RACING FIXTURES.

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 54, 5 March 1927, Page 13

RACING FIXTURES.

March 9—Opotiki J.c. March 11, 12-Napler Park R.C. March 12—Franklin R.C. March 17—Opunake R.C. March 17, 19—Ohiuemuri J.C. March 17—Walinate R.C. March 17, 19—Wellington K.C. March 23, 24—Rangitikei R.C. March 23, 24—Oamaru J.C. ; March 26—Bay of Plenty J.C. March 30—Otautau R.C. Blarch. 31—Walpapakauri R.C. (at Whangarei)

Racing fixtures next week are the' Opotiki Meeting on Wednesday, the Napier Park Meeting cm Friday and Saturday^ and the Franklin Meeting on Saturday. Indications that the season is advancing is shown by the fact that the Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicap entries are due on Friday,' 18th March. _ Jt has been shown time and again that inconsistent running is most" difficult to prove, for a myriad explanations can be brought forward. During the last ten days, however, there has. been an instance of marked reversal of form, which, officially, has escaped all notice. The animal in question has shown pace in races, but at the turn its mouth 'has been comparable only to a yawning chasm. Prom the turn home the vanishing trick, accredit to any conjurer, lias been performed. '"'The' Day"'arrived, however, ■when a good class/field was taken on and Leaten, with quite;a (healthy sum invested on the horse's chance on the tota'lisa-' tor. The chain of incidents is only another example of the lack of control of rating by its officials, stipendiary and honorary. There was a perfect set of circumstances to act on,; After all, it. is/littlewonder that many 1 racing enthusiasts' are losing their keenness and that'totalisator returns continue to fall and fall; ■ "A striking; example of the range in class of- the entrants for- the Opotiki Meeting •wjas revealed by the handicaps. In a seven furlong race Matinee, 11.13, was followed next on the list by Division 7.13, a gap 0£561b. In a six furlong race Mosaic was asked to give Matinee 161b, so that had he been in the seven furlong race he would have had to been placed on or about the 13-stone mark, with a 7-stone minimum. These meetings are a nightmare to any handicapper. prices were not over-liberal at Dannevirke on the second day, CapitulationVtfaEz -Baby, Kalos, and ttypnotic all returned.more than they Should have done, considering the opposition and their form. SQiy^it-home backers of Jazz .'Baby must Jia-rebeea more than .delighted. „..,.. . -Writing of Jazz Baby, he gave, his cou: ne'ctions. cause for alarm for a minute or two on Thursday. While being led round prior to the race he reared playfully and shook himself, striking his off foreleg. He ■was decidedly lime on it for a few min■uies^.but soon walked it off, and showed lio .signs of lameness after the race. ■"■ "Wild Pigeon was to have been sold during fhe coming meeting at Trenthani,. but Mr. Erie TSiddiford will now •change his mind. The Leighton filly shapes like a stayer, and she may prove !quite a useful mare later on over a distance of ground. At present it looks ns if she would run out seven furlongs better

;>|than many o£ her age. _ •:'■ •■> Hipo looked very light and jaded ■ at,: ! Dannevirke, and in need of a spell. He- •!; ran surprisingly good races considering his condition. ' ' Queen's Choice can be ticked off to win '•;.Boinjs« good r'ace£ from now on. 'He was" . by i£b means lifcky either day at pnunc■vvirke^ and,- although he may; not.be in ;>;the top class *of three-year-olds, he is well >"'\ip irftlie second division. His form-.on the second day at Danncvirko was a decided improvement on tho first day. ■•■•• The sum of £1659 was invested on the :>six runners in the last race Jit Danne'i/virke on Thursday, and it is probable '■that the market price of the whole six 'in the aggregate would not be £-200. It ,',-was the poorest field seen for a very long ■ ■time, yet the very evenness of the medio- * crity provided a good race. .. ": Sir. I. Or. Duncan will send sixteen ■.!• yearlings from the Elderslie Stud for sale >;in Sydney at Easter. Eleven of the young\.'eters are by Paper Money, these being !.] -colts from Glen Helen, Set-ret Link, -.'.Esther, Lady Wayward' 11., Afterglow, ';. and fillies from Philomel, 80-Peep. Zany; \;Killena, Snow Waif, and -Kobin. The ■"••balance of the draft is .made up of a colt ■'' by.'^-.Archery—Sunny 'Corner, filly by " .Archery—Kilberry, filly by Archery—KH- : breeze, filly by Kilbroney—Cotillion, and ■; -gelding by Kilboy—Bebeliead. '-• ■ The New South Wales studmaster, Mr. * .Vevcf, Miller, has four high-class English ' 'Eires'^at his ICia Ora Stud, these being 'Magpie, Nassau, Saltash, and Legionnaire . Now he has purchased . SpeUhorne. by Spearmint from Dutch.Mary, by William the Third from Pretty Polly; Spelthorpe ■was bred in 1922, and he'.was.cne'of'England's leading three-year-olds in 1925,' when . ;he Svon stakes totalling £G4BS. >-.- ' One of-the latest additions to the active /brigade at'Ellerslie is a yearling, bay colt. :.by Tea Tray! from Lady. Kerman. The ■ youngster, is well-grown and he is. bred , on ■ the 'right lines to make a galloper, writes "Archer." He is being educated by' his owner.,' Mr- W. Taylor, n-ho is also . working Master.Mind. The latter is progressing, satisfactorily, and will be seen' out at some of the country meetings this month.; ■■'. . ■ .'-'■■ Respirator, the three-year-old gelding :by Tea Tray from Freezia, shaped rather well on the second day at Te Aioha and.finished close up-in' the.Elstow Handicap'after getting, away slowly. The ( racing he . had should do him a lot of good, ami he may be worth keeping in mind for novice events at the later country meetings. .-'. The three-year-old King Arch, who finished second in his first start this sea-' . , eon and subsequently raced below expect ; tations, ran two good races tor a third and second at Te Aroha. He seems to be .on the improve,^and may secure a stake ■ among the minor class in the near future. Thursby was taken to Rotorua: but he fell on the road and cut himself ahout, . with the result that he could not keep ■'. ,his engagements-there.-. On his return to ; ;Ellet;slie he was given a short let-up 'anil ./made a good recovery, although he still : .'.show's the marks of where he fell. At -pre-, '^sent he is being indulged in useful tasks. *;and--should come to hand again quickly.' '.'', As a result of striking himself .while ■,;galloping about a month ago Automne' !',had to be eased for a.few weeks.- All is . I'well with him again, and he is once more: through serviceable tasks'in" viewi ■I)-of thp coming meetings. • : . '•; Passin' Through is in the steeplecliasu.s. ■ '.at/the Ohinemuri Meeting, and the hurdle ' graces' at Napier Park. He could race at ■ ; .both places, but probably he will be sent '.';to Paeroa, where he is not badly treated •.in a two mile and a half steeplechase, con-, ',' sidering how forward he showed himself ! ;to be at New Plymouth three weeks'ago. ■:. • Front Rank is nearly right again, and ; shou.ld be bowling along in her work in a > ;few. days. :. '. Ville consistent and useful Taboo'''has I just been recommissioned by J. B. Pear- ■ eon. at Kiecarton. ■ . ' ! j,"! Valicare was responsible for a smart'per■'• •jformance in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes at :;.;I<lemington on Tlrursday, for Top Gallant ;and Fuji San represent tho highest class .handicap form up to a mile in Australia ,!'.Valicare apparently is.right at her best-; ;. she could hardly be otherwise to run a .■imile in linin 36V2sec. When she was' -;. beaten by .Amounis in the Linlithgow ''Stakes in the spring, she was badly- serv: lied at the start, and; in addition had'to _„ battle against a gale of wind for part'of .; the journey. The stronger-built Amounis *;;pulled through in an.unequal jontest with .■everything against the mare. To see Vali ,'i'care in action is the'poetry- of motion, ■;;so far as the racehorse is concerned. ','. Top Gallant's second to Valieare in the _\\C. M. Lloyd Stakes suggests that he will be there or thereabouts in a good handi- ,, ■ j cap very soon. ;' The New Zealand jockey. M. iVl'Carten. „,has now become firmly established in Aus- ■'',; tralia, and it is practically a certainty ■'-'. that he is lost to New Zealand. Jockeys of his calibre are painfully scarce at pre- ; sent, and Australia's gain is decidedly . i±he —Dominion's loss. M'G'artcn appears ;:;to have found a useful mount in the two-/■year-old Royal Feast. '! Fresh horses at Napier Park should add . -interest to that gathering. The handicap- ■ .per-, lias had rather the misfortune in one ' :or, two races of having one horse much • ; superior to the rest, there being a big .. drop"from the top-weight in tlio handicap ;;to the second on the list. There should .be some very interesting racing to iudp' . by the weights. ;. : _Sir-Roseberry is said to be putting plenty

o£ dash into his work at Ellerslie. He was to be schooled this week.

Pentagram has been nominated for the ■.jumping .events at'the Easter Meeting at RandwieU and may be shipped to Sydney at an early date. A. Rutherford is likely to make the trip across with him in order to ride the Pendil gelding in his engagemeuts. . • .

There lias been nothisig special about the:.recent track doings of Chairman, but he is in capital order and has been moving. With freedom. More than likely- be 'will have,his next outing at Paeroa, and it .will occasion no surprise to see him racing prominently, writes "Archer."

. Xreshain is commencing to move along in his work'apain and worked soundly on Thursday. gt; Ellerslie: 'It. was unfortunate that he had to be spelied chronch. an injury to one of hjs ■ forelegs when the Summer Meetings wore on. as'lie was on the verge of striking his .best form at. tiie time of the mishapT" All going we!!; he should be in u;ood shape, again for the' late Autumn meetings. •=.",