THE RACING WORLD

Dominion, Volume 17, Issue 288, 22 August 1923, Page 4

THE RACING WORLD

NOTES AND COMMENTS

BY “THE WATCHER” Tile Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club’s meeting will be held on tl'.e Hawera course to-day. Entries for the spring meeting of the Wanganui Jockey Club are due on Friday. New Zealand Cup nominations close at 8 p.m. on Friday. Nominations for the New Zealand Trotting Cup close to-morrow. Several horses engaged pt the Grand National meeting returned north yesterday morning, among them being Oakleigh, Peter Amans, Poanui, Vagabond, Gladful, Birkenella, Blue Hall, Tenterfield, Stream, Carawock, Blue Socks, Rowan, Mountain Signal, Benmure, Santiago, Saiitomo, Omahu, Martulla, Birkwick, Multive, Black Art, and Arataura. The balance of the North Island contingent, including First Line, Nukumai, Rouen, Tinokaha. Cheer-Up. and J. H. Prosser’s team, are due this morning.

The weather cut at Trentham, instead of showing signs cf improvement, gets steadily worse, and yesterday morning trainers were greeted with snow and sleet for training eperations, which are practically it a standstill. The horses engaged in the early spring events will be backward, and practically untried, unless a rapid improvement occurs.

Quest, Fool’s Paradise, Dubious, and Glaive will probably be leaving for Wanganui any day now, in order that some fast work may be given them before the spring meeting there. IL has been impossible to give them the required try outs on the Trentham tracks, hence the early move to the scene of action. Dubious and Glaivo are engaged in the Guineas. Both look well, and the latter is on the jolly side, and was recently physicked. Fool’s Paradise, the two-year-old by Absurd —Mascot, gives promise of coming to hand early. For reasons similar to Quinbyan’s, H. Lorigan may take Dominant, Kuhio, and Kamehameha up to Marton early next week.

Jockeys A. Reed and JI. McSweeney left for HaVera yesterday to lido at the Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club’s meeting to-day. Reed is to ride Cold Steel and Asleep, and McSweeney will be up on Eerie and Scotch Nell. The president of the Racing Conference (Sir George Clifford) was indisposed during National week, but was sufficiently recovered to 1 itness the last day’s racing.

Prior to tho Styx Hurdle Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday, P. Mcßrearty complained to the stewards that the owner of Cheer-Up had engaged him to do the riding on Lis horse at the meeting, and had now substituted another jockey. The stewards decided that Mcßrearty was entitled to be paid, and as Cheer-Up won he duly received a winning fee. Twenty-one trainers led in winners at the Grand National Meeting. W. Hawthorne had three, winning a double with Birkenella and one race witn Vagabond. J. McCombe scored a Win and a dead heat with Sunny Loch, and J T. Jamieson Rad a similar record with I’Amour. The trainers who turned out one winner were: C. W. Coleman (Oakleigh), C. Christie (General Advance), J. W. Lowe (Carawock), G. Murray-Aynsley (Tiff), jW. J. McLean (Tinokaha), J. Pankhurst (Mettle Drift), R. C. Keeper v Tokomairiro), P. T. Hogan (Master Peter), F. Christmas (Kenmore), J. B. Pearson (Red Wink), R. Alexander (Pitprop), H. W. Johnston (Malingerer), A. Masters (Noble) D. McCauley (Cheer-Up), V. H. Celollo (Black Art), J. Moms (Oroahu), J. Ross (Happy Warrior), and G. J. Pine Tinihanga).

Riding honours were well divided at the Grand National meeting, sixteen jockeys having winning mounts. A. Wormaid headed the list with three wins and a dead heat, while A. McDonald was on three winners, R. S. Bagby two and a dead heat, J. Roach two and H McSweeney two. Hhe following piloted one winner each: —H; Burt, J. Campbell W. Ayres, C. McSeveney, W. Scobie, S. Walls, F. E. Jones, A. G. Campbell, C. Emerson, L. G. Morris, an<f Mr. J. F. Morris.

The progeny of thirty-nine sires got into the money at the Grand National meeting. St. ‘ Amans headed the list with £1825, followed by Advance £1655, St. Petersburg £1125, Martian £1035. Sunny Lake £940, tnd Kilbroney £770. North Island horses won twelve races at the National meeting, and the southerners eleven, the remaining event being divided between a jortherner in VAmour and a southerner in Sunny Loch. The big events were evenly distributed, the North Island securing the National Steeplechase, . Lincoln Steeplechase, and Sydenham Hurdles, while the. south took the Winter Cup, Grand National Hurdles, and Beaufort Steeplechase. During National week in Christchurch the “tote” receipts at Addington and Riccarton slumped to tho extent of nearly £25,500. ' When a rider gets a fall in a race it is questionable whether he is later on iu the day able to do his other mounts justice. At Riccarton on Saturday F. H. Cann received a fall, and during the running of the Styx Hurdles later on had to pull up his mount, Caverock, as he was taken ill consequent upon tho accident earlier in the day.

At a sale of trotting and galloping stock in Christchurch on Monday, S. August, the Wellington trotting ownertrainer, bought Prince Coronado for 39 guineas.

It is only right and fair that extra permits should be granted in some few cases, sayS a southern writer. The Wellington Trotting Club is the most notable instance in that direction. It should receive not less than three extra days so as to allow the club to hold two meetings in each season. The great and growing importance of the Wellington Racing Club’s meetings, and tho fact that Trentham is the natural hub of our racing world, suggests that the winter fixture should ba permanently fixed for a three-day programme, or, if the club desired, tho extra day could be tacked on to the autumn programme.

Cerberus slipped at tho start of th* Sydenham Hurdle Handicap on Saturday, and narrowly escaped falling. He lost a lot of ground through tho mishap and never got near the field. Tinokaha was in a stubborn mood at the start of the Sydenham Hurdle Handicap on Saturday. He turned round when the dispatch was made, and even after being straightened up he backed away from the barrier instead of going after the field. linokaha has had a strenuous season and probably he is desirous of a spell from the racing track. Tho Martian—Rose Red horse, Raco ful, gives every promise of recovering from the tendon trouble which sent him into retirement last season (says a Hamilton writer). He was on the tracks at Te Rapa last wook, but will not be asked to do any work for some time yet. It is his owner's intention to have him prepared at Hamilton in future.

The following nominations for officebearers have been received by the sec rotary of the Carterton Racing Club, and an election will bu held at the annual meeting next Saturday President Mr. W. Howard Booth; vice-pre-sidents, Messrs. H. Archer, Bunny and H. M. B. Trapp; treasurer, Mr. G. E. Allen; stewards, Messrs. A. 0. Abbott, A. E. Booth, W. J- Compton, J. C. Harp, E. J. Matson, J. Meikle, W. J. O’Meara, A. F.- Pink, C. Reid, P. Reid, and L. H. Smart. The committee of the Auckland Racing Club has decided in regard to the winter meeting programme to make the minimum weight on the second day of the winter meeting Bst. for handicap flat races, provided that in case of postponement being necessary the weights shall, if the races are run on or after June 7, be increased by 141 b. all round. Tho Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club’s meeting will be held on the Hawera course to-day, the first race commencing at 11.10 a.m. A large number of the runners are unknown quantities, but amongst those who are down to race are Eerie, Country Life, Asleep, Reremcuna, Amber Tips, and Otapawa. BY “GLENCOE” At the conclusion of the racing at Hawera to-day. Mr. H. Coyle will declare the weights for the North Taranaki Hunt Club meeting, which is to take place on Saturday, September 1. Acceptances close on Monday next at 9 p.m. At Trentham, C. Pritchard has taken the aged gelding Goldshine in hand again, and will prepare him for spring meetings. It is the intention to race this gelding over fences later on in the season.

Mr. H. R. Sellars, secretary of the Racing Conferences, is at present on a visit tc Wellington in connection with the Gaming Bill which is before Parliament.

Eerie, who made good showings at Hastings and Trentham, will be a competitor in the Hack and Hunters’ Hurdles at Hawiera to-day. Mr. W. E. Bidwill intends racing Suggestion in the Wanganui Guineas, but the three-year-old will not bo given a run prior to that fixture. As A. Oliver has been successful on thte Reto tawa horse he will probably be_ given the mount at Wanganui. Suggestion is not as forward as could be desired. His owner took him off the hills at Rotatawa. whero hie was working, to send him to Tauherenikau. but as soon as he got there bad weather was experienced and this interfered with his preparation. Added to this disability the tracks at Tauherenikau are undergoing alterations at the half-mile, and this means that galloping is further restricted. Mr. F. Armstrong," of Akitio, was at Riccarton on the first two days to.see Black Art perform, but bo had to hurry away before the concluding day to meet his mother, who was arriving by the Moeraki from Melbourne. Mrs. Armstrong hails from Adelaide, and is making’her first visit to the Dominion.

Bv the Stamp Duties Bill the stakes tax will be reduced to 5 per cent, from April 1, 1924, but the dividend tax will be unaltered and will remain at Is. in the £l. Probably the idea of. the Government is that winners are fortunate and do not mind paying. Reremoana. who is engaged in the Maiden Handicap at Hawem to-day. is one of Mr. G. F. Moore’s team, and is trained bv O. Cox. As a two-year-old she showed a lot of pace in her races.

The distance of the Rosehill Handicap, won by Urgency. is 180 yards short of one mile and a half, so that the gallop wag not such a good one as was at first suggested b.v the time, viz.. 2min. 33sec. The winner was fortunate enough to meet a weak field, and the form does not malde him out any better than his Dominion doings suggested.

The New Zealand racehorses Lasicelles and Golden Tresses have been sold to Mr. J. J. Leahy, according to a Press Association message from Sydney. The prices are not stated.

FIXTURES Aug. 22—Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club Aug. 25 —Pakuranga Hunt Club. Sept. I—North1 —North Taranaki Hunt Club. Sept. s—Marton5 —Marton J.C. Sept. 6—Rangitikei Hunt Club. Sept. B—Otago Hunt Club. Sept. 13, 15—Wanganui J.C. Sept. 21, 22—Ashburton County R.C. Sept. 22, 24—Avondale J.C. Sept. 22, 24—Otaki-Maori R.C. Sept. 27, 28—Geraldine R.C. Sent. 26 —Manawatu Hunt Club. Sept. 29 —Napier Park R.C.