TURF NEWS IN BRIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 13, 15 July 1939, Page 22

TURF NEWS IN BRIEF

Racing next week at Marton and Washdyke, both hunt meetings. . Violenta was placed on the schooling list last week. Mother-in-Law's lease has expired and she has been returned to her breeder, Mr. G. McCormick, of Hastings. . The name of Greek Diana has been claimed tor the rising two-year-old halfsister, by The Greek to Top Row. Padishah will contest either the Homeby Steeples or Longbeach Hurdles at the Christchurch Hunt Meeting preceding the Grand National Meeting, and he will be ridden by Mr. G. G. Beatson. Saki is not engaged in the Winter Cup, for which his stablemate Lady Montana was, however, nominated, but if he makes the trip south for other events he will be very hard to beat. The largest sum ever invested on a single race in the Dominion was £29,417 10s on the 1920 Auckland Cup. The largest support for any single horse was £9294 on Mermin when the brilliant Absurd colt won the Great Northern Foal Stakes that day. The Taranaki trainer R. Johnson is a likely visitor to the Grand National Meeting, for he has already booked accommodation for two horses, presumably Majority and Ned Cuttle. Mrs. S. L. Parsons's horses, La Vie and Jonathan, who have been at Ellerslie during the last 12 months, were transferred this week to A. Cook's stable at Te Awamutu. During last month George Price maintained his lead in the trainers' list for Sydney metropolitan and provincial courses. He has produced 28 winners for the term, and runriing second to him is B. R. Payten with 25 winners. The Riccarton trainer F. D. Jones expects to leave early next month for Sydney with Royal Chief and Moorsotis. He may also take Beau Repaire (Royal Chief's half-brother) and Olympus for the Waikato owner Mr. R. T. Reid. A dip into a "Turf Register" of 50 years ago reveals an almost unbelievable number of duplications of names, and completely justifies the registration system now in operation. In one season 30 horses named Tommy were indexed. There were also 21 Pollys. 17 Nellys, 15 Larrikins, 14 Magpies. Darkeys. and Jacks, 13 Kates and Mignonettes. 12 Gipsys, 11 Sultans, 10 Paddys and Little Nells, and nine Dicks. Bobs, Roses, Minnies, and Black Besses.

Easily the biggest of the rising two-year-olds in training at Ellerslie at present is the Tiderace —Aureate filly Goldface. who is a member of R. S. Baeby's string. Goldrace. who is a half-sister to Aureus and Dawning Light, comes from the same family as Desert Gold. Gold Trail, and Gold Rod, and she became the property of Mr. J. L. Webb at the Trentham sales for 330 guineas.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. "Anxious."—S.T., £2 6s.