SLY FOX

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 3, 28 September 1939, Page 13

SLY FOX

Australian Trip Cancelled

NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Cup Weights

Give Satisfaction

The Plumpton Handicap winner, Sly Fox, who was to have gone to Australia for spring racing, is not now making the trip, and on Monday he was scratched for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Slv Fox, who has 8.2 in the New Zealand Cup, had only 7.13 in the big Melbourne two-mile race, but he is now undergoing a special preparation for the Mitchelson Cup at the Auckland Racing Clubs spring meeting at Ellerslie ,iu October. New Zealand Cup.

Since the weights for the New Zealand cup appeared, there has been a good deal of discussion in racing circles,_ and the adjustments have apparently given general satisfaction, states the Christchurch “Press.” The arrangements regarding the two topweights, Royal Chief and Catalogue, are not yet known, but tne first acceptance due tomorrow will probably supply some idea of the plans made for them. Earlier arrangements made tor Royal Chief provide for his return after the Randwick spring carnival, but now that Ajax and Defaulter have been troubled with lameness, his trainer may be anxious to go on to Melbourne to contest the weight-for-age races at luennngton. The horse was not engaged in the Melbourne Cup, in which race he was favourite last year, but finished in fifth place. Catalogue is expected to go to Melbourne, but no doubt he will appear as an acceptor this week in case there should be any hitch regarding his transport. The Lower Division.

Among the seven stone and over division, Dictate is handily placed with 7.5. He has not won a race for a long time, but had the distinction of running third in the. last Auckland Cup, a recommendatioiifor staying that only a few of the field will be able to boast of. Probably the most interesting of this division is the four-year-old The Cardinal. who created a big impression by his win in the Avondale Cu-p» notwithstanding that he was still eligible for hack company, as he had .previously_ won one race only. Bred as he is, by Night Raid from a grand-daughter of Martian, The Cardinal has had a wise and patient policy adopted with him, and no doubt he will be one of the early favourites for the race, specially if he should again show up in the Mitchelson Cup at Ellerslie next month.

Wellington Meeting. Nominations for the Wellington Racing Club’s spring meeting are due next Monday. Hanlon. Hanlon was among the horses worked at Wingatui on Tuesday morning, and appears t 0 be quite sound again. To Bo Retired. The English Derby winner Blue Peter will shortly be retired to the stud, according to his owner Lord Rosebery. The colt has won £32,000 in stakes, and, before the race was abandoned, it was expected that he would win the St. Leger. Passaform. Passaform gave Settlement 81b. and a length beating when they finished in the places behind Second Innings in the Birthday Handicap. Settlement now meets Passaform on 71b. worse terms in the Ranfurly Handicap.

May Be Spelled. Fleet Street was on the tracks at Riverton recently, but he has not done so well as expected, and will probably be put aside for a couple of months.

Kelly Reappears. After spelling since last Christmas, Kelly has made his reappearance at Ellerslie, but it is not intended to put him into serious training till next month.

Now eight years old, Kelly has been difficult to train during the last couple ot seasons, but he has only to keep right to win a good handicap, for there arc few better stayers about.

A Costly Yearling. On August. 17, the 15,000gn. yearling, Colonel Payne, scored his first success in a maiden plate of £122. The win was scored amidst ironical cheers from the spectators. Vergure.

When the imported Vergure recently won for the third time at a Sydney meeting, the commission is said to have been £3500, placed iu .18 bets. Vergure won the second division of the Progressive Stakes, of £lOO, run at Canterbury 'Park on September 2.

Another Mishap. The Sandwicli Mau was to have contested the hurdle race at Wingatui but again struck himself on the second day of the Geraldine meeting and has had to be eased up. It is now intended to prepare him for flat racing at the New Zealand Cup meeting.

Bargains. It is impossible to eay which has been the most notable bargain on the turf, whether bought at the sales or out of a seller. Iu the opinion of many, however (says an English paper), Long Set, acquired for 500giis. out of a £lOO seller at Lincoln, represents one of the outstanding bargains in racing. His record after beating Soldier, a tubed horse, in this small race was amazing. The following year he won the Doncaster Handicap and the Cambridgeshire. As a five and six-year-old he won the Lincolnshire, the Newbury Spring Cup, the Craven Stakes at Epsom, the Select and March Stakes at Newmarket, the Royal Hunt Cup, the Liverpool Cup and the Doncaster Cup. There is. of course, the other side of the picture, but it is, perhaps, better to draw a veil over the number of horses that have been purchased for colossal sums, only to fail on every occasion they ran, As Usual.

The general attitude of sports controllers is that they are in the hands of the Victorian Government, and they will do whatever the authorities wish. Racing will go on as usual, is how? officials in Melbourne summed up the war position. “There is no suggestion of even considering the matter,” said Mr. A. V. Kewney, secretary of the Victoria Racing Club, “and we will not do so except under Government instruction.” Racing officials pointed out that the turf in Australia is more than a sport. It is an industry—and a big one at that. No good would be served if there was any talk of restrictions. During the last war racing in Australia was carried on. There were a fewminor curtailments, but they were not worth worrying about. Thousands of people are employed in the sport. If there is any hitch in the usual routine, these people will be swung out of employment, which would be disastrous. The British and Australian Prime Ministers in their speeches to the nation (says a Melbourne taper) urged everyone to go about his business in the same way, calmly, as if nothing had happened. That is exactly what the racing industry will do. An Outstanding Horseman.

M. McCarten always regarded Chelmsford Day at Randwiek as one of his lucky days, but this year found him in bed suffering from influenza, says an Australian newspaper. He had been looking forward to improving.his already fine record in the Chelmsford? On Limerick he was successful in 1926-27-28; on Gold Rod in 1936; and on Mala in 1937. Now 36 years old, McCarten has many years ahead of him in the saddle. He commenced riding when 14 years old and had two New Zealand jockey premierships to his credit before going to Australia in 1926. Since that year he has won most of the classics and big handicaps. The Melbourne Cup is the only important race that has eluded him. He has been successful in the A.J.C. Derby on Ballymena, Ammon Ra and Theo, while two Epsoms have been won by him. It will not surprise if he improves his records in those events in the next few weeks. Interviewed recently, McCarten declared that the fastest horse he has ridden was Ajax, the best stayer Ballymena, while the greatest horse the champion jockey has ridden was Limerick.