LIGHT BETTING ON JUMPERS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27666, 24 May 1955, Page 4

LIGHT BETTING ON JUMPERS

PENTLOW STEEPLES AT WASHDYKE

Steeplechasing little interest as a Atting judged on investments bi tne Pent low Steeplechase at Washdyke on Sa Fort a MarshaU and Gay Fenian, flrat and second favourites ‘"tbe steeplechase, carried £351 lOslera than Cardinal King, the favourite for and winner of the St. Andrew s Handicap. Fort Marshall carried £6Ol in win-and-place betting, off-course amounting to the surprisingly small total of £lO6. Investments on Gay Fenian totalled £425 10s, but only £56 came through-the TAX Such cautious backing for the favourites in the steeplechase was well advised on the result. Both Fort Marshall and Gay Fenian failed to complete the course. Heavy backing for Cardinal Kirig in the St. Andrew’s Handicap made him, the shortest-priced favourite of the day. It was another case of place bettors being placed in the ponltioi, of losing money on . t s el ’; Cardinal King carried £644 10s in a place pool of £l9BO, and his supporters on that machine lost 3s 6d m every £l. Off-course betting contributed all but £ll9 10s of the total of £644 10s on Cardinal King for a On-Siurse patrons can see for themselves that a horse has been so heavily backed that they could lose money on a successful bet, but those who put their money through T.A.B. agencies have no such warning. Cardinal King was an odds-on favourite for a win. He carried £733 10s in a win pool of £1751, and offcourse betting contributed £532 10s towards his total.

Commendable Move The South Canterbury Jockey Club is to be commended for the quality of the new saddlecloths used at its autumn meeting at Washdyke on Saturday. The numbers were of good size and easily distinguishable on the far side of the course through field glasses. Some other clubs in the South Island could well follow the South Canterbury club’s move. New Zealander’s Record The former New Zealand jumping rider, W. E. Carter, set what is claimed to be an Australian record when he won the Normanby Steeplechase on Sohrab at Casterton, near Melbourne, last Thursday. It was Carter’s seventh win in successive rides over fences. The previous best is believed to have been six in a row by the Adelaide rider E. Wilson in August, 1944. Carter’s winners have been Sohrab (four), Better Law (two) and Peerless Fox. Carter won the 1952 Grand National Hurdles on Peter Ora.

Repayment Destroyed Repayment, which collapsed and was destroyed at Te Rapa on Saturday, was third to Young Prince and Pictavia Boy in the last Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton. A bay by the Melbourne Cup winner Wotan from Golden Hind, Repayment did hot begin racing until he was five, four seasons ago. He started 52 times for thee wins, 11 minor placings and £4805.

- Repayment’s wins were the Green Lane Steeplechase at Ellerslie, tne Spring Steeplechase at and the Clarkin Steeples at Te Rapa two years ago. He was attempting to win tne Clarkin Steeples for a second time on Saturday.

Pictavia Boy’s Programme The 1955 Grand National Steeplechase has a high priority in the programme for Pictavia Boy. The horse’s owner-trainer, Mr L. W. Mora, said at the week-end that the next race for the Waikato Steeplechase winner would be the Great Northern Hurdles at Ellerslie on June 4. A decision would afterwards be made whether Pictavia Boy would contest the Great Northern Steeplechase two days later. In any case, all going well, Pictavia Boy would be brought south for the Grand National Steeplechase. Pictavia Boy was runner-up to Young Prince in the Grand National Steeples last year.

Interrupted Run The Invercargill-trained Cheerio was one of the worst sufferers when Lord Fort fractured a cannon bone near the home turn in the Elloughton Handicap at Washdyke on Saturday. Cheerio, then galloping strongly in the middle of the field, had to be eased right up to dodge trouble and finished at the rear. He was second favourite for the double and third favourite for a win-and-place. It was a costly trip to Washdyke for Cheerio’s Invercargill trainer, D. V. Pankhurst.

Cheerio’s stablemate, Riverstone, had to be destroyed after fracturing a fetlock joint in the Levels Hack Hurdles earlier in the day.