THE RACING WORLD

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 91, 12 January 1926, Page 12

THE RACING WORLD

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By “The Watcher.”) Acceptances for the first clay’s events at the Wellington Racing Club’s summer meeting will close to-morrow at 9 p.m. Acceptances for the summer meeting of the Wellington Trotting Club will close to-night at 8 o’clock. Nominations for the summer meeting of the Egmont Racing Club on February 3 and 4 will dose on Friday at 8 p rh. Suggestion was scratched for all engagements at the Wellington summer meeting at 11.45 a.m. on Saturday. In a covering note Mr. Bidwill stated that the gelding had gone lame. Bad luck seems to hang, over Suggestion, who has given his trainer a good deal of trouble during his career. Coming on top of the good recovery from the bleeding trouble at Feilding in November, the latest development, which has removed such, a good performer from the scene at Trentham this month, will be regretted by all sportsmen.

A great deal of discussion has taken place in Auckland over the Mosaic case, and in certain quarters the rules oi racing have been condemned, some going so far as to say that thej’ should be rewritten. On the subject of allowances the rules of racing are . quite clear, and the fault in the Mosaic case was with the connections of the horse and the clerk of the scales. Any criticism levelled at this allowance rule should be in the direction of showing that the allowance begins at the wrong end of the handicap. The 8.5 limit does not appear to be equitable., for what valid reason can be adduced for granting an already lightly weighted horse an allowance, while the top weights must carry the poundage allotted by the handicapper or the conditions of the race? It would be more practical from a racing point of view to give the allowance to the top weights. Indications point to Hipq receiving considerable support for his engagement in the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham. It is about twelve months since Hipo showed good sprinting form, and incidentally it may be mentioned that in the late autumn of last season he ran well in middle distance races. His anticipated return to form as a sprinter must be based upon something apart from his recent public performances. ■'

Aucklanders claim that the sum of £8448 invested ,>on the Commendation in the Great Northern* Foal Stakes on Boxing Day must be a; Dominion- record for a single horse. With the money that changes hands over the summer meeting of the Auckland Racing Club each year one would expect Ellerslie to hold such records.;, Over £SOOO was invested on Count Cavour in the Auckland Cup, while Commendation was again entrusted with over £SOOO in the Royal Stakes. The reedrd for a Wellington meeting is held by Gloaming in the Kelburn Plate at the summer meeting in 1921 on the memorable occasion on which he defeated Rational by a head in the record time of 45sec. for four furlongs. The sum invested on his chance on that occasion was £5223.

Surveyor with 9.0 heads the handicap in the Goldfields Cup at the Thames meeting, which will be commenced on the Takapuna track on Thursday. There are eight acceptors all told, so that in this field Surveyor will have a chance to prove whether his Wellington Cup chances, are to be seriously considered. .The race will be run over a mile and a quarter and 110 yards.

At Hawera E. Murtagh has. a two-year-old half-sister by Bisogne to Kinsem in work. Possibly she is the best looking of her sire’s stock that has yet come under notice, and she has all the good points of a successful galloper. Like her relative, who proved a very useful representative of the Fordell stable, she has plenty of size and rpom for development. Murtagh will probably have Bonogne and Empire Camp racing at the Foxton meeting. The recent performances of Bonogne would suggest that his trainer has now got him right, while Empire Camp, who has been in the stable only a few weeks, showed form at the recent Taranaki and Stratford meetings indicative of more prominent platings in* hack events in the near future. A. D. Webster, trainer of First Acre and Lady Moutoa, recently explained to a southern pressman that fie had been informed that he would find races easy to win in the south during the holiday season, hence his campaign in Otago and Southland. “In future,” he remarked, “he was not going to hold any false ideas about the quality of the hack division competing at Wingatui. Wvndham, and Invercargill.” Several Auckland trainers will be represented at the forthcoming Wellington trotting meeting. A. Ayres intends bringing Nelson Tasker and Huon Grattan, while J. Shaw will have Peter McDonald. S. August will also have a few representatives, probably Rose Pointer, Tranquil, and Holly Boy. One of the most attractive looking fillies submitted to auction at the recent sale held at Ellerslie is said to have been Cione, a yearling half-sister (by Catmint) to the Avondale Stakes winner Phaola. The bidding, however, only went to 200 guineas, and she was passed in. Mr. A. B. Williams subsequently effected the purchase of the filly from Dr. Milsom, and that, of course, means she will be advantageously placed to distinguish herself. / According to an Auckland writer, one of the most improved horses in the north is Transformer, who ran a couple of slashing races at Ellerslie. His poor showing on the final day may be attributed to the fact that he was feeling the effects of his earlier efforts at the meeting. When freshened up again Transformer will be a force to be reckoned with in big handicaps. Money Order is being hacked about at Riccarton for a week or two, prior to 'being turned out for a three months’ spell. He has got rid of the cold that he contracted in Auckland. Tall Timber performed well at Ellerslie and should render a good ac-. count of himself at Foxton, where thes class will not be too strong. ' It isin his favour that he is improving all the while, and will probably be a better horse for his recent racing. It is the intention of C. Browne, who' was in the saddle at Tauherenikau, to ride at the Wellington summer meeting, where he will probably steer Mr. C. Elgar’s pair Lucky Days and Agitato. Bright Knight, Bright Day, and Bevis are Te Rapa-trained horses entered for events at the Wellington meeting. It is likely that the two former will

also race at the Egmont, Taranaki, and Wanganui meetings next month. Raceful is to undergo another preparation, and along with Mr. J. Fraser Smith’s other horses, King Merv, Alfort, Muscari, Prince Abbey, Quinette, and King Selwyn, he is now working at Ellerslie under the direction of J. Anderton. Raceful is in his ninth year, and has been off the scene for some time.

The Takapuna Jockey Club received a capital list of nominations, for their approaching . summer meeting, the 16 events which form the programme attracting 362 entries. The Takapuna Cup, one mile and a half, which carries a money prize of £l3OO, and a gold cup of the value of £lOO, has 14 horses engaged, as follow:—Transformer, Mount Marta, Town Bank, Ruapapa, Passionate, Cureaform, Muraahi, Desert Glow, Right and Left, Royal Present, Tresillian, Musketoon, Spoony, Daylight. One of the best young trotters seen at the Greymouth Trotting Club’s meeting was Hille de Ballin (writes “Argus,” in the Christchurch “Star”). She is a four-year-old by Ballin from My Lass. Well proportioned, with an easy going action, she looks like developing into a really good trotter. On the second day she finished second to Nournabal in the two .mile harness event, covering the distance at better than a 2min. 30sec. clip. Fille de Ballin is handicapped to do 24yds. better thana 2.30 gait over the mile and a half in the Nai Nai Handicap at Hutt Park next Saturday.

After galloping at Riccarton last week, Red Wink was very sore, and subsequently was so bad that his trainer, J. B. Pearson, stated that it was questionable whether the Winkie gelding will be persevered with any further. The gelding is to be turned out for a lengthy spell, which probably means that his racing career has ended.

There is evidence (says the “Sun”) that more than one horse on the Southland circuit suffered through the attentions of some undesirables who could use an instrument. In one instance the operator timed his action wrongly, with the result that the horse interfered with won its race before the injection took effect. Unfortunately for the connections of another horse, the operation acted in accordance with the wishes of the scoundrel who performed it. It is to be hoped that the authorities will be successful in running the individual responsible to earth.

The pacer High Jinks, who has been backed several times of late, and let her connections down, has left D. McKendry’s stable, and is now trained by R. Berry. High Jinks figures on the limit mark in the Sharpe Handicap at the Wellington Club’s meeting next Saturday. Amongst those engaged at Hutt Park next Saturday is John Mauritius, and concerning him a Christchurch writer recently said: “John Mauritius put up two good performances at the Canterbury Trotting Club’s meeting last week. He is a wonderfully consistent performer, who has been in the money five times out of his last six starts. He is improving steadily, and he will be in the front rank among the unhoppled performers before long.”

In view of the' fact that Southland horses in Listening Post, Baldowa, Tommy Dodd, and Set Sail are freely engaged at Trentham this month, the comments of “Sir Modred” in the "Southland Times” on their handicaps and prospects make'interesting reading: “The publication of the weights for the first day of the Wellington Racing Club’s summer meeting aroused a con-, siderable amount of interest in southern rating circles, and quite a number of people at once rushed to the conclusion that several well-known local performers are exceptionally well treated, Listening Post, Tommy Dodd, Baldowa, and Set Sail being cases in point. The locally-trained horses. referred to have certainly been fairly treated, but it has to be remembered that Trentham during the month of January becomes the leading equine battle ground of New Zealand. The majority of the best horses of the season who have survived training are racing, and under these circumstances the Wellington Racing Club’s prize money is very hard to win. As far as Listening Post goes he has been treated fairly enough ili the Wellington Cup, seeing that he is a New Zealand record-holder over eleven furlongs, as compiled at Trentham, while he won the D.J.C. Birthday Handicap (one mile and a half) under 9.6, beating Loughrea (9.6) by half a head in 2min. 37sec., in holding going, last season. Tommy Dodd has yet to see out a race over twelve furlongs—the Wellington Cup distance—and Baldowa has yet to go to the races fit and well, although most Southlanders will wish his lady owner and her good horse the best of fortune in this direction. With regard to Set Sail (7.8) the Solferino mare has been fairly well placed in the Telegraph but she has her full complement of weight in the sprinting company in which she will find herself provided she is stripped at Trentham. Her weight certainly reads nicely when compared with the poundage she has carried successfully in Otago and Southland, but it is a horse of another colour when it comes to competing at Wellington. The Gore-owned mare has raced very consistently and successfully at home, but when she is placed within twelve or thirteen pounds of brilliant gallopers like Tamatete or Lady Cavendish it is time to stop and consider what 7.8 amounts to. Then, again, she has to meet Pelham on equal terms, and concede weight to Shirley, Sleet, Ilka, Oration, Licinius, and Father O’Flynn, and this is not a task to be lightly undertaken. Apart from the Wellington Cup and Telegraph Handicap, however, there are other good races to be won at the Wellington R.C.’s summer fixture, and the locally-prepared contingent and Southland horses trained elsewhere should get some of the money. There is no easy path ahead of Listening Post, Baldowa, Tommy Dodd, and Set Sail in their respective engagements in the Wellington Cup and Telegraph Handicap. While local backers are pronouncing strongly in favour of the horses mentioned as having been well handicapped, they should not forget that two other Southlanders, thrce-year-olds at that, Beacon Light and Father O’Flvnn, have been given fair chances by Mr. Coyle in the leading handicap races of the first day at W.R.C. headquarters.” FIXTURES. January 12, 13—Vincent J.C. January 14. IG—Thames J.C. (nt Takapuna). January Ifi—Walrio J.C. January 16—-Wellington Trotting Club. January 20. 22, 23—Wellington R.C. January 22, 23—Foxton R.C. January 23—Bay of Islands R.C. January 27, 28—Pahiatua R.C. January 2fi, 28—Wairoa R.C. I January 29. 39—Takapuna J.C.