RECORD OF PIPPA

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29713, 5 January 1962, Page 4

RECORD OF PIPPA

Winner Of 34 Picnic Events

“The Press" Special Service

MATAMATA. January 4.

Which horse racing in New Zealand has had the largest number of wins? Probably the strongest claimant is Pippa, which will surprise moat racing followers. Pippa is a seven-year-old brown mare by Paper Boy from Lisdoonvarna. It is hard to reconcile her winning record with the fact that she is an acceptor with only the minimum weight in the lowly class of the Kopu High-weight at Thames on Saturday. ■ The Turf Register shows she has run unplaced in four starts this season and in her whole racing career has run a further 49 times for four small wins and three other platings. But at the picnic meetings held in country districts. Pippa has never been out of the money and has won no few’er than 34 races. Her owner-trainer, Mr C. Dufty, of Putaruru, bought her for £5O at a dispersal sale some years ago and collected more than £4OO worth of trophies alone at the picnic fixtures, the latest at Pirongia on Boxing Day. Because betting is not possible at these meetings and because they are mainly of a social nature, wins do not count under the Rules of Racing. One well-known racing man put it this way: “They normally race for a sack of chaff for the winner and three hearty cheers for the second horse.” But a great deal of sport Is enjoyed and because wins do not affect the maiden or hack status of racehorses, many thoroughbreds of class attend them. Rising Fast was once beaten

in the Huntly Cup and Khorazami won that race last year while the Ngaruawahia Cup is considered as hard to win as minor country handicaps. Pippa has won two races on the same day at these fixtures on no fewer than six occasions. Stakes are small —but usually better than the sack of chaff—and trophies given by supporters are usually handsome. The Duffy home is filled with them, including six silver tea sets. Pippa is known in the country districts as the Desert Gold of the picnic meetings and a wonderful bargain for £5O.