TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 November 1938, Page 9

TURF NEWS & NOTES

■» CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE ■- Views on Racing Facts and Fancies OWNER’S GREAT RICCARTON RECORD (By “The Cynic.”)

Mr J. A. Hennah, Hastings, the owner-trainer of Padishah, retained a record of which he is proud when his _ horse won the Metropolitan Handicap, the chief event on the concluding day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting. He has made five trips to Rcicarton, twice with the steeple-

chaser, Captain Jingle, and three times with Padishah, and he has not missed having a winner on any of his visits. As usual, Padishah was slow to get going, tailing the field early and still being a long way back at the entrance to the straight. Even when less than a furlong from the winning post, he had a gap to bridge but he came home solidly for a decisive win. He is a half brother to Cuddle and in less than ten months he has won the Wellington’ Cup, Grand National Hurdles and Metropolitan Handicap. Possibly he was a trifle fortunate on Saturday. Sovereign Lady ran a great race, always near the front, and after taking the lead a full furlong from home, she looked like staying on. It looked as if she was hampered a little near the finish by the riderless Argentic. The Buzzer was well placed all the way and after coming round the home turn wide out, he finished well, without ever really looking like a winner. Willie Win was running on in fourth place, narrowly beating Milford, anothei’ solid . performer. Wotan was staying on to overhaul Happy Landing. Though Malagigi improved on his Cup showing, he collapsed on reaching the straight, after setting the pace. Dictate was near the front all the way to the straight and actually was in front at the false rail, where he dropped out. The others were all done with at the entrance of the straight. Argentic, winner in the two previ- , ous years, stumbled and lost his rider at the start but continued in the race, actually finishing first. Locating Stayers. 3 Stayers come from many quarters ' and, though it is natural to expect 1 stayers to come from some sires rather 1 than others, there are only four sires 1 with two winners of the Melbourne; 1 Cup in the last 20 years. They are t St. Alwyn (Night Watch-and Poitrel), 1 Comedy King (Artilleryman and King 1 Ingoda)- Pantheon (Peter Pan, twice), 1 and Night Raid (Nightmarch and Phar 1 Lap). The other sires during that per- ] iod were: Red Dennis, October, Bache- s lor’s Double, Magpie, Spearhead, Cyk- 1 lon, Demosthenes, Paratoo, Heroic, < Marconigram, Siegfried, and Manfred. < ' i A One-eyed Winner. 1 The Bigot is aptly named. He has - one eye, but it was ‘enough to show t him the way to victory in the final < event at Riccarton on Monday. He is an Australian-bred gelding trained by L. G. Morris. He was sent to New Zea- 1 land because he had only one eye. One-eyed horses cannot race in the Commonwealth. The Bigot won four 1 races in succession last spring, but ' could not win in eight more starts, J though he was placed on three occa- ‘ sions. 1 ] Mrs Campbell’s New Horses. ; Mrs J. Campbell has two new horses * in her stable. They are a three-year-old and a two-year-old, and a- start : will be made at once to break them in, 1 reports the “Press.” The three-year- 1 old is a colt owned by Mr D. McFar- 1 lane, owner of Night Hawk. He is by i the Martian horse Martama, from Wartone, by Solferino from Warstep, by Martian from Stepdancer, by Stepniak. The other is owned by the well-known 1 Canterbury sportsman, Mr D. W. Wes- 1 tenra, and he is a two-year-old brother J to the fine performer Vintage, by £ Shambles from Quality, by Clar- ' enceaux from Lady Majestic, by Ma- * jestic from Lady Melton, by Bill of ( Portland from Litigant, by Martini £ Henry (son of Musket). Apart from f Vintage, the family has produced Lady Graceful, winner of the New Zealand , Oaks three years ago, also Lady Rosette, who ran unsuccessfully in the * Oaks. j 1. ' 1 Improvement. ■ Good passage has improved considerably in manners at the barrier thanks J to the horsemanship of J. W. Jennings, but she still looks a bit risky. s Baran. j Baran is a well-grown colt inclined i at present to be a bit flighty in his s manners, but he may develop into a fc good performer with experience. He c won his races by staying on, and thus has a good asset to assist him in X future. Baran was got by Bulandshar from Clemency, by Limond —Sweet t Charity. fc a Night Hawk. } c The Stonyhurst Handicap winner g

Night Hawk scored his first win this season when leading Surmount home on the final day at Riccarton. He is a bay colt by Nightmarch from Velocium, by Gay Lad —Silverina, by Goya—Themia, by Corinth. Milford. The Southland gelding Milford ran an excellent race in the Metropolitan Handicap, despite being somewhat flattered in the figures. He was a bit slow at the start, but had joined the leaders when at the far turn, and remained there until reaching the straight. He finally finished close up with The Buzzer and Willie Win. Unlucky. In a snapshot of the finish of the Metropolitan Handicap the picture shows Argentic’s tail in front of Padishah, with Sovereign Lady on the rails inside the winner. Argentic was racing alongside Sovereign Lady as they came up the straight, and did not appear to be helping the chance of the Riccarton mare.

RACING FIXTURES

November 19 —Levin. November 19 —Southland. November 19, 21 —Waikato. November 26 —Ashburton County. November 26, 28 —Auckland. November 26, 28—Feilding. December 3 —Otaki Maori. December 10 —Hororata. December 10, 12 —Woodville. I December 17 —Waipa.

A Star Attraction. Another meeting between Defaulter and Beaupartir will be one of the star attractions of the Auckland Cup meeting. At present Defaulter is more seasoned than Beaupartir, but the latter looks open to improvement in condition.

Thermidor. Thermidor had been a -long while out of winning form prior to her success on the final day at Riccarton. Her previous win was scored in April, 1937. Night Wings. After getting well away at the start of the Cressy Handicap, Night Wings got sent back to second last and was in a hopeless position when rounding the far turn. Surmount. Surmount went out to win all the way in the Stonyhurst Handicap, and probably would have done so but for the strong breeze accentuating his weight. Surmount has furnished into a very stylish-looking three-year-old that looks sure to win races. He was got by Surveyor from Cometary, by Day Comet—The Boyne, by Merriwee —The Shannon, by Torpedo. Gay Son. The Members’ Handicap winner Gay Son was got by Beau Pere from La Moderne, by Lord Quex —Lady Ball, by Demosthenes—Sunlight, by Birkenhead—Bonheur, by Seaton Delaval.