THE RACING WORLD

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 225, 19 June 1929, Page 16

THE RACING WORLD

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By

“The Watcher.”)

Considering the available talent the nominations for' the principal jumping races at the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting could not be better. The field in the Wellington Steeplechase includes the winners of the Egmont, Wanganui, Great Northern, Winter, Otago and Napier Steeplechases, as well; as horses that have run into places or contested the same events. A welcome addition to the strength of the field is Wiltshire, who passed over Trentham twelve months ago and went to Riccarton to win the Grand National. Glendowle is another who will be new to Trentham race-goers if he comes. He was entered last year, but did not attend the meeting. Wedding March and Pouri are absentees, but the former’s stablemate, Roman Abbey is in. Possibly Wedding March may go to Victoria for the Nationals there, as also may Pouri.

The hurdle races have the best talent of North and South engaged. Mister Gamp, winner of the Great Northern Hurdles, and other winners like Red Fuchsia, Elicit, Locarno, Kauri Park, Home Made, Overhaul, Roman Abbey, Wiltshire, Glengariif and Prince Lu have been nominated. Comical, it will be noted, has relinquished steeplechasing for hurdles, where he is certainly more in his element. Nukumai is again in the Winter Hurdles, but on the opening day he is in the Wellington Steeplechase, and on the second is in the High-Weight. These are his only engagements which may indicate that his connections realise that the day has gone when he could win the principal flat races on the first two days and the Winter Hurdles on the last day.

Commendation is a notable entry for the principal sprint events in the first and third days of the Wellington winter meeting. All the flat races, both open and hack, have drawn good entries from both Islands, and altogether the record list of 730 nominations is going to produce a first-class race meeting.

The trial grass was available for gallops at Trentham yesterday morning, but there was very little doing. Matu and Tclieka galloped a mile at a strong pace. Matu has made a good recovery from his Wanganui soreness. He will probably be schooled this morning, and if he shapes satisfactorily will go to Hastings for the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase. Glare, Half Acre. Quantum, Battle Torque, Last Crust and Money Mine galloped half miles. Rol de Vai sprinted five furlongs, being picked up over the last half by Historic.

Until Mr. J. J. McGrath’s stables are built E. J. Murtagh with First Money is stabling his charge at H. Telford's.

Mr. J. D. Ormond, junr.. received a hearty round of applause at Napier Park on Saturday when he returned with his winner, King’s .Test, to the birdcage after the Ladies’ Handicap. It was stated that this was Mr. Ormond's first public ride. While he covered a bit-more ground than appeared necessary, be kept his mount out of trouble and that was all that was necessary.

The two-year-old , colt Refresher, who was only asked to contest one race this season, is working along nicely at Takanini. He looks very solid, and should be an early stake-earner in the spring. High Finance, who proved herself a very useful sprinter during the season, is shortly to be taken in hand again. Another trio from the same stable that will be recommissioned after short spells are Ti-tree, In the Shade, and Treasury. Le Choucas is an absentee from the track, enjoying a brief spell.

Mr. J. Bull produced a fresh horse at Napier Park in his five-year-old brown gelding Red Lane, by All Red, from a Field Battery mare. Red Lane has not raced previously on account of an injury which caused him the loss of one eye. His dam is out of Daisy Paul, the dam of Ngata, so Red Lane has plenty of galloping blood in him, and he’ shaped last week as if he will do all right with more experience.

Beaumont i,and Tresham were two disappointing performers in hurdle races at Napier Park.

Ironic, who raced well in his only start at Napier Park, is an improving hack. He is a half-brother by Cynic to that fine gelding of a decade back—Chortle. Ironic has not been hurried by his owners, the Messrs. McLennan, for he is now five years old, and the policy adopted looks like beariiig fruit.

Tourist raced fairly well at Napier Park, and neither day was he favoured by a good passage. Tourist appears to have improved a lot lately.

Santiago made his reappearance in public in the Ladies’ Race at Napier Park on Saturday. He is now witli G. W. B. Greene, who has hfm looking well. Despite his long absence from the track Santiago mtitlb quite a fair showing for at least a mile of the mile and a quarter race.

Alaric is not the Alaric of old, but ho is going well enough now to pick up a back steeplechase any time.

Aurora Borealis shaped fairly well in her races at Napier Park. She might get into tlie money with some experience, but is a bit on the small side for welter weights.

The following eleven horses claim engagements in both the Wellington Steeplechase and the Winter Hurdles:—Fabriano, Karneliameha, King’s Guard, Kauri Park, Mangani, Nukumai, Red Fuchsia, Roman Abney, Radiate, Uralla, and Wiltshire.

Gortyn, dam of the Arausio yearling which Mr Frank Ormond has presented to Mr. Cecil Louisson in place of the defunct Millais, is a mare by King Soult— Europa, so that the youngster has some splendid strains of galloping blood in him.

W. Stone has returned to Riccarton after spending a brief period in Southland. He has brought back Silver Paper and his two-year-old half sister, Aspiring, also a couple of yearlings, one a colt by Weathervane from Songbird's sister. The Linnet, and the other a filly by Tea Tray from the Paper Money mare. Victory Bond. The horses will be worked at Riccarton for some time, but the present intention is to race Silver Paper in Australia in the spring, while it is possible that some of the members of the team will accomuan - him to tlie Commonwealth. The yearlings both have classic engagements at the spring meetings in Australia.

J. McCombe experienced a bad run with his team in the early stages of his Australian trip, but the luck took a turn on Saturday, when Crown Area won a race at Roschill. It was not a big event, but now that the Acre gelding has struck form he may go on to further successes of a more important character.

Eaglet and Polyxena, although off the track for some time, are wintering well and should shortly be recommissioned in preparation for early spring engagements.

The most Impressive yearling In Takanlni at present Is said to be the chief Killer—Coconut colt owned by Messrs. J. C. and P. S. Gleeson. Being in work for a considerable period, It stands to reason that he should be more forward than the rest, but despite this one cannot but be impressed with the way he moves in Ills work (says the "Star”), and 'the condl-

tion he is in means that he is sure to be ready for the early spring two-year-old races. Another yearling colt by Lord Quex belonging to the Messrs. Gleeson is making good headway In his work at Otahuhu. These two should the colours of their owners with credit.

Tone, who formerly raced in Mr. V. Riddiford’s colours in New Zealand, scored a comfortable win in the Encourage Stakes at the Ascot Ponies on June 4, when she started at a good price. Tone won only one race on this side, that being a maiden event at the Manawatu summer fixture in 1927. She showed a lot of pace, but the big fields were against her size and she should do well at the minor pony gatherings.

Portray is the name under which the Tea Tray—Piraeus colt, owned by Mrs. M. A. Perry, will race. He is an inmate of Mrs. A. McDonald’s team at Awapuni.

A would-be Australian buyer got in touch with Mr. F. Ormond, owner of Toxeuma (Arrowsmith—Te Aupaki), and asked for a price to be put on that three-year-old. The reply was that he was not for sale, which was not surprising, as Mr. Ormond would have difficulty in securing something to replace that good and consistent gelding. Unless an owner contemplates going out of the game, or is getting a price he considers beyond Its value, it is unwise to sell a first-class young horse in the hope of picking up something nearly as good, writes “Pilot,” in the Sydney "Referee."

The accident fund of the New Zealand Racing Conference is in a healthy condition. The Income for the past year was £0250 Is. Bd., the principal items being accident fees £375 10s. and commission on riding fees £1324 os. 3d. Claims for accidents absorbed £3885 18s. 3d., and there was an excess of Income over expenditure of £l3OB 4s. Id. The accumulated funds are shown at £11,718 Us. lid.

The stipendiary stewards’ account of the New Zealand Racing Conference is in credit £854 19s. 2d., compared with £9Bl 6s. Gd. a year ago. A levy of onethirteenth per cent, on gross totalisator investments provided £4213 16s. 10d., and hack levies £264 13s. lOd. The expenditure included salaries £2986 10s., deputies' fees £325 10s. and travelling expenses £5Bl 7s. lid., while a donation of £7OO was made to the New Zealand Sports Protection League.

As yet no definite plan of action has been mapped out for Zircon, but IV. Garrett has no intention of taking the 'chaser across for the £5OOO Steeplechase at Melbourne next month. Zircon's injured near hind leg, the cause of his withdrawal from the Great Northern Hurdles, is still causing Garrett some anxiety, and until sufficient progress has been made plans for the future are in abeyance.

“Bonnie Scotland” can boast of Its Grand National Steeplechase. This year’s event was run at Bogside in April and was won by an English-bred gelding named Donzelon, who was responsible for a surprise victory in defeating a field of 20 opponents. Donzelon can boast of quite a hlgh-clas pedigree, his sire, Chaucer, being a son of St. Simon, while his dam, Tortor, is a daughter of Volodyovski.

On the second day of the recent V.R.C. meeting, Note Issue (Paper Money— Philomela) won the Rothsay Trial Stakes, seven furlongs, bj- a head. Note Issue was at double figures.

"My word, these Blandfords can gallop," remarked the accomplished Irish jockey, M. Beary, as he was unsaddling a winner in England a few weeks ago. Blandfard, bred at the National stud and sold a yearling for 730 guineas, ran twice as a two-year-old, winning once, and the following season he took the Prince of Wales Stakes, one mile and a half, at Newmarket, and a mile and a quarter race at Hurst Park. Retired to the stud in Ireland in 1924, he lias quickly risen to the forefront as a stallion, his son Trlgo accounting for the Derby at Epsom on June 5.

The Catmint gelding Mark Mint, who was among those passed In at the recent sale of tlie Auckland Stud Company, appears among the nominations of the Waverley Racing Club’s meeting and in all probability will make the trip. He is going along nicely in his work at present and should run well at that meeting. He is also nominated for the Wellington meeting next month.

Although the Waverley meeting is a fortnight hence, the Takanini horseman, 11. Goldfinch, has plenty of engagements at that meeting. His mounts will be Manly. Singer, Whenuanul, Rlllet and Mark Mint (probably twice).

Taurua, the Potoa colt recently purchased by J. T. Jamieson, is a highlystrung colt and gave his new owner a little trouble for the first few days after his arrival. He has now properly settled down and in his work with Vail during the week showed pace enough to warrant his turning out a good three-year-old.

Allster McDonald, who had a spell in the Palmerston North Hospital as the result of a bad spill from Red Bank in the Hurdles on the first day of the Otaki rpeeting. is now about and expects to ride again shortly.

The salaries of the racecourse inspectors cost the Racing Conference £2612 10s. during the past year, while deputies’ fees absorbed £471 16s. lOd. and travelling expenses £555, 12s. Bd. A levy of onetwentieth per cent, on gross totalisator investments provided £2813 13s. 7d. revenue for racing clubs and £lOO7 12s. from trotting clubs, while hack levies of £ISG Us. sd. were recovered. The account was in credit £770 7s. 2<l. a year ago, and the present credit is £1063 10s. 2d.

A report will be presented to the Racing Conference next month by the president, showing reasons why several clubs were permitted to give in stakes a less sum than 90 per cent, of the average net revenue from the totalisator during the three previous years. Permission was granted to the Christchurch Hunt Club to give not less than £990 in stakes (next season), owing to reduced totalisator receipts and the necessity of conserving its funds; to the Matamata Racing Club to give not less than £9OO, owing to the club desiring to erect loose boxes and stalls and to plant trees for shelter; to the Franklin Racing Club to reduce its stakes by £159 on account of diminution in number of days’ racing- to the Thames Jockey Club to give not less than £2GOO, owing to having held its previous meeting at Ellerslie, and the fact tliat it has spent a large sum in acquiring additional land and laying down a new course; and to the Te Kuiti Racing Club to give not less than £2600. owing to its previous meeting being held at Ellerslie.

A remarkable feature in connection with the important English long-distance handicap, the Great Metropolitan Stakes, two miles and a quarter, run at Epsom on April 22, was that it was won Ly a tubed "roarer," Jugo, who had been racing over hurdles during the winter. In Erance tubed horses are debarred from racing, and London "Sporting Life” mentions that Jugo is the first "roarer” to win the Metropolitan. Writing in the Sydney "Referee,’’ "Pilot” remarks that several tubed horses have run well in steeplechases decided in the Commonwealth, but not in longdistance races on the flat. The Sydney writer adds: "Mountain King’s respiratory troubles had commenced when he ran third in tlie 1907 Melbourne Cup. He was going easier than either Apologue or Mooltan just after turning into the straight, but before reaching the winningpost his trouble found him out. Later in his career Mountain King was a pronounced roarer.” English-bred Bright Land, who won two hurdle events at the recent winter meeting at Ellerslie, is Included with the tubed division. In the course of conversation afterwards, Dr. W. C Ring said that Bright Land was one of the most pronounced roarers that he had operated on. Dr. Ring certainly had very much to enthuse over in the manner in which Bright Land finished up the twomile course on each occasion at Ellerslie in solidly-run races.”