RACING Midnight Steeplechase Re-enacted At Woolwich

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27782, 6 October 1955, Page 4

RACING Midnight Steeplechase Re-enacted At Woolwich

“To see each other better and remain unknown to vulgar eyes, they decided to wear clean night shirts over their uniforms, and cotton night caps on their heads.’’ Attired thus, a small group of English Army officers, bored almost to distraction in their winter quarters at Ipswich, set off on a wild, moonlight ride across country to Nacton Church. On their way they frightened disturbed villagers out of their wits as they thundered and whoo-hooped their way along the cobbled streets. This “Midnight Steeplechase,’’ as the first authenticated ’chase later became known, took place on a December evening in 1803, and it was won, so accounts state, by a young artillery officer who was a 'guest of the cavalrymen at the time. The gunners are proud of this victory; and to commemorate it, at this year’s Searchlight Tattoo at Woolwich last month, they re-enacted the scene in the Woolwich Stadium. Dormant Resumes Racing The New Zealand Cup winner Dormant resumed racing at Hastings last Saturday, running against the sprinters over six furlongs, which was too short for him. But there was an encouraging feature about his performance—he pulled up sound. Now six. Dormant is one of the most massive horses in training. He has done a fair amount of work on the roads and hills, and has shown no sign this season of the rheumatic condition which troubled him earlier in his career. Result Not Affected The fact that five of the eight runners in the Seaview Hurdles at the Otago Hunt meeting were eliminated during the race had little effect on the result. Some Bounder had the race won a long way from home. This was his second successive win, and he should improve that record soon. Death of “The Wizard’’ Richard Cecil Dawson, whose death at the age of 89 occurred at his home at Newbury in England last month, was one of the few men to have trained winners of both the Derby and Grand National. His Derby winners were Fifinella, Trigo, and Blenheim, and his National victor Drogheda in 1898. He owned Blandford, sire of Trigo and Blenheim. It was as the Aga Khan’s first trainer in England that Dawson will be particularly remembered, and over a period of 10 years he won more than £250,000 in stake money for his patron. The “Wizard of Whatcombe,” as Dick Dawson was known, was leading English trainer three times. He retired in 1945. Trentham Owner’s Fancies Toparoa and Ray Ribbon will be first and second in the Metropolitan Handicafp on Saturday, in the opinion of the Trentham owner-trainer, Mr P. S. McColl, who returned home from Australia on Monday. Mr McColl’s slight preference for Toparoa was reinforced when he heard of Toparoa’s Sydney Handicap win last Saturday. Mr McColl, like all New Zealand visitors he met. was fascinated by the large bets handled so casually and so often by the bookmakers, but it was the Wellington-owned Omai which carried one of the biggest

plunges in Sydney for many years. A leading rails bookmaker told Mr McColl that the odds to £9OOO were laid along the rails alone in the last few minutes before the race. Omai, which opened at 40, started at 5 to. 1. He was unplaced. My Babu An official denial was made in England last month that My Babu, 10-year-old son of Djebel, had been sold to America for 600,000 dollars. Present plans are for him to continue stud duties in Ireland. Solar Slipper, which also stands in Ireland, has apparently attracted an “opening offer’’ from a Californian syndicate of 500.000 dollars, but the indications are that Mr Joseph McGrath will retain the horse. Bred for Jumping There is a wealth of jumping blood in the pedigree of Waikana, winner of the B. S. Irwin Steeples at the Otago Hunt meeting. This seven-year-old gelding is by Maniototo from Sweet Sign by Sir Simper from Flag Signal by Fleetham from Miss Signal. There is a doubling up of Simper blood through Sir Simper and Maniototo. Sweet Sign was sold at the dispersal of the Chelandry Stud for 410gns. At ; the time, she had a Maniototo colt at foot and was in foal to the same sire. The foal she was carrying turned out to be Waikana. Flag Signal was a half-sister to Morse Signal, which left a handicap horse of great class in Signal Officer; and others in Doubleack, Trebleack, Waitoru, and Totolomai. This is the family that produced the [New Zealarid Cup winner, Sir Garnish; [also The Smuggler, Signaller, Spanish Main, and several other good winners. i Derby Winner’s Pedigree i Caranna, winner of the A.J.C. Derby | at Randwick last Saturday, is by the imported Valognes from Connette, a ‘black mare foaled in 1937 by Constant Sun (imported) from Brunette by the imported Magpie, one of the greatest sires of successful brood mares Australia has had. Connette was quite a success as a race mare, but she has had atrocious luck as a matron. Caranna is the first of her progeny to race; the others were injured. Brunette was a success as a brood mare, producing Sir Raven, a winner up to a mile and a quarter at Randwick; and Nigerian Prince, a winner at Newcastle. Winsome Queen, the third dam of Caranna, was a Comedy King mare and a sister to Artilleryman, which, like his sire before him, won the Melbourne Cup. Valicare, one of the greatest fillies ever raced in Australia, and her daughter, Care Free, another brilliant miler, were members of the family. Valognes, sire of Caranna, was a stayer. He won the Chester Vase, of a mile and a half. He is by an English Derby winner, Bois Roussel, and on his dam’s side his pedigree is rich with classic winners. The dam of Valognes was Belle Etoile, by Asterus, one of the greatest sons of Teddy. Asterus won the French “Guineas,” and in England the Ascot Hunt Cup and the Champion Stakes, beating Colorado and Embargo.

Valognes is of the St. Simon line and has at least three infusions of St. Simon in his pedigree and blood.