TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1938, Page 5

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE Views on Racing Facts and Fancies MUNGATOON IS CONSISTENT

(By

"The Cynic.”)

The ’Timaru Cup winner, Mungatoon, has done a lot of racing and is now’ eight years old, but he continues to hold his form in a remarkable manner. He commenced racing,as a two-year-old and all his appearances were made in the North Island until this year, when he was brought to Riccarton to be trained. He has many fine successes to his credit. In his fourth year he won the Railway Handicap at Ellerslie, and the Te Awamutu Cup, and the following year he annexed the Waikato Cup and Kerries Memorial. At six years old he was successful in the King Edward Memorial Handicap (Ellerslie) and the A.R.C. Handicap. A second in the Te Awamutu Cup and Goldfields Cup (Thames) were his best performances last season, but this term he has won the Taumarunui Cup, the Irving Memorial Handicap at Reefton, the Amberley Handicap, and now the Timaru Cup. Mungatoon has contested 104 races for 12 firsts, nine seconds, and nine thirds, and his stake earnings amount to £3309. He is by Musketoon from the Marble Arch-Waiorongomai mare Mangamaire, the dam of Mungacre, and is trained at Riccarton by F. A. Roberts for his owner, Mr P. Swney.

Nightcalm was still eligible for hack company when he won the open sprint at Washdyke, but his latest success brought his winnings in first prize money up to £6lO and he will now have to carry on in open company. Nightcalm has made a very rapid rise to his present status as he did not commence racing until last January and he has now won four races, including a dead-heat, and has annexed £620 in stakes. Nightcalm is a three-year-old half brother by Night Raid to Paladino, Membo, etc.

Grey Honour recorded his third second on end at Washdyke so a win would not be out of place.

Polydora has gone lame again and this accounted for her absence from the South Canterbury meeting.

The effort of Earl Colossus in open company at Blenheim when he finished behind Mishna and Roy Bun in the Flaxbourne Handicap, was most encouraging, and he should not be hard to place to advantage during the next month or two.

Tangled cut one of his hocks rather badly when jumping a hurdle at Awapuni. It will be unfortunate if he has to miss any of his engagements, as his Riverton form was promising.

Leslie Gough, an Australian hurdle and steeplechase jockey, arrived at Auckland from Sydney, and intends following his profession here. Gough has had a good deal of experience in Australia, New South Wales, and Tasmania.

Sudan has improved out of all knowledge with her short spell after the Manawatu meeting, where she ran third to Defaulter and Russian Ballet in the Sires’ Produce Stakes and it looks as if she will grow into a fine three-year-old. Although a winner of two races this term Sudan was too big to do herself justice, but the Beau Pere filly appears to be growing .very solid and it will surprise if she is not a good winner next season.

Now rising eight, Clarion Call is out of the Hallowmas —Formless mare Saxon Saint, which left a promising jumper earlier in Coachman, and the breeding is of a high quality, as the family is that to which the Derby winners Ncctuiform and Bon Reve and many other class horses belonged. He is Owned by Mr G. R. Grace, who originally secured him mainly for use as a hunter, and it was in that school that he was educated to jumping before ever he raced.

Koura Rua, the five-year-old Warplane gelding, was turned out in great shape for the .Trial Handicap at Wanganui by L. G. Butler, who has had charge of the horse for a few weeks because of his owner, Mr J. Jackson, being in hospital. Koura Rua has never looked better than he is at present, and he ran a good race on Saturday, when with a bit of luck he would have been in the money.

Studley Royal was going well at the home turn in the Timaru Cup, and at that stage appeared to be going well, but when L. J. Ellis commenced to ride him Studley Royal did not respond. ,He must be marked down as unreliable.

Mungatoon won the Timaru Cup in a very convincing manner. Taking charge over half a mile from home, he was not seriously challenged, and was going away at the finish. He returned his backers on the win machine a good price.

Selkirk, the shapely son of Defoe and Giglot in W. Pine’s stable, raced very greenly when he made his debut at the Manawatu autumn meeting, but in the interim he has improved and lately he has been working very keen- | ly. He rah a good five furlongs yes!*7*irday morning after being slow away nd the effort left the impression that e would need only to begin reason- ' bly well to give a lot of trouble to the jaidens at Foxton this week.

■ Second Innings, who won a double t the Marlborough meeting, is a most apable galloper, but he suffers from ■•’curving soreness, and it is only on ■ ire occasions that he stands a search’ig preparation. Prior to Blenheim, ,e had not started since he scored at fle corresponding meeting last year.

Flood Tide is in steady work at Takanini, and it would not be surprising if he was to make a bold showing in the Cornwall Handicap next month. He is not a difficult horse to get ready, for he has won first up previously and he may be capable of doing it again, even if he has not raced since he was in Victoria in the spring. He has shown his ability to handle wet and soft ground.

The late D. O'Brien, of Carbine fame, gave only 35gns. for Bob Ray. winner of the 1395 A.J.C. Derby. As a two-year-old, he won four of the seven races in which he ran, and his only start at three was in the Derby. He did not race again. Other horses secured at low prices who were returned winners of this classic during recent years were Prince Humphrey (1928)., 50gns.; Allunga (dead-heated with Homer, 1935), 120gns.; Talking (1936), 120gns.; Phar Lap (1929). 160 gns.; Parsee (1908), 165gns.; Tregilla (1930), 175gns.; Cetigne (1915), 200gns.: Mountain Knight (1914), 210gns.; and Gloaming <1918), 230gns.

Despite the fact that his form during the last six months has been extremely poor, someone —or maybe more than one —threw in for a big win on Desert Chief in the Wonga Handicap at Moonee Valley (says the Sydney ‘Referee”). It wasn't his own-

er, Mr G. J. Barton, and it was not his fidus Achates. Desert Chief opened up at a false quote, 10-1 —a false one! He should have beer 20-1 —but the money came for him good and hard, and he started second favourite. He finished fourth, inches away from the winner.

On May 7, the Excitement two-year-old, Activity, owned by Messrs W. Devon and J. T. Jamieson, won his second race, worth £3OO, at the Tattersail’s meeting in Sydney. On the occasion of his first win a few weeks back, he was allowed to go out at an outside price, but on his second win he was a short-priced favourite. The race 'was run over five and a half furlongs and Activity’s time, Imin. sisecs. equalled the course record.

Golden Hill, by Virgin Gold —Skilly Hills, the winner of the South Australian Derby and St. Leger cost 50 guineas (one bid) as a yearling. He was bought with a view to making him a jumper. Amythas was bought with the same idea, but developed into one of the best ever, raced in New Zealand. Vintage was another sent to Riccarton with a view to racing him over hurdles, but he turned out a great handicap horse.

The £500,000 Hollywood Turf Club track, owned by people connected with the film industry, will be officially opened on June 13. It is planned to hold a dozen big races, ranging in value from £5OO to £lO,OOO during the first session, which will last for 33 days. The outstanding event will be the Hollywood Gold Cup, a handicap with £lO,OOO added, which will be worth about £13,000. The race is for three-year-olds and upwards, and will be run over 11 miles. The track, which is extensively landscaped with- chains of artificial lakes and flower beds in the centre-field, occupies an area-of 315 acres, and has stalls for 1250 horses. . There is accommodation for £O.000 people.

Knight of Australia was not engaged at the Waikato Meeting, and this is in keeping with the owner's policy not to travel any more than he can help. The Windbag gelding is still in the Cornwall Handicap at Ellerslie, the scene of most of his important victories, and as he is working well and a soft track has no terrors for him, he may be a possibility in the big winter event. He has won up to a mile and a half on the course and the distance of the event will not trouble him.

Great Hope, winner of the Mcßae Handicap at Manawatu, is a four-year-old daughter of the Quantock horse Laughing Prince and that great performer of some years ago Enthusiasm, and was bred by Mr T. A. Duncan, of Hunterville, who also races her. In the past she has failed to run out her races on occasion, but in this instance she finished full of running.

Lucullus Boy, who paid a big price

at Manawatu, was bred by the late Mr C. E. Twist, being from the Absurd mare Unreasonable, who traces back to imported Juliet (by Touchstone), one of the. well-known foundation marcs of the Turf in New Zealand. He now carries the colours of Miss G. Twist, daughter of the late sportsman.

Chat, a Manawatu winner, originally carried the colours of Mr R. W. H. Holden, of Hawke’s Bay, who owns her sire, Siegfried, but he passed her on to Mrs G. M. Bennett, of Palmerston North, and the change in ownership brought with it a change in training quarters. However, she was back on familiar ground on Saturday, and had the services of G. R. Tattersail, who won on her at Marton earlier in the current, term, and the combination proved to be quite a happy one.

Dr M. G. Louisson’s colt by Beau Pere from Dignified will race as Benevolent. So far the rising two-year-old has given his trainer every satisfaction.

Dainty Sue leaves one with the impression that she will need further racing to bring her back to her best form even though she has made good progress since she raced at Woodville. Mr Charlie Boyle has not bustled this four-year-old daughter of Drake and his patient policy should bear fruit when she does strike form. She .has grown into a particularly handsome mare.

Puroto was not unduly burdened with weight at the Manawatu meetingon her recent smart form, but George New considered it would be wise to let her freshen up and to possibly race her at Foxton next week. The full sister to Martara has struck form in no uncertain manner, and, as she has a penchant for heavy tracks, it would not surprise to find her winning a good race, even at Trentham, this winter.

The Great Northern Derby winner, Essex, who was suffering so badly from broken hoofs when he last raced at the Wellington Cup meeting January twelve months ago that it was deemed advisable to send him out for a long spell, was recently returned to his old box in J. W. Lowe’s stable at Trentham, and he is now a daily worker on the tracks. Whether he will stand another preparation has yet to oe seen, but meanwhile he looks' well, though in the rough, and his feet have perfectly recovered. It has always been the opinion of Lowe that he is a better horse than ever he showed. When winning the Derby he cast one of his .shoes during the running.

Had a double totalisator been in operation at Ashburton, and the horses backed in the same ratio as on the win machine, the dividend on the Wine Card-Lazybones combination

would have been over £660. An investment of £1 on Wine Card, all up on the ordinary machine on Lazybones, would have returned over £4OO.

Ruling Star has-been returned to his owner, Mr G. F. Moore, at Kai Iwi, and Kindly is now doing duty as a hack on her owner's property at Featherston. Their places in F. D. Jones’s team will shortly be filled by Royal Chief and Cerne Abbas.