TURF NEWS IN BRIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 36, 12 February 1936, Page 15

TURF NEWS IN BRIEF

The Egmont Meeting, which opened today, will be concluded tomorrow.

Silver Ring's 10.4 in tomorrow's Dunedin Cup is 51b more than has ever yet been' successfully carried in the race, but it is a year for records.

The record weight carried to victory in the Dunedin Cup is the 9.13 saddled up by that great -mare Warstep as a four-year-old in 1915. Count Cavour won under 9.8 in 1926, , and Lurline under 9.9 in 1874.

Wild Chase may not generally be considered on performances to date to be the leading two-year-old of the season, but from a stake-earning point of view he is likely to head the list at the end of the term.

At a meeting of the Greymouth Jockey Club's committee last week, it was decided that, owing to the large number of hares on the Omoto racecourse, there should be an open drive next weekend, provided this is sanctioned by the Acclimatisation Society. Chidden's withdrawal from the Dunedin Cup was partly due to her somewhat disappointing form at Riccarton last Saturday, and partly to the fact that Sovereign Lady, who was to have accompanied her, lost her qualification for novice events with her last Saturday's long-priced win. Sinking Fund evidently thrives on travelling. After contesting the Taranaki Cup last Thursday he was at Rotorua for the Rotorua Cup on Saturday, and then, scorning his long journeyings, he popped up with a surprise win in the President's Handicap on the final day at Rotorua on Monday. In his two previous races this iron son of Acre finished last. Renegade should do better when he strikes a firm track. A delicate little gelding, he is not a prince of stayers at the best of times, and holding ground soon gets to the bottom of him. It seems that the favourites for the Paparua Handicap at the Canterbury Park Trotting Club's Meeting will be ReY Spec and Sure, but on a firm cloy track the consistent sprinter Recess may stay well enough to beat them both at a 36yds advantage. The secretary of the Thames IrottJiig Club Mr. E. O. Brownlee, presented a financial statement at a recent committee meeting showing a loss of £292 15s 7d on the last race meeting account. St. Helena, who led for the greater ■Dart of the Suburban Handicap at Hutt Park last Monday, may win a short race but she has been through three trainers' hands since she was sold by Durbar Lodge, Ltd., for a "song, and is evidently lacking in stamina. Rongomai is a smart mare whose form this season clearly shows that she prefers to race in harness. Unless Greenmantle strikes his true form, Rongomai will have a second-to-none chance in the Pioneer Handicap at Addington on Saturday. The metal number-plates used by the Wellington Trotting Club are easy to follow, and in this respect Hutt Park meetings have a big advantage over metropolitan fixtures from the public's point of view. The cloth numbers in use at Addington are not easy to distinguish at the best of times. According to a note received by the secretary of the New Zealand Racing Conference (Mr.-H. R. Sellers) from Sir Arthur Curtis, private secretary to the Duke of Gloucester on his trip to the Dominion twelve months ago, Silent Bill is being admired as one of tho finest hunters at present in England— or rather, as Sir Arthur believes, he is the very finest England has ever I soon. i