NEW BLOOD

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 182, 30 April 1941, Page 11

NEW BLOOD

South Islanders For Hastings NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dispersal Of Gladstone

Park Stud

(By The Watcher.)

The Hastings trainer, Harold Griflith, has received three young horses to train for the South Island owner, Sir. I!. C. Christie, who had Nightcalm and Montessa carrying his colours a year or so back. Griflith brought up two from Orari yesterday and went on to Hastings. One is Prince Shad, a two-year-old by Paper Money from Wanaka, by Paladin from that good mare Silver Peak, dam of Silver Paper (by Paper Money) and the other is a yearling by Paper Money from Mudlark, by Gay Lad from Dabchick, by Formosan, a branch of Mermaid’s famous No. 14 family. Both are colts. Griffith will al§o take oyer from Mr. Frank Donnelly the Theio— Lady Artful youngster sold to Mr. Christie by Mr. J. N. Lane at the last national sales. This colt’s dam never raced. She is a half-sister to Ivar and Nora Gregor ano is out of a half-sister to High Pitch and Father’s Voice. Good Sprinter. Leighnor went to 'his owner's place on the West Coast after the Great Easter, •but he will not be idle long. He is to return to P. T. and W. P. Hogan in a few weeks. It is not unlikely that he will develop into a good class sprinter next season.

Coming North. It is understood the Wingatui horsesmall R. J. .Mackie contemplates settling in the North- Island, probably at Otaki. Won for New Owner. ' Flagman- changed hands before the South Canterbury meeting,-the Wingatui owner-trainer D. P. Wilson having sold him to Mr. J. P. O’Brien. He is now in G. S. McKay’s stable, and at hie first start returned about two-thirds of the price paid for him. The Lord Warden gelding owed his success to his superior' fencing.

Stud Dispersal. Wright, Stephenson and Coy Ltd., advertise the preliminary announcement of the clearing sale of the blood stock of the late Mr. G. A. Kain, to be held at Orari next month. One of the principal lots is Battle Song, winner of the Irish St. Leger by eight lengths, the Champion Stakes and other races, and second m the Two Thousand Guineas and the Derby. He was imported to Dominion last year, by the late G. A, Kain, for His Gladstone Park stud and is very closely related to the great Australian sire ot stayers, The Buzzard. Both are by Spion Kop, sire of Felstead, and son ot Spearmint, all' three winners of the English Derby. Battle Song is also closely related to The Buzzard on the dam s side. The Buzzard has proved one of the greatest sires of staying blood ever imported to Australia and his stock have also shown early pace, Yaralla, one of the best of this season’s youngsters, being by the Spion Kop horse. Another successful Australian sire, Double Remove, sire of All Love, is related to Battle Song. Double Remove is by Felstead and his dam, like that of Battle Song, is by Hurry Ou and from thp Paraffin family. The late Mr. Kain, who was a fine Judge quality, was greatly, attracted to Battle Song, and had the utmost confidence in this young horse as likely to re-establish the great line of Musket j» the Dominion. As a result of Mr. accidental death hy drowning, the Gladstone Paik dispcrsedv-a : mfttter of great regret. Dlr. Kain bred Nightinarcb. Diatomous, Cerne Abbas. Blixten Gustos, Custodian, Palfrey and many other winners.

Duchess May Train Derby Winner. The Duchess of Norfolk may be the first woman to supervise a classic winner’s training, She has charge ot Selirnhassan, which won the Nottingham Southern Blate, the war-time substitute for the Greenhan Plate, this month.. The Duchess took control of the stable when her trainer, Gilpin, joined the forces, at the outbreak of war. Though debarred from holding a licence, sho drained the Asa Khan-bred colt, which Mr. W. Goodbody bought for 4000 guineas,, in December, 1939. Selimhassan next runs in the Iwo Thousand Guineas.

Bhoiographiug Finishes. An experiment in photographing a race finish, designed to assist the Judge in a close contest, was carried out by the Canterbury Park Turf Club in Sydney last week. The film, shown jn an impromptu projection room, indicated that there is a lot of developmental work ahead for its sponsors before it achieves its purpose (reports the “Herald”), rue camera used, watchers were told, had a speed of 24 exposures per second. Iwo fields were lined up, and in one finish an exposure almost coincided with the reaching of the finishing line by the winner of one sprint.’That this was a matter of luck was indicated by. the exposures before it and after it. 'The sequence showed a picture of the ultimate tvinner about three feet from the line, a picture with his nose apparently only inches from the line, and a picture vyith his neck past the line. Exposures at a speed twenty times as fast might have approached efficiency. The sponsors of the trial, which took place in the presence of leading officials, stated that faster equipment could be secured. It was also disclosed that previous experiments with light-ray apparatus had been carried out at Warwick Farm.

It Has Its Advantages. The photographing of finishes has been practised in America and in France for some years, and apparently gives satisfaction. Yet there have been times when racing executives have had reason to deplore its use. There was a memorable occasion in France when the arrangements broke down. The crowd refused to believe that the officials were genuine in the announcement that a photograph of the finish was not available, and during a demonstration, . did considerable damage to the buildings. More serious trouble occurred in America in similar circumstances. In a close finish the

judge’s decision did not meet with approval. The crowd called for the photographs of the finish, and the announcement that the camera had failed to function gave rise to the belief that the judge had made an error, and that officials sought to protect him by refusing to show the picture of the finish. There was such a riot that officials deemed it expedient to remain on the racecourse under protection till well into the night. Reminders. Today—Marlborough R.C. nominations, 9 p.xn. Answers to Correspondents. “R. 5. Napier: Sir Cameron was scratched at 1.30 p.m. The other information has been sent for. “Third,” Marton: (1) £l/14/-.- <2) £l/17/6.