Earnings Of The Hob Now Amount To £12,580

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27751, 31 August 1955, Page 4

Earnings Of The Hob Now Amount To £12,580

RACIN'

The Hob, now in his eleventh year, is carrying his age remarkably well. His success under 9-12 in the Mokoreta Handicap was one of the most interesting features of the racing at the Eastern Southland Hunt Club’s meeting on Saturday. He was the outsider in the doubles betting on the sixhorse field.

The Hob was five lengths from the leaders on the home turn but finished very strongly, though P. L. Fraser did not move on him, to head the weakening Canasta near the post. Fraser was later admonished for over-confidence over the last 100 yards. The Hob has now won 18 races and has been 23 times placed from 110 starts for £12,580 in stakes. Saturday’s prize was £125. The Hob has been regularly campaigned at Riccarton, and his successes there have made a big contribution towards his record. He won the Stewards’ Handicap in 1950, the Great Easter in 1952, and the Great Autumn Handicap last year. He was a five-year-old when he won the Stewards’ Handicap, and that was his best season. He won three more races, including the Metropolitan Handicap at Trentham, that term, and his earnings were £3585.

Best Since Bernborough The Australian jockey, A. Mulley, will ride King’s Fair in all his Sydney races. In his opinion, King’s Fair is the best horse he has ridden since Bernborough.

Programme for Romanos The New Zealand three-year-old, Romanos, is to have his first start in Australia in a handicap for three and four-year-olds at Randwick next week. He will then contest the Rosehill Guineas, the A.J.C. Derby, and later the Victoria Derby. C. Bolger will go to Australia this week to supervise the colt's preparation.

Mid-Week Racing Wanted The Victorian Trainers’ Association is making an urgent request to the State Government for the restoration of mid-week racing in Melbourne as early as possible. They claim that its curtailment was a war-time measure and that midweek meetings are now a necessity in view of the high cost of racing to owners and for the livelihood of jockeys and trainers. Hurdler of Promise

Capet showed he was a young hurdler of promise when he beat all but Some Rounder at the Eastern Southland Hunt meeting. Capet is by Sir Simper from French Lady, a half-sister to Anglo-French, a Grand National Steeplechase winner.

Some Bounder was well seasoned for his test after racing prominently at Riccarton earlier in the month. As a four-year-old last season, he won both on the flat and over hurdles.

He is by Sun King from the Defaulter mare Peculate, which was from Girouette, a half-sister to the good winner, Guarantee.

Horses and Ages “I don’t know where the idea originated that a young horse could be knocked out, or his heart broken, by running him against older horses,” said Meshach Tenney, trainer of the brilliant American three-year-old, Swaps, in a recent interview. “A horse does not know if the animal next to him is younger, older, or the same age,” Tenney said. “The only thing that will knock a horse out, or break nis heart, is asking him to do something when he is not in the physical shape to do it.” Swaps will meet * Nashua, another brilliant American three-year-old, in a match race in Chicago today for a purse of 100,000 dollars and a gold cup, winner take all.

Amberley Club’s Loss A loss of £1353 is shown in the annual accounts of the Amberley Racing Club for the 1954-55 season.

The club’s annual race meeting had not been well attended because of bad weather in Christchurch and surroundingi districts. A second reason for the loss was that a considerable sum had been spent on course maintenance.

The totalisator turnover showed a decline of £17,077, and off-course a decrease of £19,944 10s.

The president, Mr H. D. Greenwood, explains in his annual report that the decrease in the off-course turnover would not be reflected in the accounts until next year. The income from the

T.A.B. shown in this year’s accounts, amounting to £2067 Is Bd, was the club’s share of the profit from the board for the year ended July 31, 1954, and was based on the turnover for last year. Next year the share of profit would be based on the lower figures handled at the 1955 meeting. During the year the running rail had been almost completely renewed at a cost of more than £l3OO. Other essential maintenance tasks had brought the total spent on repairs to £1965, compared with £328 last year. The club distributed £2427 10s in stakes. Game Performance

Brooksdale was tested for gameness in a battling finish with Treasure Shiel in his division of the Knapdale Stakes at Gore last Saturday. Brooksdale’s winning margin was a narrow one, but he was doing his best work at the end. Brooksdale is out of Janice, a member of a non-Stud Book family that has produced many winners. Janice was by Man’s Pal from Queen Astrid, by Balboa from Fairy Rose, by All Red.

Queen Astrid, a half-sister to the useful stayer, Galleon, was the dam of Carolyn, a Paper Money mare which left Regardless and Carron, the latter a two-year-old winner last season. The other division of the Knapdale Stakes was won by a half-sister to the Caulfield Cup winner. Grey Boots. This was Desert Cloud (by Massowa). She is out of the Robespierre mare, St. Cloud, winner of 19 races. St. Cloud was a half-sister to Malmsey, which won nine races and which became the dam of seven winners, including Wine Card (14 wins). Foxcatcher (12 wins), and the high-class galloper, Howe, which is now meeting with success as a sire. Desert Cloud is trained at Wingatui by J. A. Wilson and H. J. Powell.

EPSOM HANDICAP FAVOURITE

KING’S FAIR REPLACES SOMERSET FAIR (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, August 30. Somerset Fair, the short-priced favourite, was last night withdrawn from the Epsom Handicap. The horse’s part owner, Mr B. A. Millen, announced the withdrawal. Racing writers in Sydney believe that the New Zealand horse may be a candidate for the Caulfield Cup, in October. Mr Millen said there was a possibility that Somerset Fair would not compete at Canterbury next Saturday. He added that he had not considered selling Somerset Fair, as racing rumours in Sydney had hinted. King’s Fair has now replaced Somerset Fair as favourite for the Epsom Handicap. AVONDALE SCRATCHINGS (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, Aug. 30. Great Peter has been scratched for the Avondale Cup, the principal event at the Avondale Jockey Club’s spring meeting at Avondale on Saturday. St. Vincent has been scratched for the second division of the Avondale Stakes.