GOSSIP FROM ALL PARTS.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20262, 3 August 1937, Page 11

GOSSIP FROM ALL PARTS.

The Pakuranga Hunt, at Ellerslie, on August 21, wiil be the next meeting to engage the attention of local horses and several trainers are now sending their charges along at headquarters In preparation for the fixture. Profit On Year. A profit of £474 12s lid is shown on the year’s working of the Feilding Jockey Club. Bhould Win. Terry’s North Island form suggests she has a good chance of winning a race at Blccarton. Grampian. Grampian has been introduced to the pony hurdles at Riccarton, and shaped well enough to suggest possibilities as a hurdler. Doing Well. Reports credit Haughty Winner and Night Dress with wintering well and being in good shape to toe tuned up for spring engagements. Queen of Song’s Dam. Differential, the dam of Queen of Song, is booked to go under the hammer at t'he Grand National meeting Differential was foaled in 1924, and is In foal to Night Raid. King Neptune. King Neptune is in ideal order to enter on a further preparation and providing he remains free from the bleeding trouble that affected his three-vear-old career he should do well in .. the new term. To Resume Work. After enjoying a let-up extending over several weeks, Gay Broney will resume regular work at the beginning of next month. In his first attempt at hurdle-racing in June Gay Broney displayed marked promise, and if given further opportunities in the new department he should win plenty of money.

Trenoh Fight. . Trench Fight, one of the early ru - ing favourites for the Winter Cup caused a sensation at the Christchurch Hunt on Saturday when he took charge of his rider, R. Beale, during the P re “ liminary to the Brabazon Handicap and bolted three miles before being pulled up. He was accordingly withdrawn from the race. Red Sun. It w’ould perhaps be wrong to say that Red Sun’s racing at Wellington in the heavy ground “knooked” him, but it took the edge off his keenness and he did not look so bright afterward. He has 'time to freshen tup for the National meeting. Lord Val. Lord Val is in splendid condition for engagements ahead and Ellerslie reports indicate that he will perform prominently at the Pakuranga Hunt this month, when he will race on the fiat. Although he is now getting on in years he still retains much of his old 'brilliancy and his ability to handle winter conditions has stood to him in recent starts. Thangllamba. Nothing of a strenuous nature has been required of Thangllamba since she last raced, though she is bowling along very freely in her work. This mare has abundance of speed, but her weakness in the past has been her lack of stamina. Age, however, is likely to improve her in that respect, and she may do better as a five-year-old this season. Injured Jockeys’ Grants. Mr Geoffrey Lloyd (Under-secretary for the Home Office) said in the House of Commons recently that the number of jockeys benefiting from grants made by the Racecourse Retting Control Board to enable National Hunt committees to pay increased allowances to professional riders injured in races was 135, involving £4OOO. He said it was Intended to continue such grants. Made a Good Recovery. Owing to contracting a cold, the three-year-old Vaalso has 'been having an easy time during the past month. However, he has made a good recovery and will toe put into regular work again this week. Vaalso is a wellgrown gelding, thought at present he is inclined -to be to bit headstrong, but that will disappear when he has had more experience. Three In Succession. Pat Donoghue, son of the famous Steve Donogtoue, could not compare with his father as a jockey, but as a trainer under Pony Turf Club rules toe is leading in his profession. He took out his licence three years ago, and since then has led in the Northolt Derby winner each year. His last was the Manna colt Short Rations, on June 14. When Manna won the English Derby in 1925 he was ridden by Steve Donoghue. To Race at Pakuranga. The Takaninl trainer W. H. Paterson will have Sub-Editor to represent him in jumping events at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting. The Surveyor gelding, who has been qualified, is getting through, a good preparation and is well forward. It is Intended to bring Sub-Editor to Ellerslie a couple of times in spider to give him some schooling over the steeplechase fences prior to the meeting. True Bill, in the same stable, bv Surveyor from Adi Thangi (a full-sister to Thangllamba), is stated to toe going along very satisfactorily in his work. Lap Up will not be raced again until the ground becomes firmer. Disappearing. The professional punter—the man who will back a horse for a stable, laying the owner or trainer a sum to nothing—is disappearing, if notice can be taken of gossip in and around the enclosiures on raco days. There have been one or two wins in recent weeks that looked on Ihe face of things remunerative to. the stable (says a Sydney paper), but convincing stories have subsequently been told about arrangements for the (backing of the horse concecrned that went awry. Perhaps there may be some truth in the quip from a trainer that, if he could secure a punter for his stable, he would make a comfortable living by placing him on exhibition. Burglar. Burglar was foaled in 1925, and has certainly not been over-raced. Up to the end of last season he started four times in four seasons. In 1933 Burglar was. second to Night Club in the Pareora Steeples. In 1934 Umtali gave him 281 b. and a beating in the OTago Hunt Club Cup Steeples; in 1935 Wykemist beat him in the Pareora Steeples, and last year he won the Amateur Cup Steeplechase at Waimate. This season Burglar has broken into better racing society toy winning in open company at the Wellington winter meeting. Burglar has generally a good deal of ground to make up in a race, and was well back in the early stages of his races at Trentham, but he arrived at the finish like a good stayer. Engagements. J. S. Shaw will have six horses racing on the first day of the Grand National meeting, and all of them will have different riders. W. J. BrOughton will be on Lustral. P. Atkins on Greek Gold, G. G. Goulsbro on Matoru, J. McFarlane on Moonraker. J. McParlane will have the mount on Queen Dorothy in the Winter Cup. Thomson will ride Brigadore in the Grand National Steeplechase and Red Sun In the Grand National Hurdles. Tentative arrangements have also been made to secure the services of F. E. Baker in the Grand National, hut they are subject to the decision of A. E. Ellis, who may be induced to resume his career as a jumping rider on this safe fencer. J. W. Jennings will ride Queen of Song in the Winter Cup. Ho had to decline the mount on Epris. Wintering Well. An interested visitor to the Gaine Carrington Stud, at 11 ill crest. last week, was Mr P. Day, manager of the touring Springboks, who in private life is secretary to the South African Turf Club. Mr Day was especially interested in the new importation. Baffles, whom ho considers possesses some of the world’s best tolood. Bland ford, the sire of Baffles, is, in Ids opinion, the horse of the century. Mr Day was greatly taken with the yearlings, the ono that appealed to him most being the colt out of Smoke Concert, an evenly balanced youngster possessing all the appearances of developing into a useful proposition. Mr Day ex - pressed disappointment at his inability to \ isit some of the other studs in the district and is looking forward to inspecting r, '-»<u , clie Stud when in fch* .South.

A Matter of Size. Misleading opinions have been published at different times about this and that in connection with a race. On one occasion it was stated that mares did not make good over fences, and then the same thing has been said about stallions. Both opinions were absolutely wrong, for the simple reason that, outside of France, the fields racing over fences in recent years have been almost entirely composed of geldings. Now there has been an objection raised against Irish Comet on the ground that his chance at Riccarton is handicapped toy lack of size. It is said that Ahua, who won the Grand National Steeples under 11.9, was only a pony in height, or what is described as a big-little horse. Wiltshire, who won in,-1928 and 1924. did not fill the eye as a big horse, although he n:ay have measured more than he looked. Aurora Borealis, who won the Grand National Steeples of 1930, and rim second in the Grand National Hurdles, was a “weed” in comparison to some of her rivals. Comparatively small horses have won over Aintree, and Ruby; winner of the Flemingion Grand National Steeple, under 12.7, is described as a pony. The greatest pony ever seen was probably Martian, who was really a big-topped horse on short legs.