RACING FIXTURES.

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 39, 14 August 1926, Page 23

RACING FIXTURES.

August 21—Pakuranga Hunt Club. Augcit 25—Egrnont-Wanganui Hunt Club. August 28—North Taranaki Hunt Club. September 1, 2—Marton J.C. September -i—Otago Hunt Club. September 4—Manawatu Hunt Club. Sertember !), 11—Wnnganui J.C. Ser-tember 16—Dannevirke R.C. September 10—Dannevirke Hunt Club. September 18, 20—Otakl Maori R.C. September 24, 25—Ashburton County R.C. September 24. 25—Napier Park R.C. September 25. 27—Avoudale J.C. September 80, October I—Geraldine R.C. October 2—Uawkes Bay J.C. October 7—Kurow J.C. October 7— Maaterton R.C. October 7, 9—Whangarei R.C. October 9—Oamaru J.C. October 14, lfi-Dunedin J.C. October 16—Carcerton R.C. October 23. 25—Wellington R.C. October 25—Wa'kato Hunt Club. October 25-Waipawa County R.C. October 23, 25. or 25. 27-Waverley R.C. October 25—North Canterbury R.C October 25, 27—Gore R.C. October 28, SO—Poverty Bay Turf Club, October 30-Banks Peninsula R.C. October 30. November I—Thame3 J.C.

The Pakuranga Hunt Meeting, to be held at Ellerslie next Saturday, is next week's solo racing fixture. Nominations for the New Zealand Cup close next Friday. Handicaps for the Marton Spring and Manawatu Hunt Meetings are due on Thursday. The suspension o£ W. S. Bagby at Riccarton on Thursday means that another rider will have to be found for Nippy and Le Choucas at the Pakuranga Hunt Meeting. No doubt R. S. Bagby will fill the breach. The handicapper has not been hard on Le Choucas. . ' There were five Hawkes Bay trained horses in the Grand National Hurdle Race and three finished in the places in Comical, Crown Coin, and Maunga. That jockeys are liable to make mistakes • in their judgment was shown once again at Riccarton on Thursday, when J. Beale got off Precious in order to ride Cornstalk in the Woolston Handicap. J. Barry rode Precious, who won well, while Cornstalk was not in the hunt. ' Inside positions on the straight six-fur-long course at Riccarton are. of great value to smart beginners. Le Choucas and Civility were drawn 11 and 12 respectively in the August Handicap at Riccarton on Thursday, but the inside division all began smartly and raced them to the course proper, with the result that the two horses named could never get in the firing line. The distance of the Grand National Hurdle Race was two miles and a-half and 160 yards, the horses starting as usual from the nine-furlong barrier.

There has been suggestion made that the fences this year are not up to the standard of the past in severity and size. Reference to Mr. P. D. M'Nab, the custodian of the Riccarton course, under ■whose direction the fences each year are erected, or in the case of permanent obstacles in order, showed that if anything the fences'were stiffer than ever this year. They were. right up to the regulation height, and in the case of the permanent fences Were less yielding than last year. This would suggest that the standard of jumping at Riccarton this year has been particularly high. Rangi Thompson rode in his last jumping race when he steered Master Peter in the Grand National Steeplechase. It was thought he would ride Crown Coin in the Grand National Hurdle Race, but he gave the mount to E. B. Thomson, who managed to get the Hawkes Bay horse into second place. Rangi has had a long and noteworthy career as a rider, and in his final season had the satisfaction of winning .a Great Northern Steeplechase on Dick. Serious injury received in Auckland just over twelve months ago has left its effect, and this has caused Rangi to make his decision to retire.

Mention of Master Peter reminds one that Mr. Eric Riddiford has tired of him, and after the Beaufort Steeplechase he was sold to a patron of J. B. Stable.

After tho good race he ran in the AVinter Cup there were plenty on the lookout for Overdrawn, but a glance at the lists revealed the unpleasant fact that he was not engaged again at the meeting. Reonui was sold in Sydney after his win last Saturday and is to go into George Price's stable. Reonui was to remain in P.. D. Jones's charge until after the Warwick Farm Meeting to-day. It is not often a horse is started twice on a metropolitan course, and more unusual w it to find a horse beaten with a big weight in a hack race asked to take on open company a race or two later. This was the task set Imitation on Thursday at Riccarton. Naturally he was beaten at his second start, but in both races showed pace in the early stages. Both Imitation and High Pitch were advertised for sale, but, as expected, neither was put into the sale ring. They left Christchurch yesterday on their return journey to Hawkes Bay.

A number of horses from the Longbeach Stud were sold at auction at Christchurch yesterday, included amongst them being Arch Lassie, the dam of Young Lochinvar, who was purchased by Mr. J. M. Samson, of Dunedin, for 210 guineas. The brood mare Sopra was sold for 280 guineas. The rest were sold at only hack prices. On account of the trustees of the late G. B. Starky, Economist was sold 'for 55 guineas to the Riccarton trainer P. P. Claridge.

Indian Sage returned from the South last night. Indian Sage ran only in the Winter Cup, when bad luck at the barrier settled his chance, but under the circumstances he ran a great race to finish where he did. Some of the Southern critics, who stated that he was short of work, were just about as far astray as they v/ere in the case of Ngata.

Dubious has been sold by Mr. Eric Riddiford to Mr. F. Welligan, and in future -will be trained by H^ Coker at Riccarton.

Tuki was offered at auction at Christchurch yestefday, but was passed in. Later he was sold privately to Mr. J. M. Samson, of Dtmedin, who intended to race his new purchase in the Lincoln Steeplechase to-day. Some very useful hordes arc amongst those engaged at the Tarauaki Hunt Meetings, including Lady Desmond, Hipo, Jlerry Jest, Bisox, and Bonogne. Luke Wilson has charge of the balance of J. H. Jefferd's horses in New Zealand while the trainer named is absent in Australia with Rapine and company. It is rather remarkable the number of sires now stationed in the South Auckland district, for the list includes Bay Comet, General Latour, Sundstar, Illumination, Depredation, Haceful, Quin Abbey, King Lupin, Potoa, Valkyrian, Marble Arch, Snow King, and one or two others, while the Waikato Hunt Club Irish-bred Little England is expected to arrive in the Dominion next month. This horse will be restricted chiefly to mares the property of Hunt members and farmers whose land the Hunt traverses. The Waikato owner-breeder-trainer, R. Hannon, has offered to take charge of Little England for a year. free of charge of the Hunt Club.

F. Loomb, at Te Awamutu, now has under his charge about a dozen in active training. New additions include Daylight, while there are several very promising juveniles. Two Tea Tray youngsters are Haid to look particularly promising, though they should take time to display their best. The Tractor—Temba fouryear old gelding has loft Loomb's care to enter T. George's Ellerslie stable. This maiden look's the ideal cut of a jumper.

Tempean is now being trained by B. Burgess at Opaki. The many minor improvements to the Wanganui course are now nearing completion. The new starting point for seven furlongs has rettled down splendidly. The new rails oil the way \ip the shaight are just about finished, but, contrary to some reports, this work does not affect the course itsel£, the home turn into the straight being a3 before. The birdcage has been considerably enlarged, and will now allow of plenty of room for even two division' fields. The start at the sixfurlong barrier has been widened, and a similar operation at the mile and^ a quarter post is also about to be put in hand. Although these many improvements are small things in themselves, in all. they represent quite a substantial outlay in wages and material.