TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 July 1938, Page 5

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

DEATH OF WATERWINGS

(By

“The Cynic.”)

The death of the Absurd mare, Waterwings, at the Koatanui Stud brings to a close a remarkable stud career and illustrates once again the old theory that luck plays a big part in the buying of yearlings.

Waterwings, which was eighteen years of age at the time of her death, was bred by Mr G. M. Currie, and in 1924 she produced Agrion to Limond. Mr G. D. Greenwood bought him for 875 guineas as a yearling, and Agrion trained on to win the Royal Stakes at Auckland, C.J.C. Middle Park Plate, Challenge Stakes, and New Zealand Derby, while'he was also the runnerup in the Great Northern Foal Stakes. White Wings, to Limond, was her next foal, and she proved a useful bargain, as Mr T. Impey, of Auckland, bought her for 725 guineas, and she was a good winner. A chestnut filly the following year was sold to a Sydney buyer for 420 guineas.

Again mated with Limond. she produced Zetes, which fetched the record price of 2400 guineas at the yearling

sales. As a racehorse, Zetes was a rank failure.

To Pombal, the following year, she produced Water Polo, which fetched 1 600 guineas, but he was also a big disappointment. Once again Waterwings was mated with Limond, and Mr Greenwood bought the colt, Chile, which is now racing with little success in steeplechases in Canterbury, for 600 guineas. Waikare, also by Limond, followed, and he changed the run of bad luck, winning good races, including the A.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap, beating Journal, Nightly, and Sarcherie, Grantham Stake, Queensland Derby, and Rosebery Cup. The following two seasons she missed, and then produced Orelio, the rising two-year-old Limond colt for which Mr Impey gave 1000 guineas at the last Trentham sale.

Whether Orelio will prove to be a bargain or not, time alone will tell. Some of Waterwings’ progeny have been good, others bad, and this youngster's progress will be watched with interest.

At the time of her death, Waterwings was carrying a filly' goal by Spial, a son of defunct Limond. ) ’ The rising three-year-old Amigo is getting through useful tasks in preparation for engagements next season. When racing in the early part of the season Amigo won four times, was three times second, and once third in 10 starts. He won the Juvenile Handicap at Marton, the Karitane Handicap with 8.7 by five lengths in 59J secs., ' and the Roseneath Handicap with 9.1 in 58secs. Gay Son beat him at even weights in the Nursery Handicap at Woodville, and Te Hero in the Great Northern Foal Stakes. Amigo 9.13 then won the A.R.C. Criterion Handicap in Imin. 14secs., and finished his first season with a third to Surmount and Brunhild in the Wellington Stakes, and a second with 9.7 to Defaulter 7.10 J in the Nursery Handicap when beaten three lengths in 1 min. 11 3-ssecs.

Catalogue is working in a manner suggesting that he requires very little sharpening up to be ready to race.

Paper Slipper is being kept fairly busy, and may be produced on the second day of the Wellington meeting.

There was only 91b. between All Irish and Bryce Street when the former won by a neck in the Steeplechase at Te Rapa on Saturday. Over an extra six furlongs at Trentham next Tuesday there will bo a difference of 161b'. between this paid if both gb to the post in the Wellington Steeplechase, and the extra distance should be all in favour of Bryce Street.

Master Dingle has shown good progress since his “arrival at Riccarton. In his first race as a two-year-old, the Shambles gelding promised good things to come, by his fine finishing effort into second place. Since then, however, he has failed to improve on his early form. Now that Master Dingle is keeping sounder, it may not be long before he runs up to his former promise.

D. O’Connor has made an alteration in his plans for Nightbound. As a result of a consultation with the owner, Mr H. Elworthy, Nightbound will compete on Saturday in the steeplechase at Oamaru, the first race on the programme, after which it is hoped to put him on the express train, and ship him to Wellington the same night. If this can be arranged, he will arrive at Trentham on Sunday, in which case he will be ready to race in the hack steeplechase on Tuesday. G. Ridgway will ride him at Oamaru, but another pilot will be required for Trentham, where Ridgway will be on Monastic.

The brilliant Stretto has made rapid strides in her preparation since returning from her spell and she.should be a fit mare by the time she is ready to embark on her Australian campaign. She is said never to have looked better than at present.

The steeplechaser King Rod has returned to the tracks at Ellerslie and it is hoped that he will survive a further preparation. Last season he showed promise as a ’chaser by winning the Waikato Hunt Cup but his career has been marred by unsoundness.

Tlie Ellerslie treble winner. Full of Scotch, may be asked to take on the Winter Hurdles at Trentham next week or alternatively the hurdle event at the Matamata fixture, which follows the Wellington meeting. His next appearance over fences is being awaited with keen interest.

Valmint, who was kicked at the post prior to the start of the Woodstock Stakes at Te Rapa on Saturday, has been placed on the easy list for several days but it is not anticipated the injury is extensive and all going well he will have his next start at the Matamata meeting on July 23.

The Acre gelding Glenacre was making his twentieth start this season when raced at the Ashburton meeting, so that he is not a stranger to the racing business. He was finishing on in third place in the Moreton Handicap. Glenacre has won three times

this season, the last one being at Reefton over seven furlongs.

Santoft won the Wellington Steeplechase last year with 9.0, and has been handicapped at 9.13 for this year's race. Manawatu is the only horse included in this year’s field who followed Santoft home, and now meets the latter on 171 b. better terms.

Repeatedly poor form among second grade hurdle fields has been the reason for H. Dulieu sending Kentucky Song back to her lessee. Although a winner over hurdles at Opunake . opposed to a moderate field, Kentucky Song has never impressed as above the ordinary, and it is understood that she will go back to her breeder, Mrs Gaine Carrington, of Hamilton.

The New Zealand-bred Siegfried— Polonaise gelding Maestro, who was sold as a yearling to Australia, won the principal event on each day of the Tasmania Racing Club’s winter meeting.

Slippery holds to that splendid one win-in-five-starts average of his, and his connections are getting some fine prices about him. He was winning his seventh race in 32 starts this season when he scored at Dannevirke.

Though they claim no engagements at Trentham, Royal Limond and Forest Glow are being kept in strong work at Awapuni with a view to a trip south to the Grand Nationals. Neither has ever shown to advantage at Trentham, but each has done well in the South.

One of the most unlucky hacks during the last couple of months has been Joe Louis, who has been repeatedly running into or near the money under big weights. It is interesting to note that, he has been entered for some of the open races at the Wellington meeting, and under lighter weights he may make some amends.

Coil, who contested the hurdle race at Dannevirke, is a six-year-old gelding by Tractor and is trained by J. Griffitljs, of Hastings, for Miss M. J. Douglas. He is very green just yet, but is a good jumping type. He spread himself behind through getting into a greasy patch of ground on a turn on Saturday and almost fell.

There was firm support for the two-year-bld Selkirk, in the maiden race at Dannevirke, but after running prominently to the home turn he petered out, Selkirk is by Defoe, and does not look the type to respond to any hurrying tactics. Perhaps he will be better served by a little more time to mature.

High Speed, who filled third place to Royal Limond and Billy Boy in the Grand National Steeplechase of 1936, has rejoined the ranks of active workers at Riccarton. Already having completed a good deal of useful work in South Canterbury, his new trainer, A. McMullan, should soon have the Tractor gelding in racing order.

Nightdress certainly looks the part of a good horse, and although a disappointment since the autumn of his two-year-old season,'there is still time for him to come good. He will reappear at Oamaru on Saturday in the colours of Messrs A. S. Elworthy and D. W. J. Gould, and for the first time, will race as a gelding. F. Roberts has the Nightmarch three-year-old looking in.great order on which to start off another racing campaign.

Mr D. McFarlane has decided to send Night Hawk to Melbourne if hi'S stablemate Willie Win goes across. The' rising three-year-old has done splendidly since being restricted to easy work and he would not take much bringing to hand. Winner of a maiden race of about £75 to the winner, the .Nightmarch-Velocium colt should not be difficult to place to advantage at some of the smaller meetings leading up to the big carnival.