RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21354, 7 March 1933, Page 8

RACING NOTES

[By St. Claik.]

RACING. Mwcb B.—Rtngitikei Racing Club. ■ March 9, 11.—Waikato Eacmg Club. March 10, 11.—Masterton Racing Club. March 10, 11.—Cromwell Jockey Club. March 17.—Opunake Racing Club. March 17, 18.—Wellington Racing Club, March 17, 18.—Ohinemuri Jockey Club. March 22, 23.—Manawatu Racing Club. March 23, 25.—Oamaru Jockey Club. March 25.—Bay of Plenty Jockey Club. March 30.—Waimate Racing Club. April 1. —Birchwood Hunt Club, April I.—Stratford Racing Club. April 1, 3.—Te Kuiti Racing Club. April 5, 6.—Pahiatua Racing Club. April 6, 8. —Whangarci Racing Club. April B.—Otautau Racing Club. April B.—Hororata Racing Club. April 8, 10.—Westport Racing Club.

THE EXPLANATION. Saturday’s cable from Melbourne announcing that “ the V.R.C. stipendiary stewards announced to-day that they had disqualified W. Foulsham (trainer), ,Victor Newhouse (bookmaker), and 'James Truskett (trainer) for twelve months for alleged improper conduct in connection with the scratching. of Golden Lullaby in the Moonee Valley iWelter Handicap on February 7 ” is made clear in the appended extract from a recent issue of the Sydney ‘ Sunday Sun’: “Well-informed Melbourne racing men say there is another sensation simmering in the Victoria Racing Club’s offices. The reason it is simmering is that Mr L. K. S. Mackinnon, chairman of the club, is on holidays. A week or so ago most people were surprised when the ; V.R.C. Committee banned treble betting. “It was generally thought that this was done simply because numerous people who otherwise would have patronised the tote were placing their money with the treble bookies.

“ There is a far deeper meaning for the banning of the three-way betting, however.

“ It appears that a few weeks ago a well-known backer, Darcy Eccles, supported a treble for £I,OOO. “ The first two selections romped home, and Eccles was on velvet. He laid the owner of the third leg £IOO to nothing, which was gratefully accepted. “ Imagine his surprise when, a few minutes before betting opened on the last race, his fancy was scratched! “ The next day there were many heated recriminations, and the V.R.C. finally got to hear of it. The committee’s first action was to knock treble betting on the head. Now everybody is waiting to see who else will be knocked on the head.

• “ One thing .one must admire about the V.R.C. Committee is that its members are not afraid to grasp the nettle. “ Since the committee banned a dozen jockeys some months ago the respect in wnidh' it is held by licensees is something at which to marvel.” The diqualified people are all very well known in Australian racing, Foulsham particularly. Although handicapped by his weight, he was in his time one of the most able horsemen that has ever ridden in Australia. Among his more important victories was the Caulfield Cup of 1921 on V’o- - Carlita ought to have won the Melbourne Stakes at Flemington in the spring of 1916, but thanks to a masterpiece of race riding by Foulsham, Lavendo beat her by a head. Newhouse was once well known as an amateur boxer and later as a boxing referee. He had recently been advertising his “ Nu-way Treble.” Not long ago he took over one of the biggest ante-post double businesses in Australia. " IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT ANYTHING BEYOND HER.” Recent deeds of Silver Scorn caused a stir in Australian racing circles and created a change of feeling as to her prospects when opposed to Australia’s best. Until her latest efforts in Dunedin and Christchurch I was of opinion that Silver Scorn' would have found the w.f.a company too strong at the Melbourne and Sydney autumn meetings (writes “Pilot,” in the ‘Referee’). After the way she won the Dunedin Cup, one mile and a-half, and the Middle Park, six , furlongs, at Christ.church, it would be impossible to put anything beyond her. Riccarton is a fast track at six furlongs, as shown by Chimera’s win on it with 9.2 in Imin 9 4-ssec. However, Silver Scorn put her performance in the shade by winning the Middle Park Plate in Imin 9 2-ssec, with. 9.11, the time being an Australasian record. It was a wonderful effort for a three-year-old filly carrying 211 b over weight-for-age, and it is no wonder some of her admirers now proclaim her “ better than Desert Gold.” There is no lack of versatility about Silver Scorn—-wins at a mile and a-half one day, at seven furlongs a cbuple of days later, and six furlongs the following week, leave no doubt on that score. JOTTINGS. Nominations for the Oamaru Jockey Club’s Meeting close at 8 o’clock this evening. A. M‘Kay, the well-known trainer at jWingatui, received many messages of condolence from a wide circle of friends during the week-end on the somewhat sudden death of his wife. The Timaru trainer, R. Townley, has won eleven races this season. Two of his horses, Louis Bingen and Girvan, have won five events each. • F. Shaw leaves for Cromwell with his team to-morrow morning. R. R. M'Donald will leaveon Thursday, both travelling by train. Mr J. M. Samson’s horses will make the trip by motor iioat. llklev finished in front of Worship at the end of five furlongs run on the grass this morning in Imin 6 l-ssec. The latter, who was not ridden out, will be Ware’s only representative for the Wellington Meeting next week.

There was a slight touch of frost in the air early this morning at Wingatui, and with the exception of the plough the tracks were very hard and fast. The caretaker has kept the plough track deep and loose, but the absence of rain has made it very dusty. The lliccarton trainer, S. Barr, was an onlooker at the training operations at Wingatui this morning, and it is rumoured that a local owner intends giving his horses to Barr to train at lliccarton during the approaching winter.

The Gay Lad gelding in A. M'Kay’s stable ran five furlongs with Palantua on the grass in Imin 10 2-ssec this morning. M‘Kay is waiting for the tracks to soften, when he will give his horse some schooling. He will probably start him at the Birchwood and Otautau Meetings early next month. Mobile was too good for Lochard and Trek at the end of six furlongs run in Imin 6sec on the grass this morning. Antrim Boy is standing up to his work on the tracks well, and is also doing a lot of hill work. The tracks are. too hard yet for him to do any jumping.'

TROTTING. March ll.—Timaru Trotting Club. March 11.—Wairarapa Trotting Club. March 15.—Manawatu Trotting Club. March 15.—Wyndham Trotting Club. March 18.—Cheviot Trotting Club. March 23.—South Otago Trotting Club. April I.—Thames Trotting Club. April 1. —Roxburgh Trotting Club. April B.—Te Aroha Trotting Club. April 15, 17.—Hawea Trotting Chib. April 15, 19.—N.Z. Metropolitan Trotting Club. April 22.—Taranaki Trotting Club. April 22.—Ashburton Trotting Chib. April 29.—Wanganui Trotting Club. April 29.—Auckland Trotting Club. May 4, 6.—Porbury Park Trotting Club.

Polling Day, who will be one of F. Shaw’s team for Cromwell, ran seven furlongs with Blue Metal on the plough track this morning, the latter going the better at the finish in Imin 34 4-ssec.

Flying Amy, who is engaged in two races at Cromwell on Friday, just failed to head off Shumata at the end of half a mile on the centre of the course proper in 54 l-ssec this morning.

June the Third had a three or four lengths break on Roland and Tip Tree when they jumped away at the five-fur-long post this morning. Roland,. on the inside, was always going well, and just headed Tip Tree at the finish in Imin 8 2-ssec. June the Third was three lengths away. Bell Hill, who is booked for a trip to Wellington in company with Guarantee and Princess Argosy next week, had Wealth for a companion over six furlongs on the centre of the course proper this morning. Bell Hill had a short neck to spare in Imin 20 l-ssec. This gallop will bring Wealth into prominence for her Cromwell engagements. Admiral Drake, who is now rapidly assuming racing condition again, was sent seven furlongs on the plough this morning with Salmo Salar, and they finished on even terms in Imin 33sec. Admiral Drake appears to be thoroughly sound again, and his trainer hopes to have him ready to take part in the Faster racing. “ Latest Joke To-day,” was a heading in London ‘ Sporting Life ’ on January 17, but it merely covered the opinion of the paper’s Newmarket correspondent that the jumper Latest Joke would win over hurdles at Birmingham that afternoon. It might be thought that either the punters or the bookmakers would have appreciated Latest Joke most, but as it turned out those people who disapprove of racing had the laugh. Snow fell heavily and the races were abandoned.

■ Walnut Hall Farm, the leading trotting stud in America, has eight stallions at service. They are all trotters. The best is Peter Volo, 2.2 as a four-year-old. He is by Peter the Great, who was sold for £2,000 when twentyone years old. Peter Volo, whose stud fee is £2OO per mare, has sired six two* minute performers. He is the champion sire of race winners since 1927. The services of Guy Axworthy, sire of four two-minute trotters, and champion sire of 2.10 performers, arc reserved for the homo stud. His fee used to be £4OO. San Francisco is also reserved for home marcs. Protector, champion two-year-old (2.3) and three-year-old (1.59 J), who was retired to the stud at the end of his third season, stands at £4O per marc. The fee of the four minor stallions is £2O each. Martian Chief scored his first win for more than a year when he prevailed at Motukarara on Saturday, but be has not done much racing during that period. The opposition was by no means strong, but he had a very easy task. Ho has been addicted to bleeding after strenuous track work for a long .time, but fortunately the. trouble does not act against bim in bis races. Martian Chief would benefit by Ins effort on Saturday, and more races will come his way during the autumn programmes. , He is due to race at the Wellington Meeting this month, and is a possibility for the Thompson Handicap. His stable mate. Concentrate, disappointed in the Peninsula Cup, as it was thought be was at least capable of filling a place. In bis last few starts the Kilbrouey gelding has given evidence of having reached the down grade, but it is intended to race him at Trentham, and later at Riccarton.

Waltzing Lily, winner of the Newmarket Handicap at Eleinington on Saturday, was scorned by experts in the yearling sale ring, and was afterwards discarded by a trainer as useless and declined by others because of a peculiar action. Yet, in spite of such treatment, she has become one of Victoria’s best sprinters. Waltzing Lily has an action much like that of Eurythinic of swinging outwardly her off fore leg. It may not be orthodox, but it certainly-did not affect Eurythmic and so far Waltzing Lily has not been handicapped by it. Gradually this filly has improved from a moderate two-yeaivold to a first ra.te throe-year-old sprinter. She won the Standish Handicap at Flemington on January 2 in Imin a course record, this race being sometimes considered a good test for the Newmarket, and following that success she easily won the William Ileid Stakes, six furlongs, at Moonee Valley. In the latter race, Waltzing Lily lost ground at the start, and then nearly fell through slipping on the sodden ground. In all Waltzing Lily has started fifteen times, and has been unplaced only on four occasions. She was trained in Melbourne by her owner. When the last mail left Melbourne, Closing Time was favourite for the Newmarket with St. Ardent, Winooka, Waltzing Lily, Ibrani, Vauntry, and Jacko following in that order.

Prior to the hearing on Friday of the appeals of Mr 11. Wootton, and his trainer and jockey, P. Nolan and F. Hickey, there was an impression in Sydney that all three wotdd bo successful, as it was considered they were disqualified for twelve months only on a majority vote of the stipendiary stewards, one of those officials not believing that they were guilty of any corrupt practice, but that F. Hickey was fighting with Bush Melody, who was trying to run to the outside fence. Mr Wootton’s appeal was upheld, but those of Nolan and Hickey were dismissed. • There are few bettor known men on the turf than Mr Wootton. In the early days of pony racing in Sydney he was one of the leading lights. Later he came over to the horses, and going abroad did well in South Africa. Just at this time his two sons, Frank and Stanley, were coming to the fore and ho went on to England. There the Wootton family made history until the outbreak of the Great* War, when both these great jockeys went on active service. Their father later returned to Australia. Lately Mr Wootton lias had a small team in work in Sydney, trained by Nolan. Ho lives on the hill overlooking Randwick racecourse, and seldom misses an early morning session or a good gallop. His trainer has not been before the stewards before, and Hickey has quite a good record.