SPORTING

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23973, 14 June 1943, Page 7

SPORTING

♦ TUIIF GOSSIP ♦ Over Hurdles Trench Law was again schooled on Saturday over the pony hurdles at Rlccarton. He may be given a run soon over the bigger obstacles. His owner. G. G. Shaw, intends to Qualify him as a hunter. Steeplechase Candidate In preparation for hunters’ races, A. B. Stove gave Airborne a turn over a few brush fences on Saturday. He shaped well in his jumping, finshing up with a very good performance over the double. Road Exercise Kevin, who reached his best form in his latest races, was eased up when he returned home from Wingatul. He is being exercised on the roads, but R. Wilson will soon have him doing more serious tasks, in preparation for the Grand National meeting. He may have a run in the Winter Cup, but he will be better suited by the Islington Handicap, one mile and a quarter, on the second day. New Season’s Team The three-year-old Foxhaven, who was turned out for a spell in January, has done well since he resumed work and he should be ready to show some form at the Grand National meeting. Other inmates of C. Emerson’s stable who are progressing favourably for August engagements are Lynden Lea and the two-year-old. In Chancery, while Benevolent, the jumper of the team, will also be on hand, after racing first at the South Canterbury Hunt meeting next month. Big Weight Gold Spot now’ stands out as the star cross-country horse of the Dominion. He has received 12-7 in the Manawatu Steeplechase, Spendthrift and Native Chief being next on the list with 11-4, while Chat (winner of the Te Rapa and Great Northern Steeplechases) has 10-13. Sharp Contrasts Bonny Pay, by Autopay, was the big two-year-old winner, five stakes being worth £2005. Dominate, by Phaleron Bay, was another good performer, as three wins and some place money brought in a total of £ll4O. The form of the pair this season has been disappointing, as neither of them has won a race, the best they could do being for each to earn place money four times. A Good Winner When Rakanui won a division of the Cornwall Handicap at the Auckland Racing Club’s winter meeting he raised his stake earnings for the season to £4480 and his aggregate to £7185. In his four seasons he has contested 48 races, for 14 wins, 14 seconds, and five thirds. By his latest success Rakanui displaced Kindergarten as the season's biggest winner in the Dominion. First Fall According to a northern report, the fall of The Dozer in the Campbell Hurdles, at the Auckland meeting, marked his first mistake of this nature. There was a quiet tip for him before the race and at the time he wont out of the contest he had made a forward move to be just behind the leaders. He seemed unaffected bv the mishap, and he is being talked i of in connexion with hurdle races at : Trentham and Riccarton. i Night Pilot It is reported from Auckland that Mr ' W. C. Flaxman has had the misfortu ,e to lose Night Pilot, who succumbed to an attack of strangles. Night Pilot was ■ raced by Mr W. Graham and his best ] performances were to win the Taranaki 1 Cup of 1941 and the Auckland President’s 1 Handicap, He did a light stud season ' last spring and it was intended to put j him back into training. Night Pilot was j a six-year-old by Night Raid, from Lytun, 1 and he was bred by Mr Ken Austin. His ‘ dam is by Clarenceux from Flame, by J Phaethon from Catherine Wheel, by ‘ Maxim from Miss Kate, who includes ( Phar Lap and Kindergarten among her descendants. J Victorian Handicappers j Mr G. A. Davis has received theaa- t pointment as handicapper to the Victoria , Amateur Turf Club, in succession to Mr s Clejn Hill, who resigned recently. Mr t Davis is a brother to Mr C. H. Davis, who t acts for the Victoria Racing Club The c policy of the chief Melbourne clubs is for s each to have its separate official and the e Moonee Valley Racing Club recently ap- v pointed a handicapper to act exclusively c for it at a salary of £750. v a TROTTING NOTES ; An Improved Pacer J Latest Edition showed himself a greatly t improved pacer when, on a heavy track, he won the* Acton Handicap at Ashburton last Monday, for he defeated a field a of horses that appear to be well on their f way to good class company. These in- r eluded Sports Guide, Loyal King, Flash , Guy, and others that .are more than use- 1 ful. He is bred the way of a champion, , for by Grattan Loyal, his dam is Daphne , de Oro, one of the best mares for her , inches ever raced in New Zealand. She established a two miles record of 4min 25 , 2-ssec at a time when very few other c horses had done this time. She won the £ New Zealand and Great Northern Derby . in 1927. . ‘ Peter Smith ' a Peter Smith was not started at the hj Ashburton meeting because of the heavy s *tate of the track, He is not a good race- r horse in heavy going, and L. A. Maidens C thought it better to leave him in the / stable rather than put him to an unfair u test. Peter Smith is in good order and a will probably race at Addington in Aug- ® ust. His trainer, Maidens, intends to 11 take a property near Christchurch and Sl set up as a public trainer. ® A Profitable Season e Hardy Oak’s win in the All-Aged c Stakes at Ashburton brought his win- i nings for the season up "to £1770, and a Mr B. Grice's total up to £6130, with q four horses. Other good winners were a Haughty £3070, Mervyn Derby £785, and d Single Star £505. a - v - - tl