JOTTINGS

Evening Star, Issue 20853, 24 July 1931, Page 11

JOTTINGS

The annual report of tho Carterton Racing Club (records a loss of £375 3s 5d on the year’s working. Tho chief event on the programme for next month’s meeting at Auckland is the August Handicap, of JOOsovs, with a limit of 4min 34soc. 11. Donald, who recently left C. S. Donald’s employ and commenced as a public trainer, has a number of young iiorses in work. 1 Ho has taken K. H. Smith’s stables at Belfast, formerly used by J. J. Kenncrley. Snowfall will meet West Dome on 231 b better terms in the Grand National Steeplechase than when they 1 met in tho Dunedin Steeplechase, last June, in which race it will be remembered both horses tipped out. The racing season, in so far as tho South Island is concerned, will bo concluded to-morrow with tho South Canterbury Hunt Club’s annua' fixture. Tho first race is timed to start at noon. Magna Charta, who rejoined T. H. Gillett’s team recently after a Jong spell, is in the rough at present. Ho is quite sound, however, and his trainer hopes to have him ready to compete in hurdle races in the spring. The Advance Handicap, to bo decided at Addington, will bo more in tho nature of a free-for-all, as nine of the ten horses handicapped arc on the limit, while tho remaining one is only 12yds behind. ,

Being recognised- as useless on a heavy track, Impromptu has not iiad much chance of getting through any solid task since coming to tho South Island. Tho big pacer does not seem to be doing .well in his work, and can hardly be at his best by next month. According to a Melbourne veterinary surgeon, alterations to brands on horses are made by shaving the section where tho old brand stands and placing a film of paraffin wax on tho part. Nitric acid is applied, and the part it is desired to add to tho brand is etched in.

The more one analyses tho field for this year’s Grand National Steeplechase (says “Tho Watcher,” in tho ‘ Dominion ’) tho better Wiltshire’s prospects appear. Ho is well, his record stands alone at Ricearton, and ho has not a prohibitive weight. Omeo, Dark Prince, Nukumai, Paris, and West Dome at this stage look the likeliest of tho others. Channelise, one of the early favourites for the Winter Cup, has been handicapped in that race to meet Great Star and Mount Boa on 131 b and 101 b worse terms than when they filled the places behind her in the Great Easter Handicap, 7f. Reports from Waimatc are to the effect that Roi I’Or is being steadily worked hack to form for the Addington Meeting next month. This brilliant and game pacer has been very consistent throughout his track career, and tho distances of tho races or the conditions of tho tracks never seem to worry him. On Top is a frequent visitor to Riccarton, where R. U. Berry is giving him a lot of smart sprinting work. He looks well, and if he remains sound ho should be ready to show his best form early in the now season. Ono of his joints necessitated a spell a few months ago, but lie has shown no sign of a recurrence of the trouble since he resumed work. Great Ballin is reported to be acquitting himself in fine style on the Epsom track. In a work-out with Jewel Pointer and Student Prince on Saturday morning he gave a splendid display, and he is regarded as a likely money-earner at the August meeting, lb is understood that M. Holmes will

bo approached to pilot Great Baffin in the saddle events at Addington.

Conjuror 11. was not raced in the Winter Hurdles, because of the going, but lie showed that his condition was right by finishing on strongly in third place in tho Trentham Hurdles on the first day. Ho has had a light season, being saddled up on only the one occasion since lie scored in the Century Hurdles at Wanganui in May, and as he has the credentials to stay tho National distance bis is likely to be one of the principal names mentioned in early discussions. Tho English ‘ Racing Calendar ’ states that twenty-seven horses belonging to Mr J. B. Joel have been leased, as from Juno 6, to Sir Abe Bailey. They include the well-known performers Tag End, Dark Fire, Friendship, Foxhill, Wheelrace, and Poor Dolly. The leasing of those horses docs not indicate Air Joel’s retirement from racing. It is only temporary arrangement owing to the family’s bereavement, and the horses will still remain with C. Peck to be trained at Foxhill as hitherto.

There is a wide difference in the views of the Wellington and Canterbury handicappers regarding the respective merits of Paris and West Dome. In the July at Trentham Mr H. Coyle asked West Dome to concede Paris 7lb, but in the Grand National Steeplechase Mr J. E. Hcnrys makes the margin between the pair 31b the other way. Most people will agree with Mr Hcnrys that there was more merit in the Wellington Steeplechase win of Paris than in the form shown by West Dome in winning two hack events.

Referring to horses with chances in the Grand National Steeplechase, “ Rangatira,” in the ‘Post/ says: Dark Prince gave undoubtedly the finest exhibition of fencing scon at Trentham, when he won the July Steeples on Saturday, and, although ho has paid the penalty, he must still be ranked among the first selections. Reputed not to stay well, ho was not troubled, in seeing out Saturday’s three miles, half a mile less than the National, and it is probable that the experience has developed latent stamina in him. With Musket blood on both sides of his pedigree, doubly crossed with St.- Simon male blood, he has a staying outfit probably better than that possessed by anything else in the race. Questioned as to why the handicaps for the first day of the August Meeting were not declared on the advertised date, Mr G. Paul, jun., the handicapper, stated that the delay was caused by his having to ascertain if the now system were to bo applied at the coming meeting. If it were to be applied, a number of horses won.d suffer harshly in the handicaps unknown to their owners, who at the time of nominations were nob cqnvcrsant with the application of the new system. In view of this fact it was decided that the handicaps for the August Meeting would be based on the same system that prevailed during the present season.

Tho Winter Cup, the principal mile race at tho Canterbury Jockey Club’s Grand National Mooting, was instituted in 1899, but until last year no horse had over won tho race with list or over. Toxeuma then smashed all precedents by carrying 11.5 to victory three lengths ahead of his nearest rival. Two sons of Stopniak, Vladimir (1903) and Kremlin (1905), each with 10.12, held the record up till last year. Toxcum.a’s -name cannot he removed from the record list this year, as tho top-weight that has been allotted is only 10.8, to the Southhuider, Palermo (says the Wellington ‘ Post ’). Under tho new rule adopted by the conference at its annual mooting last week the minimum weight in the Winter Cup in I future years will probably he reduced to the permissible Bst, so that Toxeuma’s record may now stand for all time.

It was stated recently that Prince Val and Lord Val were both bred by Mr J. Clothier, of Matamata, in whoso colours they .won at the recent meeting at Trentham. A Waikato writer mentions that this is not correct in the ease of Prince Val. He was bred by Mr I). G. Carolan, of Waharoa, Waikato, who recognised the value of his dam. Sports Queen, as a stud mare and secured her at a hack price. Her first two foals, Sports King and Prince Val, both by Valkyrian, wore bought as yearlings by Mr Clothier. Royal Visitor, by Lncullus, was her next foal, and running on the farm at present arc a three-year-old filly by Lapidary (a »on ’of Black Jester) and a yearling colt by tho Irish importation Spear Dance (a son of Spearmint). Sports Queen is again in foal to Spear Dance. The maximum weight for the Grand National Steeplechase was fixed at 12.7, but “ The Lopper ” is of opinion that no horse is entitled to bo within less than IClh of tho maximum, and that horse, Wiltshire, is Kill) above the next in the list. Wiltshire at 11.5 is not badly treated. He is a double winner of the race, 1928 and 1929, with 10.0) and 10.9 respectively. At his second National Meeting he went up to 11.11 on the third day, but- it did not stop him from winning very easily again. That is Wiltshire’s last success, but be has nob done a. great deal of racing since. He raced throe times late in that season, and did not appear again until this autumn. He ran third carrying 11.0 in a mile and n-hnlf hurdle race ac Avondale to Lucess and High Pitch—a good performance. He raced unplaced at Wellington in the High-weight, but ho looks well, and so competent a performer over Riccartou country is going to lio hard to beat again. Tho barrier system of starting is growing in favour in America, and is now in operation on several tracks. This is what an American writer had to say of a recent mooting: “ Tho total time that the horses spent at the post in the thirty heats raced during tho four days was but 28miu. Think that over anil then argue that the harrier is not here to stay. Loss than 30min required to send thirty heats away, while tho average time each day required to send the horses away was 7in in 34 sec, with the average for the entire meeting but liniti 33sec per heat. Not infrequently, hut at tiines almost a daily occurrence formerly at every track, it required from 20min to .‘iOniin to send the field away under the old system. And, to top it off. here is something that we have never before, seen at any race meeting any whore—-when the barrier was stretched across the track (hose in the stands immediately rose to their

leet, and did not take their attention off the field of horses until they wore away; and then most of the spectators kept (heir feet until the heat was finishcd. The interest, snap, and pep were there, which it wasn’t oftentimes under the old system. In hut one-third ol the heats were the horses at the harrier Unifier than one minute per heat, which is not only noteworthy, hut astonishing, and to many will seem almost unbelievable, but nevertheless it is true,”