Turf Notes

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 151, 30 June 1928, Page 23

Turf Notes

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. •*Tu»ter," Otukl. —Boy was scratched for the Raukawa Handicap at 12.40 p.m. on Saturday, 23rd Juno. .The National Entries. The nominations received last night for the Grand National Steeplechase must be deemed in every way satisfactory With the exception of Kawini and Mixed Heather, all the proved 'chasers engaged at Trentham have been nominated and there are some very noteworthy additions in Wiltshire and the Southerners, Pamplona, Greenstone, and Dubious. Frisco Jack, Ranui, and Rangisarto: are also en-| gaged. Mixed Heather probably has gone amiss altogether, and he will not be ! seen at Trentham. There is all the pos- , eiblo material available for a great race, and only regret is that the racing imblic are not to see the Victorian Clan Robert in action. Had he been in the field and made the- trip to oppose Beau Cavalier, Glendowie and. Co., the'race would have had more glamour surrounding it than has been the case for many years. , Much the same applies to the Grand National Hurdle Race, for riot only are all the proved jumpers of this island engaged, with the exception of Kawini, but the field is likely to be reinforced by some from the far South. "Heather Lad, Craigmore, and Scion are a trio who are aoticed, while Glendowie is also engaged in this event, and possibly he will be given the chance to do what no horse has done yet—win the two Grand Nationals in the one year. The entry for the Winter Cup is peculiar in that .it contains such a great percentage of the improving type of horse, graduates from hack class and horses who are yet hacks. King Lv ; Thorndalc, Black Mint, Nincompoop, Taboo, Bennanee, Paitonu, Overdrawn, Ring Boyj Town Bank, Royal Game, Royal Damon, Duke Abbey, and Solferite, are all of expected or proved Winter Cup standard, but the remainder in the main ■ are the other type. At the same time it should be a most interesting handicap and a good race, which will be as difficult for backers as usual.; There are some really likely improvers in the field, and thirty-tnree of the fifty-four entrants are from the North Island. ■ . . ' Once in the Limelight. Time was when horses trained by the late J. H. Prosser at Porirua were always to be respected, and some of the best horses in New Zealand were trained on the beach there. During the winter months at least it is surprising that more horses are not in work there, for the beach, with its peculiar formation, provides great going, and the seawater and abundance of hill country adjoining makes yalnabloi adjuncts to the beach itself for training purposes. At present D. Prosser and, vA. Quinlivan both have small teams in work there. Quinlivan has five horses in No Favours, Arrow Boy, Cyrille, Sungift, and the Paladin—Lady Kinloch rising two-year-old filly. No Favours and Arrow Boy are to race at Trentham, arid Cyrille has but lately joined Quinlivah's1 establishment. The Australian . Sun —Bunee filly Sungift has improved in appearance since last seen, and she may make a useful mare with a bit of age. The Paladin — Lady Kinloch filly is a solidly-built customer and well forward. Her dam, by Menschikoff from Lady Melton, has been a prolific breeder of fillies for five of the six of her progeny are, of that sex, and three of these are at the stud. The Pala-, din filly at Porirua is more compact than tho majority of h«r sire's gets, and like the rest of the hora«s at the seaside, looks as if the air and surroundings agree with liei\ Up Against It. A traveller1 with a good deal of experience in all branches of sport anticipates two serious clashes during Grand ■ National week in Christchurch, in which racing and trotting will, be .bidding for/the support o£ the public against' Rugby foot-' ball. There is every chance that, a Ranfnrly Shield match will be played in Christchurch on 11th August, and the Metropolitan Trotting Club's Meeting opens on that day. The following Saturday, the concluding day of the National Meeting, the Canterbury Jockey Cltib has an even ihore serious counter-attraction in the North-South Islands Rugby match. As Christchurch, like all districts in possession of the Ranfurly Shield; is experiencing a wave of boundless enthusiasm in football, the racing folk appear to be up against two bad days. Gold Mint. . , A North Islander who was at the Dunedin Meeting has a good word for Gold Mint, and favours his chances very strongly in the Whyte Memorial Handicap at Trentham. Gold Mint ran two solid races at Wingatui with 7.11, beating Nincompoop (9.0) aud a good field over a mile, and with 8.4 beating Rotor (8.5) and as equally good a field over seven furlongs. Gold Mint. formerly' was not looked on aa too solid, but since going into H. Nurse's stable he has apparently mended his ways. As he is a Catmint he should certainly be suited by the going at Trentr ham, and at 9.0 he could not have been treated more leniently. / Expected. , At the last meeting of the South Wairarapa Trotting Club a letter was received from the Masterton Racing Club advising that it had definitely decided to withdraw its application for dates in December (26th and 27th December), which are the dates upon which the Trotting Club holds its annual meeting at Taratahi. It was resolved that the Masterton Club be written to thanking them for their decision. Parrier Positions. Complaints ar^ being made in Victoria <o£ the way a number of the leading horsemen "crib" at the start of races.'lf they are drawn on the outside, if given half a chance they work their way well in towards, the rails.- This practice does not appear to be so prevalent in New Zealand nowadays, for it is noticed that the riders themselves stick to their right positions and hold off the poachers. Regarding the situation in. Melbourne, the "Leader" states:—lt is grossly unfair to the riders who play the game aud stick to the positions they, have drawn at the barrier, because they are penalised "for closely observing' the rules. Backers, too, have reason for complaint, because they' back a horse in the belief that it will jump off from the position drawn' for it; but when some of the riders begin poaching the inside positions 'it means that their fancy has to' start from a position wider out than they anticipated. Half-crown Bettors. In South Australia, where the totalisator is the ,only legal medium of betting on races, there is a half-crown totalisator as well as a machine for sovereign imits. The two are worked separately. Some idea of the volume of business done on the more modest medium is shown by tho figures. At the Birthday Cup Meeting in Adelaide at the beginning of the month £35,979 7s 6d was invested on the £ totalisator for the first day, and £10,581 7s 6d on tho 2s 6d machine. This latter amount in units of half-a-crown would tnke some handling. In running through the dividends it is noticed that naturally the half-crown totalisator paid better odds on favourites, but not such good odds on outsiders. Half-a:crown appears ■ to be rather small as a unit, but the fact remains that in South Australia it is obvious that legally the "half-dollar punter" has come into his own. Over the three days of the meeting £115,977. 12s Gd was handled on the £1 totalisator and. £54,455 12s Cd on the 2s 6d machine. Odds and Ends. Two Hunting Song youngsters in J. H, Jefferd's Ngatarawa stable- are showing great promise, so much in fact that Mr. A. B. Williams has decided to mate all his brood mares with the Hurry On sire. A racy looking three-year-old filly by Tea Tray has joined up with T. 1\ Quinlivan's string. She has not raced as yet,' owing to a slight deformity in her near foi"o leg. She is a half-sister to Barometer. Butterscotch . lias finished her ' racing career, and has been booked to Hunting Song. According to a Ilawkes Bay writer, Red Fuchsia may miss' the- Trenthnm Meeting and be reserved for the Grand National Hurdle Race at Riccaiton. Royal Elm, was purchased by Mr. J. M'Cartin last week during the Ilawk'ec Bay meetings, and goes into T. 11,I1, t-iuiu-livan's stable at Hastings.