TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 March 1939, Page 9

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

“SNOW” BURGESS MISSES A BARGAIN.

(By

“The Cynic.”)

An interesting story is told of how a trainer-owner missed a bargain when his horse failed to win a race at a northern meeting. Owner-trainer B. Burgess, of Masterton, was on the track one morning and he was offered Llangollen at a price less than £IOO. At that time Llangollen had not started in a race, and Burgess asked for a trial before deciding to buy her. His request was acceded to, but he was told that, in the event of the trial being successful, the purchase price would be raised. A good horse was selected and Llangollen duly accounted for him. The price was then nearly doubled, and Burgess stated that should Pukeko (one of his horses) win a race at the meeting he would buy Llangollen. Pukeko failed to win and Llangollen still remained the profitable property of the Abbot brothers. Cuddle in Foal, Cuddle, the outstanding mare of recent years, is reported to be safely in foal to the Surveyor horse, Croupier, and the outcome of this mating will be watched with wide interest. Although Cuddle did a lot of racing, there is no reason why she should not do well at the stud, for she is a big, roomy and strong mare and she is bred on the very choicest lines. Cuddle is a daughter of Psychology and the Tracery horse has left some really high class brood mares, including the dams of the Auckland Cup winner, Gold Trail, iand White Gold, Symcony, The Crooner and that good Victorian mare Amiable.

The first of Croupier’s stock are racing this season and show distinct promise, as well as courage, a characterise tic of their sire. Counter is his first winner, having scored impressively at Pahiatua over that smart filly Endorsement, and having run second to Vascones at Woodville after being badly left in a straggly start.

Croupier (19) was a high class galloper, winning the Wanganui Guineas and Harcourt Cup among other races. He was by that fine racehorse and sire Surveyor, who won classics and handicap races from five furlongs to a mile and a half.

Surveyor was a male tail descendant of St. Simon, being by the William the Third horse Nassau, from Pellet, by Thurnham (a son of John o’ Gaunt) i from Pell (the darn of Pelham), by the Cyllene horse Hymettus from the Birkenhead mare Pellicule. Archer’s Reward. In the ’sixties of last century, Fred Archer, the celebrated English jockey, won his first race. A burly farmer had entered a mare, Big Jemima, for the Norfolk and Suffolk Handicap and found himself without a jockey to ride her. Someone suggested “that lad that’s apprenticed to Matt Dawson, youngster nafne o' Archer.” “I’ll make it worth your while if you win,” promised the farmer. Though Big Jemima was a rank "outsider, Archei’ handled her with such amazing skill and perseverance that she won. “You’re a marvel,” said the delighted owner. “I’ll show ye I’m grateful. I’ll send yer pa and ma a pound of the very best green tea.” Half Caste. The yearling half-brother by Beau Pere to High Caste and Stretto has been broken in by K. J. Heaton, and has made his appearance on the track at Ellerslie. A dark brown in colour, he is a fine, upstanding colt and has a nice even temperament.' He should be named Half Caste. Missing the Mount.' Maurice McCarten’s ride on Talking in the Caulfield Cup of 1937 must have been one of the costliest of his career. McCarten was suspended for allegedly crossing too sharply, and, as a result, another rider had to be found for Ajax in the Victoria Derby. Harold Badger, who had had experience of the colt, was the obvious choice, and has since piloted him to 15 of his successive wins. Those wins have been worth £766 5s to him in 5 per cpnt winning percentages alone, with the probability of several nice monetary presents having been added. Presumably checks for that amount would have reposed in McCarten’s bank account had he not incurred the displeasure of the stewards. McCarten has had his share of lucky last-minute rides in important races.- Heroic Prince in the Australian Cup was one, but they hardly compensate for his misfortune in losing the steady income to be derived from association with a champion galloper. Perhaps such a thought flashed through his mind at Caulfield recently when he was down the straight on Amiable, while Ajax was winning the Futurity. Still, there is compensation in the fact that his percentages on Ajax totalled £397 10s for five wins before the partnership was broken. Ohly three jockeys—McCarten, Badger and Ted Bartie —have ridden Ajax in races. Bartie piloted him only once for a win in the Cropper Plate at Randwick, and his presence in the saddle was due to the fact that Badger had been suspended by the A.J.C. stewards. That was a lucky £5O fee for Bartie. All told, Badger has been associated with Ajax in 17 of his successes, having piloted him to his first win—the V.A.T.C. Holiday Stakes—and in the Chatsworth Plate on the same course. Those two additional wins are worth £35 in percentages, so Badger has already earned £BOl 5s in official winning fees on the champion, with every probability of more to come. Three in a Row. Since disappointing on the final day at Wanganui a fortnight ago, Trebor has won three races in a week, and he has travelled from Bulls to New Plymouth and back to Carterton in collecting the treble. A five-year-old half-brother by Spear Dance to • that good horse Prince Vai. he is proving a hardy customer, as his relative was. He is owned in partnership by Mr H. W. Moss, of Wellington, and his trainer, T. R. George. RACING FIXTURES March 17, 18.—Wellington R.C. March 17, 18.—Ohinemuri J.C. March 18.—Waimate R.C. March 23, 25.—Oamaru J.C. March 24, 25— Manawatu R.C. March 25.—Birchwood H.C. March 25, 27.—Bay of Plenty R.C.

Maiden Winner.

While raced by her breeder, Mr T. A. Duncan. Titter, winner of the Maiden at Carterton, was a disappointing filly, incapable of running out the shortest distance, and a little over a month ago she was purchased by Messrs E. Qething and J. H. Brown, of Upper Hutt, on the recommendation of the Trentham trainer, A. Goodman, who believed that she would do better raced in behind. This was her third start in her new colours. At Woodville she might have won on the second day if she had not been hit over the face when going up on the inner of the tail-switching Parian. Titter is bred to stay on. A goodlooking three-year-old chestnut filly, she is a daughter of Laughing Prince and the Psychology —War Scare mare Sigma, a half-sister to Bobrikoff and a full-sister to the dam of Second Wind, Gascony, and Senior, so she hails from one of the best Okawa families. Allowed to follow the pace instead of making it, she will probably turn out a very useful performer. Well Bred. Yours Truly, a Carterton winner, is a well-bred three-year-old bay colt by Siegfried from that good Lord Quex— Tressida mare My Own, whose colt foal by Tiderace was top-priced youngster at the Trentham sales last January. He is being raced by his breeder, Mr J. S. McLeod, the president of the New Zealand Racing Conference, and he is one of the occasional horses J. W. Lowe trains for Mr McLeod. This win makes him ineligible for the Trial Plate at the Wellington meeting on Friday.