Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 834, 30 November 1929, Page 12

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

“EARLY BIRD”

For the North It is very likely that the Riccarton trainer J. G. Pine will take a team to the Manawatu and Wairarapa holiday meetings. Silver Coot probably will make the trip, and if Paper Boy, Bon Jose and Noteworthy do well in the meantime they also will go North. Agrion’s Stock Apropos of foals by Agrion, Mr. H. C. Ell has a nice chestnut colt at Trentham by the Limond horse from Crete. Crete was purchased at one of Mr. G. B. Greenwood’s sales, and is by Sutala from Seine by Banube —Pierene by Achilles—Blue Water by St. Leger. The youngster has a wealth of good blood in his pedigree, and he has been admired by many good judges who have looked him over. Wants a Rider The progeny of imported Night Raid has done particularly well this season, but one of his three-year-olds that has disappointed is Night Lad, who is trained at Washdyke. Night Lad gave evidence of developing into a really good galloper as a juvenile, but so far this season his best performance was a close second to the English mare Celerity 11. in the Ranfurly Handicap at the Bunedin Jockey Club’s spring meeting. However,'it would be unwise to condemn the three-year-old for his recent failures, and the first time he has a fashionable horseman on top he is likely to prove most difficult to beat. The Hat Trick

* For the past couple of years the Wanganui owner-breeder, Mr. G. M. Currie, won the Oroua Nursery Handicap, the two-year-old race at Feilding on Monday. Those youngsters to score for him were Episode and Ceremony, and on Monday his filly Brastic is to attempt to complete the hat trick. She is reported to be in excellent order, and as she was taken to Sydney for the Gimcrack Plate last month, but did not run on account of a cold, apparently a lot is thought of her. The Oroua Nursery is usually won by good youngsters, for previous to Episode winning Silvermine was the victor. Monday’s race is the fourth only, so it is reasonable to expect the successful two-year-old on Monday to be a bit above the ordinary. Among Drastic’s most dangerous opponents may be Cylinder, Simba and Green Linnet, but it is not known if they will start. Newcomers

The first race at Takapuna today was decided under maiden conditions, but the opening event on Monday, the Vauxhall Handicap, is a handicap of horses that have not won a race valued at £75 at time of entry. This brings in the promising Te Rapa division winner, Ruling Chief, the Carterton division winner Relation (now trained by J. T. Jamieson), and to-day’s Takapuna Plate candidates, Bueliona and Ex Bono. If Bueliona fails to gain a situation in today’s Plate, she would stand a great chance in the Vauxhall Handicap, in which Ruling Chief, if produced, would be her most dangerous opponent. The Chief Ruler gelding spreadeagled his field a fornight ago. A Better Distance (

Royal Boulton figures in the Borough Handicap at Takapuna today, but however she fares it is more probable that she will run well in the St. Andrew’s Handicap on Monday, for the nine furlongs will give her time to find her feet. Royal Boulton ran two good races in the sprints at Te Rapa, the big course favouring her to a considerable extent. On Monday she should take a lot of beating. One factor likely to contribute to possible defeat is the possibility of a big field contesting the race, but on the other hand, she beat a pretty good lot on this course last season over this journey.

Smart Sprinters In the Cautley Handicap, the open six furlongs at Takapuna on Monday, there is a better field engaged than that accepted for this afternoon. Among the newcomers are Volimond, Refresher, Leitrim, Awarere, Takutama and Polyxena, but it is unlikely that this sextet will be found among the runners. Some of them may go to the post, however, and one is Polyxena. This three-year-old opened her winning account at the Takapuna course last season, and when produced for the first time this season she ran well. That was at Ellerslie last month, when she was very prominent at the turn for home. There she ran off the course and eventually finished last, but this can be overlooked, under the circumstances. Polyxena is brilliant over a short course, and was

not a great deal behind the leading two-year-olds, so that if she is saddled up on Monday she may be a hard one to beat on this left-handed course. Those £20,000 Winners There were two big “consultations” on the Melbourne Cup with first prizes of £20,000. We have already heard of three different persons who drew Nightmarch in these —a Melbourne barmaid, a Melbourne fish shop owner, and a Hunua (Auckland) resident. Now a Sydney paper brings forth a fourth in the following telegraphic message from Grafton, New South Wales, dated a week after the race: “Odtaa” stands for “one damn thing after another”; to a teamster, F. W. A. Rhodes, at OBX Creek, near Grafton, it means £20,000. In the name “Odtaa” Rhodes drew Nightmarch in a £20,000 consultation on the Melbourne Cup. He is a returned soldier. The circumstances in which Rhodes received the news of his good fortune* 1 , are likely to remain in his memory all his life. He was driving a bullock-wagon, loaded with logs, along a bush road, when a friend dashed up in a motorcar, and, handing him a slip of paper, pointed to his name, as the winner of the fortune. “So that’s it,” he said, shaking the other quietly by the hand. Then, slowly, “£20,000. Well, it’s worth having, isn’t it?” One or two land agents want to sell him a good farm, and for the next week or two, unless Rhodes gets out of the way, his life is bound to be “just one agent after another.” NEW ZEALAND TO THE FORE Everybody interested in racing—and even those who are not—were pleased to learn of the victory won by three New Zealand horses in the Melbourne Cup. “Nightmarch” is undoubtedly a fine horse, and a good one to put your “shirt” on! There is still another New Zealand product that is worth putting your money on, and that is the good old specific, Baxter’s Lung Preserver. Early summer weather is generally inclined to be somewhat changeable, and a wise thing is to “daymarch” to your chemist or grocer, and purchase a bottle of “Baxter’s.” A dose taken when a cold is suspected is well worth while. All chemists and stores sell Baxter’s Lung Preserver. It is a sterling cough and cold remedy, and possesses wonderful tonic properties. Generoussized bottle half-a-crown; economical size 4<s 6d; bachelor’s bottle Is s 6d.—2.

Takapuna's Second Day The Takapuna meeting will conclude on Monday. Acceptances close at 9 o’clock tonight, and these, together with a review of the fields, will appear in The Sun shortly after that hour. Racing at Taumarunui

The annual meeting of the Taumarunui Racing Club is to be held at Taumarunui on Friday and Saturday next. At Awapuni

Nominations for the Manawatu Racing Club summer meeting on December 26w 27 and 28, close next Friday. Entries for the Marton Jockey Club fixture on January 1 and 2 are due on Friday week, December 13. Auckland Summer Meeting

General entries for the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting close at 5 p.m. next Friday. Weights for the Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap are due to make their appearance on Wednesday next. All Paid Up

There is always some difference of opinion regarding the merits or otherwise of the rehandicap system for winners as against fixed penalties. There is much to be said for both, and both schemes appear to work out satisfactorily, although naturally the rehandicap idea throws more work on the officials. It* is rather a noteworthy fact that for the first day of the Feilding meeting Mr. J. E. Henrys had to rehandicap no fewer than 14 horses on account of wins at Otaki and Levin last week. The extra poundage apparently found favour, for all 14 were accepted for in the various events. Called Him

“Moturoa,” of the “Taranaki, News,” whose recollection evidently stretches back more than a day or two, has the following about the Otaki Maori race meetings:—“What memories they recall! The first time the writer tripped down there Charlie Jenkins was in his prime; the star horseman of the successful Porirua stable, and the idol of the white, brown and piebald sports of the district. It was said that the starter always waited for Charlie, the story running (in brief): ‘You ready, ’Tarlie?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Then Go!’ And the late Arthur Olliver was a prominent rider then, but somehow or other he could not get on with that starter. One day, when Olliver was particularly anxious to get away well in a five-fur-long flutter, he broke the tapes. ‘Fine you five poun’, Orriver,’ shouted the native. ‘Make it a tenner,’ replied Olliver cheekily. ‘Orrite,’ returned the starter. ‘Fifteen poun’, Orriver!’ ‘Gee!’ said the now subdued Olliver, ‘l’ll have to see you at fifteen!’” I mporter When he contested the Waikato Hunt Cup five weeks ago, Importer looked so well that it is possible he would have won a race on the flat had he been asked. He won that cup, but lost it subsequently in the stewards’ room through failing to take one of the fences, and yet Importer showed so much pace that he might have won in any case. However, that is only conjecture. The imported horse is engaged in the High-weight on Monday at Takapuna, and if he is paid up for it will be interesting to see how he shapes on the flat again. If in the same form as he was last month he may give the best of today’s field something to do to hold him.

Juveniles At Woodville To judge by the nominations there should be some excellent juvenile racing at Woodville next month. Among those entered are Gesture and Princess Betty. F. Bavis has Honour’s sister, Courtesy, in on the first day, and his Legionnaire colt, Commandant, on the second day. Both of these youngsters are expected to carry Mr. T. H. Lowry’s colours with distinction later on. The Solferino—Marsa filly, a half-sister to Nightmarch, as yet unnamed, is also an entrant for both days. Add to these Drastic, the Absurd filly of Mr. G. M. Currie; Tenterden. the Chief Ruler —Rosellate gelding from W. D. Moroney’s stable, who has yet to be produced, and quite a number of possible improvers, and it will be realised that the Woodville events may prove first-class dress-rehearsals for juvenile classic events yet to come. A PLUNGE DALSTON’S FAILURE Sydney’s biggest plunger could take pride after the recent Three-Year-Old Handicap at Randwick for having chosen the first and second horses, Eton Blue and Dalston, for his heavy betting. But it didn’t profit him richly, for the bigger share was on Balston, who ran second. He took £IOO to £l6O about Eton Blue. But he invested over £7OO on Balston, and that horse was unlucky to lose the race. Balston’s No. 18 barrier position was probably just sufficient to mar his chance, for he began slowly, and at the straight entrance conceded six lengths to the leaders. Always Near Front Eton Blue, on the other hand, was always near the front rank, and at the home turn he gained a lucky run through on the inside, and shaking off his immediate pursuers, set up a lead that put the issue beyond doubt. It was only in the last 100 yards that Dalston got clear of the ruck to make his challenge, and he could get within only a length and a-quarter of Eton Blue at the winning post. Dalston was backed from sixes right down, and the big punter referred to above was largely responsible. He would have netted a £4,000 win. Other big bettors threw for big stakes, too, and it was unlucky for these and connections that Dalston, while failing to land their plunges, also disclosed the form in such a fashion as to spoil future prospects of a coup, except at short odds. Different Luck Dalston is owned by the sportsman who races as “Mr. Constable,” partowner of Karuma. He was bought from a New Zealand owner some months ago, after two seconds at Randwick and Moorefieid. The horse’s unlucky sequence at seconds continues. Eton Blue has been a fine proposi-* tion for Mr. Leslie Wallace. In a short racing career, he has already w*on three races, including a deadheat.