Surf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 936, 1 April 1930, Page 12

Surf Notes

CONDUCTED BY “EARLY BIRD"

i his Week The big- attraction for Auckland sportsmen this week is the meeting at Whangarei on Thursday and Saturday. Waikato Meeting Acceptances for the opening day of the Waikato R.C. autumn fixture on April 12 and 14 close at 5 p.m. on Friday next with, the secretary, Mr. E. O’Meara, Hamilton, or Messrs. Blomfield and Co., Auckland. All the Best With such performers engaged at its autumn meeting at Easter as Star Stranger, Historic, In the Shade, Pegaway, Corinax, Vertigern, Bright Glow and others, there is no reason to doubt that the forthcoming fixture at Plllerslie will be up to the usual high standard. So far as some of these horses are concerned the handicaps will be the deciding factor whether they will be at Ellerslie or Riccarton. This applies particularly to Historic. Waikato Handicaps The appearance of the handicaps for the opening day of the 'Waikato meeting, as framed by Mr. W. P. Russell, have attracted wide interest. Vertigern is on top in the nig event, and with 9.5 he is not badly treated. Pegaway has the steadier of 10.0 in the sprint, and it is more than likely that he will he overshadowed by others lower down, for there are some good ones engaged. One well down in the weights that makes an impression is Branson. To Meet Again That good hack Chromadync is down to have his next race at Te Rapa on Saturday week, and it is more than probable that his winning record will he extended. He is on top in the hack seven with 9.0, and Tenakohe, who defeated him narrowly at »Paeioa, has 5.9 On this occasion there is 51b between them, and Tenakohe has to concede the Cambridge hack-71b for a half-head win at Paeroa. The meeting of these two good ones will not ho* the least interesting feature of the Waikato meeting. Hunting Day There is little doubt as to what will be the early favourite for the Auckland Easetr Handicap, for ever since Hunting Day won at Trentham last month he has been ticked off as likely to play a prominent part in the big Ellerslie mile. lie drew the outside in the Trentham sprint, was wide out most of the way, and then scored handsomely. Even allowing for the fact that the Wellington field was hardly up to standard, Hunting Day made such an impression that it should not be much longer before he again bothers the judges. He carried the seven stone minimum at Trentham, so this seems to suggest that on the score of weight alone he is going to he a dangerous candidate at Ellerslie. Ellerslie’s Best The double win in the handicaps at Te Aroha a month • ago registered by Eager Rose has drawn pointed attention to this mare. She won the Te Aroha Cup in comfortable fashion, and on the second day she again scored after being faced with difficulties that would have resulted in many other fit horses finishing down the course. It is probable that . Eager Rose will be the best of the local representatives in the A.R.C. Easter Handicap. Much of course will depend on the handicaps, which are due on Monday next. Vali and Refresher Vali was the unlucky runner at Awapuni last week. He has been accorded a nomination for the A.R.C. Easter Handicap, and the stable also has entered Refresher. Both should be worthy of the honour of upholding the reputation of the Takanini stable presided over by J. T. Jamieson. Refresher is engaged in the sprint at Whangarei on Thursday, in which he will he making a reappearance after an absence of there months, and some idea of his Easter Handicap prospects may be gauged then. He is owned by tlio Wanganui sportsman, Mr. G. Glenn, whose brother, Mr. W. Glenn, won the A.R.C. Easter Handicap two years ago with the little-fancied In ilie Shade. Wanganui owners have enjoyed a good innings in this mile race, for Civility won three years ago, making two out of the last three contests that went to the river city. It is many years since an Auckland horse won this event. Australia’s Biggest Stud The late Mr. John Brown, the coal king of Australia, collected one of the biggest studs in the history of breeding. The list numbered 250 mares and seven stallions. In one paddock a recent visitor saw 1,000 horses running out to grass. St. Leger Trial Don Quixote’s Great Northern St. Leger trial will bo the Hawke s Bay Cup on Friday week. Easter Movements The Southland sprinter, Rin-Tin-Tin, is engaged at Riverton at Easter, but it is understood that he will be at Riccarton to contest the Great Easter Handicap. He. is due to race at the South Canterbury meeting this week, after which he may join his two-year-old sister, Charmaine, in E. J. Ellis’s stable at Washdyke, until after the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. Unique Record The crack Sydney jockey, J. E. Pike, has established a unique record in connection with the C. M. Lloyd Stakes, the mile weight-fov-age event, at the Victoria Racing Club’s autumn meeting. It was not until 1924 that he rode a winner in this event. He scored on The Hawk that season, and he won on the same horse a season later. His next victory was on Gothic in 1928, last year he dead-heated for first place on the same horse, and this year he won on Amounis. Each of Pike’s horses in the race was an odds-on favourite. Valuable Steeplechase The Victoria Racing Club has decided that the stake of £ 5,000* provided for the Grand National Steeplechase last year would be given again this year. At that, it will still be one of the richest steeplechases in the world An Early Winner My Own, who ran such a good race in the Awapuni Gold Cup, is to race next at the Hawke’s Bay meeting next week, and T. Webster has been’ engaged to ride her in the open sprint on the first day. An effort was made also to engage Webster for her in the Ormond Gold Cup (run on the second cay), but he will he at the Waikato meeting, held on the same date. Injured Horseman The Te Rapa jockey, O. Mclnally, whose activities in the saddle were curtailed owing to a broken leg received at Rotorua six weeks ago, hopes to be riding again very shortly. Mclnally received his injuries when his

mount, Creina’s King, fell while contesting the Waimangu Stakes on the first day of the recent Rotorua meeting.

Ride in the Cup J. Rae, an apprentice to the Ellerslie trainer, J. M. Buchanan, has been engaged to ride Nassock in the Whangarei Cup. He may also have the ride on Stimulant. Not For Whangarei Roman Pearl will be allowed to forego her engagement at the Whangarei meeting, and she was not entrained on the special horse train this morning. She bled badly subsequent to galloping on Saturday morning. In Two Places It is interesting to note that four A.R.C. Easter Handicap candidates— Paganelli, Bright Glow, Richfield, and Monsogne—are included among the nominations for the Feilding Easter fixture, which clashes with the Ellerslie gathering. Starter Returns to Duty Mr. C. O’Connor is hack to active service this week, for he will be dispatching the fields *at the Masterton fixture on Friday and Saturday. This means that Mr. O’Connor will not he officiating at Whangarei, hut the club’s deputy-starter, Mr. J. Cockerton, will no doubt be called upon to fill his Place. Withdrawn Martian Chief has been withdrawn from the Avondale All-aged Stakes, the weight-for-age race, which is to come up for decision at Avondale on April 20. In Favour of Taranaki Seeing that Taranaki horses have won four out of the last six A.R.C. Easter Handicaps, it is reasonable to expect that their representatives will need looking after again upon this occasion. Judging from the quality of the five horses entered for this month’s big mile, there is every indication of the butter province giving it a good go to add to its score. The Taranaki entrants are Lady Quex, Silvermine, Bright Glow, Paitonu, Monsogne and Richfild. At least four of this half-dozen will have to be considered: Bright Glow (last year’s winner), Paitonu (winner of the Thompson Handicap last month), Silvermine (second to The Swell at Awapuni last week) and Richfield (a Manawatu sprint winner). There is another aspect of the case so far as this four are concerned, and that is that they are all partial to a soft track. Red Fuchsia for Ellerslie An interesting entrant for steeplechase events at Ellerslie at Easter is that fine jumper Red Fuchsia. The All Red gelding ran a fine race in the hurdle event the first day at Awapuni, finishing fourth In a fast run race, and after covering a good deal of ground. Red Fuchsia won a steeplechase at Marton in the spring, so that he has some qualification for his presence in the events to be decided “over the hill” at Ellerslie at Easter. This horse made his debut over the big fences in the last Great Northern Steeplechase, and he was going fairly well when he tipped out on top of the hill. Perhaps he will do better next time.

Steeplechase Candidate The ’chaser Kauri Park is striding out usefully on the tracks at Ellerslie in view of engagements in hurdle and steeplechase events at the forthcoming Easter meeting of the Auckland Racing Club. Last winter Kauri Park was returned a winner over country and then went to Trentham to carry out a contract in the Wellington Steeplechase, his prospects in that event being assessed very highly. Unfortunately he did not do well on the trip down. He has not raced since, and the. spell in the interim should be all to his advantage, for if he goes on as he is doing now he should earn further successes for his connections. Perseverance Ellerslie trainer W. Gall is giving plenty of attention to a maiden candidate, Restaurant, who carries her trainer’s colours when racing. She has failed to -stand a preparation of late, but is doing fairly well now, although the winding-up process will bear evidence as to her soundness or not. Earlier in her career Restaurant displayed some ability, and if she goes along all right her turn may come. Failing on the flat, her trainer may have recourse to hurdling. Royal Damon On Lease Mr. E. L. Riddiford has leased Royal Damon to the Marton trainer, F. C. F. McKay, who trained the Polydamon gelding for him while he was away last year in England. His Winnings Commendation has retired from the Turf with 15£ wins, three seconds and three thirds and £9,535 in prize-money. Mr. W. H. Gaisford turned down £IO,OOO when Commendation had won £4,900 —a record price for a gelding, and his sportsmanship was not rewarded as it deserved. MICHAEL BOLTS HORSE AND RIDER INJURED From Our Own Correspondent WHANGAREI, Today. After training on the Park track this morning, Mr. E. K. Plaisted’s hurdler, Michael, ridden by J. Hughes, got out of control coming along Manse Street when on the way back to the stables. The galloping horse turned on Bank Street, and as he did so he crossed his legs and fell heavily, throwing his rider and rendering him unconscious. The horse was led to the stable in a bad way, bleeding inwardly and apparently in great pain. Hughes was admitted to the Whangarei Public Hospital in an unconscious condition, suffering from severe abrasions and bruises. At 10 a.m. the boy had regained consciousness. Veterinary opinion indicates that in all probability the horse will be de--1 stroyed. Mr. Plaisted has had ill-luck with all his horses. It was considered Michael would be a s difficult horse to beat in whatever events he was started in at the Whangarei fixture this week. DEPLORABLE RIDING One of the bugbears of racing is inconsistency. At the recent Waimate and Oamaru meetings there were some glaring cases of bad horsemanship, while the form of some of the runners that competed at those fixtures left much for doubt (says the Christchurch “Sun”). It was certainly unconvincing in some cases. At Waimate, especially, the judgment shown by certain riders was deplorable, and this certainly might have had some bearing on the form reversals that were shown at Oamaru.

Inconsistency from one meeting to another is not tolerated in Australia, where the controlling authorities .keep a vigilant eye on even minor events, and it is to be hoped that in future there will be less inconsistency than there has been at recent race meetings in the South Island.