CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 July 1940, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE

Spring Plans for Ajax (BY -THE GRAFTER.”) Ajax, according to his trainer, F. Musgrave, is doing remarkably well, and present plans are that he will have his first race of the new season in the Underwood Stakes, the Williamstown Club's rich weightfor age event, at the end of August. Musgrave says that there is little possibility of Ajax racing in Sydney in the spring. In Sydney recently there has been much talk of a match race between Ajax and High Caste at Randwick on September 21, but obviously Musgrave has not been consulted, as he knows nothing about the reported match and, in any case, such a race does not find favour with him. “There are plenty of weight-for-age races for the good horses,” he said, “without staging match races.”

Musgrave added that so far no definite plans had been made for Ajax for the coming spring, but if he had his way the champion would remain in Melbourne for the spring meetings.

“There are better opportunities for Ajax in Melbourne in the spring than in Sydney,” he said. “It is different in the autumn, when there are several races in Sydney which suit him.”

Musgrave referred to the many weight-for-age races, all carrying rich prize money, over distances less than ten furlongs, which are run in Melbourne between Underwood Stakes day * and the V.R.C. Melbourne Cup meeting. For instance, the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield, the Quality Handicap at Moonee Valley, the Melbourne Stakes at the V.R.C. October meeting, the Caulfield Stakes, on the first day of the V.A.T.C. Caulfield Cup meeting, and the W. S. Cox Plate, at Moonee Valley on Cup day at that course. In Sydney, in the spring, there are but three races of a similar class —the Chelmsford Stakes, the Hill Stakes, and the Craven Plate.

May Develop Into Useful Winner. Jolly Time, an unraced brown filly by Paper Money from Mudlark, a Gay Lad mare, lias been shaping well in recent months, and with experience she may develop into a useful winner. She is of good size and has a nice style of galloping. Her first attempt may be in the Maiden Stakes at the Christchurch Hunt meeting. Pleading Galloping Well. Pleading continues to gallop particularly well, and with a race in the Maiden Stakes at the Christchurch Hunt meeting to harden him up. he should be a hard horse to beat among the hacks at the Grand National meeting. A race like the Cashmere Plate should suit him. The Absurd—Eulogy mare Eulalie, a Stewards’ Handicap winner, was disappointing with her early foals, but to. Solicitor General she produced a very promising colt in Pleading. A brown in colour, he had had four races without showing form, but the coming season should only be in its infancy before he takes his first race.