TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1940, Page 9

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Smart Southland Sprinters

SHOWING IMPROVED FORM

(BY

"THE GRAFTER.”)

Southland has produced few better three-year-olds than Nigger Boy, and later on he is expected to develop good form over middle distances. Bay Duke staged a return to his best form during the holidays, and he will more than hold his own in the company he is to meet in the south. Rcdeur has been one of the best sprinters raced in recent seasons. She has faded over middle distances, but as she usually shows-her best in the autumn, along with the fact that she has dropped in the weights, there are possibilities in her. Fleet Street is another good sprinter who will be available later. The most/improved sprinter about is Spendthrift, who is just the type to win an important handicap. Spendthrift won a race as a two-year-old, but failed to race up to that form as a three-year-old. This year, however, he has returned to his best, and won the first two open races he contested. The Paper’Money gelding looks certain to win over further than a sprint distance later. Phalanx, Viking, Waitoru, and others are all capable of adding interest to sprint events.

Not Out in Form. i Not Out, who had to win £5 before leaving hack ranks when he was nominated for the Post Handicap, elected to start in that event in preference to the Craven Plate at Riccarton on Saturday. Claiming an apprentice allowance which reduced his weight to 9.4, he justified the confidence placed in him by scoring a decisive win. As a two-year-old Not Out’s form was mediocre. From five starts at that age he failed to gain a place, but this season he has made rapid progress and has been only twice unplaced from ten starts. His stake earnings to date total £915. Has Prospects. Retrogression, winner of the Lyttelton Plate at the Riccarton meeting, is a two-year-old by Magnus from Retrospect. He made his debut at the Wellington meeting, running unplaced m the Fitzherbert Handicap and the Hopeful Stakes, but his showings in those races drew attention to his prospects for future events. His impressive win on Saturday further indicates that he may seriously trouble the best of the two-year-olds before the close of the season. Yours Truly. - Having his first start in Australia, the New Zealand Cup winner Yours Truly (who has missed a place since in a further outing) made a promising showing in the Rosehill Handicap a fortnight ago. He irriproved from the rear at the half-mile and was going well in fifth place passing the winning post. Yours Truly, who now races in the interests of Sir Thomas Gordon and Messrs W. A. Freeman and F. W. Hughes, seemed unlucky. Nicely placed in third position after two furlongs, he became pocketed next to the rail at the seven furlong post, and he had to be repeatedly checked off the heels of horses in front. His rider finally dropped him out to last, but he was not able to do so till the half-mile. Once clear he began to make up ground, but though he was always overhauling the leaders in the straight he had too much leeway to make up to reach a place.

Dark Flight Out of Action. It was unfortunate that Dark Flight, who proved himself one of the best sprinters at the New Zealand Cup meeting, should go amiss, as his meeting with Nigger Boy, Spanish Lad, and Spendthrift was being keenly awaited. Neither Nigger Boy nor Spanish Lad will be produced at Winton or Gore, but they will be on hand for later autumn fixtures. There is good reason to believe that Spanish Lad is one of the best gallopers in commission in the south, as he has proved himself over all distances. Spanish Lad’s mission at Easter will probably be the Riverton Cup. Hospitality to Soldiers.

Soldiers in uniform were admitted free at a recent Moonee Valley meeting, and after the races a large number were entertained at dinner by the club. At Caulfield on January 20 about 200 soldiers were treated to lunch, a •race book, admittance to the birdcage (not the parade cage), and then put on to the winner of the last race. Willie Win’s Win. There is no desire to detract from whatever merit existed in connection with Willie Win’s success in the Midsummer Handicap at Riccarton, but the opposition did not make it such a severe test as it might have been. Willie Win attracted attention at Wellingtonby his improved appearance, and the racing there no doubt helped to make further improvement in his condition so that he might have won at Riccarton no matter how the race was run. Promising Sorts. Two-year-olds that displayed speed at Riccarton and may stay on with more experience include Pleading. Speedwell and Highland Dance. Pleading is a brown colt by Solicitor-Gen-eral from Eulalie. by Absurd-Eulogy, and hence comes from a good winning family. Speedwell is a bay gelding by Myosotis from Love in the Mist, by Martian from Love a Duck, and Highland Dance is a bay colt by Pink Coat from Keel Row. and a half-brother to Rebel Lad.

Soft Going Appreciated.

The liking of the Vaals horses for soft tracks is becoming more pronounced and at the end of this season they look like rivalling the Hunting Song horses in this respect. The Valais horse has sired a lot of winners in New Zealand, among them being Our Jean, Cheval de Volee. Valmint, Fil de Vaals, Anopheles and Lovaals. Vaals was a fine handicap performer in Australia. Round him is a punting romance of the betting ring in Australia. He was owned by Mr E. Moss, a spectacular punter, who, in one winning sequence by Vaals, won enough money to wipe out a deficit of £.35,000 accruing from operations with other horses. No Control Over Mounts. The two apprentices who rode Royal Lassie and Royal Rank in the Trial Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday each rode with such short leathers that they had no control over their mounts, and when they broke through the barrier, were unable to pull their mounts up until considerably over a mile and a-quarter had been run. Under rule 288 of the rules of racing, the stewards are given power to require any rider to lengthen his stirrup leathers in order to prevent danger to himself or to any other riders or to any horses in the race. There were an unusually large number of apprentices riding on Saturday, and several of them appeared to be riding much too short to give them proper control of their horses.

RACING FIXTURES

February 8 and 10.—Egmont. February 10 and 12—Poverty Bay. February 10 and 12. —Gore. February 10 and 12. —Rotorua. February 16 and 17. —Winton. February 17. —Tolago Bay. February 17.—Opunake. February 17 and 19— Waikato. February 22 and 24.—Dunedin. February 24.—Waiapu. „ February 24 and 26.—Westland. February 24 and 26. —Te Aroha. February 24 and 26.—Woodville.