RACING NOTES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 252, 20 December 1940, Page 8

RACING NOTES

H. N. Wiggins at Ellerslie. Bronwcn is to be ridden in tliq Railway Handicap by H. N. Wiggins. He will make a special endeavour to win the sprint event, because if successful lie will have scored for the fourth year in succession,. A Good Day. W. Broughton experienced a good day at the Walpa meeting for he won on Joan Peel, Lacly Tinkle and Town Survey. He is to ride Wardress- in the Auckland Cup and will have the mount on Lady Tinkle in the Railway Handicap. Conditions were Different. Night Pilot returned from Australia last month and won his first race at Whangarci a few days ago. with 7.12 in the Hack Cup at Te Awamutu he was mad© a firm favourite, but backers had apparently forgotten that while the northern course was dry, that on Saturday was wet and muddy. Night Pilot, j with Wiggins as managing director, ran a fair racc but failed to gain a place. A Brilliant Performance. The Hsyvvkee's Bay owned Old Bill, may or may not Avin the Auckland Cup next Aveek, but his Bolton Handicap success at Woodville AA r ith 9.10 stands out as a performance seldom registered in this Dominion, The track Avas hot considered fast, but nevertheless the last mile Avas run in 1.39 l-ssecs, the last five'furlongs in 60 the last half mile r as traversed in 48secs and the concluding three furlongs in 35 4-'ssecs. He Avas in no Avay detrimentally affected by the racc, and '■»as been training on splendidly since. ' '

DERBY WINNER FOR AMERICA It is a commentary on the condition to which the Sport ol' Kings has. been reduced in England by the curtailment of race meetings that the Aga Khan has agreed to se'll his Derby champion Mahmoud to American interests for £21,000. In normal times this would be a bargain price, for any Derby winner is automatically valued at £50,000, if only for his potentialities as a St. Leger victor, and as a topclass . stallion i Mahinoud was sent to the stud after his Epsom triumph at a 300-guinea fee.

The sale, which had been in negotiation for some time, is now complete. Mr N. W. Waddington, racing manager.to the Aga Khan, confirms this from the Gurragh, where the* Aga.Khan has his stud farm.

The identity of the purchaser, or purchasers, is not disclosed, though there is reason to believe that mem bers of the Vanderbilt and Chrysler families are interested in the sale. Mahmoud will be mated with highclass American mares, and his influence on racing in the States should be considerable. His Comment, Mr Waddington made the frank comment that, since the Avar prospects for breeders have become most uncertain, and added: "Owners are not so ready to pay the breeding fees required for these famous horses, so Mahmoud goes." Naturally, the loss to English racing is great, especially as two other Derby winners,. Blenheim and the unbeaten Bahrain (both the property of the Aga Khan) were sold to America. .Bahrain's price was double that of Mahmoud's, which gives you an idea of the war-time drop in blood stock values. Hajjpily, there is one horse that no amount of American money can buy, Lord Derby will never part with Hyperion the 1933 Derby and St. Lcger winner, and this dapper little colt lias become probably the greatest potential force in the forced, ing industry. Last Season. Last season was only the second in which the sons find daughters of Hyperion Avere running, yet they won £35,733, and Hyperion was ranked second in the list of winning stallions! Americans would, t ! am sure, dearly like to obtain this one, but Lord Derby holds. and rightly, that in the highly competitive days after the war Hyperion wiJJ be priceless to the English turf.