RACING John O’Groats Leading National Meeting Winner

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30517, 12 August 1964, Page 4

RACING John O’Groats Leading National Meeting Winner

The Grand National Steeplechase winner, John O’Groats, was easily the biggest stake winner at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Grand National meeting. He earned £B5O more than Ids nearest rival, Smoke Ring, winner of the Grand National Hurdles.

Mr W. E. Hazlett, the owner of John O’Groats, was the leading owner of the meeting.

John O’Groats’s earnings for his win in the Grand National and third placing in the Lincoln Steeplechase amounted to £2150. Smoke Ring, which won his only start at the meeting, earned £l3OO, while Prince Command was the third leading stake winner with £1250 for his win in the Beaufort Steeplchase and third in the Grand National. The highest stake winners on the flat were Castle Air, winner of two events at the meeting,, and Count Filou, winner of the Islington Handicap.

Other horses to win over £5OO were Braemar £lOOO, Triple Bel £950, To Reign £650, Fine Chase £640, Cretan £6OO, Waverley £530, and Wester, Combination and Good Samaritan £520. Messrs M. C. Conway and S. G. Jones, the owners of Smoke Ring, were second top owners behind Mr Hazlett with the £l3OO won by Smoke Ring. Mr Hazlett’s only winning representative was John O’Groats. Next was Mr J. A.

Fowler, the owner of Prince Command, with £1250, Mr A. Burke, the owner of Castle Air, with £llBO and M!r M. C. Conway, the owner of Count Filou, with £llOO. Other owners to earn over £5OO, with their most successfulrunners in brackets, were: Mr E. Montgomery (Braemar) £lOOO, Messrs H. K. and M. S. Coley (Triple Bel) £950, Messrs C. J. and W. C. Winder (To Reign) and Mr J. W. Woodhouse (Waverley) £650, Mr P. S. Georgenson (Fine Chase) £640, Mr N. Graf as (Cretan) £6OO, Mr W. A. Grant (Napoleon Bonaparte) £5BO, and Mr and Mrs G. A. Smith (Wester) £520. Leading Sire By virture of John O’Groats’ position as leading stake winner, Callander headed the sires’ list. Altogether his progeny earned £2220 at the meeting. Balloch was second with £1350, just shading Sabaean (sire of Gillin) with £1320, and King’s Command .(sire of Prince Command) with £l2BO. Balloch’s biggest winner was Braemar. The next best sire was Castle Donnington, the sire of Castle Air. He was £lOO behind King’s Command with £llBO. Others to . sire winners of over £5OO were: Le Filou £llOO, Isaac of York £9BO, Belvedere. £B6O, Golden Souvenir £B5O, Bellborough and Count Rendered £7BO, Targui £7lO, Foxshar and Fair’s Fair £640, Shikari £6OO, Kurdistan £590, Dowborough, £5BO, and Red Jester £520. Of these 19 top sires five —Ascot Lad, Golden Souvenir, Foxshar, Shikari and Red Jester—are New Zealandbred. Their success at Riccarton continues the good, run of locally-bred sires throughout the country during the winter. .

The North Island jumping rider, J. H. Hely, and the South Island flat rider, R. j.

Skelton, tied for riding honours for the meeting. They scored three wins each. Another North-South pair in S. B. Robertson and D. N. Hadfield tied for third with two wins each. Other riders to win were A. Cowan, M. J. Wildermoth, N. C. Treweek, A. J. Stokes, W. J. Hillis, R. A. Jenkins, K. S. Cullen, W. D. Skelton, P. K. Cathro, J. R. Dowling, K. W. Quayle, B. L. Hillis, B. P. Kennedy and E. J. Didham. Owner-Trainers M. C. Conway, the trainer of Smoke Ring and Count Filou, and A. Burke, the trainer of Castle Air, were the most successful trainers with two wins apiece. Coincidentally, both are also owners of their successful horses. Other trainers to score a win were J. Callahan, R. P, Register, M. J. Burridge, W. A. Welton, W. J. Hillis, N. Grafas, D. Jones, N. D. Eales, G. Elliott, E. A. Wirisloe, D. P. Wilson, G. R. Felling, M. S. Coley, L. H. Pratt, J. S. McKay, E. Stapleton, M. N. Seal, J. W. Winder, W. C. Winder and E. J. Didham. Although North Island horses • woh the Grand National Hurdles, Winter Cup, Islington Handicap, Sydenham Hurdles' and Lincoln Steeplechase and the only feature races won by South Island horses were the Grand National Steeplechase and Beaufort Steeplechase, South Island horses won more money at the meeting. Of the £23,750 in stake money offered at the meeting, £12,940 was won by South Island horses and £lO,BlO by northerners. The only day of the meeting on width the North Island horses won more was the final day when they collected £3820, . compared with £3780 won by South Islanders.