THE TURF

Evening Star, Issue 18717, 20 August 1924, Page 5

THE TURF

Gossip be Odd Idbntitx. When the acceptances for tho Grand National Steeplechase appeared those ton horses were in the first column : Oakleigh, Pamplona., Sir Rosebery, Cava week, Lochella, Master Peter, San Forte, Palencia, First. Line, Silverton. What. price could a, man have got if ho had offered to take odds that not one of those ten would win. a- race at the meeting? Yet that is how it panned out, and not one of tho lot oven made a fight, unless it be San Forte on the last day. Tho lesson of the National Meeting is that backers should not bo cocksure. Sturdoo sullied his National reputation in tho Lincoln Steeplechase. lie won this race three years ago, his wciglfi 10.7, his time 6min." This year, with 10.10, he finished fifth, the time being Smin 57 2-5 see. His gallop was approximately about of the same merit as that of 1921. The disappointment this year was that ho did not sustain the form ho showed when by his speed ho brought his rivals down on tho first day. Otago fared badly at the National Meeting. Not a win. Donnie Winkie was one of our disappointments, and it is not nice to be told that he ran cunningly. Air Fisher does not agree with that opinion. Ho thinks that Bonnie, though very well, has never recovered from his gruelling in the Canterbury Cup. The horse will probably be tried this season over longer distances now that lie has failed in shorter courses. ‘‘Templar” writes of Lochson; Nothing but untiring fomenting and poulticing enabled tho horse to start either day. His victory in the National Hurdles was the result of one of tho gamest efforts ever scon on any racecourse. After the Hurdles Lochson limped back on three legs, holding up tho injured limb because he was afraid to put it to tho ground. Ho was with difficulty got home to his box, and immediately laid down, and continued lying down for a considerable period. Tho finish of the National Hurdles is thus described by ‘‘The Watcher ” Vagabond was being proclaimed as they ran for the last hurdle; but ho had made up a lot of ground from the mile post, and ho was unable to sustain the effort. Maunga got fourth through sheer staying merit. ljuite tho best race of the unplaced division was that of Boomerday, who always looked dangerous. He. failed in tho department least expected, and that, was in slaying on. Santiago ran a wonderful race over tho last mile. Ho had been last all the way, and from there he commenced a run which he continued right to tho finish. M‘Sweency got the mount on account of Wonnald feeling the effects of tho spill off Carawock. Riding to instructions ho rode without spurs, and he had a hard task to keep Santiago up to his work when making up ground over the final stages. Tho horse did his best to keep in behind every competitor he overtook, and had M’Sweeney had his wish and ridden with spurs Santiago would have been very difficult to dispose of. Another great finish was unwound by Be Forte, who was staying on as well as anything. Ho also came from a long way back, but his run did not quite equal that of Santiago. J. Roach, rider of Royal Fame in the Styx Hurdles at Riccarton, was so knocked about by iris fall that he had to surrender his mount on Oakleigh. Subsequently it was said that a smalt bone in one ot his hands was broken. A. H. Burt rodo four winners at the National Meeting, L. Morris rode three, none of the other boys more than two. Arthur Oliver, who died at Riccarton on 1 the evo of the National Meeting, brought three horses south, and each of them won. Bonibrook and Tussore had been transferred to J. Morris’s stable when they while Santiago was under the care, of J. B. Pearson.

Wassail carried 71b penalty in the Solwyn Handicap at Riccarton. The ‘ Press ’ remarks that Barn Owl, who has a- habit of swishing her tail when galloping, and looking as if she would quit, must be given credit of being able to put up a great light. Had Wassail bad the bad luck to have drawn No. 10, Red-Wink's position, at the barrier instead of No. 4, it wbuld just about-have caused his defeat, for it would have meant u little extra exertion on his part over the first furlong to have got the position that luck in the draw enabled him to fall into as soon as the barrier rose. That little bit of extra exertion would have given Barn Owl Unbare victory instead of a narrow defeat. It is reported that Wassail has been sold for £1,500 and is In go to Australia, “The Watcher ” says that it is not certain that the bargain will he completed. Prom all that 1 can learn the handicaps for the Otago Hunt Club’s races on Saturday week have been well received by owners. .Some of the horses have been entered mostly with (lie idea of giving 1 inclub a nomination, and Iheiefore it will bo wise for hackers to ascertain the strength ns well as the fi/.o of fields before plunging heavily. Nevertheless, there is the material in the nominations for good racing, as quite a- number of the horses arc lit, and have been reeently competing in public. Itoseday is keeping very well, but is not yet even half ready. He is still intended for Australia. Notwithstanding the height of the Caulfield racecourse fence, it was known a te\v years ago by the authorities that all the lads around were getting in free. Determined to put a. stop to it, a lot of money was spent in erecting an impassable barrier of barbed wire on the lop of iJit- iron fence. And all Caulfield laughed ; for the course is built on black sand, and no one had over boon known to climb the, fence. They always scratched away the sand and crawled under. On the last page of the- report of the New Zealand Racing Conference appears an interesting summary of the doings of the racing (not the trotting) clubs in the various districts for the season of 192524:--

No. of Races. No. of Trots. • Race : Stakes. Trot Stakes.

Tho Trench Derby, worth 042,975 francs, was decided at Chantilly on June 15, Seventeen thrco-year-old colts, cacti carrying 9.2, wero scut to tho post, and the race proved a fairly easy task for the Aga Khan’s Pot au Feu, ho scoring by three lengths from Hazard’s Canape, who was a head in front of A'cil-Picard’s Shaliabbas. Tho winner is a chestnut colt by Brulcur out of Polly Pcachum, a marc bred by tho hito Mr .Leopold do Rothschild, by Spearmint out of Liudoiya, by Gallinule._ Pot au Feu was tired by M. P. Dcsmarats, and cost his owner-36,600 francs at tho Deauville sales as a yearling. Ho won the last of his three races as a two-yoav-old, and then broke down, in consequence of which he was turned out to grass from August until February.

Auckland dill jjl22,c20 — Canterbury ... 203 21 61,575 112,485 Greymouth ... 106 14 12,645 346 Hawke’s Bay 272 1 59,605 60 Dunedin 265 47 51,81.4 6.029 Taranaki 95 — 20,345 — Wanganui .. 224 — 49.550 — Wellington ... 214 8 63,830 700