RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20986, 28 December 1931, Page 8

RACING NOTES

[By St. Olais.]

RACING,

December 29.—Manawatu Racing Club. December 29, January 1, 2.'—Auckland Racing Club. ■ , January I.— Waikouaiti Racing Club. January I.—Wyndham Racing Cub. January 1, 2.-Greymouth Jockey Club. January 1, 2.-Hawke’a Bay Jockey Club. January 1, 2.-Stratford Racing Club. January 1, 2.-Marton Jockey Club. January 1, 2.—Wairarapa Racing Club. January 2.—Oamaru Jockey Club. January. 2, 4.— Southland Racing Club.

JOTTINGS.

Owners and trainers are reminded that nominations for the Waino Meetinz to be held on January 23 close tomorrow evening at 5 o’clock. Programmes can be obtained from t secretary, Dunedin Joqkey Club. One or two inquiries into what were termed minor matters at Wingatui on Saturday afternoon, and _ beyond endorsing a caution administered by the starter for disobedience at the post no action was taken. When Trek was knocked back several lengths at the far turn in the Trial Plate it looked from the Press stand to be more than a “minor” occurrence. From the same point of vantage it also looked as if there was .no doubt about the cause of the interference. . The nominations received by the (Vincent Jockey Club for its meeting on January 9 and 11 easily constitute a record for the club. / Mr J. M. Samson received many cong'atulations on the success or Admiral rake in the Auckland Cup on Saturday afternoon. At the present time he is an inmate of Prospect House Private Hospital. Though there were plenty or boutn : land visitors in evidence at Wingatm on Saturday there were very few from North Otago and Canterbury. A word of praise is due to the mamhers of the unemployed who provided the musical programme at Wingatm on Saturday. They played well .an excellent programme of popular airs, and there were very short intervals between the numbers. Mr R. J. Murphy was present to see Martian Chief and Oratpnous race at Wingatui on Saturday. .Both horses shaped much below their expected form, and Oratorious was not paid np for in to-day’s race. King Balboa , did not get an. uninterrupted run in the Otago Handicap, but it £ doubtful even had he obtained a clear run along the back whether ho could have beaten Eoyal Saxon, who scored very comfortably. Taboo was prominent for about hair a mile in the High-weight Handicap on Saturday, but then gradually drifted to the rear. He will he better for the race, but is not likely to be returned a winner at the holiday meetings. Charmaine was responsible for the pace being on all the way for over a mile in the Otago Handicap, and she looks a good thing if reserved for one of the mile races during the holidays.

Bachelor’s Idol ran a poor race in the Burnside Handicap, and never at any stage flattered the backers who made her first favourite. She appeared to he in trouble from the jump out. and was always racing nearer the tail of the field than the front. Compared with several below her in the handicap, LochLaggan appeared to be badly handicapped in the Burnside Handicap, but she ran a good race, and only failed over the last half furlong. She should win a race during the holiday circuit. Hot Tea ran his best race this season in the Burnside Handicap, and was unlucky to run up against such a good one as Merry Peel. After being one of the leaders all the way, Hot Tea stoutly fought out a stirring finish, and showed he lacks nothing in courage. There was great excitement at Wingatui on Saturday when the news - was received that Admiral Drake had won the Auckland Cup. Mr Samson is an inmate of the Prospect House Private Hospital, and was the recipient of many congatulations on the successes of both Admiral Drake and Royal Limond on Saturday. Trek, who started second favourite in the Trial Stakes on Saturday, is a full sister and a year younger than Solmar. She is built on smaller lines than most of Marsa’s stock, but from all reports inherits the family speed. She was badly interfered with at the far turn in Saturday’s race, and was not able to show her true form. Charmeuse and Al Jolson, the two fancied candidates in the Federal Handicap, performed very badly, and their form was so had that it could not he right. They began Well enough, but immediately drifted to the rear, and after a couple of furlongs had no chance of winning. This is not their correct form, and they may be seen to much better advantage later on at the holiday meetings. Kakara won the Salisbury Handicap very easily, and her mile was the fastest race of the afternoon. She was unquestionably leniently treated by the handicapper, and the public were not slow to note this and make her a shortpriced favourite. This mare is well above the average, and will win in much better company before the season is much older. Gold Paper made the two-year-olds On Saturday look a very poor lot, but there was a lot of merit in her win. She was being eased up over the last half-furlong, yet she ran the five furlongs in only three-fifths of a second outside the course record on a track that was not fast. She is a full sister to Gold Tinge, and looks like being just as brilliant. Merry Peel is reported to have landed his connections a good win in the Burnside Handicap. Had he not shown signs of lameness in doing his preliminary, he would have probably started favourite. It is reported that he is suffering from a splint, which does not affect his galloping, hut makes him_ go lame when he is trotting or cantering. Camisader moved very tenderly when cantered down the straight prior to the Otago Handicap, and showed the effects of the hard tracks that have been in use at' Washdyke.' He ran a -poor race and had only Sal mo Salar ‘behind him at the finish. Both of these horses can be counted out in looking for the winners of any races during the holiday fixtures. Glenrowan ran a good race in the Otaio Handicap, and was only just beaten out of second money in the last few strides. He was not well placed at the far bum, and had a lot of ground to make up in the run home. He made this up well, but it left him with nothing in reserve to shake off King Balboa w 1 m the latter challenged him over the last 50yds. Royal Lirpond won the High weight Handicap on Saturday like a good racehorse. H. Anderton nursed him well until halfway down the straight, and when asked for a final effort Royal Limond responded very generously. P. M'Grath, who has been in charge of Mr mm Siegiiae fm

TROTTING.

December 28.—Westport Trotting Club. December 28.—South Wairarapa Trotting Club. . _ December 30, 31—Auckland Trotting Club. December 30.—Wiuton Trotting Club, December 30.—Reetton Trotting Club. January. 1, 2.—Canterbury Park Trotting 4.—Westland Trotting Club. January 5, B. —Greymouth Trotting Club. January 10.—Wellington Trotting Club. January 23.—Timaru Trotting Club. January 28, 30.—Forbury Park Trotting Club.

Auckland, received many congratulations on leading in the winner of the first race. Afterwards ho followed with a second and a third for Mr Samson. ‘ , Dressy ran the best race of her career in the Trial Stakes on Saturday, and had she succeeded in winning it would have been a very popular win, as her owner and trainer has had a very lean time of it during the past few seasons. Dressy showed much better form in Saturday’s race than she has in her work, and is engaged in the Highweight Handicap at Waikouaiti next Friday, in which the opposition will not be as good as she met on Saturday. It was 'extremely bad luck for the Oamaru light-weight, N. J. Dwyer, to sustain a broken collarbone when Palmary fell with him while doing his preliminary prior to the Salisbury Handicap. Dwyer, who is first horseman to J. Ross’s stable, had a big programme ahead of him at the Waikouaiti, Oamaru, second day at Invercargill, and Vincent Meetings during the next fortnight, and will suffer a big loss in riding fees through being laid aside through the accident. Royal Saxon won the Otago Handicap very convincingly, and stayed out the ten furlongs well. He has shown marked improvement in his track work during the past three weeks, and after his good gallop with Admiral Drake over a mile and a-quarter less than a fortnight ago he looked a good bet for Saturday’s race. Fielding has been very patient with Royal Saxon, and deserved the win, and Dooley is also entitled to some credit for the good judgment he showed in handling him on Saturday. Solmar had no right to be the extrem outsider in the Federal Handicap on Saturday, as earlier in the w.eek he ■ ran the fastest five furlongs on the outside of the course proper that has been recorded at Wingatui since Aussie’s visit. He is the only _ one of Cotter’s team that has been ridden out in his work, and his run over the last furlong and a-half was a good one. Unfortunately Solmar, who is a halfbrother to Nightmarch, is not quite right in his wind, or he would take a high place amongst the horses at present m work at Wingatui. Riri won. the Trial Stakes on Saturday very easily. He was on his toes at the start, and had to be placed in the “ pen.” However, he got away well, and was always handy to the leaders. Once he was called on in the straight he had no trouble in cutting down the leaders. The race he is engaged in to-day will give a much better guide to his chance in the Waikouaiti Cup next Friday. He looked one of the best-conditioned horses at the meeting. Black Duke has never looked _ better than he did on Saturday, but with the race run at such a solid pace—2s 4-ssec for the first two furlongs and 50 2-ssec for th 3 first half-mile —he was allowed to get too far behind the leaders over the early stages. He made a good run from halfway up the hill to the distance post, where he looked dangerous for a second or two, but the effort was too much for him, and he drifted back to fifth position before reaching the post. Had he been kept nearer the leaders in the first six furlongs he would have given Royal Saxon trouble over the last bit, and might have outstayed him.

THE LATE MR JAMES CRAWFORD. The death occurred at the Dunedin Hospital yesterday of Mr James Crawford, who had been caretaker of the Wingatui course for twenty-six years. Deceased, who was 62 years of age, was taken suddenly ill on Friday, and on arrival at the hospital was operated on for appendicitis and peritonitis. He rallied well after the operation, but gradually sank and passed away in the afternoon. The deceased was an excellent caretaker, and under his direction and work Wingatui gradually became a beauty spot, as well as a very popular training centre. All the trainers were his friends, and he never measured his time nor exertions to make their tasks most pleasant. The late Mr Crawford will be missed by a very wide circle of friends, and his death will leave a blank at Wingatui that will be felt for many years. He leaves a widow and grown-up family, including Mrs Dave Wilson, wife of the well-known trainer, and Mr J. Crawford, jun., also a trainer at Wingatui.