TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 August 1938, Page 9

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE Views on Racing Facts and Fancies LORD CAVENDISH IMPROVED (By “The Cynic.”)

The well-bred Lord Cavendish has improved since he was beaten in maiden company at New Plymouth, and he should not be long now in winning a race. Probably he will compete in maiden company at New Plymouth again, when the Combined Hunt Clubs’ meeting comes round, but he may be no certainty there, as he is not at his best on a small course. . Out of Action. One of the more useful of the Taranaki hacks, Race Boy, bled when being exercised at Hawera the other day, and in consequence may not keep his engagements at the Combined Hunt Clubs’ meeting to be. held at New Plymouth shortly. Race Boy had been doing excellent work, and a return of his best form had seemed imminent. At Westmere. The Chief Ruler—Dovelet mare Columba has a brown filly to Phaleron Bay at the Grange Stud, Westmere, Wanganui, and will again be mated with the Phalaris horse. Columba is a sister to Eaglet and Mother Superior, and a half-sister to Prince Otto, a winner in New Zealand and Australia.

Megalo, dam of Golden Wings, Golden Treasure, and Golden Chance, is on a visit to Broiefort at the same stud. Habit (Thespian—Cowl) had foaled a bay filly to Leighon, and is on a visit to the Blandford horse Broiefort. A sister to Mala (Lackham —Lucretia) has made its appearance at the Grange Stud, the latest progeny of the Lucullus mare being a bay filly. Lucretia is on a visit to Broiefort.

A Wingatui Pair. Viking and Ortyx are both back in work at Riverton, and the pair have done well since being taken up. The Lord Warden filly, Ortyx, now a three-year-old, has developed into a fine type and is in great order at the present time. She displayed brilliant speed as a two-year-old, and although she won one race she did not carry on as expected and acted sourly before she was given a let up. When pitted against the best two-year-olds in the country at Trentham Ortyx more than held her own, and she promises to make a name for herself in the new season. Viking has wintered well, and has got through useful tasks. He will be well forward for early spring racing.

Not For Australia. The proposal to send Willie Win. to Australia has been dropped. Ever since he ran second in the Melbourne Cup last year, when The Trump got up to beat him, his owner, Mr I. L. M. Coop, and his trainer, Mr J. Campbell, have shared the desire to make another trip. The project has been, in abeyance till this week, but Mr Coop has now decided to abandon it. Willie Win will do his racing this spring at home. It is probable that he will start at Ashburton, where he should run well, as he is very forward. After that he will be prepared for the New Zealand Cup, in which he .should prove one of the most likely of the < Riccarton contingent. Bristol. The winning by Bristol of the second division of the Flying Handicap at Victoria Park. Sydney, draws attention to the prominent place he has occupied for some time in Melbourne Cup quotations. Bristol has been allotted 8.3 in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and 8.4 in the Metropolitan Handicap. Now a four-year-old, Bristol has won four races —the Warwick Farm Novice Handicap, the Canterbury Park Guineas, afid the A.J.C. City Handicap, all at three years, and the event of last Saturday. As the distance of the City Handicap is' a mile and a-half, he has already given indications of staying ability. He is trained by W. Kelso, who makes no secret of the fact that he expects Bristol to be one of the best stayers of the year, and he is owned by Messrs E. and A. Darradele. Te Hero. An Auckland report states that Te Hero is going along nicely in his preparation. As a two-yeat-old Te Hero won four times, and also ran a second out of five starts. At the Avondale spring meeting Te Hero made his debut by winning the Juvenile Handicap. Then came an unlucky defeat by a

head in the Cambria Handicap, in which he had 9.0 and was giving the winner Vitement, 181 b. Then came a win in the Rahino Handicap with 9.6 in Imin. 0 4-ssecs. Te Hero followed with a win in the Great Northern Foal Stakes by two lengths from Amigo, Peerless, and three others in Imin. . 13 2-ssecs., and concluded his first season by winning the Royal Stakes with 7.13 by three lengths from Peerless 7.10 and others in Imin. 12 3-ssecs. ' A line to Te Hero’s merit is supplied by Amigo being handicapped to give Defaulter 251 b. in the W.R.C. Handicap and finishing within three lengths of him. Surmount, in receipt of 41b„ faded out of a place. Te Hero has claims to be considered the best two-year-old seen out last season. interesting Filly. A sister to Wotan, so, far unnamed, is being handled by H. Dulieu at New Plymouth for Messrs Smith Brothers. This is the first filly thrown by the Martian mare Left, whose previous progeny were Peter Jackson, -Graine Carrington, and Wotan.

Additions. Recent additions to Mrs J. Campbell’s team at Riccartori are the four-year-old Elegy, owned by Mr A. K. Firth, and formerly trained by F. D. Jones, and Trumpeter . Sound, a two-year-old half-brother by Night Raid to Concertpitch and Irish Fiddle, while a brother to Vintage is expected shortly. Irish Fiddle has been retired to the stud, and will be mated with the Auckland sire Mr Standfast.

Good Preparation. . The horses comprising the big team which H. and A. Cutts have in work for Sir Charles Clifford are making good preparation, and they will be ready .to show some form when their turn comes to start on their spring engagements.

Two seasons ago Paper Slipper, Wild Chase and Trench Fight were a trio of three-year-olds of top class. In recent years there has been nothing to compare with these three in any stable at the same time. Paper Slipper carried on with more good form last season, while Trench Fight again, did well until he had to be spelled, but Wild Chase was under a cloud, as he went off after racing second to Cerne Abbas_ in the New Zealand Cup. Paper Slipper, having raced all through last season, has earned a spell.

He is. now being freshened up, but he I will be in work again in a few weeks, and will then be got ready for another try at the Stewards’ Handicap, a race he won as a three-year-old. His record at Trentham does not encourage another trip north, so the Riccarton sprint may be his first outing when he resumes.

Ready for Trentham. Trench Fight has done a lot of strong work since he was taken in hand again, after resting for several months. He is now bowling along in good style, and he should be nearing his best for Trentham, where he may be raced as a preliminary to the Riccarton carnival in November. He has shown some good form over a mile. Wild Chase was rested for a few months after racing till the autumn, and he has come back in good health. So far he has had only a few easy sprints, and he will not be at his best for some time yet. Whether he will be trained for the New Zealand Cup is not known, but he would only need to return to his three-year-old form to win races over shorter journeys this season. Counterblast, now a four-year-old, is one of the stable problems'; Two years ago she was a speedy jilvenile, but after two wins and two places in the spring had to be retired, on account of knee trouble, while last season she had to be spelled again, just when she looked like being a useful member of the team.

She has been in work for a couple of months and lately has had a few quiet sprints. So far she is keeping sound, and should win races this season if she trains on. She may have her first run at Ashburton.

To Go to Wanganui. The three-year-olds, Wild Talk and Keen Sight, after doing some racing lately, are very forward for the spring and they will open the spring campaign for the stable with a trip to Wanganui. Wild Talk will take on the Guineas, in which she will meet the best of the North Island classic candidates —a difficult task, as her form so far has been limited to two wins in maiden company in the last few weeks. Keen Sight has not won yet, but he has shown promising form more than once, so he may be due for early success.

Scuffle, a three-year-old sister to Trench Fight and Fracas, winner of a maiden race in the autumn, will not be ready for some time, and she does not impress as being up to the form of her relatives. There are several maiden three-year-olds in the team. Good Passage has shown speed more than once, and she may be useful when she is ready to race later in the season. Of the otheimaidens, Happy Moments, a brother to Great Memory, may do well, but he is a big fellow that will need time to develop. The stable shelters a number of two-year-olds, but so far they have done nothing to suggest that they include an outstanding youngster. The most forward seem to be Winning Rival (Bulandshar — Rivalry) and Great Swoop (Magnus—Swoopalong), and one\of this pair may be a starter in the John Grigg Stakes at Ashburton next month.