TURF GOSSIP

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23205, 17 December 1940, Page 12

TURF GOSSIP

Reminders Acceptances for the first day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s summer meeting will close at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Nominations for the Greymouth Jockey Club’s summer meeting will close at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Nominated for Southland Riccarton horses as follows have been nominated for the Southland Club’s meeting:—Recollection, Kilrobe, St. Cloud, Happy Night Fernby. Schoolgirl, Great Swoop, Gold Don, and Palo Alto. For the Wyndham New Year’s Day meeting Palo Alto, Happy Night. Great Swoop, St. Cloud, Ferriby Gold Don, and Kilrobe are included in the list of nominations.

A Stable Exchange The Nightmarch mare Great Night, formerly trained at Riccarton by A. J. Martin, is now in T. R. Georges stable at TTentham, and Martin has received from Mr R. J. Murphy the two-year-old Lady Nottava to replace her.

Loves the Game Mr A. Cooper is in the headlines again. He has found it necessary to deny that he was getting out of the racing game because he had leased two of his horses, Fairy Glass and Pretty Blue. “It costs big money to own horses, and I can’t be bothered with scrubbers like Fairy Glass and Pretty Blue. They have let me down and on Pretty Blue, particularly, I have lost big sums. A man can’t go on forever backing donkeys. I am not getting out of racing. I love the game too much, but I will have my hands full looking after Gold Salute and my Beau Perc colt.’’ At Hokitika

Having given up its Boxing Day fixture, the Westland Racing Club will open galloping activities with its oneday meeting on Saturday, December 28, at the Hokitika racecourse. This.club, in spjte of many set-backs, has battled on against great odds, and although the • fields will not be numerically strong, patrons can look forward to interesting racing. For some time members of the club, who have formed themselves into working bees, have effected improvements to the track and appointments. The single pool system of betting will operate at the meeting, and the first race is scheduled to start at 12.50 p.m. Acceptances close next Saturday, December 21. at 7.30 p.m., with the secretary (Mr D, .1. Evans). Old Bill’s Part-owner

’ The most interested spectator at Woodville of the win of Old Bill was his part-owner, Mr H, H. Pharazyn, in whose name he races. It was the first time that Mr Pharazyn has been on a New Zealand course for some time, and it must have pleased him to see what a fine horse won the Wellington Centennial Cup for him. Mr Pharazyn had to evacuate his home, motor-car, and all belongings in the Channel Islands when the Germans overran France, and he has just returned from England via Australia. Valuable Assistance

Racing clubs continue to do their share to help win the war. The amount raised by the principal clubs in Australia in about 15 months is approximately £46,000. The Victoria Racing Club’s most recent gift was £6OOO for a Spitfire, which is to be named Carbine.

A Rare Coincidence An unusual occurrence was connected with the success of Tellsom in the Parahaki Handicap at the Whangarei meeting. His victory in that event was achieved after the closing of the nominations for the Auckland summer meeting. He is therefore eligible to compete in hack races for which he is entered at Auckland, which includes the Queen’s Plate on Boxing Day. At 5 p.m., the time of the closing of nominations, Tellsom was parading at Whangarei in the Parahaki Handicap, which he won, earning his promotion to open company, but as the race was run at 5.15 p.m,, his success did not affect his hack status for the Auckland meeting. The qtiarter-hour made all the difference. Track Work at Trentham

Horses with Auckland engagements created the main interest in the work at Trentham on Saturday. Beau Vite went very smoothly all the way in a mile spin with Piastre, and, after they had taken 54Jsec to reach the half-mile, he came home the last half-mile in 50sec, being much, too good for his stablemate over that portion. As he has thrown off most of his muscle soreness, he is now a certain starter in the Auckland Cup, and all going Well meanwhile, he leaves for the north with other members of the team next Friday, Going the reverse way, Pay Roll finished a length clear of Par Avion over five furlongs in Imin 3sec. Erinscourt and Corn Prince were practically together over half a mue the reverse way in 50sec. Foreign Coin did a similar task alone in the same time, and never appeared to be doing his best.