TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1939, Page 9

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

BREEDING OF CHEVAL DE VOLEE

(By

“The Cynic.”)

It was stated recently' that the Auckland Cup winner. Cheval de Volee, was the son of a mare who had done nothing whatever on the turf. It would appear that the fact is the mare never raced.

Cheval de Voice’s dam is Freesia, a granddaughter of Winnie, who founded one of the most successful families in the Auckland district. Freesia was by Marble Arch from Pretoria, by Cuirassier from Winnie. Cuirassier was by Musket from Frailty, a daughter of Flora Mclvor. This is splendid breeding. The maternal line behind Cheval de Volee is very strong. His sire is Vaals, son of the Cicero horse, Valais, who had phenomenal success at the stud in Austrlia.

Winnie and descendants were the property of the Roulstons, members of which family are still racing horses in the north. The Roulstons bred most, if not all the horses they raced, but they parted with Freesia, who eventually went into the hands of Mr A. Rowan, owner and breeder of Cheval de Volee. Freesia was 19 years old when she produced the Auckland Cup winner.

The Auckland Cup is not the only good race Cheval de Volee has won. He won the President’s Handicap at Franklin, the Auckland Racing Club's Cornwall Handicap, and the Taranaki Stakes. In the Taranaki Stakes he ■defeated'Oratory. As he is partial to soft courses, more may be heard of him late in the season.

Good Future.

A good future is predicted for Sir Crusoe, who finished second in both the two-year-old races at the Wairarapa meeting. Sir Crusoe is a bay colt by Defoe, sire of the champion three-year-old Defaulter, from Hine Wehi, by Arausio from Te Aupaki. Hine Wohl is a half-sister to the gbod performer Toxeuma and also the dam of Meamea.

Thrives on Racing.

The three-year-old Gay Son is evidently a gross customer who thrives on racing, and, as he did at the New Zealand Cup meeting, he ran his best race on th 6 final day of the summer carnival at Ellerslie, when he won the Clifford Plate. Gay Son should win more races-before the season is over, as he should go on improving for a while yet.

Daniel Defoe Dead.

The two-year-old Daniel Defoe, by Defoe, from Aratulla, died on Tuesday of paralysis after an illness lasting about a week. He was a brilliant galloper, from whom good things were expected, and his death will prove a blow to his owners, Messrs L. H. Collison and L. G. Morris. He was a big colt and not much was being asked of him. He had raced three times, winning his first race, the Taita Handicap, at Trentham. in October. On the second day of the same meeting he was beaten by Submission and at Riccarton in November he was second to Baran in the Spring Nursery Handicap.

Wellington Cup History. The inclusion of Defaulter, dual Derby winner, and of Peerless, winner of the New Zealand Oaks, in the Wellington Cup field, serves to recall the fact that three-year-olds have rarely won that race, namely perhaps for the reason that they have seldom attempted it. The last was Rapine, in 1923. and he carried 7st. 121 b. Rapine at his best was a first-class horse and a rare stayer. On the day he may have been a trifle lucky to beat Merry Day. which is another factor emphasising the hard task of the three-1 year-olds. Rapine is the only one of that age to succeed since the race has been run at Trentham. At the Hutt Park, winners at three years have been Castaway, under Bst, in 1874; Korari, 6st. 101 b„ in 1876; Cynisca, 7st. lib., in 1890; Renown, Bst. 101 b., in 1901; Gladsome, Bst. 51b., in 1904; and Nightfall, Bst. 21b., in 1905. It is unnecessary to go as far back as last century, as conditions were so different from what they are today, but in the present century the victory of Renown rather suggests that Defaulter’s task is not impossible. Valantua Better Treated. In the Waikouaiti Cup Handicap Valantua was set to give The Sandfichman 81b.. the latter finishing second, and next day won over a mile and a-quarter at Oamaru. In the An-| niversary Handicap, to be decided over.'

a mile at Trentham on Thursday, The Sandwichman, handicapped at 71b. above the minimum, has to give Valantua 11b. Recovered. The two-year-old Anopheles, who ricked herself a few weeks before the commencement of the Auckland meeting, has made a recovery, and this Vaals filly is to resume work at an early date. She is not the type who carries much surplus condition, and in spite of her enforced respite, looks extremely well, and it is not anticipated that she will require a great deal of work to regain racing condition. Due Soon. Of the sprinters seen out at the recent meeting of the Auckland Racing Club, one of the beaten brigade who promises to make amends soon is the Tea Tray filly, Te Poto. She displayed fine speed from a bad barrier position to lead well into the straight in the Bowen Handicap, and her chances of earning distinction in the near future look very encouraging. Te Poto has been nominated at the Thames meeting, where her brilliance at the barrier will be a great asset on the turning course.

Master Cyklon. Master Cyklon ran such a good race in the Wairarapa Cup with 8.4 —in fact, he looked to be a good thing beaten by Royal Star II —that his 8.11 in the Ashhurst Cup, in much weaker company, reads as being a very favourable assessment.

Only a small horse, Master Cyklon is, nevertheless, well up to weightcarrying and, for the past two seasons, he has been one of the best handicap horses in the province. His development is a tribute to the care and understanding of his mentor, Lance Stowe, who has the Hunting Song gelding looking so well at present that it appears likely that more success will come his way shortly. Master Cyklon should strip in greatorder for the Ashhurst Cup, and he can be depended upon to give a good account of himself. Likely Novice. Daregain is sure to be favourite if she lines up for the Novice Stakes at Ashhurst on Anniversary Day, but. there is an improver in this race who will make things tough for the Gainscou’rt mare and this is the three-year-old Pombal-Episode colt, Brazil. Brazil returned to racing during the holidays after a spell of nearly ten months and, naturally, he was more backward than the hacks he met at Awapuni and Marton. Racing, however, has done him no harm and there is every indication that he will be found in much better shape on Monday week.

This well-bred colt can gallop when right and he has only to strike form to win two or three races on end. Doing Easy Tasks. Catalogue has had a rather easy time since he came back from Melbourne, for the cup winner’s legs filled on the long boat trip back and Mrs McDonald deemed it wise to let nature take its own course with the surprising veteran.

Seen during the weekend, Catalogue looked rather burly, but there was no doubt about it that the Lord Quex gelding looked bright and healthy. Catalogue has been getting through some steady pace work at Awapuni this week and, on Saturday and Tuesday he will probably be given a couple of rousing gallops to sharpen him up for Trentham..

Fortunately, Catalogue does not require a great deal of fast work, and he may not be far from concert pitch when he lines up in a week's time to make a bid to avenge his unlucky defeat in the Wellington Cup twelve months ago.

However, his task is a harder one this time. He has 121bs. more to carry and the field is a stronger one.

Bred the Right Way.

Lexden, who downed Footloose and Noitaro at New Plymouth on Boxing Day, and is engaged among the hack sprinters at Ashhurst on Anniversary Day, had raced only once previously this season, when he ran third to Kenneth Robert and Adtaa at the Auckland mid-spring meeting.

By Resinous, Lcxden is bred from Kaimiro, who was purchased for 100 gns. at the 1931 sales, but never raced. c>ne was by Tea Tray from Rebekah '.dam of High Finance and Midian, and Rachel, lhe dam of that good racehorse and sire Rabbi), by Bezonian from Clanranald mare Snowstell, the dam of Cold Steel.

This was- a very successful family and the little-raced Lcxden may be a high-class galloper later on.