TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 January 1939, Page 9

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

PLANS FOR HIGH CASTE

(By

“The Cynic.”)

All going well with him after his arrival at Melbourne, the first race High Caste may be called upon to contest in Australia may be the Futurity Stakes, of £3OOO, weight-for-age 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 of that age was Palmer, by Pilgrim’s Progress, who won in 1900, and carried 5,12, having the benefit of an allowance. 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. Moderates. The three-year-olds, Amouretta and La Plata, who have been in C. C. McCarthy’s stable since they were broken in, have finished their residence at Riccarton. Their form was moderate, and after racing at the Reeftori 'Meeting, the£ were taken over by their owners, who reside on the West Coast.

All From Imported Mares. Boswell, Jedburgh and Auctor, all of whom raced prominently during the holiday meeting in the south, are descendants of Balboa from imported mares. Boswell is from Celerity 11., a great race mare in her day. It is the intention of Mr A. Chisholm, in whose colours Boswell races, to retain the Balboa stallion for stud purposes later on. Auctor is out of Speanbridge, a useful winner, and Jedburgh is from Sabor also a winner and the dam of winners in Crubenmore, Enwood and Corban. Defaulter and Gloaming. Though Defaulter races in the same colours as did Gloaming, the former's owner is Mr D. H. Greenwood, a son

of the owner of Gloaming. Defaulter has a long way to go to catch Gloaming's record, but he has youth on his side. Gloaming did not commence racing until he was three years old, and he won 57 races and £43,000 in stake money when he was retired in his ninth year, his seventh on the turf. Defaulter won eight races as a two-year-old, and he has now won seven events in his second season on the race track, earning in all £3,530.

Meeting Good Ones. There are some really good class hacks engaged in the Douro Hack Cup at Trentham on Saturday week and the Hastings colt Sternchase will need to do better than anything he has so far shown in public to head off such well performer gallopers as Good Passage, Ruling Spi, Sporting Gift, Seyfriod, Flying Comedy, Gold Ballad, Centrepoise, Sigurd, Auctor and Hinerawe, to name a few who are showing good form. However, there is litle doubt that Sternchase has improved since he won in a canter at Te Rapa from a strong maiden field to run the seven furlongs in the fast time of 1.26.

The Lord Quex colt was inclined to grossness early in the season, but he looks more solid all round and his recent gallops at Hastings leave the impression that he is very nearly at his best for Trentham. He should not come away from the meeting emptyhanded.

Sold For India. The three-year-colt, Keen Sight, by Nightmarch—Good Sight, has been sold by the estate of the late Sir Charles Clifford. He has not had much racing, but a third in the Cashmere Plate, at the Grand National meeting, was followed by a win at Ashburton in November. He will be shipped by an early steamer to Sydney, but it is understood that he will eventually be sent to India.

New Rider. . No time was lost in filling the position of first horseman for the team raced from Cutts’s stable for the estate of the late Sir Charles Clifford. The <-’vacancy was caused by the retirement G. H. Humphries, and C. T. Wilson "'has been engaged to succeed him. Wilson served his apprenticeship in Southland. under J. A. Rowlands, and he soon made a name as a capable lightweight rider, while he has continued to handle his share of winners since he took up his residence at Riccarton about two years ago.