TURF GOSSIP.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19622, 18 May 1929, Page 20

TURF GOSSIP.

Acceptances for the AshVurton Cbnnty Racing Club's Autumn Meeting wiH close oil Tuesday. Nominations for events at the Australian Jockey Club's inter Meeting (except the A.JC. Hurdle Race and Steeplechase, already closed) will Iks due on Monday. Nominations of now yearlings for the fo,lowing Australian events will close im June Ith : - Breeders' Plate, tiimcrack Stakes, Kirkham Stakes, December Stakes, Sires' Produce Stakes. Ohampagne Stakes, Hobartvilie Stakes, A.J C. Derby, Adrian Knox ©taken, and A.J.C. St. Leger. Nominations of wires for the Sires Produce Stakes, l'J3l, will close at the •ante time. 'Hie Wanpanui Racing Club's Winter Meeting will conclude to-day. The scale of winter weights does not Oome into force until June 7th. 'lhe rule reads as follows: —"At any meeting held on any day from June 7th to August 31st, inclusive, the lowest Weight in any fiat race shall not be lons than 9st." D. Cotton, who is now stationed at Te Awamutu, intends to be present at the Ashburton, Dunedin, and South Canterbury Meetings. Mr A. F. Roberts has effected the purchase of Mr (\ It. Craytliorne's property of 160 acres at Kaituna and will shortly remove his stud there front Tiraaru. Mr Roberts has been an innate of Lewishum Hospital for the pact month, but hopes to be about •gain soon. A recent visitor from Sydney states that J. McOombe is experiencing a lot of trouble in getting Crown Area right to show any of his New Zealand form. The big gelding has not done Well ever since arriving in Sydney and any success for him does not appear near at hand. Moorgas also has fared bnd'y and has shown little promise in the races he has had. Battle Colours, who struck himself In the paddock last week, was given half pace work on the track yesterday and appeared to have overcome the tronb'e. He is to be galloped this morning, and a decision will then be arrived at n to his trip to Auckland. Radiate, however, will not t;o north. He contracted soreness after doin<* •My work early in the week, and although this is not considered to be anything serious, he has had to be •ased tin. _ A. R," Kills has definitely decided to ride Elicit in the Great Northern II iii-dle Race. This is the only mount over sticks he will take at the Meeting. Mr 0. G. Holmes, owner of It-spier, tins expressed a desire to send his horse to Sydney to compete at the big Spring Meeting at Randwick and to

make the trip himself. It is probable Rapier will be nominated, bat nothing definite will be arranged as to his movements for some weeks yet. Inducement, a winner at the Sydney Tattersall'« Clnb on Thursday, is one of the team controlled by the ex-Christ-ehurch trainer, P. Riddle, who has a large string of horses, including several high-priced yearlings, under his eontrftl at Baudwiek. On his second place performance in the Great Easter Handicap, Great Star appears to have excellent prospects of emerging from hack class in the Farewell Handicap, over seven furlongs, at Ashburton, with 8-9. The Invercargill trainer, F. W. Ellis, whose recovery was reported early this week, following on a severe chill which kept him to his home for over a week, has had a relapse, ar.d is again confined to his bed. Since the Ashburton Meetings beeame a one (lay fixture the Wingatui staples have stopped patronising them, as it is an expensive irip for one day's racing. A change has been made in connexion with the Winter Meeting taking place on Saturday next, as Wingatui is represented by Valves, Money Mine, Best Policy, and Membo, who are members of C. Gieseler's stable. During the season now drawing to a conclusion one cannot fai r to have been struck by the fact that a report of a race meeting does not seem complete unless some reference is made to a more or less serious breach of the rules. The common offence is crossing and interference, an . occasionally a strong hint comes about something of a more serious nature. It seems clear that the authorities are not going the right way to Ht;;mp out interference and crossing, or it would not continue in such frequent evidence without any indication of « remedy. It is difficult, of course, to prevent crowding on a circular -ourse, particularly when the circumference is only a mile, but nowadays a stra ght run is provided at ench starting post, and yet even that does not seem to prevvnt cutting in and the danger which it unnecessarily creates it seems clear, then, that strong and combined action by clubs is necessary, but there is not a sign of it coming along. Inflicting a brief period of suspension is not the remedy, because repetition of the snme offence kills any idea in that direition. An adoption of the South Australian idea of a riding instructor seems to be ; eoessary, because the existing control in this country appears to lack a remedy or any move in the right direction towards eliminating the too frequent "accidents." Disrank, 7.13 (Balgownie Handicap) and Aroheria, 7.13 (Farewell Handicap) were omitted from the telegraphed acceptances for the Wanganui races today.