SPORTING

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 252, 23 September 1929, Page 10

SPORTING

FROM STABLE AND COURSE.

(By “Binocular.”)

Racing at Geraldine on Thursday and Saturday.

The Hawke’s Bay Club’s spring meeting will be held next Saturday.

The two-year-old gelding by Diacquenod from Mazabuka in J. T. Jamieson’s stable has been named Hard Words.

Some of the racing 'clubs in England are reducing the cost of admission, while free race books were granted at a recent meeting.

The London Stock Exchange sweep on the Derby resulted .in 100,000 soys, being distributed among various hospitals and charity organisations.

Hynanna is reported from Trentham to be looking bright and well and to be doing steady tasks. While ho is not very forward, he will probably compete at the Wellington spring meeting.

Habit (Thespian—Cowl), who is now one of E. J. Murtagh’s team at Trentham, is stated to have developed into a very fine filly. She may make her first appearance as a three-year-old at Masterton. This filly was at one time quartered at Awapuni.

The arrival of the first foal sired by the imported horse Whirlwind was announced from the Auckland Stud Company’s establishment, last week, done (by Catmint— Hyades) producing a filly.

When Consent scored his victory in the Owen Handicap at Wanganui a Taranaki writer stated that it marked the 135th winner the veteran trainer, F. Tilley, had claimed on that particular course. The past meeting was a fitting conclusion for the mentor’s activities.

M. H. Nicol, who received serious facial injuries when Risk fell with him in the Hunt Cup Steeplechase at the recent Marton fixture, is reported to have made a wonderful recovery and to have secured his discharge from hospital last Wednesday. He will not, however, bo found in the saddle for some little time.

It is understood that the well known racehorse and brood mare Silver Peak (dam of Silver Paper and Aspiring) is to bo again mated with Paper Money this season. It is also mentioned that another crack Southland turf performer in Set Sail is to visit Night Raid, sire of Nightmarch and Night Lad.

Writing from Sydney, the Wanganui mentor, W. Raynor, states that Pedestal, the two-year-old half-brother to Commendation, was injured on the trip across the- Tasman and in consequence will not race in Australia. It had been expected that the son of Thespian would came to hand quickly and possibly win a stake or two.

In addition to The Geisha and Spoon, the property of Mr C. G. Dalgety, the Riccarton mentor, G. Murray-Aynsley, has three other two-year-olds of his own in commission at Riccarton. These comprise Riri, by Paladin from Reproachful, a brother to Chide, Kakara, by Paladin from Orange Blossom, dam of Arrowhead and Hoa, by Martian from Contempt.

Chief Link, who accompanied Silvermine to Auckland last week, is a half-brother to Silvermine and a full-brother to Silver Rule, both of whom have shown ability to win races over sprint distances. Chief Link has not raced yet, although ho led home one of the divisions in the two-year-old parade at Wanganui, but he will no doubt be found engaged in the Welcome Stakes at Ellerslie next month.

London papers now to hand show that the defeat of Lord Derby’s horse Fairway in the Eclipse Stakes at; Sandown Park, won by Royal Minstrel, w‘as well invested with the sensational. Ockls of s’to 2 were laid on Fairway, but, after cracking on the pace, he was unable to combat Royal Minstrel’s challenges and was really' beaten pointless in the finishing stage of the journey. Royal Minstrel was ridden by J. Childs, who is praised for his display of judgment in allowing his mount .to balance himself properly. throughout, while Fairway was running himself. to a. standstill. The value of the Eclipse Stakes to the winner was £12,994.

Some remarkablo leaps by foals have been recorded recently in England, and the story of an amazing one was told by Lady Lindsay. A foal not many weeks old was left in a box whilst its mother was taken outside. For some reason the foal got in a great state of excitement, and decided to join the parent outside. It actually jumped through a small window in the box at least seven feet above the floor,, of the stable, and, what is also very remarkable, did not in tho least injure itself. It was a tall jump and a tall story, but there seems to be good foundation for it. Surely that foal is destined to. make a wonderful steeplechaser.

Because Aussie’s name was missing from the list of horse? who galloped at Randwick last Tuesday, a rum Our was circulated in the city that the gelding had developed leg trouble, and would not start again in Sydney (says the Telegraph). There was no foundation in the story. Aussie did not work at Randwick, but there is nothing wrong with him. During the week-end the gelding’s owner-trainer, G. Paul, decided to transfer his two horses, Aussie and Papatu, from headquarters to Canterbury. The two will continue their preparations for the spring carnival on the suburban track. The horses went- into their new quarters last Monday, and were, out for a gallop on Tuesday morning.

On a recent morning at Invercargill the imported English mare, Spean Bridge, was displaying symptoms of tenderness in front and. causing Tier trainer, J. A. Rowland, deep concern. The best has not been seen on the racecourse of this daughter of Righ Mor —Annie Laurie, as track-watchers can testify, and it will be a matter for regret if she has to be relegated to the stud enclosures of Mr Chisholm at Otautau. However, she is of attractive conformation to succeed as a matron and mated with one of her owner’s sires, Woodcnd or Balboa sho might produce a galloper worth while.

Crown Imperial 11., who for many years reigned as lord of the harem at Sir Geiorge Hunter’s breeding establishment, at Porangahnu, is reported as t being well patronised by owners of brood mares. He certainly is not standing at a very high fee, but he only has to get a good lone or two when his price will go up. With great number of sires available on the other side of the sea, it shows that the bree’ding of Crown Imperial II has attracted owners to patronise him liberally. He is by Martagon, sire of Martian, which, no doubt, accounts for the attention paid to him.

The Auckland-bred gelding Mystic Peak (by Romeo—Refinement), lias paid his way well at Victorian meetings since ho was sold some little time back —three successive victories going down to his credit. In tho decision of the Whittier Handicap at Caulfield on the 7th inst. he eclipsed his previous performances by carrying 9.3 to victory and beating a field of 18. Mystic Peak figured as an outsider in the rate of odds; and his victory was the big surprise of the day.

An Australian-bred gelding racing in New Zealand that has yet to secure a place on the winning list, but who is viewed in a promising Tight, is Air Laddie, a three-year-old gelding by Biplane from Comedia. Tho predominant note in the pedigree of Air Laddie is the in-breeding to, the St. Simon line. His sire, Biplane, is by Comedy King (son of Persimmon and grandson of St. Simon), while his dam, Comedia, is by St. Frusquin (son of St. Simon). While the staying aualit.y of Air Laddie may bo open to doubt, it is perhaps just as well to remember that he has a strain of Carbine on the dam’s side. As Air Laddie ages, it will be interesting

to note tho class with which ho will be ranged.

The success of Ceremony in the Tramway Handicap at Randwick rather caused most to overlook Cimabuc’s ill-luck in that event for. the second time. Last year with 9.3 Cimabuc drew No. 18 at the barrier, and was always in tho picture, being beaten over the last little bit by Amounis 9.4 and Habashon 7.7. This year ho was more favourably treated with 8.8, but struck the brilliant Ceremony with only 7.1. Last year Amounis ran the seven furlongs in 1.245, and Ceremony went one-quarter of a second better on Saturday week. It will thus bo seen that Ciinabue has boon responsible for two brilliant and unlucky efforts.

According to recent Melbourne papers, the New Zealand gelding Catkin was recently solidly supported for the Caulfield Cup, in which race ho is weighted at 8.4. A reference to Catkin’s performances shows that he registered his best feat at the back end of his four-year-old career, when ho won the City Handicap (one milo five furlongs) at Randwick last season. The winning of a Caulfield Cup is, however ,a very different problem for Catkin. In heavy going tho Catmint gelding would probably have something to 6ay in the settlement of tho question, for he has been described as “a great mudlark,” but it may bo doubted if he possesses the necessary brilliancy with a hot pace cn a dry track to enable him to beat his field. Catkin was sold last year in Sydney to Mr C. Rufolt, of Melbourne, and, from the support accorded him for tho big milo and a-half race at Caulfield, it would seem that he is training on properly. WHY THEY GO. The following are extracts from a letter received by a New Plymouth sportsman from a friend in Sydney: “I notice that the last contingent of the New Zealand racehorse invasion arrived last week.- Dear me, you assuredly can’t have many more horses left in the Dominion. The number of horses to arrive here this spring is unprecedented in the annals of tour history, and the newspapers generally are quite perturbed as to the reason for the flower of the Dominion’s turf raiding this country. It seems peculiar in view of the vaunted prize money that your country distributes among owners. There are New Zealand second-rate horses competing at up-the-line meetings (places compared with Patea or Stratford) for £SO prizes. Several of the papers have been asking what is the reason of it all And they are also wondering if it is the betting facilities that ejiot in Australia that is the magnetic influence. One of our leading dailies tried to solve the problem by suggesting that bookmakers trading isde by side with the totalisator was tho dominating attraction, as New Zealanders are famous plungers when they think they have the goods to bet on, Sportdom here seems to think that racing generally is on . the toboggan in your lovely old country, and the impression is that it could be restored to its former high pedestal by the licensing of bookmakers. Bye the bye, I observed recently that the Hobart Racing Club (the largest racing club in Tasmania) was petitioning the Government for the restoration of bookmakers, as they found it impossible to carry on under the totalisator alone. South Australia also reports the retrogression of racing under the totalisator system of wagering, and are clamoui-ing for the legislation of bookmakers. Perhaps the appearance of the old ‘books’ on your courses may be a way out. Who knows ”