TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 January 1939, Page 3

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE Views ort Racing Facts and Fancies SMOKE SCREEN AND ORATORY ’

(By

“The Cynic.”)

It was inevitable that Smoke Screen, after his fine second to the lightlyweighted Disdain in the Railway Handicap and his record-breaking mile in the King’s Plate in his only other start at Ellerslie, would be assured of pride of place in the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham next week.

Smoke Screen is undoubtedly a very high-class sprinter. His second in the Railway Handicap with .8.12, giving the winner 221 b., clearly showed that. And, as the Limond gelding is a bold finisher, the straight six furlongs at Trentham is more likely to favour him than the turning sprint distances at Ellerslie.

Nevertheless, the handicapper had seriously to consider the claims of Oratory when weighing up the class performances of the Awapuni mare with those of Smoke Screen.

Oratory’s performances at Trentham have been listed among her best. It was here that she equalled Courtcraft's mile when she carried 9.4 to success in the January Handicap last year to run 1.36. In the autumn she won the Thompson Handicap in 1.371 —time that equalled the race record. That Oratory is near her best form again cannot be gainsaid. Improved by her race at Feilding, she deadheated with that good horse Majority at Awapuni at her next start and then went on to carry 9.8 to a brilliant success at Marton.

Like the Wellington Cup, with Royal Chief, Catalogue, Wild Chase, and Defaulter for its stars, the Telegraph Handicap will hold proportionate interest to the lovers of good horses if Smoke Screen and Oratory take their places in the race tomorrow week. Black Thead. Much as one must respect Smoke Screen and Oratory in the Telegraph Handicap, there are others who, at the weights, will make things very interesting, and one in particular who is worthy of much consideration is the Gisborneite, Black Thread. This Mimetic gelding, who was a good thing beaten*at Woodville, won in a canter the first day at Awapuni last month with 7.13 from Russian Ballet and Florence Mills, and, raised to 8.10 on the concluding day, he beat the smart Counterblast by a head. Black Thread is not much to look at, but he is a surprisingly good gelding and has previously been returned a winner at Trentham. He still meets Counterblast on the same terms, but, being such a solid finisher, he is sure to again hold that mare safe.

Last Year’s Winner.

Top Row carried only 7.7 when he won the Telegraph Handicap twelve months ago, but there is no doubt this Colossus horse is a much better class galloper now. He raced well in Victoria at the spring meetings, and returned to win the Federal Handicap at Dunedin last month from Lady Leigh, and, the second day, when raised 61b. to 9.6, he ran that smart mare to a good second. • Top Row must be regarded as well in with 8.2 this time, and his scrip will advance in favour if rain should fall before the meeting. Mittie is well in with 8.8, but Lady Ina now meets her on 21b. better terms, and that mare is liable to improve more with the holiday racing than Mittie. Lady Ina was second here last year with 7.8|.

Down in the Weights. Laughing Lass is now dropping fast in the weights, and is on a mark where her impost makes her dangerous in any company. This speedy roan mare was narrowly beaten at Marton with an inexperienced rider in the saddle, and. if she is started in to Oratory, there is sure to be a big following for her. Farland failed at Auckland, but the Waikato sprinter has raced well at Trentham before, and will not be without supporters.

Hawke’s Bay has a really good pair in this race in Rakahanga and Ivar, and, although the Ngatarawa filly has a metropolitan success to her credit this season, it is my opinion that Ivar is the more solid of the pair and fully entitled to give weight to the filly. As it is, she has only the sex allowance of 31b.. and Ivar should beat her. Taken al round, this is a sprint field well in keeping with the class represented in the Wellington Cup, and the contest should be a very keen one.

Royal Chief Forward. Royal Chief has been galloping well at Riccarton during the past week, and vesterday morning he again reeled oft a good mile. He will make the trip north to Trentham for the Wellington Cup, and. though he will be handicapped by the fact that he has not had a race for two months, whereas his rivals have had the benefit of the recent holiday campaign, he will nevertheless have a host of admiieis.

Plans for High Caste. Although he won only by short margins, ’the performances of High Caste at the Auckland Racing Clubs Summer Meeting at Ellerslie stamps him as the best two-year-old that has raced in the Dominion this season, and much interest will be centred in his efforts in Australia. It is probable that he could have won the Great Northern Foal Stakes by a wider margin if he had been ridden right out to the end. and in twice defeating the brilliant Beaulivro he revealed distinct class and superiority. All going well with him aftei is arrival at Melbourne, the first race Hia b Caste may be called upon to contest in Australia may be the Futurity I States, of £3OOO, weight-for-agc. with penalties and allowances, seven furlongs, at Caulfield on February 25. The

race is one that is seldom attempted by two-year-olds, and the last winner was Palmer, who carried 5.12, and won from nine others in lmin. 29£secs. in 1900. High Caste will be thoroughly tested if opposed to a horse of the class of Ajax, and a real line on his worth should be secured from his form in Melbourne.

If his connections decide to miss the Futurity Stakes with him, there are several richly-endowed two-year-old races, such as the V.R.C. and A.J.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes, that should suit him.

On The Up-Grade.

Lady Fox, who has been left in the Wellington Stakes, run next Thursday, has also been entered for the juvenile races at Thames, and as the southern classic appears a bit rich for her it is possible that she will not go south. This filly, a half-sister to Gay Blonde, is on the up grade and it should not be long before she breaks her maiden status. In Demand. After Te Hero's dashing finish in the Royal Stakes, he will be in considerable demand if his Wellington Stakes engagement is continued. It will be remembered that this son of Heroic was very’ unlucky to be beaten, and it was the universal opinion that he should have won. He retains all his speed and will take beating next week. In the Royal Stakes Te Hero carried a 31b. penalty, which it is declared he should not have done, and in a very close finish this may have made the difference between winning and losing, although it was his slight waywardness that caused him to strike trouble in the straight. He will come down from 9.3 to 8.6 in the Trentham classic, and Beaulivre, who has to carry a 51b. penalty, is down to 7.3, .so that Te Hero now meets him on 51b. better terms. Even though the five furlongs will suit Beaulivre, it must be recognised that he will have a difficult task to turn the tables on Te Hero.

Something Unusual. Wardress, who has had a winning sequence in the south, is engaged in the Apprentices’ Plate on the opening day at Wellington. She is a five-year-old mare by Lord Warden from Clink, by Clarenceux —Wink, a Winkie mare who showed good form some years back in the colours of Mr G. Gould. Wardress does not appear to have raced before recent holiday fixtures, so that her record of four wins in four starts is something out of the ordinary. She is trained at Riccarton by her owner, Mr R. D. Westenra.