TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 May 1940, Page 3

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE The Palmy Days of Opaki A REVIVAL EXPECTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE

(BY

"THE GRAFTER.")

Many years ago Opaki was a hive of training industry and many of the finest horses the Dominion then produced were housed at that old established centre. There was a veritable army of horses in training and there was a stud farm of considerable proportions, owned by Mr W. R. Kemball, and of which Mr Harry' Hilton, at one time a noted Wairarapa footballer, was studmaster. The stud was subsequently removed to Melbourne, where Mr Kemball continues to be successful in racing and Mr Hilton has made a name for himself as a trainer as well as a studmastcr. Further back still Merry McGrath and J. Jamieson were noted trainers at are even more so today in Australia. Opaki supplied large numbers of horses for meetings in various parts of the North and South Islands and substantial stake money flowed into local channels.

Masterton even in those days had a number of trotters in training and the late Messrs Joe Dixon, Tai Te Tau, Harry Yates, Bill Cragg and others produced successful trotters at the meetings held on what is known today as Memorial Park.

Pony racing, too, was formerly in favour among a large section of Wairarapa sportsmen and the races held at Moroa are 'still remembered by followers of racing in the days when Will Scarlet and Lethargy were numbered among the best ponies in the Dominion, winning at Moroa, Island Bay and other pony and galloway meetings on the West Coast. Lethargy was owned by the late Mr Bob Acheson, a well known Carterton and Masterton solicitor and later a magistrate, and paid some big dividends in his winning efforts.

Following a slump period, Opaki is again building up a reputation for horses which are trained there, and today Opaki trainers are becoming increasingly well known for their skill in handling their charges. With an increase in the total number of horses at Opaki which is expected in the near future, there should he a revival of the palmy days of Opaki.

doocl Performances. At Hastings yesterday Laughing Song and City Song, booked for Wanganui next week, accomplished the best effort from the time point of view. Court Yard Put To Hurdles. Court Yard is beginning to get into racing shape and is expected to race at Trentham. He was given his first schooling over hurdles today by his trainer, R. Register. Winsome Lu Goes Well, Winsome Lu (Reilly) got to the end of seven furlongs in 1.401 at Hawera yesterday. She revelled in the heavy conditions and a repetition of her McRae Cup effort at Egmont would make her hard to dispose of in the cup on Saturday. Overtures were made to secure H. N. Wiggins for Winsome Lu, but as he is engaged for Liane, she is so far without a rider. Winsome Lu is going well just now. Expected To Win Soon. . ' Silver Shekel, a bag colt by Inflation from Princess Lajean. a half-sister to Arrow Lad, ran an improving race into third in the Rangitane Plate on the first day. of the Manawatu meeting, and he is expected to be an early winner.

A Consistent Galloper. Five placed performances against one win this season is the consistent record of the Southland galloper Boloyna, but he has been unlucky on four occasions when he has been beaten. The brother to Ravenna just failed to concede 81b to Schoolgirl in the Claremont Handicap at Timaru, where he carried a stone more and ran the same time as St Cloud in the Open Sprint. On the strength of that he was equal favourite with Schoolgirl for the Southburn Handicap, but again he was unlucky in the running. RACING FIXTURES May 25. —Foxton. June 1, 3.—Napiei’ Park. June 1, 3.—Wanganui. June 1,3, 5. —Auckland. June 1, 3.—Dunedin. June 8. —Dunedin. June 8. —Hawke’s Bay. June 15.—Hawke’s Bay. June 15.—Greymouth. June 22. —Otaki-Maori. June 22. —Ashburton County. June 22. —Waipa. June 29. —Dannevirke Hunt. June 29.—Oamaru.