HERE AND THERE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 112, 8 November 1930, Page 23

HERE AND THERE

Best Friend Deed. Word has been received from Feilding of the death of Best Friend, who succumbed after doing a gallop on that course. Best Friend was a four-year-old gelding by Paper Money from Halina, and was owned by Mr. J. M'Carten, Hawkcs Bay. He made a sensational rise to fame in the winter, and he crowned his efforts by success in the last Whyte Handicap at Trentham. Statuary Reappears. Statuary, who is down to make his reappearance at the Levin Meeting, has not had a race since he failed to run into a place when well fancied at the Otaki Winter Meeting. This four-year-old son of Leighton and the Marble Arch mare Statuette, an Auckland Railway and double Wellington Telegraph winner, possesses much of the speed of his dam, but has been rather a disappointment so far in his races, winning only twice last season in eighteen starts. Attempting a Distance. The Trentham-trained mare Dainty Ways will probably be found taking on open mile and a quarter class at Levin, for she has been accorded an entry in the Levin Handicap. Her sire, Arrowsmith, has had most success in producing horses brilliant at distances up to a mile, but in her case staying blood is brought in by her dam, Dainty Step, a Lucullus mare, who raced up to a mile and a half and was quite capable of covering that extent of ground. Dainty Ways usually finishes on strongly in her races, and the furlong above what she has gone should not give her much trouble. Bayacre at Levin. Bayacre will have his first viu-e since his return from Sydney in the Mokio Hack Handicap at Levin, in which he lias been awarded 8.13, 41b less than Hunting Call. As a two-year-old last season Bnyaore did not show up in any of his Taces, but he quickly stepped on to a purple patch in Australia, and he jvon two of his early:

starts and was second in two others, in one of ■which he was beaten by Tregilla iind in the other by Veilmond. These performances marked him as one of the most promising three-year-olds in Australia, and although he was not up to A.J.C. Derby class he led for six furlongs of that race, and was by no means disgraced. He was returned after the A.J.C. Meeting, and if Jig has retained his form he will bo .a hard proposition in. hack races near at hand. Inbred to Musket. Bayacro is by the Australian-bred sire Acre, who did all of his racing in the Dominion, from Bayana, the dam also of Kiriana. Bayana is capable of producing something good, for .she was got by imported Bii'kenhead from Mnthi, by Torpedo (son cf Musket) from Whaitiri (one of the best mares of her time), by Musket from Uira, by Traducer (son of The Libel), from Young Sharkie, by Glaucus from Sharkie, ancestress of many good horses, including the champion of his time, Advance. The close inbreeding to Musket, which is amplified by the addition of another strain through Hotchkiss on the sire's side, makes the pedigree one of considerable interest. Northern Owner's Loss. Mr. A. J. M'Govern, of Te Awamutu, received advice from the Westmere stud, Wanganui, this week, that his colt foal by Chief Ruler from Lucella, and thus full brother to the brilliant Supremacy, had died from internal complications following an attack of pleurisy. This piece of misfortune was followed by a curious turn of the wheel of fortune, for next day word came from New South Wales that his MEETINGS TO COME. Nov. JO, 12, 15—C.J.C. Metropolitan. Nov. 11, 13, 14.—Metropolitan T.C. Nov. 15, 17.—Waikato R.C. Nov. 19, 20.—Winton J.C. Nov. 22.—Levin R.C. Nov. 29, Deo. I.—Takapuna J.C. Nov. 29, Deo. I.—Feildina J-C. [L 'I mare Baby Doll (dam of Royal Ruler and Royal Baby) had foaled a beautiful colt to imported High Art. who is located at the "VVidden stud. Baby Doll was bought by Mr. M'Govern about a year ago, and sent to Australia especially to be mated with High Art. Stakes in Melbourne Cup. The value of the Melbourne Cup run on Tuesday was 12,299 soys, of which Phar Lap's owner-trainer received 0229 soys. Bitalli's Melbourne Cup (1923) was the richest race ever decided in Australasia. It was worth 13,288 soys, of -which 10,288 went to the owner of the winner. Carbine's Melbourne Cup was 13,230 soys, of which 10,230 went to the winner, while in Windbag's year the stake was 13,215 soys, of which 10,215 soys went to the owner of Windbag. Pegaway's Programme. As usual; that good horse Pegaway is due to make his first appearauce of the season at the Waikato Spring Meeting, where he claims an engagement in the Cambridge Handicap on the opening day. Pegaway won this race 12 months ago with 9.13 on his back, and figures in the same event at the coming fixture with the steadier of 9.9. Last season Pegaway earned stake money amounting to £2300, and as ho is stated to be shaping satisfactorily in his preparation at Te Awamutu, his owner should experience another profitable season with him. Displayed Speed. In the few races that Imamint has contested this season she has displayed speed above the average and her effort in finishing third to Awarere and Supremacy in the Flying Stakes at Avondale was particularly impressive. This filly is engaged in the Cambridge Handicap, six furlongs, to be decided at Te Rapa next Saturday, and if started, she must be reckoned among the possibilities as the result of her good form at the recent Avondale Meeting. Imamint is still eligible to compete in hack events and A. Tinker should have little trouble in placing her to advantage in that class on the country circuit. Vandyke's Progress. Vandyke, who was included among the team brought to Auckland for the Avondale and Auckland Spring Meetings by J. H. Jefferd, and was subsequently sold to an Auckland sportsman, has not been overworked since he changed ownership. Most of his tasks have been confined to trotting and cantering on the sand track at Ellerslie, and this evidently agrees with him, for he appears to be settling down more quietly than when he first arrived. Vandyke is a promising hack, who should do well later on in the season. Auckland Stud Foalinns. Foalings at the Auckland Stud Company's .Stud at Otahuhu include the following:—County Picnic, by Sylvia Park— [ Cuisine, a colt to Acre; Lady Cintra, by Absurd —Cintra, a filly to Hunting Song; Adi Vanivola, by The Scribe —Tarrona, a filly; Grey Eagle (imp.), by Grey Fox ll.—Anthea, a colt; Roselove, by Rosendale—Belove, a filly; Capable, by Robert The Bruce—Mistress Jack, a colt; All Money, by Paper Money—Samaras, a filly; Black Points (im.), by Black Jester —Alderley, a filly; Rose Mint, by Catmint —Lady Bede, a colt; Legality (imp.), by Noblesse Oblige—Permissible, a filly, all to Whirlwind; and Thurranna, by Thurnham —Juanna, a colt to Surveyor. Increase In Stakes. The question of increasing the stakes for the Boxing Day Meeting was discussed at the last meeting of the committee of the Ashburton Racing Club. The president suggested that as the club was in a sound financial position it could afford to make an increase that would assist owners and trainera in a difficult period. A number of clubs reducing their stakes, and were inclined to take too pessimistic a view of the present stringency. The Ashburton Trotting Club should set an example to other clubs in New Zealand. It was decided to make an increase of £100, making a total of £2100 for the day's programme. Spain's Highest Prize. Spain still indulges in a lot of racing, but now has no prize that compares in value with the Gran Prix de San Sebastian, run in that country in 1922, and won by Ruban. It was worth £14,730 to the winner, while the second received £1800; third, £1100; and fourth, £700; making a total of £18,350. That easily beats the highest for a Melbourne Cup — £13,288 in Bitalli's year. Of that amount £10,288 and a £200 trophy went to Bitalli's owner. Beating the Police. Stated to be due mainly to the depression and to bookmakers operating on licensed premises, the totalisator investments in South Australia for the year ended 30th June were £1,040,112, or £166,----287 less than the previous year. The figures are contained in the annual report of the Police Commissioner, "who points out that the suppression of betting in hotels and billiard saloons is becoming more difficult owing to the added precautions which are being taken by bookmakers and licensees. "The police," he .states, "are often met by locked doors, barbed -wire obstructions, private telephones, and other facilities to aid offenders in escaping detection. While the Commonwealth Government permits the broadcasting of races not much improvement can be hoped for. Legislation is also necessary that will place on licensees the whole of the responsibility of keeping hotels and billiard saloons free from betting." About Archer. Writing of Archer, who won the first Melbourne Cup in 1861 and again the next year, "Martindale," in the Sydney "Referee," says: "The dual Melbourne Cup winner was a fine bay horse, standing 16 hands 3in, bred by Messrs. Hassall and Roberts in 1856. Strange to say, no complete pedigree of this famous horse can be given, from the fact that his breeders refused to allow any r>£ their stock to be entered in the Stud Book. He was by William Tell (imp.) from Maid of the Oaks, by Vagabond. It has been stated that the dam of Maid of the Oaks was a mare by the grey horse Zolnab, who was an own brother to Gohannad by Old Emigrant from Gulnare (imp.). Archer, like many other noted horses, comes under the heading of, short pedigree, jvliicb. places

him out of the figure system, a fact that brought about his utter condemnation as a racehorse in the opinion of the late Mr. H. A. Thompson. That gentleman wrote: 'An Archer could not win a moderate handicap now. He was a short pedigree horse; in other words, not a thoroughbred/ " Opinion of Phar Lap. R. Johnston, who has just returned from Australia, holds a very high opinion of Phar Lap. He claims that the champion can trot alongside of Amounis and beat the best of them for speed and stamina. When questioned in regard to the Melbourne Cup being a slow run race, Mr. Johnston stated that no matter how the race was run Phar Lap would have won. In fact, he goes so far as to say that Phar Lap could have won the Melbourne Cup with another stone on his bade. Telford, the trainer of Phar Lap, has now about thirty horses under his charge, and if he acceded to all the requests from pressmen and others to see Phar Lap, the horse would not have tune to have a feed. In fending off inquisitive callers at the stable, Telford lias, in some quarters, not been too popular, but he is training the horse and not the public. So far as his own horses were concerned Mr. Johnston had no luck. He states that it is very hard to win even a small race, but there is money there even now, although Australia is generally in a bad way Like others, Mr. Johnston has recognised that it is next door to impossible to win money at racing m New Zealand from a professional point of view, and that is why a growing ambition exists to exploit Australia when anyone has the good luck to get hold of the right sort of a horse. .