TRAINER’S DEATH

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 280, 21 August 1940, Page 13

TRAINER’S DEATH

Veteran R. Gooseman NOTES AND COMMENTS

Alma’s Career Ended

(Bx The Watcueu.;

The death at Hastings in his eightyeighth year of Jlr. Hobert Goosenmn removes one of the last links with t turf of the older days. Some years at > a photograph was taken ot a group or New Zealand’s leading trainers, which included It. J. Mason. J. 11. Prosser It. Gooseman and others, and 11 memory serves T. F. Quinlivan is now the only surviving member of that famous coterie. Started As Butcher Boy. Mr. Gooseman commenced his actiwlife carrying a butcher’s basket, being employed by Messrs. Walter Paul and Thomas Barr, Auckland, at eighteen pence a week and his dinner. This was bardiv to his liking, so one morning .Messrs. Paul and Barr were minus a butcher boy to deliver orders, and on communication with Mr. Gooseman, sen., no light was thrown on the whereabouts of the absentee. Young ‘’.Bob” had hiked it to Thames and joined up with the late George Cutts’s racing establishment at the advanced wage of 8/- a week and found. Here he was happy till one day, when the boys employed by the weilknown trainer tossed up to see who would go for the buns for lunch, and bob lost the toss and very nearly his job, as, when on this errand he ran right into his father, who there ami then wished to take him back to Auckland and the butchers basket. However, a conference between Sir. Gooseman, sen., and Geo. (Jutts siiw young Bob carrying on in a racing stable. After a few years Mr. Robert Farmer sent “Bob” down to Hawke's Bay with the thoroughbred sire Papapa, and this was how the well-known trainer of later years came to settle in Hawke's Bay. Mr. h'armer was in partnership with Mr. .1. Watt (father of Mr. E. J. Watt, owner of Gold Rod and others), and after a few years at Longland’s, Hastings “Bob sot out as a free lance horseman, winning, among many races, the Hawkes Bay Cup in the year 1877 on Mr. M'alter s Maori Weed, that particular Cup being run near Clive, half-way between Hastings and Napier.

First Horse Express. Later Bob Goosemau established the first horse express in Hastings and also founded the first coach service between Havelock North and Napier. After a few years away from the racing game he decided to set up in Hastings ns a trainer, building the present w'ell-known racing establishment “Martindale,” where many good horses have been housed, and at present owned by 8. J. Reid. At “Martindale,” Bob Gooseman went into partnership with his brother-in-law,’ the late Mr. Percy Martin, who acted as private trainer for the late Mr. Spencer H. Gollan. The veteran trainer prepared thoroughbreds for many well-known Hawke’s Bay sportsmen, including Sir AV. R. Russell, Sir George Hunter, Messrs. .Paul Hunter, T. H. Lowry, I'l. J. Watt, Frank Armstrong, Major “-Jim” Armstrong, L'liek Burke. C. B. Winter and Alen (“Tuki”) McLean, the latter three being among his first patrons. Won Three Wellington Cups. It would take too much space to enumerate fill the successful racehorses trained by Bob Gooseman, but suffice it to say that one of the best mares ever raced in the Dominion, 'Whisper, was one of his team, while another leaf out of “Bo'b’s” turf life was the training of the mare Cynisca, who won three 'Wellington Cups on end. For Mr. (later Sir) George Hunter he trained more winners than for any other owner. One of the late sportsman’s good winners was the Apremont horse, Mystification, whose most important win was achieved in the 'Wellington Thompson Handicap. Mungista, the Stepniak Madder marc, was another useful performer for Sir George’s team, winning, among other races, the New- Zealand Oaks.

Indigo and New Zealand Cup. Mystification and Mungista were mated and the result was a chestnut colt, who raced as Indigo. When only a few weeks old, owner and trainer agreed that his special mission in life would be the New Zealand Cup, and ns a three-year-old (he was the last, at ithis age to win this event), was prepared and taken to Itiecartou. Jn a. great finish Indigo deadheated with that great mare, Warstep. Mr. Goosemau was active up to his last days und was present, at Hastings to sec the reinstated Hastings Stakes, He was present nt the first raec meeting at Hastings, and, unless elsewhere attending a race meeting, has never missed a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club of which he was a life member. Course Broadcasts. A southern writer remarks that it is strange that more service i« not given by the broadcasting system at race meetings where one is installed. Messages lire put through the amplifiers' concerning lost articles, traffic announcements, ami personal calls. That Ts quite reasonable, but a lot of valuable information regarding the races could be distributed. Results of inquiries, changes' of gear and of colours, penalties, and many oilier items of interest could, indeed should, be published. There is cause for this complaint. Only a very small percentage of the proIlniinarieH at. Ricearton last week were broadcast, racegoers being left to discover for themselves which were the horses going down. A day or two at Trenthnm during a Wellington meeting would show them the way it should be done.

Alma Finished. Alma fractured a sesamoid bone during the running of the Winter Cup, and her racing days are over. She was well on the decline, but at her best was a very smart sprinter, and won the Stewards’ Handicap in 1937. Did Well.

Hawke’s Bay had only a small team at the National meeting, but. limy won £1685 in prize-nmney, Limhohm’s National HurdlcK being the largest amount. 'With the Trial Hurdles thrown in Limbohm won £1325.

English rtorse For Sydney. The Sydney sportsman. Mr. F. IV. Hughes, who has bought New Zealand horses during the past year, has taken advantage of prevailing conditions to secure a good English horse. Through the British Bloodstock xYgency, he has bought the four-year-old Tetan, by Hyperion from Priscilla, by Phabiris. Titan was bred and raced by Lord Rosebery. Early Juveniles.

_ A two-year-old who is showing promise in her early training is Tinketoon, a bay filly by Musketoon from Tin Lap, who is being prepared at Te Aroha by A. E. Cox for Mr. J. Whitten. Tinketoon is a candidate for Hie Avondale Stakes on September 14, and present indications are that she will be well forward. Cox has his team in nice order at. present, and has worked a good deal of improvement in Hunter's Night and Star Vaal. Mtiiden.

Many years ago at a counirj town the local sports got up a raee nmeting, and on the programme was a Maiden Huck

Race, which was won by a mare owned by two brothers with very little knowledge of racing. Some time later the race club secretary was surprised to receive a letter from the brothers, who enclosed a cheque for the prize money they had won, and an apology for hav.ing entered the mare in a maiden race, a« they had since discovered that once she had had a foal. Dreams.

Last week in Christchurch there were some stories going round about drcams, but. I could not discover that .anybody had dreamt a winner. I did meet one person interested in the story J published a little while back about Cast Iron's win in a hurdle raee at Ashburton some years ago, ami that was Mr. Godfrey Westenra, a steward of the C.J.C. At one time lie owned Cast Iron. 1 saw in an Australian paper recently the account of the man who dreamt that. No. 6 won the Melbourne Cup. He went out to Flemington, and had a good bet on it. The race was won by No. 9. and it was only then that the dreamer realized he had gone to sleep with his head at the foot of the lied. That possibly may not be believed, but here is a drfam that can be substantiated, and I cull upon trainer L. G. Morris 'to bear me out. At the time “Snowy" was not training, but recording his usual good percentage of wins in the saddle. .1 had dreamt that I rim into him in the birdcage of the Otaki course, and lie was wearing a green jacket with red braces. In tlie race lie came away in the straight and won well. Looking toward the iole 1 b’aw the dividend board being hoisted. In those days the dividends were written in chalk, and hung up outside the tote. I distinctly saw the dividend, and can quote it. now. This was some time before the races, but on the day the dream facts' were repeated to the smallest detail, except that when .1 ran into “Snowy,” who was wearing the identical colours. I told him I had dreamt, that he won, and also the dividend he would pay. “1. hope you're right,” he said. The horse was Maui, and the race the Katihiku Handicap, on November 21, 1928. He was owned and trained bv Mr. V. E. Bryant. Lest any' knowlcdgable reader rushes in to tell me that Mr. Bryant’s colours are chocolate with white cap, he cun refer to the register of colours of that time, ami they were then emerald green, cerise braces, cuffs, collar and cap.

Turf Register. The New Zealand Turf Register for lII3IMO ivas puldir-'lied in Christchurch during National week, and is now available to racegoers.

Combined Hunts. Acceptances for ilie Combined Hunts' meeting at New Plymouth next week will ••lose mi Friday al 9 p.m.. with Mr. C. I!. Webster.

Answers to Correspondents. "Punter'' mid others: Owing to a misunderstanding, the scratching time of De Friend for the Grand National Hurdles was mixed up with that of another horse. De Friend was scratched at. 9 a.m., on July 17.

"Tin Tacks," Karori: Ct) £l3/2/-; £2 IS/-. (2) £2/7/6, lie ran second, not first. “Curious," Pnreniaiu: £5 17 G. "Einder." Treulhum : (11 £3 16<2l £1 GG. (3) £S G £2 17 G. I■! I £l/10/-. (5| £2 .1.4.'-. (G) £B. <7> £l/17/-. (8) £3/0/6. (91 £3/18/6. (10) £5/17/-. '