TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 June 1940, Page 3

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE

New Zealand Horses for Australia

(BY

“THE GRAFTER.”)

A number of New Zealand horses have been nominated for important spring handicaps in Australia, and according to Melbourne reports Beau Vite is the likely early favourite for the Melbourne Cup. Other New Zealand nominations for the Melbourne Cup are Norse, Peerless, Beaupartir, Catalogue, Lambourn, Old Bill, Glaciate, and The Raker. Catalogue won the Melbourne Cup in 1938 but failed this season. His stablemate, Beaupartir, has been disappointing as a four-year-old. Lambourn, like his half-brother Beaupartir, is owned by Mr T. H. Lowry. He has shown useful form among the two-year-olds this season, but has yet to prove that he will stay, though the chances are that he will. Old Bill, the Wellington Centennial Cup winner, has won over £3OOO this season and is the right type of horse for a race over two miles. Shipping difficulties and the generally unsettled conditions owing to the war may result in a number of the horses remaining in the Dominion. while the progress they make will also play a part in deciding their programmes. Amigo has been nominated for the Caulfield Cup and Toorak Handicap, while The Raker also figures in the Williamstown Cup. The Melbourne Cup entries total 288, compared with 318 last year, while the Caulfield Cup total of 283 compares with 296 in 1939. Ajax has not been nominated for any of the.races and is apparently to be kept for weight-for-age races. The Caulfield Futurity Stakes to be run in February may be one of Ajax’s tasks. He has already won the race three times.

Counterlunch. Counterlunch brought her stake winnings to £339 when she scored her third success in the Moreton Hack Handicap at Ashburton. A three-year-old bay filly by Iliad from Countersign, Counterlunch is owned by Mrs F. A. Mackie, for whom she is trained by A. McMullan. Countersign, a Paper Money mare, won the Dunedin Guineas and the Hazlett Memorial Plate, a race now known as the Hazlett Gold Cup. Counterlunch is a smart beginner and this was one of the factors contributing to her Ashburton success, as a number of the more fancied horses began badly. Hot Box Goes Well. A solid seven furlongs by Hot Box was one of the features of yesterday's programme at Te Rapa. Hot Box (J. Mclnally) and Jewelled Girdle (Gollop) hit out over seven furlongs in 1.44. there being little between the pair at the completion of the effort. Hot Box, who won stylishly at Te Awamutu, is in good heart for his engagement in the Southern Queen Handicap at Hamilton, while Jewelled Girdle, who is at home under easing conditions, is not without prospects of springing a surprise. Winning Owners. Statistics show that there are nine owners in New Zealand who have exceeded I the £3OOO mark this season, up to June 15. The list, in alphabetical order, is as follows:—D. J. Barry, £2859; the Hon E. R. Davis and O. Nicholson, £4970; T. A. Duncan, £2055; W. Me. Duncan, £2085; L. Dunn. £2055; E. N. Fitzgerald, £4589; N. Grafas, £269G 10s: E. C. Harnett. £4540; J. S. and W. E. Hazlett, £3145; T. Impey, £3185; F. Ormond, £3850; H. H. Pharazyn, £3850; R. T. Reid, £2415; H. J. Riddle, £2050: A. Rowan, £3400; A. J. Smales and M. O'Connor, £2075; R. Stewart, £5015. Wellington Steeplechase. The handicaps for the Wellington Steeplechase Handicap. 3.1 m, are as follow: —Padishah 12.0; Clarion Call 11.11; Slayer 10.6; Santoft 10.2; Small Boy 9.12; Ballybrit 9,11; Cottingham, En Tour 9.10; Hirangi 9.5; Nightbound 9.4; Turaki 9.2; Biform, Brigadore, Chat, Flashlight, Floodlight, Gay Boa, Glenvane, Lactose, Makoi, Smiling Thru 9.0. Whyte Handicap Weights. The following are the weights for the Whyte Handicap, Im, at the Wellington meeting: Amigo 9.12; Sly Fox 9.2; Haughty Winner 9.1; Classform 9.0; Du Maurier, Quadroon 8.10; Alma. Francis Drake, Ned Cuttie, The Wrecker 8.9; Dictate, Hot Box 8.8; Disdain. Meamea, Sleeveless 8.7; Aurora's Star, Trench Fight 8.5; Erlick 8.4; Master Cyklon 8.2; White Rajah 8.0; Hagen, Wardress 7.13: Kena 7.12; Lady Tinkle, Royal Star II 7.11; Balmenter, Blonde Princess 7.9; Cherokee, Colonel Bogey, Paddy the Rip 7.8; Authoress. Gaelic Song, Hunting Royal, Philemup, Ruatiti, Silver Glow, Surella, Wagner. Prival 7.7.

A Strong Team. H. and A. Cutis expect to have a strong team in the coming season. Among the active Chokebore Lodge team are Winning Rival, whose sole three-year-old success was the Dunedin Guineas; Shikari, who was successful in the Dunedin Champagne Stakes and C.J.C. Challenge Stakes; the Solicitor-General maiden colt, Pleading, and Night Glass, who has made three appearances for a win and two thirds. Missed His Chance. An Australian newspaper is responsible for the report that G. Richards was engaged to ride Pont I’Eveque in the Derby, but changed to his stablemate. Tant Mieux, on the eve of the race. This is not the first time that Richards has missed the eventual winner of the Derby, which he has yet to win, by choosing the wrong mount. Land Raid. Although Land Raid never attained to the heights hoped of him when first he went into training at Riccarton, he has won 13 races during an active career. However, this season in 15 starts he was placed eight times, without winning and he is likely soon to be put to hurdle racing. He should do well in this department, for he belongs to a family that has produced many useful jumpers. Ripley Doing Better. Ripley has had seven races since being in the Dominion and while he has yet to return a dividend, his race form is improving. When he does show his best he will win, as his Australian form was good and he is now handily placed in the weights. In the Mayfield Handicap, at Ashburton, Ripley was fairly well back early, but he finished on solidly, being beaten by a head by Prudent Prince for third place. Frenchy Should Improve. Frenchy jumps well, but lack of stamina cost him a place at Ashburton as he tired badly over the concluding stages. It was only his second race for the season and an improvement can be expected. Last season Frenchy had eight starts in Australia when racing in the interests of Mr W. T. Hazlett, but he failed to show any form. Hurdler With Prospects. Colonel French, one of the youngest hurdlers racing, had his second success when he won the Hinds Hurdles at Ashburton, the other being on the same course last September. Raced in partnership by Messrs J. S. and W. E. i Hazlett, and trained by the latter at Invercargill, he is a four-year-old bay gelding by Colonel Cygnus from Lorette, a Tractor mare. In the Hinds Hurdles, Colonel French jumped well and stayed on solidly. He attempted to run down the final hurdle, but got over safely, and Master Dingle did not look like catching him on the flat.

English Records. The 1940 edition of “Ruff's Guide" contains some interesting English statistics. For instance, Fred Archer rode 2748 winners from 1870 to 1886; George Fordham. 2597, from 1850 to 1894; and Gordon Richards, 2586, from 1921 to 1939. Solario’s 47,000gns was the most ever made at auction by a stallion that had done stud duty, and Tracery was 11 years when he was sold privately for £53,000. At auction Flying Fox made 37.500gn5, and Call Boy and Nearco were each bought privately for £60,000. The two-year-old Duke of Westminster was sold privately for 21,000gns, and Silvretta, of the same age, for 13,000gns at auction. Yearlings Feridoon and Colonel Payne were respectively sold for 17.000gns and 15.000 gns, the’later at auction. KhorsheecV as a foal, made 5000gns at auction. The largest entry for a Derby was 404 for that of 1931. and the largest field for a flat race was 51 in two-year-olds at Newbury.

Game Galloper.

Roy Bun was produced 22 times this season for six wins, but he is being kept in light work in the hope of the South Island tracks being firmer in the early spring. He is a hardy and game galloper and, although he is rising eight years, he keeps his formwell.