TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1938, Page 5

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing facts and Fancies

MAORI SONG IMPROVING

(By

“The Cynic.”)

When Maori Song was making his run at Te Rapa he appeared to be pocketed, but he was weakening slightly at the end of the seven furlongs. Despite his win at Te Rapa in May, Maori Song has not come right up to expectations this winter, but he seems to be doing a little better and maybe his best may be revealed at Trentham.

The Avondale winter performer Erndale has been placed in his last two outings over a mile and seven furlongs. A strongly-built horse who comes from a family of mudlarks, it is probable that recent racing will improve him and we expect him to show up during the progress of the Wellington meeting.

There is no doubt about Hunting Blood being a galloper above the ordinary and although he just struggled home at Tauranga, the subsequent running of Orate and Gay Seton at Te Rapa makes the form appear encouraging. Hunting Blood has shown his best form on left handed tracks.

The unlucky run of Alyth terminated when she won at Te Rapa. Good riding by C. G. Goulsbro played no small part in her victory and it gave her trainer, E. George, an overdue return for his patience.

Had Ngawiri been a little more quietly ridden at Te Rapa she would surely have filled a place. A three-year-old by Hauwiri —Ngahere, Ngawiri has a good turn of speed and is likely to improve on the victory she recently achieved at Tauranga.

Making his debut as a ’chaser at Te Rapa, Floodlight looked a certain winner when he hit hard and came down about six furlongs from home. Floodlight, like his stablemate, Erination, is a son of Illumination, whose stock have taken to jumping with great aptitude. Floodlight will see a much better day as a jumper.

Double figures for a place was paid by Etcetera when he finished third in the Andrew Kay Memorial Steeplechase. Ridden by his owner, Mr E. C. Keyte, he did well enough to be kept in mind for a hack or hunters event later on.

Gladium is running fail’ races now that his condition is improving, and he was twice placed at the Dannevirke meeting. He lacks early speed, but he is always doing his best at the finish of his races and might be a prospect in a hack mile event.

Gay Molly, a speedy but inconsistent three-year-old filly in L. A. Pine’s team, broke down badly in the hack sprint at Dannevirke.

Mitigation had his second race at Dannevirke, and showed that he had derived improvement from his initial outing at Otaki by making most of the pace and hanging on for third to two much more seasoned horses in Royal Tinge and Gladium. Mitigation is a bulky four-year-old by Captain Bunsby who is evidently quite at home in soft going and at his present rate of improvement might soon reward Mr A. E. Preston for the work 1 he has put into him.

It is likely that Auckland horses will attract most attention in the steeplechase. All Irish raced well at Trentham last year, running second to Burglar in the hack steeples on the first day and second to the same horse in the July Steeples on the third day. Trisox being third and the unplaced division comprising Valpeen, Manawatu, Arctic Star, and Black Marlin. It is clear that he can handle Trentham winter conditions, and Burglar’s form last July was good. The recent form of All Irish has also been very attractive, and he was a winner at Te Rapa on Saturday under 11.5, or 101 b more than he will carry next Tuesday.

Two other Aucklanders in Kinkle and Smilin’ Thru have been showing improvement. Smilin’ Thru stays well and she can also handle bad ground. Brigadore has hardly done the racing to fit him for the race, but is a good horse who showed promising, form early this winter. Firmer ground may suit him better.

Red Sun will not school again over the sod wall before the race, as it might-confirm him in the tendency to run off. The main trouble at Trentham is to get capable jumping jockeys to do any schooling.

Jewish Lad and Lustral are shaping well in their hurdle education, and Lustral will race at Marton, his jockey being P. Burgess. Lustral impresses as the likeliest recruit Trentham has had for a long time. He easily beats the best mates that have/gone with him.

BesQi Gallante, who is looking and working well, was given a run over a couple of fences.

Essex is due to reappear at the Wellington meeting this week after an absence of 18 months from racing. He has done a fair amount of work, and his trainer thinks he is not without prospects, but he will be up against well-seasoned opponents on heavy going. C. G. Goulsbro will ride him. One z of the most improved horses at Trentham is the Acre gelding Matoru. T. George seems to have got him right again and he is hitting out very well in his work.

Flashlight has been on the improve during the season. He was unplaced in the Brush Hurdles run at the Riccarton midsummer meeting, and fourth in a high-weight handicap at Banks Peninsula. Then came two seconds over brush hurdles to Courtyard at the Riccarton Easter meeting, followed by a win at Timaru and another at Ashburton over fences. He has not beaten anything of any great note, but accomplished his wins with a good deal in hand. Apparently Flashlight is not deemed sufficiently seasoned to run in the Wellington Steeplechase, but figures in the Mariri Steeplechase, which opens the programme at Trentham.

Horses that shaped well at the Dunedin winter meeting and are engaged at Wellington include Second Inninfis, Hunting Chorus, Valarth, Moneyless, Lazybones, Valantua, and Monipere. Second Innings won the St Clair Handicap and the Domain Handicap, and stayed on well in heavy going. Hunting Chorus won the Trial Handicap very comfortably. Valarth won the Tainui Handicap after a good fight with Moneyless, Lazybones won the Members’ Handicap in convincing style. Valantua ran a good second to Settlement and followed with a win at Ashburton, and Monipere was second in the Birthday Handicap, won the Provincial Handicap, and was second in the King George Handicap.