TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1938, Page 5

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE Views on Racing Facts and Fancies A WELL-BRED WINNER

(By “The Cynic.”?

Mount Vai, who scored in the Morley Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday is a half-brother to the 1933 Winter Cup winner, Mount Boa. Both have raced in the interests of Mrs R. Fleming and have been trained by T. Hobbs, Oamaru. Mount Vai is by Valkyrain, and Mount Boa by Balboa. Their dam, El ' Sorella, is not in the Stud Book, nevertheless she is soundly bred, being by Cannie Chiel, son of Glanranald, from Grand Duchess, by Gipsy Grand •—Viscountess, by Viscount —Toi, by Doimedes. Cannie Chiel was also the sire of) Winning Way, dam of Winning Hit. Gipsy Grand sired, among others of lesser note, Grand Opera, the dam of the brothers, Soldier's Chorus, Tannhauser, Cherubini and Rossini, and their sisters, Nordica, Madam Butterfly and Barcarolle. Although defeated in his two races at the Wellington Racing Club’s Winter Meeting, the two-year-old Yours Truly shaped well enough to indicate that he is likely to be an early winner. Owned by the president of the New Zealand Racing Conference, Mr. J. S. McLeod, and trained by J. W. Lowe, Yours Truly is a neat bay colt by. Siegfried from My Own and should be worth watching in his next few starts. Having his first race for many months, Essex showed by his effort in the Stewards’ Handicap on the first day at Trentham that he still retains dash and it is to be hoped that he trains on ..well. Essex’s long absence from racing has been due to trouble with his feet, but it should be only a matter of his remaining sound to prove a good winner in the new season. He registered his best performance when he won the Great Northern Derby at Ellerslie in January, 1937. The best all-round performance at a Wellington winter meeting was that of Nukumai in 1927. Ridden by W. A Bowden on every occasion, Nukumai won the Whyte Handicap on the first day, the Parliamentary - Handicap on the middle day and then he successfully contested the Winter Hurdles, for which, with Ngata, he was topweight, carrying 11.8 ; Two horses .with similar names who have caused some doubt about which is .which are. Panerua gnd Punarua. The former' is .a four-year-old gelding by lArausio from Valma, and is owned in Hawke’s Bay by Mr H. Tupaca. Punarua is the two-year-old gelding by

Pombal from Joanfax. whom J. W. Lowe has in work for Mr J. Jameson, Masterton. Panerua was recently racing. Punarua’s only race to date was at Masterton in the spring.

No horse at Riccarton on Saturday made a greater impression than did Garonne, the three-year-old gelding, by Gascony from Orozino, by Finland —D’Oro, sister to Desert Gold. The dam of Gold Rod, Oreub. is by King John, sire of Gascony, from Desert Gold, and other good gallopers produced by Orozino were Grand Jury and Knollmere. There is a wealth of class on both sides of Garonne’s pedigree. and he is confidently expected to reach the best class next season.

Singara, brother to Whirling and half-brother to Bambury, has been sold by Mr R. T. Reid, Hamilton, to Mr A. Chisholm, jun., Otautau. Singara met with an injury early in his career, but not before he had shown winning ability, and he was retired to the stud. Whirling was got by WhirlwindLegality, an imported mare by Noblesse Oblige—Permissible, by Myram.

All Irish jumps a bit big and extravagantly and. the fact does not help him to stay a long course. Nevertheless he is one of the most brilliant 'chasers in training and generally sets a strong pace in his races, but if he could race with some of his speed in reserve he would be left with a better finish. All Irish was got by Illumination from Kiki, by Winkie —Kilrea, by Kilbroney—Arai-te-Uru by Birkenhead —Fair Nell, by Apremont —Idalia.

The two year-old Great Legion displayed a good turn of speed in the Novice Handicap, and, as he also ranks as a winner, should be worthy of note for next season. He is a chestnut by Fernkloof from Cool Courage, by Heroic—Winter, by Cooltrim. Fernkloof was got by the Sunstar horse Alan Breck from Cornelia, by St Frusquin.

King Mestor did not complete the course in the Mariri Steeplechase, but he won the Corunna Hurdles in good style, and followed with a fourth in the Talavera Hurdles. He was close up in the early stages of the Talavera Hurdles, but drifted into fourth place at the finish. Three races in bad going is a heavy task to set a horse and he may do better ,bn firmer ground. King Mestor Was got by King Lu from Polymestor—Peruna, by Persian Knight—Perugia, by Antonio—Penny Wise, by En Garde.

Three two-year-old performers filled the places in the Maiden Stakes at the Westport meeting. The winner. Density, had shown speed in previous races, but displayed a tendency to bore out. She was got by Pink Coat from Denise, an Australian-bred mare by Cistercian —Symmetria, by Ayr Laddie- Symmetry, by Trenton—Buttercup, by Panic.

Queensland posses two notable sires tracing to Carbine, who are keeping up the credit of the Musket family in a marked degree. Spearfelt, by Spearhead, and The Buzzard, by Spion Kop, trace to Carbine through Spearmint. From August to April of the present season The Buzzard’s progeny had won prize-money to the amount of £24,790, and those of Spearfelt, £17,901. In the interval. Spearfelt’s total has been raised by several thousands.

When starting a well-backed chance in the Parliamentary Handicap Last Refrain. 8.3. was beaten a long way from home and did not, in fact, finish the race except at a walk. Quadroon won in 2min 29Jsec. At Riccarton on Saturday last Last Refrain, 9.5, finished three .lengths behind Balmenter over the same distance in 2min 15 4-5 sec, and the big margin in the times and weights carried conveys an idea of the vast difference between the going at Trentham and Riccarton.

The chief interest at Riccarton yesterday morning, was in the work of the jumpers, there being some good schooling.

Guilder (M. P. O’Reilly) was sent over four hurdles, giving a brilliant exhibition, in a very fast round. Tomcat (E. J. Jennings) and Gayfire (M. P. O’Reilly) gave a safe display over eight steeplechase fences. Dropped Catch (A. Stove) was given some education over two hurdles. He will take time before he is a good jumper.

Maka Ahi (E. J. Jennings) and Proscenium (A. Stove) went well over a round of the steeplechase fences. The Sandwichman (J. Murfit) got over the two hurdles in the straight safely. Nocturnus (E. J. Jennings) went once round- the steeplechase fences. It was his first school since last winter and he showed that he had not forgotten the art of jumping, though he got up high at „the double. Jolly Beggar (G. Ridgway) followed some distance behind Nocturnus and continued to complete eight fences. He hit the second leg of the double the first time, but recovered cleverly, and but for that mistake he gave a good display. Culve'rden (M. P. O’Reilly) went once round the fences, in a very attractive exhibition of jumping.

The Nigger Minstrel filly Bluffer finished in the money for the first time in a dozen starts when she won the Novice Handicap. Her dam, Bravado, was got by Psychology from War Scare, by Martian—Gossip and so comes from a speedy family.

The Fernkloof -two-year4'pld Great Legion is very smart in bad going, and he set a cracking pace in the Novice Handicap at Trentham on Saturday. Lack of recent racing was probably, against him and the conditions were not favourable to unseasoned two-year-olds.

Sunder’s education as a hurdler is not being attended with the best of luck. In two starts over the battens at Trentham he fell the first time and the second time was brought down by Valarth who fell in front of him.

Fleetwind has been shaping well on' the tracks at Ellerslie and the other morning impressed by a sound halfmile essay, in company with Palmint. Fleetwind handled the conditions well and should strip in good fettle the next time she is produced. So far this season she has raced disappointingly, but may make amends early in the new term. Patuma has never shown any form in public but if he is to do so he should in the near future. His training gallops have shown marked improvement recently and a reproduction of them on race day should see him performing prominently. A gelding by Cockpit from Pakitere, he is owned by Mr C. Duncan, of Wellington and is trained by A. E. Ellis at Riccarton.

Mazzini has only run one decent race since being in the South Island and that was at Waimate shortly after his arrival from the north. He then finished second and it may be on the same course this week that he will race well again.

An interesting entrant for the Novice Stakes at the Waimate Hunt Club’s meeting is Toro Koura the Pink Coat —Gold Pit colt trained by E. J. Ellis for the Hons G. R. Hunter and P. C. Webb. Toro Koura showed good promise early in the spring when he finished third to Compensate and Great Baby in the McLean Stakes. The colt has been off the scene for several months.

A correspondent, “Record,” writes: “You recently stated in your notes that Dromedary collided with a policeman when running in the Wellington Steeplechase. This is not so, as the race was the Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton. You also mention it was Levanter’s year, but this gelding was never successful in winning the Wellington Steeplechase. He did win the Grand National at Riccarton in 1897. Mutiny won the two previous seasons carrying 11.5 and 12.4 respectively.”