TOPICS OF CURRENT INTEREST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 April 1938, Page 11

TOPICS OF CURRENT INTEREST

GOLD BOA TO BE RETIRED.

(By

"The Cynic.”)

The Brilliant Gold Boa has been retired to the stud and will visit Paladin next season. Paladin has sired some good performers in Chide, Palantua, and others of more than a useful type. Gold Boa made a noise towards’the end of her racing career, and so did half-brothers in Last March and Dismiss, a trouble also displayed by their dam. Grand Finale, a full brother to Last March, remains sound in the wind after several seasons’ racing, and Dismiss, who was particularly speedy, had a malformation in the gullet and a badly-set head that contributed to his development of trouble.

The Hunting Song filly Stretto, who is one of the most brilliant performers in training, traces back to one of the oldest taproots in the Stud Book. She goes back to Lady Gertrude, one of the Warrington' Stud mares, and produced good winners in Blizzard, Britomart, and Euroclydon. Lady Gertrude was foaled in 1882, and in her old age went north and produced Amorelle in 1902 to Phoebus Apollo. Lucella, a grand-daughter of Amorelle, produced The Begum to Chief Ruler, and in 1933, about half a century after Lady Gertrude, the line produces Stretto.

Alma is an interesting acceptor for the Waimate President’s Handicap today, to be run ovei- six furlongs. She has appeared nine times this season, and recorded four wins and a third. At the Grand National meeting she won under 8.6 in Imin 14 2-ssec and under 8.11 in Imin 27 4-ssec. In her next start she won at Gore, and then came her win in the Stewards’ Handicap with 8.0 in Imin 11 2-ssec. Brunhild 7.0, Laughing Lass 7.9, Paper Slipper 9.3, Rebel Chief 7.10 and Oratory 8.10 were amongst the beaten lot. She was unplaced in her next three starts, and then came a third in the Publicans’ Handicap with 9.3 to Top Row 8.5 and Bay Duke 7.12, a close third in Imin 13 2-ssec. On her form in the Publicans’ Handicap Alma goes up 81b and Janet Gaynor 201 b. Janet Gaynor won on the second day of the meeting.

Lady Furst, who won the Nursery Handicap at Hastings on Friday in some quarters is considered the best two-year-old of the season. She had previously appeared four times, and after an unplaced performance, won. three times on end. She scored her first win at Hawke’s Bay on New Year’s Day, and followed by winning the Sapling Stakes at Napier, and on the second day carried 8.13 and beat Ivar 9.5 by two lengths over five furlongs in heavy going. Lady Furst is a black filly by Siegfried from Vigilance, by Lord Quex from Watchful, the dam of a smart two-year-old in Watch Officer, a winner of the Wellesley Stakes.

Paladino looks flattered in the figures for the Riverton Cup in being placed within 61b of Silver Streak. Paladino also looks rather too close to Dictate at 41b unless he has been handicapped at weight-for-size. Paladino is one of the biggest horses in training, but his form does not compare with that of Silver Streak or Dictate.

Galleon, who is top-weight in the Riverton Cup, lias made a rapid rise in the weights as a result of following his second in the Dunedin Cup with three consecutive wins. On the Dunedin Cup weights Galleon in the Riverton Cup meets Silver Streak on 241 b, Milford 301 b, Pink Robe on 211 b, and Salient Knight on 291 b worse terms.’

Phalanx, a four-year-old by Nightmarch from a Winkie mare, owned and trained by D. Spence, at Riccarton, came North for the Manawatu meeting and returned with a record of two wins in. two starts. He was perfectly ridden on each occasion by L. J. Ellis, and his second day effort, when he was raised from 8.1 to 8.11, was particularly impressive. The weight appeared no trouble to him and he accounted for Florence Mills just as easily as he had beaten Sigurd on the first day. Phalanx revealed good winning form in the spring, but failed at the New Zealand Cup meeting. He has now come back to his form and should win more races. He is a plain looking horse, but a very useful one.

The Canterbury-owned Nightmarch has figured prominently as the sire of several recent winners, including Haerepo, Phalanx, Roaming, Russian Ballet, and, in a lesser degree, Happy Night, who narrowly missed winning a race at Trentham. The last-named, who was a winner earlier in the season, gives promise of developing into a high-class stayer, and will be one of Riccarton’s representatives in the New Zealand Cup. Happy Night has every credential to master any journey, as, in addition to Nightmarch’s influence, his dam, Gay Round, is a half-sister to Entreaty, dam of Phar Lap.

Enthusiasm’s contributions to the turf sc far Hunting Queen, Entheos, and Great Hope, have been no more than useful, but her latest to race, Ecstatic, may be nearer her dam’s class. She is a rich chestnut by Laughing Prince, and in her first race at Manawatu on Saturday she showed great brilliance to go with Rakahanga for over half a mile before she weakened. Ecstatic looks an early winner.

At long last Inquisitor has got on the winning list, for he won the novice event on the second day at Tauranga. This hack is a fine stayer and when seriously tried over middle distances he should be able to make good. He is a four-year-old half-bro-ther by the Absurd horse Lysander to Parquet, the latter being one of the unlucky runners in the Tauranf'a Cup.

Carmody, who will be having his first race in the Juvenile Handicap at Stratford today, is another of the Resinous breed. He is a three-year-old gelding out of the Husbandman—Conny mare Dusky Queen, a descendant of the Vesta taproot and the dam previously of Prince Reno, who gave brief promise last season as a jumper. He is being raced under lease from his breeder (Mr J. C. Moore) by Mrs E. Kendall, of Stratford.

One of the surprises at the sale of yearlings held recently in Melbourne was the weak competition for Windbag's progeny, the nine of his progeny sold at auction realising only 680 guineas, the highest price being 150 guineas.

Mr F. Ormond’s chestnut gelding Taro was destroyed at Wairoa last week. On the second day of the Wairoa Racing Club’s meeting, Taro, ridden by P. Atkins; stumbled and fell about two furlongs from home in the Electric Handicap. One of his forelegs was injured and he remained in Wairoa in the hope that he would recover. However, hopes were abandoned last week. He was a four-year-old gelding by Cockpit from the King Mark mare Huarau, and had had 13 starts this season for two seconds in medium class.

Silver Streak’s condition at Oamaru was a subject of much favourable comment. The stout little Paper Money gelding lined up in perfect fettle constitutionally, but an old leg compaint was not disguised. He won with great ease on the first day, but after being prominent until the straight was reached in the big mile the second day he beat only Queen Dorothy home.

The newly-appointed stipendiary steward, Mr C. F. Hartland, will take over his official duties in the South Island at the beginning of May. Meanwhile he will have the opportunity of gaining experience in the North Island. It is understood that one of the important meetings he will attend will be the Auckland Easter meeting, where he will officiate as understudy to the chief stipendiary, Mr C. Gomer.

Lord Astor has sold the Cameronian—Volume horse Cash Book for export to Turkey as a stallion, the purchase having been made on behalf of the Turkish Government, says an English exchange. Cash Book was rated by the Jockey Club handicapper to be within two pounds of Mid-day Sun in the Three-year-old Free Handicap. A good winner of the Newmarket Stakes, he wound up favourite with Perifox for the last Epsom Derby, but after being in the running for a long time, he finished out of the first 10, probably on account of the firm going. With classic blood on both sides of his pedigree, he should go a long way to improve the breed in Turkey.

Defaulter, by Defoe from. the Paper Money mare Expense, who successes mark him out the likely one to lead the two-year-olds in New Zealand this season, was bred by Mr lan Mcßae, of Masterton. When offered at auction at Trentham as a yearling he was sold for 170 guineas, Mr H. D. Greenwood, of Canterbury, being the lucky buyer.

Man-o’-War, whose son Battleship scored a victory in the Grand National Steeplechase at Liverpool, is included' with the most notable horses who graced the turf in America. According to J. A. Estes, a well-informed American writer, Man-o’-War commenced stud duties at four years and he shows that up to 1936 Man-o’-War’s progeny had won 772 races, run second in 662, and third in 580. The stake winnings of his progeny at the year named amounted to 2,144,281 dollars, or approximately £536,000. Man-o’-War is by Fair Play, son of Hastings, by Spendthrift, all of whom were bred in America. War Admiral, who won leading honours among the three-year-olds raced in America last year, is a son of Man-o’-War.

The number of successes gained on the English turf by French horses during the past couple of years have furnished matter of some concern, opinions going so far as to suggest a tightening up of the rules. A victory for the French horse Phakos in the Lincolnshire Handicap, the first important flat race of the year in England, shows that "the dear neighbours" are. once again well represented. Mr Edmond Esmond, owner of Phakos, whohas a large racing and breeding establishment in France, enjoys popularity on both sides of the Channel. In 1933 he furnished the winner of the Ascot Gold Cup with Foxhunter. Last year he purchased the Italian-bred colt Donatello 11. for £45,000, so that it will be realised that his dealings with horses are on the high scale.