TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 April 1938, Page 4

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

HEROIC COLT FOR NEW ZEALAND

(By

"The Cynic.”)

The Wellington owner Mr W. Higgins has always been ambitious to possess a horse of champion calibre, and to attain this end he has brought out several horses from England. Now he is seeking one from Australia and on the opening day of the Sydney sales last week he paid 1000 guineas for a Heroic colt, who will doubtless in due course be trained at Trentham by H. Telford. The cotl bought by Mr Higgins is out of the Moabite —Otterform mare Ashtar, a half-sister to Otford, the dam of Manfred. It is a wellknown New Zealand family. Otterform, who was by Multiform from imported Otterden, is a full-sister to unbeaten Boniform and a half-sister to Martian. Other full relatives were Sun God and Sunglow, the dam of Many Kittle and Afterglow. Mr Higgins knows this family, as some years back Mrs Higgins was racing After Money, a daughter of Afterglow, with a deal of success.

L. G. Morris has sent Oratory, Laughing Lass and the two-year-old Ecstatic out for a winter spell. Oratory, with a Thompson Handicap to her credit, and Laughing Lass have both been good winners this season, and it is not improbable they will again be a force to be considered at the spring meetings.

Improvident, a highly strung colt by Defot from Misgovern, was sold at auction last week by Dr M. G. Louisson for 240gns to Mr T. C. Irving of Rupton. The colt will be trained by C. C. McCarthy, who formerly trained Haeretonu for the same owner and

there is every reason to believe that Improvident will do well as a three-year-old. The Defoe colt was not foaled until December so at two years he was at a considerable disadvantage with other two-year-olds.

Merry March, a three-year-old colt by Nightmarch—Kilmiss, was also sold last week to Mr J. L. Smith and has entered A. S. Ellis’s stable. Merry March has done little racing, but at his most recent attempt he finished well into fourth place in the seven furlong maiden race won by Lady Leigh at the Riccarton Easter meeting.

R. E. McLellan is handling a two-year-old half-sister to Paladino, Membo and Nightcalm. She is by Straightcourse and is well-grown, but has a twisted front leg, though this is a defect that has not prevented other horses from developing into useful gallopers.

High Speed will be given another trial over country and is now one of A. McMullan’s team. McMullan has also acquired the four-year-old gelding Chanteur by Robespierre, from Mr L. W. Storry and he intends to put him to hurdling.

Though bred in the Dominion, Francis Drake has a wholly English pedigree, his sire, Chief Ruler, and his dam, Tame Duck, being imported horses. Tame Duck was bred by Captain Greer, and as a yearling was sold for 70 guineas at the Newmarket sales. She won a T.Y.O. Selling Plate at Newmarket in 1915, and was sold afterwards for 280 guineas. As she was almost immediately sent out to Mr Armstrong in New Zealand, the purchase was apparently made on his behalf. She did not race here, but went to the stud in 1918. Her first foal was born dead, but at intervals since have come Coot, Duck’s Egg (dam of Round Score), Admiral Drake, Duckling, Miss Lorraine, Quacker, Bumble and Francis Drake. Duckling is the dam of the Beau Pere filly for whom Mr E. Riddiford paid 1000 guineas in January.

Haulbowline looks as if he is going to take some time to settle down to hurdling. His Easter experience at Riccarton should serve to advance his education a good way, and in the absence of any really promising material locally he may turn out a payable proposition.

Free Rose, who was booked to race at Reefton, broke a leg through falling over a dog, while on her way from Blenheim, and had to be destroyed. She was a seven-year-old mare by Arrowsmith from Rapid Rose, and had regularly figured as a winner on the West Coast circuits, to which her racing was mainly confined.

Entreaty, the dam of Phar Lap, will be sent to Australia next season to be mated with Beau Pere, who is likely to be fully booked up at a fee of 200 guineas. Entreaty is at present rearing a well-grown foal by Nightmarch and with such breeding the youngster’s progress will be followed with much interest.’

The estimated attendance at Randwick on Doncaster Handicap day was 67,000, and they put £74,876 through the totalisator. The reduction in charges of admission is held to have greatly increased the attendance. One bookmaker stated that he averaged £lOOO per race during the day.

The four-ycar-od marc by Nightmarch from Charmilla trained by H. Nurse for Mrs T. Stone has been named Fascinator.

Among Mrs J. H. Grigg’s young horses is Trumpeter Sound a rising two-year-old colt by Night Raid from High Note. A brown in colour, this colt is a half-brother to Concertpitch and to Irish Fiddle. These two lastmentioned learned to gallop very early in their education and there is every reason to believe that the Night Raid colt will follow suit.

Bonheur de Pere is claimed to be the best two-year-old filly of the season in Australia. She was bought by Mr A. E. Smith at 400gns when he came over to secure Beau Pere at 3300gns. Roselate, the dam of the filly, was got by Kilbroney from Rosalia, by Stepniak—Rosella, by Seaton Delaval—Roie, a half-sister to St Hippo, who won the New Zealand Cup and Auckland Cup as a three-year-old.

Polistina has been racing for four seasons and it was not until the Greymouth fixture oh Saturday that she won her first race when having her twenty-second start. She is a six-year-old by Polazel from the Paper Money —Elaine mare Note, thus a half-sister to Monipere. Polistina is one of F. Christmas’s team at Riccarton.

Valkyrian’s stock keep bobbing up at the right end of races. On Easter Monday Valmeen and Valamito won at Ellerslie, Norseman at Riverton, and Strip at Riccarton.

Paladino, who is spelling and will not race again till the spring, started 15 times this season for five firsts, three seconds and one third and won £745 in stakes.

Hunting Go is in steady work again at Invercargill and looks well after his let-up. His stable-mate Burwood has made a good recovery from a tender hind leg and was out doing light exercise the other morning. The Woodend gelding was troubled with the leg when he won at Riverton and he was responsible for a game effort when he finished third on the second day.

Although she failed to get into the money at Riccarton, Brunhild ran fair races each day, and may have done better but for the heavy nature of the ground. She is to be set aside for a spell. While the Siegfried filly won only one race, the New Zealand Oaks, this season, her form has been most consistent, as she was five times second and twice third. She favours roomy tracks and most of her defeats were on small courses. Her stake earnings for the season amount to £BlO.

Nordic Song has been turned out and will race in future as a gelding. He appeared in a flourish of trumpets but did not succeed in gaining a place in several starts, although his track work put him in the boom.

John Wilkes had a buyer at 5000 gns if he had won the A.J.C. St Leger, but the dead-heat stopped the deal. After the race it was discovered that John Wilkes had struck himself severely during the race, and under veterinary advice was not started again at the meeting.

Not all trainers die poor. The English trainer J. S. Pendarves, of Priam. Lodge, Epsom, who died at Montana, Switzerland, on January 22, aged 43 years, left landed estate of the gross value of £129,593 4s Id, with a net personality of £75,551 7s 9d. Perhaps he inherited some or most of the money.

Royal Limond’s name is missing from the nominations for the Egmont Steeplechase to be decided on May 5. He is trained at Awapuni by Mrs A. McDonald, and evidently all is not well with him. His owner, Mr A. Syme, of Christchurch, will, however, be represented by Arctic Star, who, trained at Riccarton by D. O’Connor, raced consistently at the recent Riverton meeting.

It will be a pity if Good Passage does not mend her habits as there is no doubting her galloping ability. She was in a very bad mood on the second day at Riccarton and absolutely refused to line up. Her stablemate, Gaoler, came to her assistance to see if Good Passage would follow him into line, but the result was that when Good Passage whipped round at barrier rise, Gaoler thought it correct to proceed likewise.

The disappointment of the Champagne Stakes was Hot Box. He was never near the rails and did not finish generously. It is possible that the sudden change from firm to a soft track upset him as he is a long stridor.