Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 919, 12 March 1930, Page 12

Durf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

Ohinemuri Cup At present the prospects of Royal Doulton in next Saturday’s Ohinemuri i Cup at Paeroa are highly assessed. ! Hyde Park, her conqueror at Puke- | kohe, is not engaged, but Desert Glow, ! who was only half a length away from j Royal Doulton in the Franklin Handicap, now meets the latter on 41b better terms. The additional furlong rnay favour Desert Glow. High Pitch | ran a great race in the Merries Memorial Cup at Te Aroha last Saturday week, finishing right up fourth after being in the limelight all the way. On • lie second day he was hampered from oarrier rise, and was never able to make headway. However, he will be racing on his home course on Saturday, and that may be a good deal in his favour. Maori Boy’s Te Aroha form was too bad to be true, and it is more than likely he will be a totally different horse at Paeroa this week-end. Antique is a very promising acquisition to the Cup ranks, and his good form in open company at Trenlham a couple of months ago shows his class. Pompeius and King’s Guard are useful light-weights, while the other acceptor, Grand Tea, is a stayer. At this stage Royal Doulton. Maori Boy, Desert Glow and High Pitch appeal as the most likely contenders for Cup honours next Saturday. Pair for Paeroa Measurer and Xorval Tea, a pair from J. Chisholm’s stable, due to race at Paeroa over the week-end, were sprinted half a mile on the course proper at Ellerslie yesterday in 51 4-5. That Measurer is in form was demonstrated at Rotorua recently when he led from end to end in a mile hack race and battled on in game fashion to score a narrow win. Measurer has always been known to have the early speed Surveyor imparts to his progeny, but the chestnut’s stamina was questionable, although now that he has shown improvement in this respect he cannot be counted out of his near engagements. Maori Eloy's Chance Consistency was a feature of Maori Bof“s racing at Takapuna and Rotorua last month, and at the latter meeting he carried big weights to score in most impressive style Then he carried the confidence of many in the Te Aroha Cup, only to be a rank failure owing to soreness. The few days’ rest accorded the son of Lucullus in the interim may result in a different tale at Paeroa on Saturday, when Maori Boy takes his place in the Ohinemuri Cup. He is reported to be nice and bright, and as L.D. thoroughly uderstands him he should be fit for a really decent effort. Taking Two Pukekohe trainer B. Cowan will have two horses at Paeroa on Saturday, the two-year-old Cross Stitch and Onewhero, who was formerly trained at Ellerslie. Onewhero has early speed to recommend him for the five and a-half furlongs of the Novice Handicap, lut invariably weakens. The pair will be ridden by H. Alexander.

"EARLY BIRD

• English Grand National The famous English Grand National Steeplechase is to be run at Aintree on Friday fortnight, March 28. Seventytwo horses were left in after the first acceptance six weeks ago, and the final payment, due today, will not see a great reduction of the field. Bookmakers’ charts advertised in a London sporting daily, give the range of prices, two months before the race, from S to 1 to 200 to 1. Easter Hero, second to Gregalach last year, is the ruling short-priced favourite, but he is the only horse quoted at under twenties. Wonderful Racing The dominating feature of the racing on the country circuit since the New Year has been the remarkable j series of thrilling finishes witnessed. Day after day two, three or more horses have flashed over the line together, presenting rare problems to the judges and leading racegoers to continue to expect the same at forthcoming meetings. Of course, most of the credit for this state of affairs must go to the handicapper, Mr. F. J. McManemin, whose excellent work in this direction it is hoped will last for very many years. Respirator Pleasing A recruit to the jumping game who is pleasing by his showings at Ellerslie is the Tea Tray gelding Respirator who was one of the principals in the sensational finish witnessed in the Pukekohe Handicap at Franklin on Saturday.. With H. Dulieu piloting him, Respirator made further acquaintance with several fences yesterday morning, his good exhibtion clearly indicating that he has ability in this direction. He is a fine big horse with a good turn of speed and being a bold fencer, there is no saying how far ne will go. Little Progress Freyja, a younger sister to that good ’chaser Odin, was sent over two fences at Ellerslie yesterday, but her jumping lacked polish and she was very nearly down at the second obstacle She is not an experienced jumper, however, but still a novice such as Freyja with several schooling lessons to her credit should be shaping better now. When her turn comes to contest jumping events Freyja will carry the Grant tartan and orange cap—Dr. A. McGregor Grant’s colours. E. J. Murtagh will leave for Sydney at the end of the month with four horses, probably Habit, Arikinui, First Money and 11. F. D. Jones has broken in a two-year-old filly by Diacquenod from Waterspray, the dam of Pilliewinkie, Arikiwai and Toawai; also a yearling by Diacquenod from the Paper Money mare, Currency, while he will make an early start on another Diacquenod yearling, from Madrid, the dam of Paquito. W. Stone has Aspiring and Lord Thomond engaged at Trentham. .Lord Thomond is a speedy hack, who should win plenty of races, and he may get some money on this trip. Aspiring is brilliant but she was lame after a. gallop this morning and her programme may • be subject to revision. Awaken at Trentham One of the most consistent youngsters seen out this season is Awaken, and her efforts at Trentham next week will be followed with much interest. In some of her races she has been decidedly unlucky, but there is no doubting her gameness, and she is certain to have a large following in her forthcoming engagements. At the Trentham meeting in January the daughter of Chief Ruler was beaten narrowly in the Wellington Stakes by that promising colt Tenterden. and on the second day, when carrying 9.3, she had the misfortune to strike Green Linnet, who was seen in her very best form. Still, her second under such a solid impost was sufficient to show that she is a classy filly, and it will not be the least surprising to see her run a good race in the Manawatu Stakes.

During the absence of A. McAulay in Sydney, where he has Nightmarch, True Shaft and Amor under his care, his home team is being looked after by J. Lindsay, who has started to take Mr. A. Louisson’s yearlings to the tracks. Agrion’s half-brother, by Pombal from Waterwings, and Phar Lap’s brother, by Nightmarch from Entreaty, are regular visitors, but they are doing only walking exercise, as is the Blunting Song—Eerie colt.

Goblin Market’s Successes Goblin Market, the four-year-old son of Absurd and Cherry Mart, succeeded in interrupting a series of defeats last week when he won the two open sprints at the Marlborough meeting. Those efforts revealed that the ex-Riccarton galloper is returning to form again, and he may well be worth following in his engagements near at hand. When right there never was any reason to question his galloping ability, and among his turf successes are included some important events. When offered at auction as a yearling in the autumn of 1927, Goblin Market created a very favourable impression, and was purchased by the Canterbury sportsman Mr. G. D. Greenwood for £725. At two years old the gelding won prize-monev' to the value of £I,OBO, but he failed to get on the winning list at three years, and his subsequent form was so disappointing that he was sent up for sale last January and was allowed to change hands at 125 guineas.

Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes One of the autumn two-year-old classics that promises to be a good race is the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes. Of course, the crack filly Gesture holds her ground in the seven furlongs event, but there are several youngsters still engaged who may show some improvement on their spring and summer form. Riccarton stables are represented in the classic by Dunraven. and if he shows improvement at Trentham lie may go on to Manawatu. Dunraven may never be the horse his full-brother Limerick was, but there is hope for him. The youngster looks all the better for the racing he has had, and the way he has been shaping on the tracks lately suggests that he is on the upgrade. Riccarton trainer F. D. Jones has wrought improvement in the Limond youngster ever since the Dunedin fixture, and like many other failures at two years old, Dunraven may yet develop into a good galloper at three years. «