TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 December 1938, Page 11

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

A PROMISING FILLY

(By

“The Cynic.”)

Skyrena, created a good impression by her win in her first appearance in public at Hororata on Saturday, and her future will be followed with much interest, as there is no doubt about her smartness and staying ability. l * Skyrena was bred at Elderslie, and her dam Gobble, by Tea Tray from Fulsome, is included in the list of mares to be sold at Elderslie next month. Gobble has a bay filly by Solicitor General at foot, and is in foal to the same horse.

Of Dominion Interest.

Although Waireka, winner of the Kirkham Stakes in Sydney on Saturday, was bred in Australia, there was a strong New Zealand flavour attached to her success. Her breeder and owner, Mr E. J. Watt, was born in New Zealand, and resided in Hawke’s Bay until he left for Australia some 20 years ago, while both G. Price and M. McCarten, trainer and rider respectively of Waireka, are New Zealanders. Then Waikare was Dominion-bred, being by Limond from Waterwings. Miss Molong, dam of Waireka, is by Wolowa from Llanishen by Llangibby. McCarten has had a remarkable run of successes on two-year-olds this season, and at last: month’s meeting at Warwick Farm won a race on Bonny Loch, runner-up to Waireka on Saturday. Quadroon. Luke Wilson was very pleased with the way Quadroon ran on in the open sprint at Woodville on Saturday and, as the greatly improved Nigger Minstrel gelding pulled up well, he has decided to make the trip with him to Auckland for the Cup. Old Bill will accompany his half-brother and will be a starter in the Derby. H. N. Wiggins, who will also ride the Awapuni filly Disdain, will be on Quadroon in the Auckland Cup. Sound Breeding.

Big Figures. It is stated that about £3,000,000 was wagered on the match (in November) between the famous American horses War Admiral and Sea Biscuit. The contest, in Pimlico, Baltimore, attracted 45,000 spectators, and proved the most exciting event of the turf for many years. Each horse had so many followers that the betting was on a scale rarely seen. The match had excited nation-wide interest, and was one of the main topics of discussion for weeks before the date. Many had regarded War Admiral as unbeatable, but the victory of Sea Biscuit was conclusive. The race was run over nine furlongs, and Sea Biscuit won by four lengths. The crowd reached a frenzied state of excitement as the horses entered on the last stage. War Admiral is by Man o’ War out of Brushup, by Sweep out of Annette K., by Harry of Hereford, a brother to Swynford. Sea Biscuit (a five-year-old) is by Hard Tack (son of Man o’ War out of Swing On, by Whisk Broom 111 out of Balance, by Rabelais, son of St. Simon.

Rebel Queen has been a long time winning a race, but on Saturday’s performance at Hororata she indicated that she combines speed with stamina. Her dam Ada Merling was by Martian from Leonore, by Seaton Delaval, and in 1919 produced Red Wink, a highclass handicap horse, and Ida Merling. a good winner in the North Island.

Unclaimed. A remarkable incident occurred at a recent meeting in Angaston, South Australia. A whip, well equipped with electricity, was found at the meeting. It is interesting in structure, and the stewards are still trying to ascertain which boy lost a whip. Meanwhile the police have taken the whip for their ‘museum.” Southern Trip. Sovereign Lady will be nominated for the Waikouaiti and Oamaru meeting, where she will have D. O’Connor as her pilot if she fulfils her engagements. M. B. Edwards has arranged to race Ponty, Cocksure, and Miss Bluff at the Dunedin, Waikouaiti, and Oamaru meetings. A. Messervy will go south to do the riding.

Retired from Racing. The two-year-old filly Uranic, by Brazen from Milrania, owned by Mr W. H. Maria, has developed an enlargement of the throat, and is to be retired to the stud. She is to be mated with Velocipede, who is located at Takanini.

-Cup Favourite. The Buzzer was ridden a quiet race in the Bolton Handicap at Woodville and the Auckland Cup favourite indicated his forward condition by finishing right up on the tails of the placed horses. Indeed, had he been able to get through the leaders in the last furlong he would have gone very close to winning. With Disdain burning up the tracks at Awapuni, L. G. Morris has a great double for the Auckland meeting.

Beaupartir. Beaupartir, who ran second to Defaulter in the New Zealand Derby, has been training satisfactorily and should be a much fitter horse when saddled up for the Great Northern Derby.

Paper Slipper for Auckland. Paper Slipper has raced only once at Auckland, in last year’s Railway Handicap. He missed a place, and was so sore after the race that he could not start again at the meeting. His weight was 9.3, the same as he has been al- ■ lotted this year. The Paper Money horse has always reserved his best form for Riccarton and Wingatui. He won a handicap at Trentham as a two-year-old, and an open sprint with 9.3 at Awapuni, but these constitute his only successes in the North Island. At Wingatui he won the Electric Handicap, the Guineas, the Publicans’ Handicap, and the Hazlett Cup, but Riccarton has been his favourite track. His victories there include the Irwell Handicap 9.3, Autumn Nursery 9.5, Stewards' Handicap 8.5, Middle Park Plate 10.0, Members’ Handicap 8.12, Craven Plate 9.1, and Stewards’ Handicap 8.6. His South Island record would undoubted--2 ly have been even more impressive had he not been of the same age as 5 Wild Chase. I

Change of Ownership. The sale was effected last week of the three-year-old Happy Memory, by Magnus from Retrospect, to a Southland owner, Mr Delaney, and the gelding will in future be trained at Invercargill, Disdain. It is stated that the three-year-old Disdain now looks like being the sprinter who will accompany The Buzzer to Ellerslie, as neither Oratory nor Laughing Lass has been entered for .the latter days at Auckland, but Disdain has been nominated for both the final days. Oratory and Laughing Lass are each entered for the Manawatu meeting. AUCKLAND RACES GAY SON RE-HANDICAPPED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, December 13. For his victory in the Gothard Memorial Handicap in Woodville on Monday, Gay Son has been rehandicapped 11b. in the Christmas Handicap on the first day of the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meetin,, making his weight 8.3. RACING FIXTURES December 17 —Waipa. December 24, 26, 27— Manawatu. December 26—Waipukurau. December 26, 27—Dunedin. December 26, 27—Taranaki. December 26. 28 —Auckland. December 28 —Westland. December 31—Wairarapa. December 31—Greymouth. December 31—Hawke’s Bay. 1939. January 2, 3—Auckland. January 2—Wairarapa. January 2—Greymouth. January 2—Hawke’s Bay. January 2—Waikouaiti. January 2—Wyndham. January 2. 3—Stratford. January 2, 3 —Marton. January 3 —Oamaru. January 3, 4 —Southland. January 4, 7 —Reefton. January 13, 14 —Vincent. January 14 —Clifden. January 19, 21, 23—Wellington. January 21 —Wairio. January 21, 23—Thames. January 23 —Ashhurst-Pohangina. January 27, 28—Pahiatua.