 1929, Page 12

Masterton Fixture And Trentham Hopes

A WELLINGTON BUDGET (Special to THE SI SJ WELLINGTON. Tuesday. So far the tracks at Trentham are in great condition, and there will be some very pleased trainers if they remain as at present for the coming: ; Wellington meeting. Acceptances for the fixture close on Friday, and judging by the accommodation that has been booked they will bo heavy. Trainer Lowe. who always is one of the early workers, was out first this morning with Hunting Call and Quantum. Quantum went six furlongs in 3.16 o-o on the trial grass. Hunting Call sprinting home with him. Hunting Call is engaged at Masterton and j Quantum at Trentham. Lowe also worked the Masterton candidate Glare. who was brought home by Battle Torque and did a good seven furlongs, breaking 1.30 for the distance. Last Before the Cup Historic was out doing pace work. He has been entered for the Bunny Memorial Handicap, the open six-fur-long event on the Carterton programme, in order to give him another race before lie goes to Riccarton for the New Zealand Cup. He looks better now than ever lie did before. Hynanna did easy work. He looks well enough, but is not being hurried. Probably lie will race in the principal handicap at Carterton. Tourist ran six furlongs in just under 1.17 and did it well. He has a i chance at Masterton this week. New Youngsters Two of Mr. Vivian Uiddiford’s two- j year-olds, who have nut yet raced, ■ Intruder and Peep, were galloped half ! a mile. They covered the distance in I 33. Intruder is the more impressive ! of the pair. _Zephyrus sprinted three furlongs in 37. which was eclipsed by Lady Pam. who recorded 35. Lady Pam is one ol' T. J. Dadly’s team, and is by Limond out of Princess Pat. She is smart. First Money is expected to run a good race at Masterton on Saturday. He has been sprinting well and is about ready to show his best. Toxeuma and King's Jest are due here this week in charge of "W. McKinnon. They will race at the Wellington meeting, and if they do well McKinnon will then go on to Riccarton. For the Second Day Havering will not be a runner on the opening* day of the "Wellington meeting, but may run on the second day. Although Panther was allowed to drop out of the New Zealand Cup, lie is in steady work and may contest the Grandstand Handicap at Masterton on Saturday. lie ran a good live furlongs this week and might develop into a fair middle distance horse this season. L. E. Goodwin lias moved from Levin to Trentham with Rational 11. and Rasonli, both of which belong to the Wellington hotelkeeper, Air. C. Boyle. They have been out sprinting, but no line on their capabilities has been obtained. A new arrival at Trentham, Air Laddie, who is now in J. Lowe’s stable, lias shaped particularly well in the little that has been asked of him. Tie should improve as the season advances. Will Go Well Raineses has been working well at Otaki and can be relied upon to race well at the Masterton or the Wellington meeting. * Good reports are to hand from Masterton concerning Vesperus, who apparently is in forward condition for his engagement at the week-end. Now that Roy Reed is not immediately returning from Australia, it is expected that R. S.'Bagby will ride Star Stranger and the other members of Mr. A. L. Williams’s team at the "Wellington and New Zealand Cup gatherings. Balloon ran very badly when last raced, but lias done well on the tracks at Foxton since then and probably will carry the confidence of his party at Masterton, where he will contest the High-wdight Handicap. He will be ridden by H. N. Wiggins. Princess Betty was for sale recently at a modest figure. It is understood lier price has gone up considerably since her win in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Napier. The Blenheim trainer, R. Alexander, has a team over for the Masterton and Wellington meetings, and he might do the Carterton meeting also before returning home. All his horses look well. Rabbi the best of all of them. Full Mark, who won two hack races very decisively at the Marton spring meeting, is going so well in her work that she will have a strong Carterton following in the Grandstand Handicap at Masterton on Saturday. GOLD CUP’S FIRST WINNER AT GEELONG t Twelve months’ holiday in New Zealand has worked wonders with the Woorak four-year-old gelding Gold Cup. who won his first race at Geelong recently, commented a Melbourne writer. He was very poor when he left Australia, but looks decidedlv better now. Gold Cup never raced in New Zea- j land. Most of the year he spent there was passed in the paddocks near Invercargill, and apparently’ the climate has done him the world of good. It will be remembered that Gold Cup, who incidentally was named by the Duke of York, performed brilliantly at the Caulfield Two-Year-Old trials of this season, and registered better time in this heat than did Mollison. who afterward turned out such a galloping, machine. On that, a great deal was expected of Gold Cup, but lie knocked himself with the result that his two-year-old career was confined to four starts, none of which returned any prize money. He did not begin racing till the autumn, and before beginning his three - y ear - old career was given a further holiday of four io five months. 1 Four races as a three-year-old were : ; unplaced runs. The last time he j I sported silk in Victoria, prior to this ' I season, was in the M-errie Trial Handi- | cap at Moonee Valley exactly 12 1 i months ago. He was gelded shortly i after that outing, and almost iminediI atelv shipped to the Dominion. While there *he was in charge of his ; present, trainer, F. TV. Ellis. who ! worked him a little during the | autumn, and then placed him in serij ous training last June. When saddled up the other day he i appeared more like the thoroughbred | one would expect of his breeding, and j the price that was paid for him—l.7oo • guineas. He has lost the washy colour : and has built up remarkably well. The i trouble now is whether he will hold ! that condition. In the first division of the Novice Handicap Gold Cup. in view of the fact that lie has been mentioned as a Caulfield Cup possibility, was expected to start a short-priced favourite. Although he was most fancied, better than fours was on offer against him, after he drifted a trifle. Several horses were backed against him. The Woorak gelding won. but had i ;• hard tussle to hold off Petone, a very moderate performer. There was i a touch of gameness in his effort, but witha.l was scarcely one to induce con- | fidence in his Caulfield Cup chance. Allowing for improvement, he may 1 not find it hard to win less important .

it will be recognised that he is a distinct possibility for an early stake. A hack that, quite a few liavo been waiting for is Myola. At the Avondale meeting last month she was produced on the second day in the hack six. and those who saw her flying on the outside, wide out at that, just behind the placed horses—Prince Val, j Refresher, Bombarder—made a note , of her running. It was thought that Myola would have been produced at ! the recent Ellerslie meeting, but other • ideas prevailed, and this very promis- j ing maiden performer was sent into R. Hatch’s stable at Awapuni. Myola * appears among the 63 hacks weighted 1 for the October Handicap at Trentham on Saturday week, and her Avondale i run suggests she will not be out of her place in the Southern race mentioned. * * * There is a wealth of hack sprinting talent engaged in the October Handicap at Trentham on Saturday week. There are 63 handicapped, and it is difficult enough to fine them down to ! a score. The field is certain to be re- ‘ duced heavily when tin? acceptances : close on Friday night, but even then 1 the favourite should be at long odds. > And yet not so long perhaps as one l ace that the writer has witnessed. This was an important steeplechase at

the famous Curragh course in Ireland, where two horses were equal favourites at 10 to 3. this representing an ,£ll dividend, and incidentally on© of these was the winner. , I ,U,‘ iar !? r " on the Manukau Hurdles at Ellerslie like a real good horse, and \\ith a rise of 3 01b. he should not be entirely out of it in the Olen Hurdles on featurtlay week at Trentham. He has developed into a particularly fine jumper, and it can be said that he won at Ellerslie without being extended. Although he has 11.9 next 'teek the distance is a quarter of a mile shorter. and that may almost counterbalance the 101 b. rise. Chief Link so outclassed the lot ol' youngsters opposed to him in tlie ‘ lusket stakes last Monday week that he must be given a splendid clianee 'Lw Tr Cd ,!° take place in the laita Handicap at Trentham. Kor lits second to Loyal Ituler and the success in his two races to date, lie

ot Avondale last month, lie looked a bit on the big side. Nevertheless he ran a creditable race in a big field of hacks, finishing close up after an interrupted passage. This four-figur-colt is among those on the minimum in the hack sprint next week at Trentham, and the full-brother to Tf Alonanui may be forward enough no* j to make it particularly interesting for the opposition. The running of Sea Cob so far as J this season has progressed has beer j most consistent, and he is one like!' io improve with age. He is now at * the top of the hack class, and he should i not be long in disappearing from tha type of race. He appears to be a j good weight-carrier, and it is probable that later in the season he win be figuring conspicuously in th* country cup contests, on the same courses where not so many month' ago he was still a maiden. In the meantime Sea Cob is in the RiniutaL Handicap at Trentham next Saturday week, and should run well if taken to j the meeting. i One of the hardest horses to beat ; in the Wellington Handicap next week , will most probably be Vertigern. who last season won among other races tn« Wellington Cup. He has been alotted 8.13 in the forthcoming VVeßir.g--ton contest. this being the sarn weight lie carried when he was ratnc unlucky in being defeated by t“ r | three-year-old Hunting Cry. T ; , Rossendale gelding is sure to b* cn !of the early 'Wellington Handicap fancies. _