Prizes galore for Clarkson farewell

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32522, 4 February 1971, Page 8

Prizes galore for Clarkson farewell

Everyone on the course will be in line for some prize or other when the Banks Peninsula Racing Club stages its meeting at Motukarara on March 6. To mark Mr D. B. Clarkson’s last day as a racing commentator, a long list of prizes will be presented, and the rewards will not only be for those directly associated with the horses. It will be a day for the women to wear their best hats and, for those who suit them, to come out in their most fetching mini skirts. Mr Clarkson and Mr F. H. Chittock have donated a $5O prize for the best mini skirt. Dr A. H. Stewart, of Akaroa, and Messrs G. A. Nutt and D. O. Mansfield, have come up with a $5O prize for the best woman’s hat. The best-dressed man on the course will receive $2O, which has been contributed by Mrs Clarkson and Mrs C. L. Austin. The successful horses will earn dress rugs donated by Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd. The trainer of each winner will receive a cabin bag donated by Air New Zealand, and the successful jockeys will receive whips donated by Atlantic and Pacific Travel International. A trophy worth $5O will go to the most successful trainer of the day, and Mr

W. A. Craddock, of Westport, has donated a trophy for the most successful jockey.

The sons of the retiring commentator have donated a $2O prize for the trainer of the winner of the Clarkson Farewell Handicap. Even the strappers have been remembered. One of them, the one who has the winner of the last race under his or her care, will receive $2O donated by Mrs Clarkson.

The trainer of the winner of the Kinloch Handicap will receive $2O donated by Mr R. A. Burnett, of Ashburton, and there will be smaller prizes for jockeys and trainers of minor place-getters in the two main races.

N.Z. horses in stakes (N.Z. Press Association) SYDNEY. Two New Zealand horses are among the record first acceptance of 132 two-year-olds for the Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill on March 27. The race, worth $52,000 this year, is the richest in New South Wales. The New Zealand first acceptors are Prince Meilay (Mellay— Cadmean) and Beau Sovereign (Sovereign Edition—Anne de Beaupre). Prince Mellay was brought to Australia late last year by his owner, Mr H. Kendall, of Christchurch, after an impressive win on the second day of the N.Z. Cup meeting. He is entered for the Rosehil) meeting on Saturday. Beau Sovereign is owned by Mr H. Stokes, of Mission Bay, Auckland, and trained by the Ritchies. According to officials of the Sydney Turf Club, which stages the Golden Slipper, Beau Sovereign won the Auckland Breeders’ Plate and then ran second to Sheratee in the Great Northern Foal Stakes. Final acceptors for the event will be declared two days before the race.

Race for women The Oamaru Jockey Club will stage a race for women riders on the first day of its autumn meeting on March 13. The riders will be girls who are employees of licensed trainers or owner-trainers. The dis tance will be half a mile; the race will be restricted to hacks. There will be no more than eight runners. Entries for the race will be taken with general entries on February 16. The Oamaru secretary (Mr P. D. Griffin) has already received inquiries from two Wingatui girls about the race. He said yesterday the event would be run before the first totalisator race on the programme.