RACING AND TROTTING

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21386, 31 January 1935, Page 14

RACING AND TROTTING

lATEST NEWS FROM FAR AND NEAR

RACING fixtures • . .. ! January 31 —Egmont R.C. (second day*- : lanuary 31, February 2—Wairoa R.C. January 31, February 2—Wanganui J.C. [February 2—Matamata R.C. February 6—Tapanui R.C. February 7, 9 —Poverty Bay T.C. February 7, 9—Taranaki J.C. .February 9—Canterbury J.C. February 9, 11—Rotorua R.C. I "c-briu.ry 13. 14—Egmont J.C. ' February 14, I&—Dunedin J.C. IFebruary 20, 21'—Gore R.C. j February 21—Tolaga Bay J.C. /February 22, 23—Woodville D.J.C. j February 23, 25—Te Aroha J.C. ' February 27—Opunake R.C. 'February 28—Waiapu R.C. TROTTING FIXTURES January 31, February 2—Forbury Park T.C. February 16, 20—Auckland T.C. February 23—New Brighton T.C. March 1, 2—lnvercargill T.C. March 2—Wellington T.C. March 9—Timaru T.C. March 9— Marlborough T-C. March 13—Wyndham T.C. March 16—Cheviot T.C. March 23—Wairarapa T.C. March 23— Roxburgh T.C. March 23—Auckland T.C. March 30—Thames T.C. March 30—Manawatu T.C. TURF GOSSIP Ricearton Races The weights for the summer meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club « are due on Monday and acceptances ■ -will close on Wednesday. Barrier Practice The Ricearton trainers will welcome the chance to give their young horses some starting practice to-morrow morning, when a barrier will be at their disposal. .Spelling Colombo had the misfortune to receive a kick on one of his legs on the trip home from Trentham, and C. Davey has found it necessary to give him a rest. His stablemate, Davolo, is taking a long time to recover from an accident that occurred in his last race at Ricearton in November, and it is not certain when he will resume work. J. H. Prosser has turned Great Star out for a spell. He': has not raced well for some time, and his form at Trentham was again disappointing. A Good Colt When G. Price was here last week for the yearling sales he remarked that he had a strong team of two-year-olds in his Randwick stable and that he held a very high opinion of the New Zealand bred colt Homer, says a Wellington writer. He also expected to produce another promising youngster in Fanfare very shortly. Fanfare had his first race at Randwick last Saturday and ran third in the Widden Handicap. He is a brown colt, owned by Mr E. J. Watt, and is by Brazen from Three Cheers. His pedigree is interesting to New Zealanders, his dam being by Tressady from Flammula by Varco from Flambeau by Stepniak from Firecross by Peirol from Crossfire by Goldsborough. Firecross was imported by Mr J. F. Reid, and in addition to Flambeau, who was bred by Mr J. B. Reid, she threw Cross Battery to Stepniak. Both these mares found their way to Australian studs and Cross Battery became the dam of Artilleryman. one of the greatest three-year-olds that Australia has seen.

TROTTING NOTES Reminders Nominations 'for the Auckland Trotting Club's summer meeting will close on Friday. Nominations for the New Brighton Trotting Club's summer meeting will close on February 7, at 12 noon. At Forbury Park Major Lind is long overdue for a win. At his best he is a brilliant miler. Kotinga is a solid race mare without any pretensions to brilliance. Her steadiness, however, is a recommendation in unhoppled trotters' races at Forbury Park. Sonoma King is not a nice-actioned trotter, but at his best he races well over a mile and a half. Native Chief has been returned to his Southland owner, and the once brilliant pacer is not likely to be persevered with much longer. Last year the Dunedin Cup was won by Lindbergh, who registered 4min 31 3-ssec. The record for the race is held by Regal Voyage, who did 4min 24sec in 1932. Moneymaker, who won in 1917 and 1918 is the only horse to succeed twice in this race. Twelve months ago Avernus from the scratch mark won the Flying Handicap from Sunny Morn, George Rey, Blue Mountain, John Noble, Vesuvius, and Gold Country. To-day. in the same race he is asked to give away 36 yartjs to a bigger but less classy field. A Partnership Queen Author will not be a starter at the Forbury Park meeting, and it appears the lessee up to yesterday is not to bleirnG. * The rnsrc is on the spot, but has been scratched for all engagements. Mr H. G. Lynch held a lease of Queen Author up to January 30 and he nominated the mare for the Forbury Park meeting--to be held on January 30 and February 2 in anticipation of having his lease renewed. Queen Author started at Timaru on Saturday and was then sent south. As it was found impossible to renew the lease Queen Author was scratched for all engagements, and in the meantime is not available for racing. The contracts for the Forbury Park meeting were entered into by Lynch, and no one else had the right to cancel or continue these engagements. The usual wrangement is for a lease to run until tne end of a month, but unfortunately the lease this time expires on ,the eye of a meeting. Queen Author has been a good winner during the last 12 months, but she is by no means a good barrier mare, and therefore not a reliable betting Proposition. Queen Author was bred by Mr W. Gleeson, Papanui, and now returns to his ownership. Vesuvius In the Mason Stakes at the Canterbury Park .meeting on January Vesuvius started from 48 yards behind in a 4min 32sec class race, and he fairly outclassed all but ner Elvo, after registering 4mm 21 l-ssec. At Forbury Park to-day Vesuvius is still set to give away 48 yards, and his chances appeal more thaii they would if he were nearer the front in a faster class race. Vesuvius was beaten by Elvo and had the latter doing her best to scramble home a length ahead. The advantage to-day is 24 yards in favour of Vesuvius, and if Elvo is not better driven than she was in her last race the tables might easily be turned. Vesuvius lfe as genuine as they are made, and even the brilliant Elvo will have to go her best race to keep ahead of him.

Improvement- Needed John Noble made his reappearance at Timaru after a good spell from the race track, but he will be a starter in the Flying Handicap at Forbury Park to-day. After his running in the Pareora Handicap on Saturday, in which he started eighth favourite m a field of 10, he will have to show a big improvement to finish in the money to-day, Possibly his _ connexions hope for a heavy track, in which case John Nqble may have to be considered.

Craganour The support accorded Craganour at Timaru on Saturday was surprisingly good considering his latest form, and although he lost all chance through a slow beginning, the betting suggests he is nearing his old form. Craganour has always impressed as a sprinter rather than a stayer.

Story of Royal Photograph On a wall in the stewards' room at Trentham there is hanging a new picture. It is a photograph of his Majesty the King, and to it belongs a simple story, says the "Dominion." One molming last summer his Majesty was out riding in Rotten Row. As he was trotting his horse along, a small boy suddenly stepped out from the trees and asked: "May I take your photo; please, your Majesty?" The King stopped, and, noting the extreme youth of his subject, replied: "Certainly you may." He posed as the boy desired, and •when the photograph was taken asked that he might have one later on. The photograph turned out to be really excellent, and so pleased was his Majesty with it that he had enlargements made of it and copies distributed to his family and to others. Among the recipients was the Dominion's High Commissioner, Sir Thomas Wilford, who brought his copy with him when he returned to New Zealand on a visit, and who recently presented it to the Wellington Racing Club.

Dundee • Dundee has been doing well in his work of late, but this brilliant track worker will be asked to meet something above the average in to-day's races. Dundee may be the champion some of his most ardent admirers claim him to be, but one or two genuine exhibitions will have to be given on the race track before he can be classed anything above the average. Bracketed Horses The only bracketed horses at Forbury Park to-day will be Red Gold and Blondie in the ' Southland Handicap. From' Hutt Park The Hutt Park trainer, L. O. Thomas, does not often travel so far as Dunedin in the quest of stake money, but at this week's meeting he will be represented by Allworthy, a chestnut pacer by Travis Axworthy—Lady Myall. TRAINING WORK AT DUNEDIN FORBURY PARK TRACKS [THE FRBSS Special Service.] I DUNEDIN, January 30. Though it was an "off" morning at Forbury Park to-day the arrival of many more horses made things interesting. A number arrived from Southland on Tuesday night. The track is in fine racing order, and the weather remains excellent. Prospects are for a good meeting. Blondie and' Survivor did not come south with the rest of C. Donald's representatives, and the former will therefore not be a starter in the Southland Handicap, and the latter in the Vauxhall and Otago Handicaps. £illy Sundy and Colonial Boy, in charge of E. F. Hinds, made their first appearance on Tuesday afternoon at Forbury Park. The former went steadily, though not fast, over a mile and a quarter. Red Glow, having his. first work out since Winning at Oamaru, paced a useful mile in 2min 21 1-ssec on the inside track. Invercargill will probably be his next outing. Red Gold did strong work without the straps in the middle of the track. E. Todd arrived on Tuesday night from Wyndham with Lynwood and All Sunshine. Both got through unhoppled work this morning. Red Spur and Dinner Bell were well on the move when they set off from the mile post, but the former pulled up after three furlongs and Dinner Bell continued on his own to record lmin 9sec for the final half, but was tiring badly. Red Spur afterwards sprinted a half mile, but put in two 8 Golden Bingen, from Tapanui, was asked for only a serious half mile from J. R. Waite, running the journey in lmin-10 l-ssec. Colonial Boy worked half pace over two round?, and . his ipate,, Billy Sundy; also' did useful work. ■ ' Kippagh, another arrival from the south in charge Wallia began'

Unfit Horses There was a mild sensation at the recent Newbury meeting in England, when the stewards fined three wellknown trainers and suspended three riders after having held an enquiry into the running of Henri's Choice, owned by Mr B. Warner; Blind Bowboy, owned by the American, Mr G. H. Bostwick: and Teddy's Double, owned by Sir Alfred Butt. The owners, however, were in no way concerned in the enquiry, it being wholly limited to the trainers and riders. The trainers were Ivor Anthony, O. Anthony, and F. Hartigan, who have control of three of the leading jumping stables. The matter was referred to the stewards of the National Hunt Committee, who reduced the fines from £SO to £25, as they considered the fine was excessive. The stewards said they were satisfied "the horses were not deliberately stopped, but were run for a 'school,' which practice could not be tolerated." The practice of racing partially fit horses has long been the subject of comment, and the decision of the stewards to suppress it is likely to have far-reaching effects, and will be generally welcomed.

R&cing Taxation How the racing public, clubs, and all interested in sport are taxed, is told in figures for the last half-year by the State Treasury, says a Sydney writer. The returns show a decided improvement, with the exception of that which is termed the Bookmakers Taxation Act. Receipts under that heading were £46,566, compared with £48,545 in 1933. That shows a decided decline in the bookmakers' actual business. The racecpurse admission tax increased from £35,440 to £37,079, while the revenue from the totalisators rose from £43,816 to £49,750. Betr ting taxes amounted in all to £99,738. against £93,186 for a similar period the previous year. Revenue from bookmakers apart' from the turnover tax Increased from £17,094 to £22,391. Taxes collected through race clubs and associations increased from £27,387 to £30,806.

with Helen's Bay at the two mile post. The last mile and a half was the more serious part of the task, Kippagh accomplishing it alone in 3min 32 2-ssec, the last half in lmin 5 2-sg.ee. Just off the post he broke, but otherwise he went well. Helen's Bay pulled up with two furlongs to go, and did not appear to be doing her task as well. Wallis has had Kippagh for a month now. Lee Boy, with the Riversdale trainer, E. Mitchell, in the sulky, was timed to run half a mile in lmin 9sec. Kotinga and Harvest Dillon were exercised together on the main track. Both look welL Lady Sonoma went nicely at half pace over a few circuits on the inside track, and if in a race she trotted as well as she looks she should do well.