RACING C.J.C Autumn Meeting Big Success

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28561, 15 April 1958, Page 4

RACING C.J.C Autumn Meeting Big Success

A most successful season for the Canterbury Jockey Club concluded with the club’s autumn fixture at Riccarton on Saturday. The general upward trend in on-course betting figures, which had been shown at the Grand National, New Zealand Cup and Midsummer meetings, was again evident.

This year’s on-course investments of £298,214 were the highest for an autumn meeting of the club since 1952, when the figure was £303.749. During the post-war period, when on-course investments were at their peak, twice in, 1948 and 1951, betting figures fell below this year’s total. The total on-course investments

for the 10 days’ racing at Riccarton since the beginning of the current season amounted to £1,105,924 10s, which is only £258,387 5s less than the offcourse bett’ing for the same period. Starting Gates Officials of the club had good reason to be pleased with their decision to install the Wood starting gates. The gates, which were introduced for the first time in the South Island at the meeting, produced efficient starts once horses and riders had become accustomed to them, and reduced delays. Even horses which had previously showed a tendency to be wayward at the open stall type barrier became more tractable in the new type of gate and got away on terms with their fields. Of the seven North Island horses which competed at the meeting only two failed to win a race and one did not earn stake money. Of the £18,750 distributed in stakes by the club the aggregate earnings of the South Island horses amounted to £14,785, compared with £3965 for North Island horses.

On the opening day the major events, the Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicaps, were won by the Ricearton-trained gallopers, Sarcelle and Teaka, respectively. The other feature races on the programme, the Champagne Stakes and the Warstep Stakes, were won by the Hastings stablemates, Cabonne and Goudvink. Drum Roll, from Wanganui, won the Dominion Handicap, principal event on the second day and Great Sensation, from Wingatui, the Woodville galloper. Equal Terms, and Purser, from Riccarton, won the major races on Saturday. Stakes throughout the meeting were well distributed; 75 horses earned prize money.

Principal contributors to the South Island total, and top stake winners at the meeting, were Sarcelle and Teaka, which both earned £l3OO as a result of theii Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicap successes. They also gave their respective owners, Mrs F. A. Roberts and Mr C. L. Smith, second place on the owners’ list. Leading Owner

Top place on the owners’ list went to Mr J. G. Alexander, the owner of Drum Roll danaq, which jointly earned £1475. Drum Roll’s win in the Dominion Handicap was worth £lOOO, and the balance of his £ 1200 was for third place in the Great Autumn Handicap. Mindanao earned £75 for her third in the Warstep Stakes and £2OO for second in the Waltham Handicap. Juventas, which is also owned by Mr Alexander, failed to gain a place in two starts at the meeting. Fourth on the list was Great Sensation’s owner, Mr D. W. Brown. The Cassock gelding earned £lOOO for his success in the Sockbum Handicap, his only appearance at the meeting. There were 47 individual sires represented among the horses which won prize money at the meeting. Dogger Bank was the leading sire. His stock won £1965. They included Drum Roll and Mindanao, and the Warstep Stakes winner, Goudvink, which contributed £490 to the total.

Oman, with £l5lO, was second. His principal winner was Sarcelle, but Ruve, a two-year-old sister to Sarcelle, and Tamarisk, contributed £5O arid £l6O respectively to his total. Third place went to Gassock. His main contributor was Great Sensation, but the efforts of Olympic Flame, third in the Warstep Stakes and first in the Merivale Handicap, Cheyenne, third in the Waltham Handicap, and Glare, fourth in the Yaldhurst Handicap, earned for him £l4BO.

Teaka gave Kurdistan fourth place. Summertime was next. His £ 1050 was contributed by the Champagne Stakes winner, Cabonne (£650), and Keep Time, runner-up in the Great Easter Handicap. The only other sire whose stock won more than £lOOO was Defaulter, the sire of Skyrider (£325), Tripped (£362 1 / 2 ), Curtain Raiser (£4O). Brookfields Lad (£145), Search Warrant (£125). and Pack Drill (£5O).

Five trainers shared top place, each training the winners of two races. They were R. Heasley, Wingatui (Arabian Chief, twice); J. P. Ryan, Hastings (Cabonne and Goudvink); W. A. Welton, Riccarton (Teaka and Olympic Flame); F. R. Meynell, Hawera (The Drum, twice); and C. G. Humphries, Riccarton (Her Ex and Ration Time).

Top place on the jockeys list was also divided. Seven horsemen shared the honour with tw’o winning rides each. They were: J. W. McDonald. W. D. Skelton, C. T. Wilson, N. Eastwood, A. J. Stokes, D. N. Hadfield, and A. H. Eastwood.