RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20671, 19 December 1930, Page 5

RACING NOTES

[By St. Claus.]

.RACING. December 26.—Waipukurau Jockey Club. December 26, 27.—Dunedin Jockey Club. December 26, 27.—vVestland Racing Club. December 2.6, 27.—Taranaki Jockey Club December 27. —Cattle Flat Hack Racing Club. December 26, 27, 29.—Manawatu Racing Club. December 26, 29, January 1, 2.—Auckland Racing Club. January I.—Waikouaili Racing Club. January 1. —Wyndham Racing Club. January 1, 2.—Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. January 1,2. —Marion Jockey Club. Janu-ry 1,2. —Stratford Racing Club. January 1, 3.—Wairarapa Racing Club. January 2, 3.—Southland Racing Club. January 7, B.—Reefton Jockey Club. January 7, 8. —Thames Jockey Club. January 10, 12.—Vincent Jockey Club. January 14; 15. —Foxlon Racing Club. January 17.— Bay of Islands Racing Club.

January 20, 22. —Wairoa Racing Club. January 20, 22, 24.—Wellington’ Racing Club, January 22.—Aslihurst-Fobangina Racing Club. _ ’ January 24.—Wairio Racing Club. ■ TROTTING. December 20.—Hawke’s Bay T.C. December 26.—Ashburton T.C. December 26.—Gore T.C. December 26, 27. —Westport T.C. December 26, 27.—South Wairarap? T.C. December 27, 30, 31.—Auckland T.C. December 30.—Winton T.C. December 30.—Inanjahua T.C. January 1, 2.—Canterbury Park T.C. January 3.—Westland T.C. Annual. January 5, 6.—Greymouth T.C. Midsummer. January 7, B.—Reefton J.C. Midsummer January }o.—Timaru T.C. Summer. January 17,—Wellington T.C. Gold Cup.

RIGCARTOH HORSES FOR ELLERSLIE

[SeanAL to th* * Sta«.’] CHRISTCHURCH, December- 18. H. Cutts will leave on Saturday night with Full Feather, Straightcourso, Sharp Thorn, Owlsflight, and the two-yoar-old Porlock, who will race at the Manawatu and Wairarapa Meetings. Then are no outstanding performers among them, but the old horses are a useful lot, while Porlock, though untried in public, shapes like being a useful juvenile. W. Stone will go north on Saturday night with Lord Thomond, Painkiller, Sight Draft, and Tray Bond, They are engaged at Waipukurau, but it is probable they will be raced at the Manawatu Meeting and then at Marten. They are a speedy quartet who should pick up some money on the trip. G. J. Pine will leave for the north to-morrow night to assist at the. Manawatu and Wairarapa Meetings, where he will have Don Jose, Silver Coot, Noteworthy, and Pixie Gold racing. These four are in great order. Don Jose has been galloping in great style and wilt take a lot of heating in some of the important handicaps he is engaged in, while the other three are in good fettle for shorter events. T. H. Gillett left to-night for Auckland with the three-year-old Gustavo. He has thrown off all evidence of tho trouble that interrupted bis preparation for his lliccarton engagements last month, and should show good form at Ellerslie. Gillett had hopes of taking Count Cavour along with his younger brother, but the veteran failed to throw off his shoulder trouble and his trip had t» bo cancelled.' J. H. Prosser wont north to-night with Great Star, on his way to Auckland. Great Star has imt won a race for some time, but he is in capital condition, and if, he repeats tho form he showed at Auckland a year ago ho will be hard to beat in some Of his engagements.

P. V, Mason also left to-night for Auckland, where he will have Praise, .Taloux, and Ilkley racing during the holidays. They have not done any exceptional work lately, but are in good order and are likely to pay their way. F. D. Jones was also a member of the party, and took Paquito, First Sight, and Solvent, who are to race at the Auckland Meeting. Paquito has gone on well lately and looks like showing good form. First Sight also looks in capital order, and the two-year-old Solvent, though galloped only occasionally, is a brilliant youngster and likely to add to her record. Altogether, provided Paquito ’and First Sight remain sound, Jones has a useful team. ■ t OAMARU JOCKEY CLUB “Torpedo,” in the ‘North Otago Times,’ in an article urging members of the Oamaru Jockey Club not to support tho proposal to abandon the _Summer Meeting fixed for January 17, attacks tho management of the club. The article no doubt helped to secure a big attendance at the meeting, but the notice of motion to abandon the meeting was carried unanimously. “Torpedo ” apparently overlooked the fact that though January 17 is a free day on the racing calendar in so far as this island is concerned, there is a very

strong counter-attraction in Wellington. On that day tho Wellington Gold Trotting Cup will be run, on Monday a big sale of blood stock is scheduled, and on Tuesday the Wellington Cup Meeting commences. With the holiday racing extending to within five days of tho proposed meeting at Oamaru both horses and owners would have had enough racing, and it looks as if the club was wise in abandoning that date. Charges of mismanagement of racing and trotting clubs generally have more or less foundation, and probably there are things in tho Oamaru Club’s management that could bo improved, but it is constructive criticism that is required nowadays to help clubs along the hard road that is in front, and looks like remaining in front for some years. JOTTINGS A final word: Acceptances for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Summer Meeting close at 5 p.ra., also entries for the Trial Stakes. Trainers and owners iu the North Island are finding difficulty in securing riders for the holiday meetings. Tho shortage of capable light-weights is particularly acute. So far there lias been very little schooling at Wingatui this' season. Complimentary tickets for Wyndham on New Year’s Day are acknowledged. The change in the ,weather has brought the track at Wingatui back again to good order. There should be some interesting galloping to-morrow morning. Harold Logan is a pronounced favourite tor the Auckland Cup, Wrackler being second in demand. Tho scratching of Supremacy lor the Railway Handicap would be on unwelcome surprise to many early speculators, as he was one of the favourites for the Auckland sprint. The Riverton Racing Club has made a cut of 400sovs in the prize list for the next race meeting. Tho cut is spread over a three days’ programme and does not seriously diminish the value of any event on the list. The crack English jockey Gordon Richards rode fifty-six consecutive losers in England in October, and returned to tho winning list on a 6 to 4 chance at Newmarket. Those system players who use Richards as their basis probably dropped out long before lie concluded his losing sequence. Amounis was to return to Sydney this week. He has been out over a mouth, and, a tired horse when ho commenced his spell, is reported to have freshened up considerably. Staghunter, who is engaged at Auckland and Manawatu, is to do his Christmas racing at th© latter meeting, followed by Wairarapa, He is not in until the second day at Awapuni, where ho will be tackling a mile and a-quarter for the first time.

Havering made his reappearance on the Hawcra tracks on Saturday, cantering round and running homo the -last three furlongs of his work smartly. Havering has been doing road and hill work since Christchurch, and looks well. Waikato reports state that Paganelli whs wearing a bandage all last week on the near hind log, and that ligament trouble is feared. M. J. Carroll is said to bo anxious about tho future prospects of the Lord Quex gelding. Among the horses owned by Messrs T. C. aiid H. W, Wilson, of Waimai, in whose interests tho ju uper Pendavies now races, is a four-year-old full-sister to Wiltshire. She has already carried out some work which will bo an advantage to her when she is placed fully in training. Lady Quex has been freely discussed as a possibility for the Auckland Railway Handicap, but it is stated that she will miss Ellerslie in order to contest the Palmerston North Stakes, a race in which she is certain to run well.

tt is reported from Auckland that In the Shade is a very fit horse, and there is a growing opinion that ho will be hard to beat in tho Auckland Cup. Nightmare!), however, retains his place as favourite, with In tho Shade, Concentrate, and Star Stranger next in order.

The Victoria R.C. has cut its prize money for the' New Year’s Day Meeting down to £3,500, as compared with £4,600 last year. The difference docs not end there, however, as tho leading Victorian club now retains money for nomination and acceptance. Last year everything received in that respect went to increase the prize for each race, and the total distributed among owners was £5,305. This time, under altered conditions, it fcaunot exceed the advertised £3,500. The hard task which horses handicapped well back in races are set is well demonstrated at every trotting meeting. Except in those races for straight-out trotters it is an even money bet the winner is on the limit or 12yds. _ Tho writer has frequently pointed this out to those who go searching for winners. At tho New Brighton Meeting there was the usual eightevent card. Five of the winners started from the limit and two from 12yds. “ That the Oamaru Jockey Club lias been bandied about from pillar to post in regard to dates is perhaps only another proof of tho supinencss or its Management Committee and tho lackadaisical interest manifested by members generally, and also a strong argument for the infusion of new blood into the general control of the club ” (“ Torpedo,” iu the ‘ North Otago Times ’). In an article on the breaking and training of the thoroughbred an American authority recently wrote as follows;—“ A wise trainer, after bis lior.se is in condition for a race, seeks to keep him iu racing condition, not by hard gruelling time tests, bub just enough work to keep him on edge; save liis best efforts for tho race, there is where tho honour and money are waiting, not in tlie morning trials. While wo have no intention of criticising any trainer, for they should know far more than we profess to know, we do think that many good races arc left on the tracks in early morning works.” But for a period of ill-luck towards the end of the season it seems'that Gordon Richards would undoubtedly have headed the winning jockeys’ list in England iu the season just closed. From

October 16 to October 29 he bad fifty* five consecutive losing _ rides. He “ broke the ice ” by piloting Tea Party 11. to victory m the Scarborough Stakes at Newmarket. At that time Richards was nine wins behind F. Fox, but he put in a good run, and it was only by one point that Fox defeated him tor the championship. Richards headed the list the previous year; There was only one backer fortunate enough to select the tote daily double at Newbury (England) on October 24. and ho received £1,606 for his 10s. Only two backers selected Ut Majeur and The Pen in the Cesa re witch and Cambridgeshire totalisator double, which the Racecourse Control Retting Board started some weeks prior to the running of the first leg. Tickets were 10s, and with the pool totalling £6,0216s after the customary deductions each backer received £3,011 8s for bis ,10s. At Trentham on Tuesday morning Staghunter (on the inner), Concentrate (in the centre), and Duelloua (on the outer) started ul the mile post. Staghunter, pulling very hard, led the otnei pair for the first half in 54sec, but they came away from him in the straight and finished practically on terms in Imin ‘lßsee. Staghunter three or four lengths back. Concentrate was doing n well at the finish, but it was also an excellent effort on the part of Duellona. Staghunter was not knocked about at the finish. H. Lorigan has received numerous inquiries tor the ride on Concentrate in the Auckland Cup, but so far no arrangement has been made. Most’ likely it will go to A. E. Elhs. Referring to faulty timing in the administration of dope, “ Audax ” writes; “ To dope a horse is no haphazard operation, for to make it a success the business has to be accurately timed. 1 remember, long ago, before the rule against doping was introduced, a horse belonging to the late Lord Carnarvon, called Westman, that bad been properly tuned up to win an All-aged Soiling Plate at the Newmarket Houghton Meeting of 1902. A long delay occurred at the post, and the stimulant wliicb had been administered bad its effect in due course, but as a result of the race being started lato Westman, a chestnut, came down Bush Hill more like a white horse, and collapsed in the Dip, the power of the drug having by then been exhausted.” The workout recorded by Jewel Pointer on Saturday morning at Otahuliu when S. August drove him two miles in 4.28 is sufficient indication that the son of Logan Pointer is in the best condition, and on Cup Day be should be right at the top of his form. Jewel Pointer is something of an idol with the trotting public in Auckland, and if August can laud him a winner of the cup there is a rousing reception awaiting him. In framing.his handicap Mr Paul was easy on Jpwel Pointer, Ho was placed in his division and final of the New Zealand Cup, and also won a fast mile and a-quarter, the Hagley Handicap, at the Metropolitan Meeting last month, and has not been penalised, being still on 4.25, the mark he started off in the New Zealand Cup. Kohara certainly won the first division of the cup, but Jewel Pointer beat him in the final. Kahara has been penalised 12yds. In announcing tbo retirement of Mr T. F. Dawkins, who became handicapper to the English Jockey Club in 1912. one English sporting paper describes him as “ the best liandicapper since the late Admiral Rous,” vyho did so much for the English turf; it is doubtful, however, if the present-day, owner would stand for a liandicapper of the Admiral Rous type. From all accounts the Admiral ruled on the turf as he did on the quarterdeck, and at times would completely ignore form, and clap a stone on to a horse regarded as a ‘‘ rod it> pickle,” or run by an owner who tried to show him a point. Ho was a real autocrat of the turf, and scattered opinions that were very harsh, but very true, and his fearless _ and thoroughly independent attitude, based on sound knowledge, enabled him to do a tremendous amount of good for racing. There is room, and yet no room, for a present-day Admiral Hons, either as a critic or weight adjuster. In recent years Mr T. C. Trautweiu, of Sydney, has expended a fortune in trying to acquire a champion racehorse Ho bought Chide for 6,000 gs after that gelding had set up a remarkable sequence of wins iu New Zealand. Experience has taught Mr Trautwein that it does not always pay to adhere strictly to veterinary opinions when making a deal. He could once have bought Cctinge for 1.500" s, but that horse was pronounced j slightly touched iu the wind. Cetinge later amassed the huge sum of over £27,000 in stakes. Mr Trautwein also offered 1,500 gs for Stoney a few weeks before be won the Epsom, but tbo vet. would not grant a clean bill of health. Mr Trautwein’s latest purchase is Sidney George, who won most impressively at bis last start. That horse is now being discussed as a strong contender for the Carrington Stakes, to bo decided at Tattersall’s next week, and is one of the prime fancies for that race.