TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 February 1939, Page 11

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

PASSAFORM A DOUBLE WINNER

(By "

"The Cynic.”)

Passaform, hero of the Winton meeting, where he won the Winton Cup and Soldier Members’ Memorial Handicap, is a half-brother by Balboa to Tauramai, a winner of the Dunedin Guineas, Dunedin Cup, and the Great Autumn Handicap. Though these were the most important successes Passaform has had to date, he is only a three-year-old and has excellent prospects of developing smart form up to a middle distance. Last season Passaform won one two-year-old handicap at Dunedin, and on the same course was beaten in a hard . finish by Dunstan in the Champagne Stakes. A win in the mile Maungatua Handicap at Dunedin last October was Passaform’s only previous win this season, but he had shown some good place form. Boswell has struck a bad patch, his last three starts resulting in seconds. On each day at Winton he was the runner-up to Passaform, and whatever chance he had on the final day was ruined through his failure to get off .with the rest of the field. Boswell was also sired by Balboa, and he js in line for another winning turn. Useful Mare. Boaform has had three starts to date for two wins, but she tripped backers badly at Winton, failing when a solid favourite for the Barkly Hack Handicap on the first day and winning the Awarua Handicap on the second day when neglected in the betting. Lack of recent racing was evidently responsible for her failure to run on at her first start, and another smart effort can be expected at Gore. A four-year-old bay mare by Balboa from Some Form, a Some Boy II mare, Boaform is a sister to Ashaway. Chirp, the second horse sired by the Autumnus horse Full Feather to get on the winning list, had her second success in the Barkly Handicap at Winton, finishing on solidly, but she was beaten out of a place in the mile Benmore Handicap on the final day. A three-year-old filly, Chirp is from Lucy Locket, a useful race mare in her day. Consistent. Wild Career was beaten by half a head in the flying Handicap when Rodeur caught him, but this six-year-old Balboa gelding had a comfortable win in the Stewards’ Purse Handicap on the final day. This, incidentally, was Wild Career’s first success this season. He is not yet at the stage where weight becomes troublesome, and at Gore he may show winning form again. The good record of six wins, six seconds, and on third from twenty-one starts has been put .up by Toro Koura this season. For a three-year-old Toro Koura, which is by Pink Coat, has already had a hard season’s -racing and he has reached the stage where weight ; will trouble him in sprints, except on metropolitan courses. At Winton Toro Koura was third in the Flying Handicap to Rodeur and Wild Career, and second to Wild Career in the Stewards’ Purse. From now on Toro Koura may be called on to race over longer distances, and as he fights on well his chances of adding to his record must be considered good. Poniard fell in his first race this season. the Forde Steeplechase at Wairio, ■but he made no mistakes at Winton, winning both the Winton and Turi Steeplechases with the greatest of ease. Last season Poniard had two wins, both in high-weights, and as he has had little experience in steeplechases there is every reason to believe that he will do well this winter. A nine-year-old brown gelding, Poniard is by Greyspear from Eelspear, an Arrowsmith mare. Mr F. Ormond wins £550. The Hawke’s Bay sportsman, Mr F. Ormond, was the most successful owner at the Waikato Racing Club’s meeting at Te Rapa on Saturday and Monday, with £550 in stake-money. He had three representatives, Nora Gregor, whose two successes were worth £350. ■lvar, who accounted for £175, and Kathbella. whose third-placing brought in £25. Ambition Realised. When he rode Queen of Song home a winner in the recent Dunedin Cup the youthful Wingatui light-weight jockey, P. Spratt, achieved an ambition formed when he was barely old enough to think about anything. In 1927, when he was just six years of age, he was taken by his parents to Wingatui, and saw the Dunedin Cup run. Not content with watching the presentation of the trophy to Footfall’s owner from an ordinary point of vantage, he squeezed through the rails of the birdcage, took up his stand as near as possible to the ''-..'-official party, and. when his parents retrieved him, announced that 'some day he would ride the winner of the cup. From that time on his sole desire was to be a jockey. Backed for a Fortune. Backed by stable and public for a fortune, Respirator, trained by J. T. Jamieson, appeared to have thrown away his chance 50 yards from the post in the Carlingford Mile at Rosehill on February 4. Respirator was then issuing a determined challenge to River Namoi. Suddenly he darted in, and from the stands he looked to savage the leader. Bartle had to stop riding Respirator and straighten him up. It seemed impossible that he could regain the lost ground, but with one of the most remarkable finishing bursts in years the colt grabbed River Namoi r , on the post and just won. Immediately ' Bartle dismounted from Respirator he was questioned b.v two of the stewards, Messrs Williams and Donohoe. Bartie explained to them that Respirator did not try to savage River Namoi. The trouble was caused when Bartie hit Respirator extra hard with the whip on a touchy spot. Respirator immediately flinched and veered in sharply, but he did not actually touch the other horse. By his win Respirator proved himself a worthy contender for three-year-old honours in the autumn. He has shown no recurrence of the trouble which caused his withdrawal from the last Melbourne Cup, and as he is essentially a stayer he will probably be taken to Melbourne for the V.R.C. St Leger.

Importation of Saleve. The thoroughbred stallion Saleve. by Spicn Kop—Skein Dhu. has been imported by the New Zealand Loan an Mercantile Agency Company. Limited, to the order of Mr S. McGreal, Hawera. After a successful turf career on the flat and over hurdles, Saleve was retired to the stud in 1936. His sire, Spion Kop, is by Spearmint from Hammerkop, a daughter of Concussion, by Gallinule. Gustos in Tasmania. Custos, who was Wild Chase’s rival for two-year-old honours in his year, and who was subsequently sold to go to Tasmania, was runner-up to the three-year-old Marconigram gelding Macaroni in the Hobart Cup, £5OO, one mile and a-half, at Hobart recently. The Lord Warden gelding is now owned by Mr B. Paulson, of Hobart. Improved in Looks. Aggravate looks better now than at any previous .stage of his career, and if he fails to pay expenses at Hokitika it will not be on the. score of condition. He seems to prefer small tracks, so he should be well suited at Hokitika. Disappointing. Since he struck winning form early in the holidays, Rebel Chief has raced disappointingly at. Trentham and Wingatui, but at neither place has he escaped an interrupted passage. On West Coast tracks Rebel Chief is a different proposition, and it would not surprise to see him bobbing up again at Hokitika. Likely to Improve. The Australian-bred three-year-old Crestman, a member of A. McGregor’s Rotorua team, was very confidently backed to win at first time of asking at the Egmont meeting, but after running greenly he was beaten into fifth place. It was a performance which Crestman is soon likely to improve upon. Running Better. Amoroso, who is now a member of H. Scally’s Hawera team, is running on a little better than he did formerly, and his performance in running second to Race Call in open company at Hawera was a good one for a hack. Probably he is developing greater solidity with age. Promising. Rehearsal, who disappointed in spring engagements after showing much promise in his two-year-old season, has resumed work under W. Rayner at Wanganui after a four-months spell.