COUNT BIAN’S SUCCESS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26729, 13 May 1952, Page 4

COUNT BIAN’S SUCCESS

WAIKATO HURDLES ON SATURDAY Count Bian, the 13-14 favourite, won the Waikato Hurdles on Saturday after a hard struggle with Oklahoma, another lightly-supported runner. Count Bian was close behind the leaders at the straight entrance and he was almost on terms with Regality and Stylish Fox at the last hurdle. Once over. Oklahoma made a determined challenge, but his run ended just before the post and Count Bian went on gamely under a hard ride to win by half a head. This was Count Bian’s first start over hurdles since August, when he lost his rider at the first fence in the Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton. Before that he recorded a first and four seconds in successive starts over hurdles. One of his seconds was in the Trentham Hurdles on July 7, when he finished a neck behind the winner. Wee Mac, Now rising nine years, Count Bian is a bay gelding by Lang Bian from Jacynth. He is trained at Hastings by D. Kemp for Mr W. Henderson. Trainer’s Licence The Greymouth District Committee has recommended an application by N. A. Evans, Westport, for a trainer’s licence. To be Trained at Wingatul Ruth’s Praise will be trained for her future racing by H. A. Anderton, Wingatui. A four-year-old mare by Ruthless from Ring Velvet, Ruth’s Praise has done all her racing so far from the Riccarton stable of G. Ridgway. She has failed to win in 17 starts this season. Ruth's Praise is raced by the Dunedin owner, Mr J. M. Samson, several of whose horses have been transferred from Riccarton to southern stables during the last year. Won at Twentieth Start

The three-year-old Reigning King was having his twentieth start for the season when he won the Ta Timi Kara Handicap at Otaki on Saturday. Reigning King was the favourite, and after being ridden confidently by the stable horseman, he came from seventh at the turn and won going away from the outsider, Platonic, and King's Ransom. This was Reigning King's second success this season, but with place money earned in five other races, he has won stakes worth £1855 as a three-year-old. Reigning King is a bay gelding by Golden Souvenir from Reigning Queen, raced by Mrs P. Burgess, wife of the Woodville trainer.

Amberley Double "On Course" writes: “By some arithmetic on the figures of on-course betting on the double at Amberley, I work out that the dividend on the on-course investments would have been £5 15s 6d. The off-course punters, whose patronage was not worth one penny to the club, chiselled our dividend down by £1 Ils. Why don't the clubs run two pools—both on win and place and doubles—one for the genuine patrons and the other for the stay-at-home punters?” Spell for Entrancing Entrancing had some heat in a leg on Friday, which, with the likelihood of a hard track at Amberley, influenced her trainer, T. H. Gillett, to withdraw from the sprint on Saturday. Entrancing had been working brilliantly and she was the pre-post favourite for the race.

The Man’s Pal mare is now to be spelled for several weeks. This will be the first time she has been out of training since she was sent to Riccarton by her Southland owner. Racing Dates on Coast The Greymouth District Committee has forwarded the the following dates for the 1952-53 season to the New Zealand Racing Conference for approval:— * Reefton. September 6. 1952, May 2 and 4, 1953; Westport, September 13 and 15; Westland, December 20, February 14 and 15; Greymouth, August 30, November 29 and December 1, January 1 and 3; Kumara, January 10; Nelson, April 18 and 20. The following names have been submitted to the Racing Conference as representing the Greymouth District Committee:—Messrs J. W. Hannan, T. E. Coates, C. L. Kettle. J. P. Low, and A. J, Wilson. The Greymouth Jockey Club has appointed its president, Mr J. W. Hannan, to represent the club at the annual meeting of the Racing Conference in July. Unusual Accident

The North Island jockey, V. R. Coley, was taken from the Otaki racecourse to the Palmerston North Hospital on Saturday after an unusual accident in the Rangiuru Steeplechase, the first race at the Otaki winter mee ing. Coley was riding Snowless, and soon alter jumping the first fence his left rein broke. Snowless ran off at the second fence and ran down the outside of the course out of control.

Near the seven furlongs on the bottom turn she tried to jump the wire fence on the outside of the track and gave Coley a jneavy fall. Coley escaped serious injury, but fractured a rib and was extensively bruised and badly shaken by the accident. Leading Jockeys Although N. B. Holland did not win a race on Saturday, he is still the leading rider so far this season, with 42 successes. W. J. Broughton, P. Cathro, and G. F. Hughes, all of whom were unsuccessful at the week-end, share second place on the jockeys’ list with 39 wins each. L. W. Hare, the leading South Island jockey, is next with 36 wins. Then follow V. J. Sellars (34 wins), W. F. Ellis, W. D. Skelton (30), W. L. Aitken, C. H. Mackie (28), E. G. Low (27), J. W. Davey (25), H. H. Phillips, A. J. Stokes (24), A. C. Messervy (23). W. J. Mudford (22), J. G. Dulleu, N. A. Crombie, B. J. Langford (20), L. J. Ellis, L. J. Hodren (19), A. E. Skinner, K. Nuttall, J. W. Harris, J. G. O’Neill, V. J. Coley (18).

Noviee Winners at Amberley Owl’s Way, Sidra, and Detroit opened their wininng records at Amberley on Saturday, each winning decisively. Owl’s Way, winner of the first division of the Novice Stakes, should continue to do good service for Mr P. Ivey, who also raced this three-year-old’s halfbrother, Night Owl. Owl’s Way is by Airway. His dam. Owl's Nest, was bred by the late Sir Charles Clifford, being a product of the mating of the Autumnus mare, Owlscombe, with Polazel. This is the Azalea family. Sidra, which outclassed her opponents in the second division of the Novice Stakes, is a three-year-old bay filly by Defaulter from Syria, a half-sister to the North Island winner. Lord Neptune. Asia, the dam of Syria and Lord Neptune, did her racing in the South Island. She was by Limond from the imported Jewel of Asia. Detroit, which decisively won the Glasnevin Stakes, is a four-year-old gelding by Airway from the Nightmarch mare, Sonneteer, whose dame was Gay Sonnet Iby Gay Lad). Detroit is raced by his breeder, Mr J. Wilson, and is trained at Hiccarton by J. McLean.

WESTLAND CLUB

NEW CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES (New Zealand Press Association) ? GREYMOUTH. May 12. Because few galloping nominations have been received for its one-day meeting on May 24, the Westland Racing Club tonight decided to extend the closing date for nominations until Wednesday, May 14, at 5 p.m. This was reported to-night by the club secretary (Mr J. F. McDougall), who said that very poor entries had been received from districts outside'the West Coast. Unless considerably larger nominations were received the meeting might have to be abandoned.

SUDDEN DEATH OF RACING ANNOUNCER

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 12. Mr Keith McDonald, announcer for many racing and trotting clubs in the Wellington district, had a seizure when motoring home from the Otaki races on Saturday evening and died three hours later in the Wellington Hospital. Mr McDonald was commentator at the Otaki races and on the return trip had the club's handicapper, Mr A. V. O’Brien, as a passenger. When about half a mile north of Johnsonville, Mr McDonald complained of feeling unwell and the car was halted on the side of the motorway. Mr McDonald was employed as a city traveller by A. S. Paterson and Company. Ltd. He had been engaged in race announcing for the last 12 years. He is survived by his wife and two young children.

Ashburton T.C. Entries and Forfeits Nominations for both days of the Ashburton winter meeting will close To-day (Tuesday), the 13th inst., at 5 p.m. Final forfeits for the N.Z. Futurity Stakes, 1952, and the N.Z. Sapling Stakes, 1952, are due •t the same hour. Advt.