THE TURF.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 242, 26 July 1935, Page 2

THE TURF.

WAIMATE HUNT CLUB.

SUCCESS FOR CALL MONEY

(Per Press Association)

TIMARU, July 25. The Waimate Hunt Club’s annual steeplechase meeting was held to-day in line weather. The track was m excellent order. There was a laigei attendance than for some years past, and speculation was satisfactory in lace of the small fields. The sum of £3852 was handled, against £26/0 iUs last year. Coiicluding results Waihao Hack Handicap, of 40 sovs; six furlongs —3 Violenta 8.0 (E. Leckie) 1, 1 Knockfin 9.11 2,2 Golden Hart B.b 3. Won by three lengths; halt a length between second and third. Time, 1.1

Morven Handicap, of 60 sovs; one mile —2 Heather Glow 7.13 (L. J. Ellis; 1 1 Water Power 8.8 2, 3 Cleaner 8.4 3! Won ,by two lengths; three lengths between second and third. Time, 1.4 3-5 1 Hunters’ Plate Flat Handicap of 30 sovs; one mile and a quarter 2 lia Lux 11.3 (G. Barr) 1, 1 Auster 10.9 2, 4 Peterette 10.3 3. Won by three lengths; two lengths between second and third. Time, 2.14.. Waimate Hack Handicap, of -50 sovs; seven furlongs —5 Call Money 7.9 (C. Wilson) 1, 1 Golden Dart 8.8 2, 3 Importance 8.3 3. Won by a neck; two lengths between second and third. Time, 1.31 1-5.

POVERTY BAY TURF CLUB. GIGANTIC AND QUAINT WIN. • (Per Press Association). GISBORNE, July 25. The Poverty Bay Turf Club Steeplechase meeting opened on the Gisborne Racing Club’.s course in dull weather. The track was little affected by: recent rains and the going was good, ike totalisator handled £3178, compared with £3132 in 1933, an increase of £46. A meeting was not held last year. The last race provided a mud sensation. Three furlongs from home Blygain was in the lead from rust Dance, when the latter fell, bringing down Menmon and Royal Mimic. E* Marsh, rider of Menmon, suffered a broken, arm, and W. Broughton, oil Royal Mimic, and S. Anderson, on First Dance, escaped lightly, with severe shakings. Results: — Park Hurdles Handicap, of 60 sovs; one mile and a. half.—3 Victor Colima (Mr J. Akurangi) 1, 6 Isms 2, 1 Cromwell 3. Won by a; length and threequarters. Time, 2.53. Hack Flat Handicap, of 60 sovs; six furlongs.—7 Gasman (Leach) 1, 3 Mata Hari 2,2 Kelberis 3. Won by a length and a half. Time, 1.16 1-5. Maiden Race, of 40 sois; five furlongs.—l De Friend (Atkins) 1, 1 Small Boy 2, 9 Ace Willonyx 3. Won by a length and a quarter. Time, 1.4.

Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase, of 60 sovs; two miles and a half. —1 Kahunoke (Mcllroy) 1,2 Cromwell 2, 3 New Ferry 3. Won by three lengths. Time, 5.23. Publicans’ Purse, of 55 sovs; one mile.—3 Gigantic (HI. Goldfinch) 1, 2 Trackman 2, 1 Marching Song 3. Won by a neck. Time, 1.51.

Winter Oats Handicap, of 70 sovs; one mile and a quarter.—l Big Dook (H. Goldfinch) 1, 4 Alby 2, 3 Royal Bengal 3. Won by threequarters of a length. Time, 2.16. Tramway! Hack Flat Handicap, of 50 sovs; seven furlongs.—2 Quaint (Sheehan) 1, 1 Blygain 2, 4 Joystick 3. Won by two and a half lengths. Time, 1.30 4-5. Acceptances for To-morrow. Gisborne Hurdles Handicap, of 60 sovs; one mile and three-quarters — Million 10.5, Victor Colima 10.2, Tahoma 9.13, Isms 9.7, GapelJa Abbey 9.7, Cromwell 9.7, Hunting Lass 9.0. Trial Handicap, of 40 sovs; six furlongs—Trackman 9.0, Blue Vision 8.9, Pokiha 8.6, Acranna 8.5, Double Ace 8.5, Sir Ace 8.5, Royal Welcome 8.5, Morning Quest* 8.5. Waikanae Handicap, of 70 sovs; one mile—Big Dook 9.7, Good Hunting 8.8, Vanestep 8.13, Tai Ao 8.2, Royal Bengal 8,0, Sunny Sky 8.0, Alby 8.0, Mata Hari 7.12, Malabat 7.8, Marching Song 7:7. Seoond Hack Flat Handicap, of 50 sovs; seven furlongs—Collision 9-7, Alby 9.7, Mata Hari 9.7, Gasman 9.3, Gigantic 8.10, Kilberis 8.5, Mernnon 8.5, Joystick* 8.2, Royal Mimic 8.0, Flying Mimic 7.7, Golden Pennant 7.7. Te Hapara Hack Steeplechase Handicap, of 60 sovs; two miles and a half —Kahunoke 11.7, Capella Abbey 10.3, Cromwell 10.2, New Ferry 9.0, Puccini 9.0, First Prince 9.0.

Turanganui Plate, of 50 sovs; six furlongs—Kilberis 9.0, Lucina 8.11, Flying Mimic 8.11, Blue Needle 8.9, Bonnie Song 8.9, ,De Friend 8.3, Small Boy 8.3, Illinois 8.0. Farewell Hack Handicap, of 55 sovs; one mile—Collision 9.5, Quaint 8.10, Marching Song 8.10, Gigantic 8.10, Memnon 8.2, Joystick 8.0, Trackman 7.13, Kanapa 8.11, Bellbroney 7.9, Both well 7.7.

STYLES CONTRASTED.

AN OLD-TIME ASHBURTON TRAINER.

Conversant with racing in most countries, and closely associated with the great development of the sport in New Zealand and Australia, Sir Thomas Wilford, late High Commissioner for the Dominion in London, has recently been acting as a champion for racing in this part of the world with a series of sketches given full-page prominence in the “Sporting Life,” London’s leading sporting journal. Praise for British blood and criticism of the “cotton-wool” racehorse are some of the features of a delight-fully-written article by Sir Thomas in the Derby issue of the “Sporting Life.”

Larry Markey made liis name immortal in the memory of racing men in New Zealand when he instructed

his jockey, who was riding Aquarius in a five-furlong race, “to start at top and keep increasing all the way” (writes Sir Thomas). The moral of that story is that any horse of the greatest possible stamina can he “run into the ground,” and fail, in consequence, to stay the distance of the race. In fact, there is no easier way to damn a horse’s chance in a race than to “ran him to nothing” in the first six furlongs of any distance beyond that journey.

[Larry Markey was a well-known Ashburton owner-trainer, of over 40 years ago, and had his training quarters opposite the Canterbury Flour Mill. He was a contempory of P. Butler, It, Mason, It. Reay and H. Lunn. Aquarius and Little Arthur were among his winning charges in the early ’nineties.]

I am of opinion that a horse that can stay seven furlongs' well under a fair weight can stay a mile and a-lialr. In a mile race, or in any race beyond that distance, it is possible for the jockey to give his mount a “breather or an “ease up,” but in a seven-fur-long race a horse must gallop all the If trainers have horses that will carry, say 8.5 in a seven-furlong race in good average time, then they are justilied in starting for a mile and a-lialf race, and perhaps a two-mile race. . „ . The “Time” Test.

When I write of “time” in connection with a race, I realise that in this country (i.e., England)—just as, at first, you refused to tolerate the tote—you generally ridicule the time test. Let me say that there is a day coming when all trainers will realise that the timing of a horse in his trials is the certain and sure evidence of ins I do not mean that a trainer should, as we say in the Dominion, try to “break the watch,” but I have proved conclusively in my 30' years’ experience as an owner and breeder that the use of the watch is a reliable method of ascertaining whether a horse is well in himself and ready for any effort he may be called upon to make. I do not advocate the use of the watch in his daily work. That is fatal. But I am satisfied that if a horse is going to race, say, on a Wednesday, and on the Saturday morning before that date you find he can run within himself a trial of five furlongs in lmin 2sec or lmin 3sec, six furlongs in lmin 14sec, or seven furlongs in lmin 28sec, he is ready for business. If, on the contrary, you find he fads to come up to a reasonable time test, then you can be sure that on that day at least he is not up to the mark. I admit that with some horses such a test js useless, for they never gallop without the colours up, and, again, unfortunately, there are some who never will gallop with the colours up. Carbine, horn in New Zealand— Uld Jack” as he -was called—was a sleepy and lazy horse till the barrier went up, and then he got to wmk. Pha Lap, on the other hand, though with, the disposition of Windsor Lad, who, luckily for his owner, has Car Dine in his pedigree, galloped to the .watch. His trial could he ticked off with the certainty that he would run to form a few days later unless something special intervened. , We had one jockey in New Zealand. Wally Clifford, who could tell you within a ‘ second or two the time of a trial in which he had been the rider. He was a judge of .pace and time, bu that -is a very rare qualification, and idouM whether many of the boys who ride a four or five-furlong trial to-day could tell you whether a four furlongs effort had taken 48 or 60 seconds. While I advocate the u&e of the watch, I realise that m the hands of a trainer without a takncec judgment it is a danger and will lead to the breakdown of many a youngstei.

TWO JOCKEYS SUSPENDED. GISBORNE, July 23. After the first race at the Poverty Bav Turf Club’s meeting the judicial committee held an inquiry into e riding; of Tahoma by W. Horne. Aftei hearing; the evidence of the owner, taine® and rider, the committee decided that the horse had not been iidden on its merits, and Home was suspended! for three months. An inquiry was held to-night into the circumstances of the fall of tlnee horses in the last race, After the evidence of several riders had bee heard the judicial committee resolved that the accident was caused by intei ““..ee with First Dance by Jojstc, ridden by H. Young, who was sus pended for three months. RE-HANDICAPS AT TIMARU. The following re-handicaps have been declared for the South Canterbury Hunt meeting on Saturday: Hadlow Hurdles— Poly dor a 11./. Levels Hack —Violenta 8.8. Teschemaker Steeplechase Bandy Boa 9.12. Hunters’ Plate-Fiat Lux 11.7. , Claremont Handicap—Heather Glow 7 13 ' Washdyke Trot—lvan de Oro 24yds.