DIVISIONS LIKELY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 24, 29 January 1942, Page 12

DIVISIONS LIKELY

RUNNERS AT ASHHURST

The response from owners on acceptance night must have been very pleasing to the officials of the AshhurstPohangina Racing Club, and the indications are that a big day's racing will confront patrons at the Ashhurst course on Saturday. Originally, the handicapper (Mr. A. V. O'Brien) had the task of weighting 210 horses, but ; the aggregate was advanced to 270 by I the presence of no fewer than 60 entrants for the Novice Handicap. As was anticipated, there were many defections on acceptance night, but 173 horses survived, giving an average of over 21 a race. One-third of the novices dropped out, but 40 remain. Divisions. Arrangements will have to be made by the Ashhurst Club for four races to be run in divisions? indeed, with 40 runners in the Novice Handicap there is a possibility of this event being divided into three sections, the safety number at the six-furlong post being 17. The Komako Hack Handicap is meantime five over, but as several candidates claim double engagements, division may be avoided. To all appearances both the Manawatu Gorge Hack Cup and the Siberia Hack Handicap will have to be run in divisions, and the programme might develop] into a twelve-race card. Betting System. With such big fields carded it is unfortunate that it is not possible for the Ashhurst-Pohangina Racing Club to operate the win-and-place system of betting on Saturday. The totalisator facilities do not permit of it, so the 75-25 per cent, system will operate. Where there are divisions patrons, perforce, will have to find the winner of each to secure a dividend. Going North. The Riccarton horseman L. J. Ellis intends to be present at the Auckland Meeting on Saturday, where he will pilot Sir Simon and Edna's Birthday.! W. J. Broughton, who has been inactive in recent months, will return to the saddle at Ashhurst. He was a spectator at Trentham on the second day. Being Schooled. - The English-bred Royal Star 11, who has had a very interrupted career, is back in work at Hawera once again. Apparently it is the intention to try him as a hurdler for he was schooled) over four flights, recently, giving a satisfactory display for a novice. Retiring. The well-known Riccarton trainer P. V. Mason, a son of the late R. J. Mason, one of the Dominion's leading trainers in earlier years, has decided to retire from the game, for a time at least. In more recent times he trained for Dr. M. A. Louisson, and also had a few horses of his own. Nightly's Stock. The Treadmill mare Lady, Ideal, who traces back to imported Jdalia (by Cambuscan) dropped a filly foal to Nightly on November 29, and those who have seen the new arrival state that they have never seen a bigger foal. Last season Lady Ideal had twin foals to The Greek, but both died. The late Mr. Tom Potter, manager of Mr. J. D. McDougall's stud, considered that he had. one chance in a hundred of getting a foal from Lady Ideal, but he took her in hand. The foal born on November 29 is .the result of the mating with Nightly.