TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 June 1938, Page 5

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

VALPEEN’S INTERESTING CAREER

(By “The Cynic.”)

Many winners of the Great Northern Steeplechase claim interesting careers, and Valpeen comes in this category. For instance, his owner, Mr G. Campbell, knows very little of the gelding’s family tree. He knows the sire of Valpeen is Valkyrian, but of the dam he knows nothing beyond the fact that she was a mare by Spalpeen. The official racecard gives the dam as “unknown.”

Some few years ago, Mr Campbell, who lives at Okoroire and trains Valpeen, bought a hack for the modest outlay of £l, and later, for some reason, made a deal with a friend, exchanging the hack for a mare by Spalpeen. That mare is the dam of Valpeen, who has now won two Great Northern Steeplechases, a Wellington Steeplechase, and also two Grand National Steeplechases at Riccarton. Like most of Spalpeen's stock, Vai. peen, when taken to the hunt, showed an aptitude for jumping and displayed staying ability above the average. Prior to winning his first Great Northern he placed himself ih the limelight by winning a double on one day at the Pakuranga Hunt Meeting,, and then went on to Te Rapa to finish second in the hack steeplechase and come out later in the afternoon and win the open steeplechase. Not many horses are asked such a test, but apparently two races in a day offered no serious trouble to Valpeen.

Redowa, a noted producer, died at Balclutha this month, at the age of 2G years. Redowa herself was a useful performer, and her progeny have won over £lO,OOO. Among them were Baldowa, who won £5300; Red Boa, Miss Redowa and Redolent. The youngest of Redowa’s family is a rising three-year-old roan filly by Tractor. Redowa was by All Red, but she was not. in the Stud Book.

Sir Rosenor was not taken to Greymouth on Saturday, owing to bruising a heel on Friday, and his stable-mate, Linguist, was also left at home owing to a slight indisposition. Financiere and Gillie were other absentees. The former may have a race at Ashburton on Saturday as a prelude to a trip to Trentham.

Salt Spray displayed a lot of stubbornness when he went out for the Greenfield Hurdles at Wingatui last Saturday, and it was only after a good deal of coaxing by the clerk of the course that he decided to do his preliminary. He was in practically the same mood at the barrier, and lost a lot of ground when they went away. A. S. McKay is not too happy about the future with the Saltash gelding, and is keen to dispose of him.

Travenna is to race over hurdles at Ashburton. This will be his first outing over the obstacles since winning handsomely at the Dunedin Cup meeting. He was raced on the flat at the recent fixture at Wingatui, but he failed to run prominently.

Lord Hawke, it is understood, has been secured by a lady owner, and will in future be trained at Wingatui by F. Shaw. The Winning Hit gelding accompanied his full-brother Second Innings to the Dunedin meeting from Nelson, but did not show up as prominently. He does, however, look like being useful over a hack distance.

Swordstick, who defeated Silver Ring at Greymouth on Saturday, claims engagement in the Maronan Handicap, seven furlongs, at the Ashburton meeting. He was placed on the minimum, but is liable to be re-handi-capped.

Survoy, who won his first steeplechase contest early this winter in the South Island, is in the Dromore Steeplechase at Ashburton with 9.10, and as most of the rest of the field have no recent form, he should be a well-supported runner.

Aymon, who was recently secured by Mr G. Hutter and sent to Riccarton to be trained, will have his first race in the £>outh Island in the Mayfield Handicap at Ashburton. Aymon is on the minimum, 7.7, receiving two stone, all but one lb., from the top-weight, Wagner, another former North Island galloper.

Great Memory, who wag bought by Mr R. A. Lees, Greymouth, from Sir Charles Clifford for 150 guineas, has won three races for her present owner, and as a four-year-old she may rise superior to West Coast form. Great Memory is by Magnus and shapes like being the best of the family of the Autumnus mare, Retrospect. Scrap, winner of the hurdle race at Wingatui, was purchased by Miss Nichols for lOgns at the 1933 national yearling sales, and then turned out until he was a five-year-old to develop. Valarth will be a candidate from Wingatui for hurdle events at the Wellington meeting. He will contest the hack events, but there is also a chance that he may compete on the flat. After his win last Saturday he is right at the top of his form, and carries plenty of solid condition. There is a possibility that Araboa, from the same stable, will also make the trip. Their trainer. A. E. Didham, will be riding at the Oamaru meeting on the Saturday before Trentham. but will leave directly afterwards for Wellington. There has been no more well-deserv-

ed winning mount of late than the success of N. C. Trillo on Kilberis in the Campbell Hurdles at Ellerslie. Examination of Trillo’s riding since the beginning of last month shows that commencing with his win on Lucidus in the Onewhero Steeplechase, at Franklin on May 7, he has in his last 19 mounts, scored three firsts, nine seconds, and four thirds. Strangely enough each of his three unplaced rides was on Kilberis.

The value of the Two Thousand Guineas to Mr H. E. Morriss, owner of Pasch, was £9.241 10s. Second money was £1,099, third £549 10s and the cost to the executive £2,100.

Up to the beginning of April, the fastest time for a two-year-old in a three-furlong race in America this season was the 32 4-ssec recorded by Mr A. G. Vanderbilt’s filly, Galley Slave. As a yearling she was sold for £575.

Capaneus, who finished second in the A.J.C. Hurdles at Randwick last week, is by Night Raid from Sennight (Day Comet —Weak End, .imp.), and was bred by the last Mr H. M. Reeves. Capaneus was bought by his present owner at the 1935 national yearling sales for 675gns.

The brush hurdlers at Greymouth on Saturday were of very moderate class, and are not likely to figure prominently in jumping events at more important meetings. The winner of the race, Contract, certainly showed promise, and it will be interesting to see how he progresses at the game. His owner, Mr E. C. Kaier, of Christchurch is seldom without a galloper of some kind, and he derived much pleasure from owning his first winner of a hurdle race.

Land Raid made a pleasing return to winning form at Greymouth, and no doubt will again be sent further afield. He is to be nominated for the Winter Cup and other races at the Grand National Steeplechase meeting. Potent was unlucky. Arrowrose stopped badly. She raced once more in the colours of her Greymouth owner, who leased her to the trainer about 18 months ago. Metal Bird ran a fair race but both Acceptable and Golden Dart shaped poorly.

The feat of Full o’ Scotch in winning three hurdle races at one meeting has been lauded, and reference has been made to the fact that other horses, among them Explorer and Hounslow, equalled the achievement. Now someone has remembered that a gelding named Guiding Way went one better by winning four races at a Takapuna meeting in November, 1916. Guiding Way’s first appearance at a meeting was in a maiden hurdle race in which his weight, 9.13, included a 51b allowance. About two hours later he won the Tiri Handicap Hurdles, carrying 9.10, including a 71b penalty. On the second day of the meeting he again won the maiden and the open hurdle races, carrying 10.9 (with a 51b allowance) in the former and 10.10 (including a 71b penalty) in the latter. Guiding Way raced in the nomination of the executors of the late C. Ross, and was ridden in the four races by J. Kelly. He was second and third favourite in his races on the first day and first favourite each time he started on the second day. He was by Fontenoy from Guiding Star, and at the time was six years old. The four Takapuna events were the only races he won in the season.

Record entries have been received for the 1939 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, a total of 111 nominations having been made, in comparison with 69 last year, and 27 stallions have been nominated for progeny to be raced in the 1940 contest. Messrs F. Ormond and C. T. Keeble have each entered four yearlings for the race, and triple entries have been made by Sir Charles Clifford, Mr. W. McA. Duncan, and Mr G. M. Currie, but there are more owners than usual among the nominators, and all parts of the Dominion are represented in the list. z