FOR THE HURDLES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 203, 25 May 1944, Page 7

FOR THE HURDLES

Town Survey’s Mission At Ellerslie (By st. Simon.) Town Siirvej’ at present bolds engagements both in the Great Northern Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase, run on the opening day of the Auckland winter meeting. His mission will be the hurdle race, which he won last year carrying 9.1 L His weight this year is 11.7, the rise in poundage being due to his success in the Wellington Winter Hurdles and Grand National Hurdles following his Great Northern win last winter. Breeder After Skipton. A prominent New Zealand breeder was in the market recently for the Australian horse Skipton who, as a live-year-old. has been retired from racing, but no business resulted. Skipton won £15,000 in stakes, his successes including the Victoria Derby and the Melbourne Cup. He is .by Marabou from the New Zealand-bred mare Cupidity. Both Marabou and Cupidity descend in tail male from Tracery and In his dam’s line Skipton comes from the same taproot as those fine stayers, beau Vite, Old Bill,. Wotan, Gaine Carrington, Peter Jackson and Motere. In Work at Rlccarton. The Man's Pal—My Ship filly which Mr. J. T. -Spears, Wellington, bought a few months ago In the South Island, has been named -Stewardess and has been given to C. G. Humphries to train at Rlccarton. The dam is by Iliad from Princess Argosy, an English-tired mare Which Mr. J- M. barnson, Dunedin, imported in 1920. In Auckland. The southern steeplechaser Yalautua, in charge of J 5. Rosewarne, has reached Auckland re compete at the Great Northern meeting. He made the voyage from Lyttelton by coastal steamer.

Entered a.t Marton. Among the entries for the Wanganui meeting at Marton is Stand To. who is trained at Rlccarton‘by M. Conza. He is a three-year-old maiden by Night Raid from Lady Clarenceux, dam of Second Innings, and in five starts this season has a third placing to Record voyage and Chestnut Glow to his credit. Well Thought Of. , „ ~ Jehangir, who finished second to Scram in the minor steeplechase at the Waikato meeting', is a six-year-old chestnut gelding bv Hunting Song from NtirjahUn, a Quin Abbey mare who is the dam also of Loch Acre.’ Jehangir commenced racing this season and his appearance at Te Rapa was his second only. He jumped well and is tipped to show a good deal of improvement as he gains experience. He has engagements in the minor cross-country races at Auckland. Change of Quarters. After spelling since the Marlborough meeting in January, Glaciate resumed racing at Woodville, where he was given a run on the flat against the opeirsprlnters. He looked robust and in need of the outing. He is now a member of R. ueaie s team at Awapunl and will shortly resume hurdle racing, at which branch he nas shown his best form since lie came to New Zealand. Injured a Knee. . There was a fair measure of support tot Indian, Sign for his hurdling debut at Woodville, but he hit the second fence very hard when lying in a handy position behind the leaders, and after that .he dropped back. When he got home lie had a knee as “big as a football." Jumped Well. . Chat is credited with,giving n solid .display Of jumping in the Te Rapa Steeplechase, and her effort to finish a close fifth was regarded as a most satisfactory, trial for a mare who bad not race.d since August. The race should do her a lot of good. Chat is a small mare and has never performed well under a high ««“}«<£ weights. , She won thtr Great Northern Steeplechase last year with 10.1 and has 10.10 to carry next week.

Old Glorv at Trentham. Old Glerv, who was disposed ot recently by F. C. Christie to Mr. L. R. James. Wellington, has arrived from the south and has joined up with A., Sagers stable at Trentham.

Sister to Sally Lunn. A two-year-old half-sister by Mans Pal to Sally Lunn has been put into work by C C. McCarthy at Rlccarton. She is owned by Mr. H. Hhlllday, Dunedin.

J Among being odm rated for steeplechasing “tvo Chins Up, a five-year-old gelding by Myo sotis from Lady Ball. Last week he ga\e a good display over the schooling country with Thorulde, and though he has had no racing experience he is regarded as a good iumning prospect. He is a half-brother to Gay fe Ballerina, one of the best race maree of her day, and La -Moderne, who won the St. Leger Stakes in record time, and will be raced by his breeder. Mr. A. J. Tutton.

Gainsborough Retired. Gainsborough, triple crowu and Goto Cup winner of 1918, and one of the world s most famous sires, lias b l », sta s career at the age of 29 years, and will end his days at the Harwood Stud, Newbury. He commenced stud duties ln „ his progeny have won nearly fcoou.utw in stakes. Two of bis sons, Galnscourt and Lelghon, came to New Zealand, and ota®}' male descendants through Solarlo and Hyperion (sons of Gainsborough) to come to the Dominion are Vermeer, St. Boswells, Chatsworth, Neptune, and Felons.

Manawatu Entries Tomorrow. Nominations for the Manawatu Racing Club’s winter meeting on Juue 10 and a patriotic meeting on Juno 17 close with. the secretary at Palmerston North tomorrow night at i) o’clock. The stakes for the winter meeting amount to £2400, and the principal races are the Manawatu Steeplechase, Winter Cup and Kangltira Hurdles. Au identical programme has been arranged for the patrlolic meeting, for which the stakes are £1450. •' < Christchurch Hunt. The Christchurch Hunt Club is making plans for a race meeting at RiccartOn ou July 29 us a prelude to the Grand National meeting. The stakes will total £2too. compared with £lO5O two years ago. the club did not hold a meeting last year. Rubber Shoes for Horses. A method of shoeing horses by the use of flexible rubber or rubber-like synthetic compounds has been perfected by an English company. The weight of the shoe is comparable with that of the aluminium plate. It was found in such experimental work as the authorities allowed that these non-metaiiic shoes had an astonishing capacity for limiting the effects or lameness, and horses suffering from acute laminitis in its earlj- stages, ring-bone and side-bone, have been successfully shod and have returned to work. The shoe is said to be particularly successful in the case of those horses which are usually taken out of a race if the going is found to be too hard for them. Another advantage is that horses can lie shod in their own stables before travelling to the racecourse, as a characteristic of the shoe is that it affords’ a secure grip on all kinds of surfaces. Mr. Standfast Tops Averages. The complete list of prices obtained sl tile Sydney jcarling sales is now to baud and reveals that Mr. Standfast, who formerly‘was at service in New Zealand, topped the stallion averages. Three of bis progeny were sold for an average of liiffi guineas, tile highest, price being 2009 guineas. Ajax headed the averages of the colonial-bred sires. The average for the whole sale was 514 guineas for 327 lots sold, an Australian record. The record average for New Zealand is 417 guineas obtained last January. The top-priced lot sold in Sydney for 4500 guineas was a SHy from Feminist, who is a full sister to Roman Scandal, an Australian-bred mare which Mr. J. G. Alexander acquired for his Cranlelgh Stud, and whose first tribute as a matron was the ill-fated Islam, winner of a two-year-old handicap at Trenthnm shortly before his untimely death. Boon to Trainers,

The paddle-steamer which operates on tile Waikato River between Hamilton and Mercer is proving a boon to northern trainers in moving their horses about during the period of road and rail restrictions. Many of the Auckland horses which competed at the Waikato meeting on Saturday made portion of their journey by - this means. War Effort in Again. Since he last, raced at the Egmont meeting War Effort lias boon gelded. Following a short spell ho is back In work' and looking in good order.

Brother to Hello Fox. W. Grludlay has broken in n yearling colt by Foxbridge from Belle Star wlio is a full brother to Belle Fox and Minority and a half brother to Majority. First for a Year.

Strip, who has not raced tor a year, i» a candidate for the Otago Steeplechase next week. He has never raced over country, but was shaping well in schooling tasks over the Wlugatul fences last winter when lie injured himself in a lull over the sod wall and was given a long spell. Kidney Trouble. It is reported from Awapuni that flying Tor’s failure af Otaki when lie was favourite for the mile back race was due to kidney trouble. Turned Out. After winning a handicap event for two-year-olds at the receut Esmont meeting, Derryogue was turned out for the winter. Dcrryogue is by Foxligbt from King’s Choice, dam of Sir Fox aud Singing Hills. The striking feature of her success at Hawera was the manner in which she skipped over the heavy going. Getting Ready. A southern report states that Treasurer is now being asked for more work iu hie preparation for hurdle racing, aud he is expected to develop into the leading hurdler at Riccarton as the season progresses. He left the impression when he won a race at Trentham last season that he would reach a high place in Hds department of racing. Gold Flight Retired. The retirement is announced of Mr. D. M. Tweedie's good race' mare Gold Flight, a six-year-old by Nigger Minstrel from Francolln, dam also of Night Wings, Ortyx, Dark Flight, Gay Flight. Winning Flight, Royal Flight and Bonnie Flight. This has been an exceptional family for speed, and several of tfiem are credited with time records on South Island courses. Gold Flight raced for four seasons and won £1505 in stakes. Renewals Due. Trainers, jockeys, apprentice jockeys and amateur riders who intend applying for a renewal of their licences are reminded that these applications must be completed by the last day of May and forwarded to the district committee tor the district in which the applicant resides.

“Tote Inspector’s Powers." Under Hie above heading there has been some ill-informed criticism of. the totalizator inspector who ordered that two place dividends should be paid out in u field of four which contested the hurdle race at the Taranaki patriotic meeting a few weeks ago. The circumstances were that the totalizator opened with five runners which, under win-and-place conditions, would permit a win pool and- a two-place pool, but one horse was withdrawn prior to the closing of the machine and an announcement was made that investments on that horse would be refunded. As fur back as March, 1942, the Racing Conference circularized clubs, and repeated the instruction in May of this year, that in such cases, the contract, whatever it was on the opening of the totalizator for any particular race, should stand notwithstanding any subsequent withdrawal. Such a case occurred at Marton nt New Year, and the New Plymouth Incident was identical. Thus the inspector, far from overriding the Rules of Racing, merely carried out a conference instruction when he ordered two place dividends to be declared in a race contested by four horses.

Bloodstock From England. With the easing of the shipping position Importations of bloodstock from England have recommenced, and recently Wright, Stephenson aud Co., Ltd., landed tor Messrs. James and J. C. Fletcher, of the Alton Lodge Stud. Te Kauwhnta, a very high-class two-year-old Ally bred by the late Lord Furness. The dam. Haltwhistle, was purchased at the dispersal sale held after Lord Furness's death, the price paid being 600. guineas. Haltwhlstlo was then a young mare carrying her first fftal and the Ally Just imported is the progeny. She is bv Khan Bahadur, a brother to the Derby winner Mahmoud, from Man Mahal, by Gainsborough from the brilliant Mumtaz ‘Mahal, famous daughter of The Tetrareh. Khan Bahadur, who was a brilliant horse himself, will have Ms of two-year-olds racing in England this season, Haltwhistle wns by the Derby winner Cameronlan, the sire of the Ascot Gold Cup winner, Finis', and the St. Leger winner, Scottish Union. Cameronlan was bv Pharos from Una Cameron, by Gainsborough from the Oaks winner Cherlmoya. Hallow, the dam of Haltwhistle, realized 3000 guineas at the same sale. She is by the St. Leger winner, Bosworth from Hythe. bv Chaucer from Miss Gunning 11, bv Carbine from the Oaks winner. Memoir, bv St. Simon from Quiver, from which mare descended many of England s most famous brood mares, great e’res ana classic winners. This fill.v should be fl great addition to the Alton Lodge Stud, whose breeding strength was recently Increased by the purchase of the Blandford mare, Biandsong. the Gainsborough mare. Young Lavinia. and a number Of other high class mares in Australia.

Answers to Inquiries. am/ “Interested,” Carterton: (1) £l/9/. £l/15/6. (3) £2/12/-. (4) £-/6/-- < s > In teres ted,” Wanganui: Haughty Queen was scratched for the I '' r ° odvlllc th J dent's Handicap at 11.5 a.m. on the day of the race.