BIG PRIZE-MONEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 123, 26 May 1945, Page 12

BIG PRIZE-MONEY

JUMPERS' OPPORTUNITIES

There are a lot of tempting prizes to be won, particularly by jumpers, during the winter period, and the Auckland Eacing Club will set the ball rolling today week with the Great Northern Hurdles and Steeplechase. With only a seven-race programme it will 'be possible for the club to divide one of the flat events. On the opening day the A.R.C. is offering £9250 in stake-money, the two principal prizes being the big jumping contests. The G.N. Steeples has £2750 attached to it and the G.N. Hurdles £2250.. On Second Day.—The running of the G.N. Hurdles and Steeples on the same day prevents jumpers attempting to complete this double, but they are fittingly catered for in their respective divisions, although the stake-money is not so handsome on the King's Birthday. However, with a further £6800 being offered on the second day, the aggregate outlay for the two-day meeting is £16,050. The Winter Steeplechase carries a prize of £1500, and the Campbell Hurdles £ 1250. Additional Race.—Unlike the Auckland * Club, which drew up a 4 sevenrace programme, thus making provision for running any race, that might be over the safety number as two separate events, the Wellington Racing Club has arranged for an eightrace card next month. However, the Wellington Club operates the elimination ballot. Both clubs are awarding four prizes in the major events, but whereas the A.R.C. restricts them to the jumping events only, the local club includes the principal flat race each day. The C.J.C., on the other hand, will offer fourth prizes in every instance. This scheme has much to commend it. Different Attitude.—There is only one hack event on the Ellerslie card each day, but it has a stake of £600, of which £400 goes to the winner. The successful runner will pass straight into the open ranks in one jump, although he may be lucky enough to complete certain future engagements. The Wellington Club will hold four flat races on the opening day at the July fixture, two being restricted to hacks, but on. the second Saturday provision has been made for five flat events. However; only in the Trial Plate is the stake to the winner bedow £250, the maximum amount a hack is allowed to win in his grade before qualifying for the open ranks. The C.J.C. is not seeking to hurry the hack winners into the open grade, the winner's stake in these particular races being £245 only. > Pride of Place.—The Auckland Racine Club, by reason of its stake-money of £16,050, holds pride of place among Dominion clubs so far as big prizes are concerned. On the opening day of the coming meeting two of the events carry prizes of over £2000, one is of £1500, one £1000, and three £600, and on the second day one race has £1500 attached, two have £1250, one has £1000, and three have £600. The Wellington Racing Club has allocated £12,250 for its two-day meeting in July, and the C.J.C. follows in August with an aggregate *of £13,000.' The Wellington Steeplechase carries the excellent stake of £2000, but this is exceeded by the C.J.C. in the Grand National Steeplechase, which will be worth £2500 this Quite at Home.—Like so many of Nightly's progeny, Tribal Night was able to handle the heavy ground in the Makaraka Hack Handicap at Marton. Derryogue looked like making a race of it with three furlongs to go, but she lost ground'by running wide making the turn, and Tribal Night responded to a few kicks from his rider to draw away when' danger momentarily threatened. ' Late Bid.—A fair distance back with half a mile to run, Mary Jo made up a lot of her leeway in the Makaraka Hack Handicap at Marton, but she never looked like bridging the gap on Tribal Night and Derryogue. This Laughing Prince mare has shown ability on occasion, but she appears to fall just a shade short of the best. Fair Showing.—Although she ■ had looks to recommend her, not to mention breeding, Hilton Gorse was a failure during her racing days, and her three-year-old son, St..Hilton, has still to prove himself. However,..he did come home better than some of tne other runners in the hack seven furlongs at Marton. Returned.—Although Renascor was closer to the winner at the finishing line than at any other stage of the race at Te Rapa, his effort did not satisfy his trainer, and the Musketoon gelding will- not fulfil his engagements at Ellerslie. He has been returned to Awapuni. Overlooked. —Full Hand won the Hawke's Bay Cup in 1942, the distance of the race then being H miles, Twelve months later he again scored, the distance having been increased to. 11-fur-longs, but the fact that he had established a New Zealand record of Zll 1-5 was overlooked. Last month Financial set "a • fresh record of 2.17, and Mr. H. E. Edmunds, owner of the Inflation horse, has made formal application for the recognition of the record. When Master Brierly. won the Herries Memorial at Te Aroha in 1937 he ran the 11 furlongs in 2.17*2-5, and this record still stands in the official lists. An Ancient Link. —Away back in 1895 Free Holmes ■ won the Great [Northern Steeplechase on Liberator, but for many years thereafter he was better known in the trotting game as a trainer and driver. This year he is renewing association with Ellerslie, having gone north with Spanish Main, whom he now trains for Mr. W. E. Hazlett. Optimistic. —It is reported that Theolateral will contest the Cornwall Handicap instead of racing at Wanganui. the grey has still to prove that H miles is within his compass, but his effort at Marton suggested that a shorter race should come his way before long. Ballot to Operate.—The C.J.C. will operate the balloting system in the open handicaps only at the Grand National Meeting, the system to be employed being as under: —(a) Horses eligible for hack flat races; <b> horses handicapped on the minimum; (c) horses handicapped within 71b of the minimum. Where hack handicaps and the Cashmere Plate are involved, these events will be run' in divisions if in excess of the safety number, but no rider will be permitted to ride in more than one division. The system for eliminating the excess horses appears to be definitely preferable to the open ballot, wherein the best class per-i former is frequently the sufferer. . I Dunbar Sold.—The Awapuni ownertrainer G W. New has sold the Martarma gelding Dunbar to Mr. J. A. C. Fleming, of Hawera. Dunbar will enter F Hill's stable at Stratford. Dunbar emerged from the hack grade when lie won the Champion Hack Plate at Hawera a fortnight ago, and lie looks like a good handicapper in the making. Sole Runnei*. —The race card at Marton showed Broielov, Sunstream, and Well Armed as bracketed for the Gorge Hack Handicap, but Sunstream changed stables recently and is now trained at Trentham by N. Yaughan for Mr. F. Feretti, of Lower Hutt. As Well Armed wa^s withdrawn, what had been a triple bracket completely disappeared. .' , . Gone North. —Flying Spy will do her racing at Ellerslie instead of Wanganui next weekend, her owner having considered her effort at Marton sufficiently encouraging to merit the trip north. Mudlark. —Platform, who followed up his win over a mile at Riverton by finishing solidly into fourth over the same distance at the C.J.C. Easter Meeting and third behind Royal Flight and Great Coon over 1:1 miles at Invercargill, is down to race at Wingatui next month. In 1943 he won the Provincial Handicap, and dead-heated with Foxhaven for first place last June.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Ji 5.," Lower llntt. —JJroioflolcl ivus withdrawn 1 from the lliilsanikii Handicap at tliu l'ovcrt.v Bay Mcot'uiß .'it 2M~> P.m. on t he 12th. "X W./' titwor Hutt.—.Ml wen; withdrawn on the day willi the exception or r.rpidield (Ti p.m. on Kith), Xeonah at ]1,;?5 a.m., Jiabrow at S.lii a.m.. Gnynii-er ;it 2.35 n m.. Tiger Tan at 2.20 p.m. -\'/ t " 5.1)., a-i ss; G.f'., mj ss: }•]., £2 ' "-3s O'J.