PADISHAH’S PLANS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 226, 19 June 1940, Page 13

PADISHAH’S PLANS

To Race At Trentham And Riccarton FRESH HORSES AT OTAKI (By The Watcher.) The latest regarding Padishah is that he will definitely remain iu New Zealand and race at Trent ha m, followed by toe C'.J.C. Grand National meeting. He will go straight on to Riccarton from Trentham, though he is not likely to race at the Christchurch Hunt meeting on August 3. If earlier intentions had been carried out. Padishah would have contested the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase a week ago. but through some misunderstanding his nomination for the even, was missed. Cottingluuu. Cottingham has beeu schooled fairly regularly since racing at the Dunedin meeting, and he made no mistakes while jumping five of the steeplechase fences at Riccarton on Monday morning. It is seldom that Cottingham takes chances while schooling, but his jumping in race B this winter has often been faulty. With his recent experience to help him he should do better at Ashburton.

Fresh Horses. The field for the Taipua Handicap at Otaki on Saturday is more than ordinarily interesting. In addition to the recent form horses there are engaged Catalogue, Mittie, Meamea, White Rajah and Rady Tinkle, five good horses who will be returning to the public eye alter a spell.

Sport and the War. There is no sound reason why sport should be entirely abandoned in any Australian city during the war (remarks “Pilot”). It would tend too much w gloom, and that is something to be avoided. Flashlight. , It is interesting to note that Had'li'Tit who was unable to start during hi« trip north with Streamline, has been able to resume schooling tasks at Kiccarton. He was entered for the steeplechase at the Ashburton meeting. First Since November. Anita Foe, who is down to resume in the Tainui Hack at Otaki, will be remembered as Trentbani's big dividend payer last October. She has not raced since she ran third in the Oaks Stakes at Riccarton on the third day ot the New Zealand Cup meeting.

Timaru’s Patriotic Meeting. A sum considerably in excess of that aimed at by the organizers is likely to accrue to the Red Cross fund as a result of the races held at Washdyke on Saturday (says the “Timaru Herald ). A crowd numbering nearly 2000 gathered from a wide area to enjoy in bright sunshine a varied and entertaining programme which catered for gallopers, pacers and trotters, hunters and ponies. In a space of less than two and a halt hours nine events were run off with a zest that'could not have been keener it hundreds of pounds instead of bags ot oats had been waiting at the winning post. A great amount of work had been put into the organization of the meeting, but this would have gone for nought had it not been for the splendid support "iven by the competitors, professional and amateur. The afternoon's sport was the cheapest ever offered in South Canterbury, and patrons received their money's worth many times over.

Working Well. According to reports, Disdain is working as well as any horse at Riccarton, and though she has done that before and then shaped badly in races, recent form suggests that she has become solid. At her last three starts she has hail a win and-two placings, her minor placings being in hard finishes at Wasbdyke.

Lady Tinkle. Lady Tinkle’s last race was m ALelbourne in the autumn, where she went sore and returned home after only ouo start.

A Change. Mauv amateur riders are keen on getting a mount in the Liverpool Grand National. On the recent occasion seven rode in it, aud five completed the course. One of these was Sir Geoffrey Congreve, who came off a minesweeper the night before the race and whose only riding prior to the National during the winter was one day’s hunting. Big Hurdle Field. There are no fewer than 1J horses entered in the hack hurdles field at Otaki, and even with an average shrinkage at acceptance there is every prospect of a large field in this event. It includes fresh horses in the hurdling ranks like Galteemore, Pekoe, Gold Ballad, and Nereus. Galteemore has been schooled at Trentham, and Pekoe has been hunted, while Gold Ballad has been showing aptitude in schooling tasks at Hastings. Gold Ballad, whose fiat form is fairly good, is by Hunting Soug, who has sired many of the best hurdlers. Match of Champions. It is suggested that a match race between Ajax and High Caste be arranged for the Red Cross meeting to be held at Randwick on September 21. A mile is the proposed distance at weight-for-age, with Ajax carrying 9.3 and the New Zealand horse 9.0. The combination where High Caste, by Bulandshar, is concerned, is a Dominion one all round, as he is owned by Mr. G. Tancred and trained by J. T. Jamieson, both of whom, now residents of Sydney, originally hailed from New Zealand. Negotiations for the proposed match are stated to be in progress. Hagen. It is somewhat surprising to see Hagen entered to race at Otaki, as he has not had the real work a horse of his calibre requires. However, if it is intended to race him, his connexions must be satisfied with his condition. Hagen started the season with a win at the Combined Hunts meeting at New Plymouth, another win at Wanganui, mid a third at Avondale. He has not run since his last race, which was away back in September. He recently went over to join the stable of EL Dulieu.

An Argument. A correspondent sends along this one about the “zac-each-way” punters in a billiard room in Melbourne romancing about their huge bettiug exploits. After listening to them all, an ohl down-at-heel Irishman started to tell them about a certain cup meeting when he started off with a bank of £5 aud picked the first three winners, which he had taken all up. “By this time I hml £l6OO on my cup fancy,” he continued. A young fellow who knew his arithmetic, but very little about billiard-room ethics, decided it was time to pull him up. He said : “Look, Murph, I remember that meeting very well. 'The first winner was at

odds-on. the second was a brass-to-brass proposition, and the third winner also even money. Don't you see that you couldn't have had £l6OO on your cup runner even if you'd started off with a bank of £lOO, never mind a liver.” “Ah. g'wan home.” said the Irishman. “You don't want a story—you want an argument.” Third Place.

Talking about printer’s errors, the following appeared in a New Zealand paper a few years ago:—Phar Lap and Fruition were the only runners in the Rider Stakes on the first day of the King's Cut> meeting in Adelaide. Phar Lap won, hard held, by five lengths, ami that was what the reporter meant, to convev when he sent the cable to New Zealand, stating: “Phar Lap. Fruition, hard held.” But this is how it appeared: “Phar Lap, 1; Fruition. 2; Hard Held, 3.”

Melbourne Favourites. Cherry .Tack, who ran third iu the V.R C. Birthday Handicap at Flemington on Monday, is the favourite for the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race. He is trained by the former New Zealander, Maurice McGrath. Cherry Jack had run third on Hie flat over the same distance, one mile and a half, earlier in the month. The effect of these two displays will make him an outstanding lavourite. McGrath also supplies the steeplechase favourite in the wcll-pertoim jumper Turf Boy. Last year the bookmakers were caught over, the Nationals bv the stable double of W Burke, Green Cape and Giant Killer, but this time they are taking no risks.

A Advice based on real knowledge and well-proved capability must always be very welcome. E. Gorry was recognized as‘one of the best horsemen ot his day, when he rode against the famous Tom Hales and other iront-rank riders yho never lost when their mounts were capable of winning. Gorry has lately been reminiscing in a Melbourne paper, and his opinions about jireseut-day riders and seats in the saddle are both lutCTesting and instructive. Gorry says that if he were “Controller-general ot Racing the boys riding now would have to let down their leathers several holes. 1 have seen jockeys in action over a fair span of years, and I am prejudiced in favour of the old-timers, who had better control of their mounts than most of the riders since the advent of the Sloan scat. Control is a factor that keeps iate^ 01 ' au F° down to a minimum. Accidents he rare when riders can see where they are going Fifty-odd years ago jockeys sat their horses in such a way as to give them full control, and they con Id see what wis happening, not haxing their face. ImHeil in the horse’s mane. It isn’t easy to look to the side or backwaids when von are on a horse travelling at top speed, and few can steal that B lan “® without getting a horse 0 course an occasional genius has shown E? SC Sf 'L’S didn’t Bob Lewis retain s or ginal straight back seat and more than hold 11 • own with the best riders in Australia fol nearly 50 years? I venture to say t at some of the boys riding today would not be able to see out a day s racing if asked to ride in more than one long race. From what I have seen they finish more tired than their mounts, the reason it is a hard job trying to hold a horse together when the whole strain has to be borne from the knees down. 1. te&enl--dny riders balance from the knees, the old school balance from the thighs. To day if a horse receives a slight bump it is invariably found that riders lose balance, and before they regain it. then mounts have lost a length or two. How many races have been won by half heads. Years ago bumps were few, but if one did happen to get one, little or no ground w as lost because, as I said before, riders had firm control. AVhen horses stumbled with old-time jockeys, they didn t fly over their heads; they held them up. Wellington Nominations. Nominations for the Wellington winter mectihg will close on Monday next. Otaki Acceptances. Acceptances for next Saturday s n' cet ing at Otaki will close tonight at b o’clock. Answers to Correspondents. “West Coast.” Greymouth: Olympus was scratched for his Waikato engagement at. 8.30 a.m. on the day of the race, May 20. ro/n . “Curious,” Marton: ±3/9/-. “Ngata,” Palmerston North: (I) 18/6. (2) 14/6.