Anderton Team Not In C.J.C. General Entries

Press, Volume C, Issue 29567, 17 July 1961, Page 5

Anderton Team Not In C.J.C. General Entries

General entries for the Grand National meeting next month closed at 4 p.m. on Friday without an entry from 11. A. Anderton’s powerful Wingatui stable.

Racing programmes at Riccarton were planned for about 15 members of the team, but their entries were not telephoned in time on Friday afternoon. Eight members of the team were nominated for major races at the meeting, entries for which closed on June 29, but their programmes may be revised now that there will be no more than one race for them at the meeting. H. A. Anderton said last evening that everything had been ready last Thursday to telephone the entries on the Friday afternoon. A float had been due at his stable at 3 p.m. on Friday, but it had some trouble, and arrived late. "Lot Of Bustle” "The float driver had to use the telephone and did not come off it for about a quarter of an hour. There was a lot of bustle going on until the float, which was going to Waimate, pulled away from the place and it was about half past four before the call to Christchurch was put through.” Anderton himself did not make the first call—one of his sons was doing the job—but when told the entries would not be accepted he tried to communicate with the CJ.C. secretary (Mr F. T. H. Belli to explain the delay. "I am amazed that a club like Canterbury didn't wonder what was wrong when one of its regular patrons didnot nominate a horse.” Anderton said last evening. “I know that four-o'clock closing means just that, but in an exceptional case like that something could be done,” Anderton said. “After all I see the Conference president now has power to reinstate a horse scratched by mistake. Surely

it wouldn’t be terribly inconvenient for Mr Grigg, who is the chairman of the C.J.C., to make an exception in this case. After all they are only nominations. It would be different with acceptances, when the fields have to be sent out straight away.” “Unfortunate Business” Mr Bell, secretary of the club, said last evening that the whole business was unfortunate, but there could be no variation of the practice of closing the entries promptly on the advertised time. “I was in the office until 10 minutes to five, and it was some time after that before the call came through,” said Mr Bell. Members of the Anderton team nominated for major races at the meeting are No Offence, Sir Edwin. Arctic Star, Paper Clip, Promise, Ravelston and McGregor. Promise has been entered for the Grand National Hurdles but it had been intended to start him beforehand in the Jumpers’ Flat, which would have been a valuable race trial. Ravelston, Promise and No Offence raced at the Wellington winter meeting and will be brought south this evening. Ravelston looked closest to winning at Trentham, running fourth in the Parliamentary Handicap. The same day Promise was fourth in the Lambton Hurdles.