TOPICAL COMMENT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 226, 24 September 1942, Page 7

TOPICAL COMMENT

WON FIRST START FOR NEW OWNER Vivid Night, winner of the open sprint on the second day at Wanganui, was sold during the week by Mr. C. A. Cameron to Mr. A. R. Harrison, so he won first up in his new colours. Vivid Night was trained by A. Jenkins, but he will do his future racing from the stable of F. McHugh.

PALTRY STAKE MONEY Racing was said to have boomed in Tasmania last season, but the stakes offered would not appeal to New Zealand owners. The best meetings were held at Hobart, and the prize money averaged only £53 per race. In NewZealand only three clubs—Poverty Bay Hunt (£56), Kumara (£80) and Hokitika (£B7 10/)— offered an average below £100. The average for the Dominion was just on £250, and New Zealand has only three centres larger than Hobart. NEW ZEAIi ANDERS MISSED With Beau Vite, High Caste and Beaulivre retired, and Kindergarten and Battledress kept at home, weight-for-age racing in Sydney and Melbourne this season will have comparatively little interest for New Zealanders and may not arouse much, enthusiasm among Australians. There are as yet no horses in sight to replace the Dominion-bred stars, states an Australian exchange. Last spring the three-year-olds Skipton and Laureate promised to be really good, but Laureate did not train on in the autumn and Skipton showed no form after a spell. Unless these two come back, w.f.a. racing threatens to degenerate to handicap level.