TURF GOSSIP

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22344, 7 March 1938, Page 13

TURF GOSSIP

At Oamaru The Oamaru Jockey Club has received an excellent list of nominations for its autumn meeting this month, horses from all parts of the South Island being included. As usual, Riccarton stables have a good representation, including Happy Night, Rebel Lad, Lady Graceful, Some Shamble, Mungatoon, Dictate, Wino, Linguist, Lady Kinnoull, Romarin, Pucelle, Nigclla, Lisnacree, Flame Queen, Nightcalm, Chanteur, Nocturnus, Rabble, Top Rank, Drinkup, Contract, Wagner, Liberate, Dracula, Bright Prospect, Invoice, Rebel Star, The Masquerader-, Haughty Winner, Ponty, Glenacre, Phalanx,' and Cocksure. Handicaps will be available next Monday, and acceptances for the first day will close on March 18. Expensive Alertness J. W. Jennings has always been recognised as a past master in getting his mounts, good beginners and bad, smartly out of the barrier, and invariably he is the first to get away. On Saturday, however, overkeenness to keep up his reputation proved costly oust as the field was lining up for the first time in the Peninsula Cup, Jennings, who rode the_ winner, Sovereign Lady, failed in his attempt to anticipate the starter, and his mount broke through the barrier, causing slight delay while the, apparatus was being readjusted. Mr P. D. Mac Nab, who has refrained from punishing riders except in extreme cases, took a serious view of Jennings’s action, and fined him £5. Singularly enough, Jennings was the first out when the field was dispatched. Good Breeding Passenger was one of the first horses by Roydon to race, -but his success at Motukarara on Saturday was his first. He has not done much racing, and now that he has struck winning form, he may carry - on. He comes from a fashionable breed in that his dam, First Class, also produced Society, who threw the brilliant Talking to Magpie. First Class was purchased by Mr McKenzie at the Flaxmere Stud dispersal in January, 1931, for 40 guineas. She was then in foal to Lord Ouex, and the result, Disguise, was raced by Mr McKenzie. The next production was Passenger, and First Class, in foal to Roydon, was then sold to Mr W. J. Doyle. She produced Nuipai, who showed a lot of pfomise at one time, but who has failed to win a race.

A Class Filly Finanfiere, whose three recent wins in succession have been most impressive, is likely to develop into* a big winner. She is a well framed Paper Money production, and her dam. Corsetiere, is by Solferino from Dame Flraitlace by Kilbroney from Discipline by Treadmill from Madowla by Trenton. Like First Class, she was the property of Mr J. R. McKenzie for a period, and was sold by him to Mr G. Hall, owner of Financiere. Finnnciere’s next appearance, at Treniham. will be awaited with much interest. Can Still Gallop Rebel Star showed some of his old pace in the Kinloch Handicap on Saturday, but had had enough early in the run home. Metal Bird gave a similar performance. Unlucky Mare Lady Graceful has suffered from persistent leg trouble since she was first raced, and the gameness she has displayed on many occasions when short of the necessary work has suggested that she would have had an outstanding record but for her setbacks. She put up a stubborn fight m her race on Saturday, and if the lameness which was apparent when she returned to the birdcage has no far-reaching effects, she will soon return to the winning list. Not Right Yet Ponty was very disappointing at Wingatui. but it was thought he would come right again with a few weeks’ light work. His race on Saturday, however, was far from encouraging in view of his Trentham engagements. He certainly lost ground early, but a reproduction of his former pace would have had him closer at the finish than was the case. His stable mate Wino was also slow to get away, and he also failed to improve from a rear position. At a Disadvantage Dictate ran a good race under his big weight in the Kinloch Handicap at Motukarara on Saturday, but because of the hard nature of the track his prospects were not considered bright, and he was in little demand r.n the machine. The race would do him good, and with the possibility of a more yielding track at Trentham, he should win some stake money. Minimum Weight The desirability of altering the minimum weight for flat races was discussed recently by the Auckland District Committee.. Members expressed themselves as being in favour of a 7-0 minimum for all races, w’ith an apprentice's allowance up to slb, to bring the possible weight tb be carried to 6-9. Omission Overlooked Both Rabble and Gasmask are owned by Mr E. W. Spencer. Mr Spencer races Rabble, and he has leased Gasmask to a West Coast resident. Under the rules of racing, these horses should have been bracketed on the totalisator in the Terawera Highweight Handicap at Motukarara on Saturday, the onus being on the owner to notify the club when nominations are taken. This was not done, and the necessity for bracketing was not tealised until the approach of the race. The stewards had Mr Spencer before them to explain his lapse in not notifying the club of the position, and after hearing him, decided that there were unusual circumstances attached to the case, as Mr Spencer was not in the district when the nominations were taken, and no further action was deenfied warranted. A Sydney Winner Fan Tan, a winner in Sydney on Saturday, was purchased on behalf of an Australian owner, who races under the assumed name of R. Ronnie, at the yearling sales at Trentham in 1936 for 300 guineas. Her previous win was at Meriangle last December. Fan Tan is a half-sister by Night Raid to Greek Shepherd, and was bred at Elderslie Stud. New Time Records Two new Australian and New Zealand records were made at Flemington on Saturday. Regular Bachelor’s time, Imin 9Jsec, takes the place of Silver Scorn’s Imin 9 3-ssec, made at Riccarton in February, 1933. Marauder, winner of the Australian Cup, covered ‘two miles and a quarter in 3min 471 sec, as against the previous record. 3min 49Jsec, established by Phar Lap at Randwick in April 1930. Ajax’s time for a mile, Imin SSgsec, is a quarter of a second, not three-quar-ters, as cabled, outside the record held jointly by Peter Pan, Sarcherie, Ajax (in December last), and Ramdin. Correct Handicapping When the weights appeared for the Peninsula Cup, the opinion was held in many circles that Studley Royal was very leniently treated with 7-7, or only 51b above the weight he carried to victory In the Dunedin Cup, but the result of the race proved the handicaper, Mr W. P. Russell, to be right in his judgment. As an indication that Mr H. Coyle, handicapper for the Wellington Racing Club, did not attach much importance to Studley Royal’s Wingatui success is given by the gelding being placed on the minimum in the Thompson Handicap.