TURF GOSSIP

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22983, 1 April 1940, Page 10

TURF GOSSIP

To-day’s Racing: The Greymouth and Avondale clubs will, make a start to-day with their autumn meetings. New Conditions After having the' John Grigg Stakes on the spring programme for a few years, the officials of the Ashburton County Racing Club have decided that September is too early in the season for .a two-year-old race, and the event will not be run next season. The race is not to disappear, however, as it will be resumed in the spring of 1941 as a three-year-old event, run over seven furlongs, for which yearling entries will be taken in June. Brilliant Sprinter Density is being kept in work and it is probable she will be seen among the sprinters at. the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting to be held in a few weeks. D. E. Cotton has her in better order now than at any previous stage, and more successes should some her way. Spelling The three-year-old Not Out will have a spell for a few months before being got ready for spring engagements. His fourth in the Great Easter was a good performance, and he should add to his successes next season.

New Quarters W. j. Cameron has added Flame Queen to his team. She will be allowed to miss her West Coast engagements this week, but she should be ready to show good form later in the season. At her best she is a smart galloper. Stable Changes A. S. Ellis has sent Patuma home and he may not be trained again. He looked like being a useful jumper but he became affected in the wind. In his place Ellis has the Robespierre gelding Chanteur. another jumping aspirant, who has no form to commend him at present. Hardy Veteran Wiilie Win received a kick at the start of the Great Autumn Handicap and he got a knock after the race. He is on the easy list at present and it is unlikely that he will do any more racing this season. After a spell Mrs J. Campbell will get him, ready for another spring campaign.' Promising Novice J. M. Olive has recommissioned the three-year-old Sweet Mystery. The Lord Warden filly looked a good prospect when she was raced in the spring, but she had to be spelled. The treatment she received has produced excellent results, and she is ready to start another preparation. Greymouth There will be some good fields at the Greymouth meeting this week. In addition to the contingent. that took part in earlier meetings on the West Coast circuit. Riccarton will provide some horses which were at home for Easter. Among them.are Lady Middleham, Donadea. Gay Lover. Raceaway. ai H *W 6 Hibberd and A. Messervy. will be among the Riccarton jockeys riding at the meeting. Southern Form Of the middle distance horses produced at Riverton, Waitoru s form was outstanding. He was finishing on fourth place in the Riverton Cup, an would have been much harder to be at had he not been so far bac k a tffie. half-mile. He.is a much better horse with the sting out of the going. In his three subsequent starts he won with a lot to spare, and most impressive. Wild Career won the Riverton Cup in solid style, after establishing a race record, but he did not fare so well in his later efforts. Peony Rose ran a great race to be second, to Wild Career in the cup, after trying to win all the way. She established a race-record, but in her later engagements she was not suited by the higher scale of weights. She finished second to Waitoru over a mile, but had little chance with him. Mona’s Song was a fair third in the cup, and also finished second to Waitoru, who was much too good for her. Jumping Expert The Riverton trainer, J. Thistleton, has had a great record with jumpers, and there was no more popular success at Riverton than when he won the Autumn Steeplechase with Gold Wren. Thistleton’s team at the meeting—Gold Wren, Trisox, Vitaphone, and Arctic Star —was not outstanding, while several of them had broken down at different stages of their career.. Gold Wren appeared to be a back number after a strenuous campaign last term and it says a lot for Thistelton that he got him back to the winning list and racing as he did. Trisox has failed a preparation on several - occasions, but he was produced in the, Great Western, in which he ran one of the finest races of his career, to beat all but Bauybrit. There appeared no doubt that he broke down during the race, as he pulled up lame, but his trainer was deserving of credit for the condition he prodliced him in. Vitaphone, who was a very doubtful proposition at one stage of his career, is apparently sounder than ever before. He is a fine jumper, who has excellent prospects of •winning a race. Arctic Star came through his two races in good style, and will be a much improved horse when next produced. Non Proprietary An indication of the confidence in the future of Sydney racing is provided by the extensive changes which hav’e been made at Canterbury Park, which has been converted from a proprietary course to a club. The reconstruction of the track, which began last i September, is almost completed, havi; ; been advanced so far that it is intended to race there next Saturday and again a fortnight later. The race track has been regraded and returfed, while the stands have been extended and improved. It is claimd that the course will now accommodate' 30,000 people, and if the club is able to maintain its stakes and the standard it aims at in its racing, it is quite likely that accommodation will be needed. At next Saturday’s meeting the principal event will be the Frederick Clissold Stakes, of six furlongs, for a stake of £BOO, while on the second day there will be-the Canterbury Park Cup, of £BSO, run over 11 furlongs. Prizes of this size are seldom provided in Sydney, except at Randwick and Warwick Farm.

OWNERS AND TRAINERS. Do yon want to be certain that yonr horse will leave the barrier and see out the distance? If so, consult GEORGE BETTLE, Consulting Chemist, 769 Colombo street, Christchurcb. Call or write and give full particulars. GEORGE BETTLE has bad over 20 years’ experience with racehorses.