TOPICS OF THE TURF

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 179, 30 August 1929, Page 10

TOPICS OF THE TURF

(By "The Squire.")

JOTTINGS DkY BY DAY.

With the galloping that he has had at Dannevirke and the probability of more at the Marton gathering next month, Admiral Drake should get well keyed up for his essay in the Wanganui Guineas. He is a likely bort tor a race of that desoription, as last season he sliowed a deal of pace and lieaps oi determination. ^ * * Pesliwa's win in the Oringi Hack : Hurdles, at the Dannevirke Hunt Club meeting yesterdav, shows that the little geltling is consistent, his last three efforts having been responsible for adding a couple of wins to his credit. There is not muck of Peshwa, either in size or width, but wliat there is seems to be of tlie right sort. His resolution and gameness may probably be inherited from his paternal grandsire, that great performer, Achilles, Pesliwa's sire, Uliad's Hero, having heen got by that illustrious horse. * s Calluna, who has been some time in a-sserting himself, got to the front at the right end of the argument in tlie Ascot Hunters' Hurdles at the Hunt Club meeting at Dannevirke yesterday. He is somewhat of a moody customer, a peculiarity that cliaracterised his dam, Float, when she was carrying the colours. At times she was as fast as a train, and other times she seemed to be in polite mood, following ont the saying, "after you." That ancient warrior, Askari, who has not won since the 1925-26 season, was second. * Kotaki Eka, who has often been b^cked and heaten, was again the select of the majority of spec-ulators in connection with the Takapau Novice Stakes, but the son of Acre could do no better than run third, the liononrs coming to Acora. a three-year-old filly liy Acre, with Whenuatonga. who was n runner in tlie Okawa Maiden at the HaVke'-s Bay Hunt Club meeting last week, in second berth. * * Birkbeck, whose past performances entitled him to the position of first favourite, which lie occupied, scored in the Dannevirke Hunt Club Steeplechase, with another consistent gee-gee, in Ponjola, second. Considering tliat Birkbeck scored in tlie Aylesbury Steeplechase at the late Natioual meeting. and also won the June Steeplechase last season, at tlie Winter fix-tna-e of tlie Hawke's Bay Jockey Club, it looked easy for him at Dannevirke yesterday. Xaturally his price was sliort. * * ^ Nucleus, who mixed it successfully last season, having won on the flat and over tlie obstacles, accouuted for the other competitors in the principal event of the gathering, tlie Rakaiatai Handicap, in which she had a pound from tlie minimum. She is a younger f ull-sister to Lady Lois (Lucullus — Persis), who has included in lier victories an Avondale Stakes. * ^ Tlie Kakahukara Hack went to Sliot vSilk, a daughter of Leigliton and Blended, who first saw tlie light at Mr W. G. Stead's breeding establishment at Flaxmere, Hastings. She is under the tuition of J. "Paddy" McLauglilin, who the previous day turned out another winner in Tourist. sk * Sliot Silk had a lean period last season, but a single success being obtaiiiecl by lier, the Brookby Flack Handicap at the Summer meeting of the Marlbouorgh Racing Club, second place boinf? gatliered in by Archeria, whose parti,sans lost money over tlieir suppcrt of the gelding. * ^ * The hackers of Perle de Leon had to accept a sliort quote about him in the Akitio Ladies' Handicap. but the good thing did not come the way it was anticipated, Alaric accounting for tlie downfall of Mr W. J. Craig's gelding. Prior to taking on the lepping portion of the industry, Alaric was responsible for some attractive dispIajTs on tlie flat, and apparently age has not withered liis powers in that direction. * :{: * The stable, having produced a winner earlier in the afternoon, Tourist, who is a stable comrade of Shot Silk, was pounced on as tlie coyrect ^-ay to be going when speculation was in progress in connection witli the Kaitoke Hack Handicap. He, however, had to strike liis flag to a previous day's winner, in Royal Opera, who was on the minimum, as was Tourist. * * * Satisfactory business by comparison witli tlie investments at a similar meeting last season was recorded in connection with the Spring meeting of the Dannevirke Racing Club, as an incroase of .£1844 was recorded. * * * Ccrtainly the machino did not have a big bunch of business to liandle to liead off last year's figures, but that an advance was sliown should make It pleasing for tlie executive of the cluh, who like a lot more controlling powers ot clubs in tlie Dominion, have felt the fiiuincial strain>JC I({ -i» It has been ihe case of a long pull and a strong jiull to keop tlio boat hearl on to the financial current that has been flowing liard and strong in Dannevirke as regards tlio opera tions of the Dannevirke Racing Club. That the corner has been turned in tlio right direction is I am sure the wisli of sportsmen throughout the land. * * * Adherents of racing will have three day's sport to engross their attention rext week, the Marton Jockey Club holding their two-days' Spring venture on AYednesday and Thursday, and on Saturdav the annual re-union of the Otago Hut Cluh will take place. AYitli the number of local horses engaged at Marton the meeting will no doubt prove interesting to district enthusiasts.