TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 March 1940, Page 3

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Notable Steeplechase Performers PROBABLE MEETING OF SLAYER AND SURVOY INTEREST IN ALLOTMENT OF WEIGHTS (BY- ' THE GRAFTER.") Keen interest was taken in the weights to be allotted Slayer 11.13. and Survey 11.6 in the Great Western Steeplecnase, and though the owners oft these two well-performed horses cannot complain of the imposts •allotted their horses in the class they are likely to meet over the Riverton country, opinions differ widely regarding the merits of the two horses. Slayer, last season as a five-year-old, did a fair amount of racing, starting 16 times for four wins, four seconds, and three thirds. .. This season he has started only three times, scoring two firsts and a third. The opposition he met in the last two races was weak, there being only five starters in the Beaufort and three starters in the Lincoln Steeplechase.

Survey, now an cighl-year-old, had nine races last season and won five of them, being unplaced in the others. This season Survoy has not had a. race. It is interesting to note that these horses have only met once over country, in the Wellington Steeplechase last July, when Survoy 9.13 won and Slayer 9.0 fell when going like a winner about a mile from home.. Both are good stayers, and though Slayer is unquestionably the better jumper ol the pair Survey’s form on the flat is much superior to Slayer’s, as at both five and six years old ho won in open company. The Riverton country should suit both horses well, and if they meet m the Great Western Steeplechase they will invest that race with more interest than for a couple of decades past. Mr Hassell in fixing their respective imposts had a difficult task, and, taking into full consideration their form on the flat and the standard of jumpers each has beaten, it would appear that lie has given Slayer the worst of the deal in making him concede 71b. to the winner of two out of the three prinfipal steeplechases decided in the Dominion last winter.

Creeping Up. Capricious's second in the Dunedin Cup has sent her up further in the weights. She beat Willie Win by a

head, when receiving a stone, and in the Great Autumn Handicap is within 71b. of him. Sovereign Ladyt a nonstarter) was 151 b. above Capricious in the Dunedin weights; in the Great Autumn (he difference is 711).

Early Death. The Tiderace—Slackline colt purchased at the 1939 yearling sales for 575 guineas by the Hon. A. Crofts, ol Melbourne, died recently. Tie was trained by J. Fryer and his connections had a very high opinion of the colt, who was named Raipara. Dividend Awaits Owner. An advertiser in the Christchurch “Press" is anxious to find an elderly man for whom he holds a dividend. He was hi I’nc queue al the totalisator before one of the races at Motukarara last Saturday, when a man. following a common habit at race meetings, walked up beside him and asked him to put. 10s on a horse for him. This the advertiser did. but when he came away from the window he could not find the owner of the money. The horse won and the advertiser collected the dividend. He spent much of the remainder of the day endeavouring to find the investor but without result and has twice advertised, but so far no claim has boon made.