Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 812, 5 November 1929, Page 12

Durf Notes

CONDUCTED BV

"EARLY BIRD'

Racing in the North There will be racing at Whangarei on Thursday and Saturday next. Waikato Acceptances Acceptances for all first day events at the Waikato spring- meeting close at 5 p.m. on .Friday with the secretary at Hamilton, or at the same time with Messrs. Blomfield and Company. Auckland. Takapuna Entries The spring meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club, set down for Saturday and Monday, November 30 and December 2, promises to be as popular a fixture as ever with racegoers. Entries, also the final payment for the Takapuna Plate, are due at 5 p.m. on Friday next with the secretary, Mr. F. D. McVay. Riding Engagements In addition to J. T. Jamieson’s pair, Le Choucas and Ti Tree, Hector Gray has been booked to ride Land Measure and Lady’s Boy at Whangarei. The Southern light-weight, C. Davis, will pilot Palmares, Tliursby and War Officer, and W. H. Jones Tetrarchate and Diamond Queen. Promising Hurdler The Avondale mentor, H. Weston, will produce a promising hurdler in Bob Amans at Whangarei on Thursday, a horse who may make a name for himself at the .jumping game. In addition to being an ideal type of jumper, he schools well when jumped in company and still further has a lot more pace than the average hurdler, factors which all go to indicate that he is a novice with a prospective future. For Hurdle Racing Ellerslie trainer H. Morrow has been keeping Bonny Day up to the mark, and all going well this maiden galloper will have an opportunity to show her worth over the battens, a game at which she will be better suited than racing on the fiat. The Taumarunui N meeting next month is proposed for Bonny Day, and the company she will meet in the hurdle events will give some indication of how she may be expected to perform over hurdles. Speedy Haviland Pukekohe horses to race at Whangarei on Thursday comprise Haviland, Big Bertha, Cymon and a maiden candidate, the first-named trained by W. Townsend, and the others by H. B. Cowan. Haviland has speed to burn, but is more or less unreliable and shows a partiality for short courses. He lias lib. over the minimum in the Kensington Handicap, and a repetition of his best would see him in the firing line at the finish.

Scratched Aussie and Papatu were scratched at 9 a.m. today lor all engagements at the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting, opening at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Riccarton’s Opening The C.J.C. spring meeting opens at Riccarton on Saturday. On that day the New Zealand Cup, Stewards’ Handicap and Welcome Stakes are to be run, and on the second day the New Zealand Derby and Metropolitan Handicap are the main attractions. Te Kuiti Handicaps Weights for the first day of the annual race meeting of the Te Kuiti R.C. should make their appearance next Monday, and acceptances close the following Friday, November 15. Melbourne Cup It is expected that the Melbourne Cup will be run about 5 o’clock this afternoon, and the result should be made known by cable in Auckland two or three minutes after the horses pass the post. More Money for Him? Few Worses have raced so consistently this season as Lady’s Boy, and if looks and recent form can be taken as a reliable guide there is more money in the offiing for him. With 9.0 in the Nainai Handicap at Whangarei on Thursday he is not unjustly treated, and on ci turning course such as Kensington Park, the apposition will be kept more than busy. Settling Down The Ellerslie jockey, G. Holland, whose application for a trainer’s licence met with approval, has been keeping Odd Sox to walking exercise in the middle of the course. and under this patient treatment the mare has settled down a lot. She was promising when raced a couple of years ago, and providing she goes along all right in her daily toil there may be a race or two concealed in her. Working Nicely

So far this season only one .race lias been exacted from Gemliglit, but it may be gleaned from his recent trackwork that he has bright prospects at Whangarei on Thursday and Saturday. Although the Australian-bred three-year-old lias not made such improvement in looks as has his stable-mate, Praetor, he has invariably shown plenty of dash in his gallops, and henceforth should be a lio.rse worth following. Gemliglit was a consistent juvenile, and his promotion to open company should not find him wanting. Among Hacks Now A few weeks ago Imperial Prince was mooted as a possible Guineas winner, and although he was only a moderate third in the Avondale classic, his effort was sufficient to indicate that he will do well for himself in hack company. The seven furlongs of the Hikurangi Handicap at Whangarei should suit him to a nicety, and as he appeals as a weight-carrier, 5.7 should by no means me a hindrance. Although he ran poorly in the G.N. Guineas at Ellerslie, that form may be overlooked, as subsequent efforts are likely to indicate. Due for a Win At the end of last season B. Cowan had intentions of retiring Big Bertha to the duties of a stud matron, the mare having occasioned a lot of trouble previously with soreness. She gave out so much promise, however, that her trainer decided on persevering with her, and in consequence the daughter of Romeo was entrained to Whangarei today, to carry out an engagement in the Kensington Handicap. She is handily weighted with 7.9, and turned out in first-rate order should beat the majority of those engaged. On a previous visit to the Whangarei course Big Bertha recorded minor piacings. Of course, it remains to be seen how she has fared during the winter months.