RACING AND TROTTING

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20090, 20 November 1930, Page 14

RACING AND TROTTING

LATEST NEWS FROM FAR AND NEAR

RACING FIXTURES.

so renter -o—Winton J.C. (second j November 2 2—Levin I».C. j November 22, 24 —To Kuxti **' C. ~, : Kov.mber 29, December I—rakapuno -M-. N'ovember 2'). December I—Feilding J.C. ♦December 5, 6—'Taumaranui n December 6' —Aahburton County R.C. 1 December 9, 10—Woodvile District J • ] December 13-—Wat pa R.C. j Pec-ember 36 —Waipufcurau J.O. December 2C, 2 7—tVefitland R.C. December 26. 27—Taranaki J.C. December 26, 27—Dunedin J.C. IWember 26, 27, 29—Manawatu B.C. Oeeember 26. 20, January t, 2 —Auckland w'ccemiwr oi. •Tanwstry i—GrsymoutH -T.O. TROTTING FIXTURES. | \o reinocr i:---- Auckland T.C. (yecOTid dHT*). ! N'oTember 27, 29—i?orbury Park I\C. j December 13—New Brighton T.C ; December 20 —Hawke'a Bay T.C ' December —Aahburton T.C. i December 26 —Gore T.C. r»««erab?r 'if 2 7—-Westport T.C. December 26. 27—South Wsirarapa H. December 27, 30, 31—Auckland f* A i Docember —Wintou T.C. 1 i la r?whf: SO —xleoffon T.C. j TURF GOSSIP. jfceaunder. The Ash burton County Hacing Club's Spring Meeting will be held on December 6th. Nominations Trill Hose at 8 ij.m. on Monday. Socoms for Second Wind. The Williamstown Cup, of 2500 sovs, uae mile and a half, decided on Novembw 10th, was won by the New Zealandbred Second Wind, who filled second place to Phar Lap In the Melbourne Cup. t he race was run at a fast pace throughout, and the time 2min Slsec equalled 7be race record. Three mishaps occurred during the running. Soon after The start, Barbette (Top Gallant — iJolttmbia), winner of the V.R.C. Oaks r ne previous week, fell and was seriously injured internally, but will be saved for stnd purposes. Later the favourite, Prince Viol, was pulled up, having broken down, and subsequently was destro3*ed. Then Sartaress (Sardea — Tartaress 1 ) came down. These mishaps, it was stated, may have had some bearing on the result, but Second Wind won :u easy fashion. Tha Iron Horse. When First Acre recorded an Australian and New Zealand record for a mile and three quarters at Flemington on November 7th, he was contesting his 147 th race. This record is made up as follows;—At two years 4, three years 27, four years 39, five years 32, six years 19, seven years 13, eight years (to date) 13. Seiionsjy iu. The well-known owner-trainer, P. P. N eagle, at one time a leading gentleman rider, has been an inmate of a private hospital in Napier for some time past. He showed slight signs of improvement last week, but is still in a serious condition. A Veteran 'Chaser. Despite the fact that, he has for ». long time earned little, if anything, towards his keep, Zircon, the twelvo-year-old son of Merry Moment and Hope Diamond, is still kept going on the training track at Randwick. In his schooling he is jumping in great style, bnt he has evidently lost the pace that is nowadays needed for even eross-country events. Sigh Trfbutj. "A man who can produce Phar Lap 5a such splendid condition every time hi races and also prepares the winner of the Maribyrnong Plate is worthy of the highest praise." So remarked James Seobie, the doyeb of Australian trainers, to some friends a few days ago when < discussing H. B. Telford, lessee-trainer ®f the Melbourne Cup winner and trainer ! «f the Maribyrnong Plate winner, La j Justice. That was a high tribute from J a man like Seobie, and it was made in : all sincerity. j Drawstie Action. Sr anxious were they to let each j other make the pace that the two ! .jockeys, riding Qualm and Ritchie, the only starters in the Novice Handicap at the Kempsey (N.S.W.) Meeting, lost eontrol of their mounts, both of which ran off the course. The race was declared "off," bets were cancelled, and both horses, their owners, and were disqualified for 12 months. Ha.wke'9 Bay Notes. G. Jones has decided to remain, in Hawke's Bay and has secured stables at Qreenmeadows. He has made a start "with Nimble, a three-year-old filly by Lord Quex from Chancery, the dam of Shrewd.

Advice has been received at Hastings that the three-year-old gelding Grattus (Lord Qnex —Earthshine), recently sold to Western Australia, died on arrival there. For Australia. The four-year-old gelding Don Quixote, by Paladin—Hornbeam, has been sold by Mr A. B. Williams to an Australian buyer at a satisfactory price. Don Quixote was unsuccessful in his four races as a two-year-old, but did much better last season, with three wins and four seconds in 13 starts. He won the Trial Handicap, six furlongs, at Napier Parle, and the Ngaio Highweight Handicap, one mile, at Trentham, and then went on to Ellerslie last Easter to win the Great Northern St. JLeger Stakes, 0110 mile and three-quarters. This season he has had two starts, finishing out of a place each time. Mot Unlucky. _ In the Melbourne Cup Phar Lap established a record not generally known. He is the first horse to win the Cup from s\o. 13 position at the barrier, since barrier positions were regularly announced about 14 or 15 years ago. The only other horse to draw No. 13 and secure a place was Kichmond Main, who ran second to Artilleryman in 1919. ~

TROTTING NOTES.

A finished artist in the saddle, Pike rarely, if ever, has resource to the use of the whip. He can get the last ounce out of a horse with hands and heels. Stretched out oa. a horse's neck, balanced with knees gripping the saddle, bands and heels working ia unison, no finer illustration of superb horsemanship can be pictured than that of Pike in a thrilling finish. No Big Meals. Year in and year out Pike has to undergo a continual waste in order to keep his weight within reasonable limits. No rich dinners for Pike when duty is at hand. As he possesses a body on which there is not a pound of superfluous flesh, the task of reducing his weight five or sis pounds is no small one. Ia order to ride at Bst 101b in a Derby he has to undergo that trying ordeal. If he permitted himself to live an ! orthodox life in the matter of food for I a few days he would not be able to go to scale under 9-5. Once when out or the saddle for some time a few years ago Pike's weight went to over 11-0. let he "came back" by dint of rigorous and careful wasting to less than 9-0. When one considers the hardship Pike has endure and the weakened state in which he frequently rides, one can only havo the greatest admiration for him as a rider. He is the perfect horseman. One asset he possesses is his astuteness in summing up the capabilities of other horses during the course of a race. He is very observant of seemingly unimportant details in connexion with opponents, and he gains many advantages over his rivals in this way.

A Good Winner. Login's Pride, one of the most promising pacers seen out in the early part of last season, faded rather badly towards the close of the season, but his victory in the Jellicoe Handicap at Auckland yesterday suggests that he has made a return to his best form. He won four races last year, and at one stage was eaferly sought after by a Christchurch buyer. The price wanted, 1000 guineas cash, stopped negotiations, but in view of subsequent form the Logan Pointer gelding would have been well worth the price. Several times at Addington lie has been fell fancied, but his form altogether at headquarters *-as been disappointing. A Promising Youngster. ! First Flight, winner o£ the Improvers' Handicap at Auckland yesterday, is - four-year-old Ally by Blue Mountain King from Guiding Star, and one of the most promising youngsters in training in the Auckland district. After winning two races early last season she was not unduly raced, but lately she has been showing a return to her best form. Her sire, Blue Mountain King, was a "ood performer, winning amongßt other races Auckland Cup. Guiding Star, the dam, is by Logan Pointer fromMarie Corelli, 2min 17 3-ssec, by Wildwood —Thelma, by, Kentucky from Pride of Lincoln. ' Thelma is the _ dam _of j several noted performers, including i I Wildwood Jun., a dual winner of the , i New Zealand Cup, and Authoress, the dam of another New Zealand Cup winner in Author Dillon. Tomklnson's Stable. Erin's Fortune, a good mare in either saddle or harness, has joined W. J. Tomkinson'a stable. She is engaged in the principal race at Forbury Park. At Oamaru. Prince Wrack, a three-year-old by Wrack from a Prince Imperial mare, is the latest addition to «T. Henderson's team at Oamaru. A Southern View. Evervono desires to see the best horses get a good fair sporting chance of winning a race, writes ' Scntmel m the "Otago Daily Times." Ihe best light harness horseß in tra inin f? are seen ! out at Addington, but they do not; get : a fair chance of winning when starting from a back mark. The size of the track and its conformation compels back-markers to cover a lot of ff ro^ d ' or else wait for a lucky opening. Ihe present system of handicapping and the conformation of fl track that seriousi y accents the task of back-markers been driving high-class P erforl i®" '°.® the scene, and such a state of affairs is most undesirable. It U that when the Metropolitan Trotting Club was planning extensions to the track it could have been extended to seven furlongs and a half, but JJ 0 ?® who favoured this were °y"" ruled ' " the matter. It was one of the greatest mistakes ever made in the light harness racing in New Zealand. A horse capable of stepping inside of 2mm lOsec must have stretches to gather and hold speed, but this is impossible at Addington. The back-markers a.Te forced to cover a lot of ground on the outside of a field, and hence are beaten by the track and not by lack of merit. Wrackler would probaibly have won the Free-for-AlI if it had been decided on a mile circuit, bnt at Addington he got boxed on the rails, and did not get out until nearing the home turn, when his only chance consisted of coming right on the outside of half a doien horses in a dash over a flnal furlong. A Correction. In the Progressive Handicap at Forbury Park Location's handicap should be 12 yards, not 24 as published. — Press Association. THE GREATEST HORSEMAN. CLAIM MADS FOR J. B. PIKE. J. E. Pike is the world's greatest horseman. For the purposes of comparison "the world," in this instance, is confined to England and Australia—the chief centres of the Turf (says a writer in the Melbourne "Sporting Globe"). In judgment and ability Pike stands head and shoulders over all other jockeys in Australia, and I am convinced from observations on my recent visit to England that there is no horseman his equal in that country. Pike has gained great notoriety from hiß association with Phar Lap In hi# run of victories, but it is not ,tj»at that has made him the world's best jockey. Beyond a certain amount of judgment, and a knowledge of any peculiarities of the horse, not much skill is required to win on Phar Lap- It is his ability to get home on horses that do not stand high above their rivals that makes Pike a superb rider. Few jockeys have such a perfect balance in the saddle as this master horseman. His method of balance takes the weight, off the horse's back, and as he always rides those near the head of the handicap this is a factor that makes so much difference in a close finish.