TURF GOSSIP

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22269, 7 December 1937, Page 14

TURF GOSSIP

Reminders Nominations for the Westland Racing Club's meeting will close at 8.30 p.m. to-day. The H'okitika telegraph office closes at 8 p.m. Nominations for • the Wyndham meeting will close at's p.m.' to-mor-row. Nominations for the'Waiau Racing Club's annual meeting on New Year's Day will close at 9 p.m. to-day. Nominations for the Dunedin Jockey Club's meeting will close at 5 p.m. on Friday. Interesting Arrival Entreaty, dam of Phar Lap, has produced a filly foal to Nightmarch at Mr Fred Armstrong's stud farm at Riccarton. Highly Regarded Mr F. W. Hughes, who has had illluck with Rival Hit since he purchased him in the spring for 2000 guineas is the owner of Kooba, who won the Kirkham Stakes at Sydney on Saturday. He has spent a considerable sum in trying to secure a good horse, and with the Veilmond colt he is likely to win some, more good races. Kooba cost Mr Hughes 700 guineas as a yearling in Sydney. He won his first race at Warwick Farm last month, and has returned his purchase price to his owner. Racing at Hororata The Hororata Racing Club has received a very satisfactory list of.acceptances for its annual race meeting on Saturday next. The field for. the Hororata Hack Handicap has been reduced to six, but all are evenly matched, and an excellent race should be witnessed. There were no defections from the H. A. iuiight. Memorial Handicap, which also promises to be a close contest. A rose bowl, valued at 12 guineas, given by Mrs J. w. Woodhouse. will be attached to the stake of £l3O for this race. The course received further benefit from the week-end rain, and the going should be- better than for some years past. The Hororata fixture is yearly looked upon as a picnic outing in pleasant surroundings, and with fine weather a laree assemblage is anticipated by the club. Loss to Racing At a meeting of tho committee of the Dunedin Jockey Club last week reference was made to the loss suifered by racing through the death of Mr Norman McLean, the stipendiary steward. Tributes were paid to Mr McLean's work, and a motion of sympathy with his relatives was carried. Rack to Work . . Custodian has been recommissioned bv J. W. Pankhurst at Orari. It is about two years since this six-year-old brother to Cerne Abbas has had a race, and during the interval he has been fired. Hunting Go The steeplechaser Hunting Go has been recommissioned by Mr W. b. Ma/lett The sou of Hunting. Song hVs been out since • the Wellington meetuS but h as been hacked about a lot and is in splendid condition to start a preparation. America's Best Rider Increasing weight has forced many capable jockeys out of the, The most recent victim in America is Silvio Coucci, one of that country's leading riders for the 'last, six years During the last six or seven months of this season Coucci had to waste so.hardto keeD down to a reasonable weight tnat hf eventually decided it was not worth W fo e i93s Coucci. was America's best money-winning jockey, the total credited him for the various stables for which he rode being close on £BO,OUU. Racing Luck . Nine years ago Mr J. J. Kitson a MellDurne butcher who was fondl of racing ran into a bad patch. He soia Ms horses and did not go near a course for seven years,. Eighteen months ago he came back, but Rosin Site, for which he paid 400gns^ dropped dead. Then he gave 220gns for Larissa, who has just won £ 1155 and looks to be a high-class two-year-old and Mr Kitson states that £ 1 5000 will not buv him. Last season Mr Kitson Soughftwo yearlings at Trentham, one bv Posterity at 200gns and one by Colossus at 350gns, but neither has yet been raced.

A Gruelling Experience /■i extraordinary adventure befell thP thoroughbred mare Ballyorgan. who ws bought at the Dublin horse sales for £350 and shipped to India late in October in the ship Clan Mackenzie, of 6554 tons. On the trip down the Mersey Channel the. vessel was wrecked in a collision with the Manchester Regiment, of 5989 tons. The mare plunged over the side, dragging the loosebox to which she was tied, aid swam two miles through a gale before she was seen by those on the Vigilant, which had already taken off the Clan Mackenzie's crew. With the loosebox still tied to her, Ballyorgan was lifted aboard by a rope tied round her neck, which was seriously injured by the strain imposed oh it. She suffered other injuries and also swallowed a great deal of sea water. Unlike human' beings, a horse cannot be sick, and consequently the mare was in a very low state when taken to a veterinarian at Liverpool, who made strer. ;ous efforts to save her life. She was slung, being too weak to stand, and fed on eggs, milk, and oatmeal gruel. An emergency operation to her neck allowed her to breathe more freely, and she was still alive when the last mail left England.