RICCARTON'S YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 19, 22 July 1939, Page 22

RICCARTON'S YEAR

TWO OUTSTANDING HORSES

The biggest training centre in the Dominion is the Riccarton, and a goodly share of the annual stake distribution for the season usually goes to horses racing from there. The current term is over so far as the more notable Riccarton horses are concerned, and a review of the season's results is therefore of pertinent present interest. Riccarton stables shelter two of the biggest winners for the season, Royal Chief, £7260, and Defaulter, £7155, says the "Star-Sun." These horses showed smart form in Australia, Royal Chief winning the A.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap, Colin Stephen Stakes, and Chelmsford Stakes, and Defaulter capturing the Chipping Norton Stakes and Autumn and A.J.C. Plates. Defaulter opened the season sensationally when he was beaten by Silver Streak in the Electric Handicap at Wmgatui last October. Opinions differ as to whether the rider of Defaulter j took the opposition too cheaply, but in the light of his subsequent form there is little doubt that he would have won had he been ridden out after taking the lead. The fact remains that _he was beaten, though he then carried on to make a winning sequence of nine races, his successes including the Dunedin Guineas, Trentham and Harcourt Stakes, N.Z. Derby Canterbury Cup, A.R.C. Christmas Handicap, Great Northern Derby, and Wellington Cup, before leaving for Australia. There is a big drop on the list following Royal Chief and Defaulter to Cocksure £1335, Haughty Winner £1285 Rabble £1234, Night Dress £117o' Counterblast £1120, Wild Chase £1105! The Sandwich Man £1050, Second Innings £1043, Dictate £1030, and Paper Slipper £1010, the other fourfigure winners from the centre. Cocksure, the leading member of M. B. Edwards's team, made his name as a sprinter, but in the new season he should go on to further good deeds up to a mile and a quarter. This four-year-old raced consistently for six wins and one third in fifteen starts, his principal success being in the Great Easter at Riccarton. Haughty Winner, the leading winner for C. C. McCarthy's stable and owned in Wellington, showed brilliant form in the middle of the season, but his later efforts, due possibly to a substantial rise in weight, were not good All of his successes were gained in the North Island. Rabble, also trained by McCarthy, started 32 times for successes in the C.J.C. Cressy Handicap, Peninsula Cup, Timaru Cup in course record time of 2min 3 3-ssec, Teschemaker Handicap, and Irving Memorial Handicap at Reefton. He was also placed on seven other occasions. Night Dress had a solid season, starting 26 times for five wins and five minor placings. He graduated to open company at Trentham, where he won the Heretaunga Handicap last October following hack successes at Ashburton and Geraldine, and in that class later in the season he won the WaiS kouaiti Cup and the Gardiner Memorial st Oamaru. H. and A. Cutts's leading winner this

season was the brilliant Jericho marc Counterblast, who had three wins, the Awatea and City Handicaps at Trentham and. the Publicans' Handicap at Wingatui. Wild Chase, who has now been retired to the stud, won the C.J.C. Fendalton Handicap and the Manawatu Cup, and he was also runner-up to Queen of Song in the Dunedin Cup. Paper Slipper, who will not be required to race again until just before the New Zealand Cup Meeting in November, won the Stewards' and Templeton Handicaps at Riccarton, his only flashes of form in fifteen appearances.

The Sandwich Man mixed hurdling and flat racing with much success, scoring four wins, one of them over hurdles, but his best performance for the season was when runner-up to Defaulter in the Wellington Cup. Second Innings plugged along, having many placed performances in between his foLir victories, his chief successes being the C.J.C. Woolston Handicap. Marlborough Cup, and Birthday Handicap at Wingatui. Dictate raced consistently but unluckily. His one win was in the J. F. Buchanan Memorial Handicap at, Motukarara last October, but eleven times he was in minor places out of 24 starts, being runnerup to Sly Fox in the Watkins Handicap at Trentham, to Sword-Stick in the Oamaru Cup, and to Rabble in the Timaru Cup and Teschemaker Handicap as well as third in the Auckland Cup and the C.J.C. Great Autumn. :