RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21438, 15 June 1933, Page 5

RACING NOTES

[By St. Clair.]

RACING,

June 17. —Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. Jun» 17.—South Canterbury Jockey Club. Jun* 22, 24.—Napier Park Racing Club, June 23.—Egmont-Wanganm Hunt Club. June 24.—Ashburton County Racing Club. June 28.—Manawatu Hunt Club. July I.—Oaraaru Jockey Club. July B.—Waimate District Hunt Club. July 11, 13, 15.—Wellington Racing Club. July 22.—Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club. July 22.—South Canterbury Hunt Club. July 26. —Rangitiki Hunt Club. July 27, 29.—Gisborne Racing Club. “ ALL IS WELL.” Commenting upon the excellent entries received last week for the principal races at the spring fixtures, “ Doncaster ” wrote as follows in the Melbourne ‘Argus’:—“Breeders, owners, trainers, backers, bookmakers, and everybody connected with racing continue to show faith in the future of the sport. Many years may pass before attendances reach the figures of more prosperous years, but a gratifying feature of meetings in the last year is that the decrease has been checked. Racing seems to have found a level. In fact, there have been several increases in prizes for future events, and those increases have done much to restore confidence in the future of racing, especially in Victoria. Racing here is on a much stronger financial footing than in other States and New Zealand, and that is responsible for the great number of interstate entries for the important handicaps, of the spring. Another encouraging sign is the return of the owner. Unfortunately, many men to whom racing was a pastime rather than a profession were forced to give up their horses owing to the financial depression, and this was responsible for the fact that a large proportion of horses raced were owned by their trainers. This is not so noticeable now. At the V.R.C. Birthday Meeting the. percentage was very much in favour of the owner, who is paying for the training of his horse. So while good owners continue to patronise racing, and good horses continue to race, the public will continue to pay for admittance to the course. Many racegoers who previously could afford the grand stand enclosures are now forced to watch the races from cheaper reserves, but they retain their love for the sport, and while that attitude lasts all is well with racing in Victoria.” JOTTINGS. Polling Day and Palantua are the only Wingatui-trained horses that have been engaged at the Ashburton Meeting to be held on June 24. It is worthy of note that Mr W. T. Hazlett, who" is now the largest individual breeder of thoroughbreds in Southland and Otago, has not entered any of his yearlings in the Welcome Stakes (193.3) or New Zealand Derby Stakes (1934) - Dunedin is not the only centre in this island experiencing really wintry weather just i now, as the Christchurch ‘ Sun ’ said on Tuesday: “ There is still a good deal of water on the Addington track, and after the damp weather and frost it ivas frozen hard this morning.” Colorado Kid, winner of the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot yesterday, was started four times as a two-year-old, his only placing being a second in a small handicap. But as a three-year-qld he had a very successful season, winning six times out of ten starts, and only finishing out of a place once. His total stake winnings amounted to £1,867. At the West Australian Turf Club’s Meeting on June 5 the Roe Stakes, for maiden horses, six furlongs, was won by Grand Oration (Grandcourt —Tall Talk). Grand Oration was bred by Mr T. H. Lowi’y, who sold his dam, covered by Psychology, to Australia, in 1928. The veteran Seatown, who won the principal race on the concluding day of the recent Auckland meeting, was in the sale ring at the Wellington January sales with a reserve of lOOgs, but went out unsold. S. G. Ware made a sporting offer, of 50gs for him, but did not meet with a response. A couple of 'days later Seatown won the Summer Handicap, worth 240sovs to the winner. It may be some days before an inquiry which was opened at Foxton on Saturday into the running of Takakua is concluded. There were several adjournments on the course, and at the end of the day a further adjournment was decided upon; There is no definite indication as to when the committee will be called together again. The only defections from the trotting events on the first day of the Auckland Trotting Club’s Winter Meeting were Golden Huia in the Winter Handicap and Roi Grande and ’Etta Cole in the Stewards’ Handicap. The owners of the horses intended accepting with them, but all three were too late in making the acceptance. The trotters mentioned will take part on the second day. Maurice M‘Garten had two duels in successive races with W. Duncan at Fieniington, and in each case triumphed over the crack Victorian light-weight. In the Sandrigham Handicap M'Carten beat Duncan to the opening at the turn, which won him the race, and in the first division of the Buckingham Handicap came with a late run on Salanton to defeat Great Idea just when it looked millions to gooseberries on Duncan. —“ Hampton,” in the Sydney ‘ Referee.’ Readers will remember the story of how Mr B. L. Hammond’s horses, Naraho and Bonnie Vale, missed the Nelson steamer for the recent annual meeting. The sequel is a letter to Mr Hammond from the Nelson Jockey Club advising that the committee of the club, realising the circumstances, have unanimously decided to remit the nomination and acceptance fees for the horses at the meeting. At a meeting of the committee of the Winton Jockey Club held this week a letter was received from the Forbury Park Trotting Club advising the dates of their Spring Meeting as Thursday and Saturday, November 23 and 25, which fit in with the Dunedin spring show. It was decided to make application to the Southland District Committee for Friday and Saturday, December 1 and 2, as the dates for the Winton Club’s annual fixture. Sir Charles Clifford, with nine, and Mr W. R. Kemball, with ten entries, are the largest subscribers to the New Zealand Derby Stakes to be run in November, 1934. The southern entries include Mr C, N. Draper’s Lord War-den-Monoxide colt, Mr K. Austin’s Nightraid—Gay Round filly, Mr J. M. Samson’s Lord Warden—Jazz colt, Mr R. R. M'Donald’s Nightraid—Victory Lass filly, Mrs F. Thomson’s PaladinLady Anomaly gelding, Mr M’Donald’s Songbird—Differential filly, Miss B. Kaulks’s Paladin—Silver Peak filly, and Mr A. 0. Mills’s Paladin—Fairform colt.

R.jcling engagements for the South Canterbury Meeting on Saturday have been announced as follows:—A. H. Eastwood: Silver Sight, Steeton, Ka-

July 29.—Christchurch Hunt Club. July 29. Rotoura and Bay of Plenty Hunt Club. August s.—Poverty Bay Hunt Club. August 8, 10, 12. —C.J.C. Grand National Meeting.

TROTTING. June 16, 17—Nelson Trotting Club. June 23, 24.—Auckland Trotting Club. July I.—Waikato Trotting Club. August 5,9, 11.—N.Z. Metropolitan Trotting Club.

kara. A. E. Ellis: Zeebrugge, lan’s March, Merry Peel. L. J. Ellis: Ranolagh, Palantun, Heather Glow, Quito Soon. D. O’Connor; Memho. G, Salt: Advance Camp. E. Ludlow: Gay Robe, Double Shot. A. Messervey: Tea Garden, Cherry Queen, G. Humphries: Ramo, Red Royal, Imperial 'Spear, Lady Valkyrie. M. Kirwan: Polyoora, Silver Streak, Mount Boa. H. Turner: Valves, Sports King. ' A feature of the racing at the Great Northern Meeting at ElTerslie was the success of horses by Lucullus. Hawthorn, Landlubber, Holly Lee, Neil, Luces's, Greek Gold, and Solanio all being returned winners. The progeny of this sire are good in soft ground and that they are versatile is shown by the fact that Neil won over fences on two occasions, Solanio and Lucess over hurdles, and the others on the flat. Lucullus was bred in Germany, and was commandeered in England during the war. He was later purchased cheaply for New Zealand. An American is said to be negotiating for the purchase or lease of Phar Lap’s yearling brother. A few months ago the colt was under offer to the same man, hut as the price was considered prohibitive, no business resulted. Perhaps the colt’s owner has reduced his price, which would be wise, as the odds are against Entreaty throwing another Phar Lap. _ It is the same with the dams of most high-class horses. An exception is a possibility, hut comparatively few buyers have had cause to congratulate themselves on giving a high price for a yearling brother or sister to some racehorse of outstanding merit. . The starter was having a good deal of trouble in getting a big _ field _of horses, ridden by amateurs, into line (says the Melbourne ‘ Sporting Globe ’). Time after time one or other of the riders pulled out of line, and the starter’s temper was getting rather overheated. Just as he saw an opportunity and ( was about to pull the lever a voice from the far end of the line exclaimed: “ Hey, wait a_ minute, mister; wait a minute!” Riding over to the starter,'he said: “Hold these for me until after the race.” And he handed the official a set of false teeth! The Canterbury Jockey Club has received a very good list of entries for the classic races, which closed last Friday. The figures are as follow, those for last year being shown in parentheses : Welcome Stakes, 55 (55); Middle Park Plate, 56 (54); Champagne Stakes, 79 (75); Challenge Stakes, 61 (55); Derby, 120 (119); Oaks, 58 (69); total, 429 (427). The southern entries include Mr C. W. Draper’s Lord Warden—Monoxide colt, Mr Jas. Lindsay’s Honour —Lucinda filly, Mr J. M. Samson’s fillies by Teg 'fray—Dancing Doll and Weathervane —Lava, Mr R. R. M‘Donald’s Nightraid—Victory Lass filly, Miss B. Faulk’s Paladin—Silver Peak filly, and Mr A. C. Mills’s Paladin —Fairform colt in the Welcome Stakes to bo run next November. 1

With reference to the remit to be proposed at the annual meeting of the Racing Conference next month by the Taranaki District Clubs suggesting that the conference should endeavour to negotiate a general insurance cover against wet weather for the benefit of all totalisator clubs in the dominion, inquiries have been made locally regarding the premiums likely to be charged. The premium on such risks ranges from 5 per cent, to 15 per cent, on the average net profit made on each club’s meeting during the past three years, and is also influenced by the average rainfall that has fallen on, the day of the race meetings by that club during the same period. Under present conditions very few clubs are making any profits on their fixtures, and if this remit were carried they would be insuring assets that do not exist. S. Wootton’s Stratford colt Jim Thomas, winner of eight of the eleven races in which he ran last season, made his first appearance this year in the Nonsuch Plate, 1m 110yds, at Epsom on April 20. Ho was carrying 9.0 to the 8.2 of King George’s colt The Abbot, and they were equal favourites at 5 to 2.' It was good judgment on the part of backers, as after each horse in turn had looked a winner in the last half-furlong they ran a dead heat. To the owner of each dead-heater was" £455, increasing Jim Thomas’s earnings to £7‘,468, which in England is a great return from a horse that cost only 280 gs as a yearling. As Jim Thomas tired after appearing to have The Abbot’s measure, English critics have decided it would be best to restrict him to races.of a mile or less.

An English exchange waxed humorous over Rodosto’s success in the Two Thousand Guineas. After saying that tho colt’s French rider, Brethes, unwittingly outraged all traditions of English jockeyship it continued: “ It is a commonplace for a carter to urge his old horse with an occasional * Gee-up,’ and for a man out hunting when he is riding into a fence to let off a series of ‘ clucks,’ but in the finish of a flat race no jockey ever speaks to his mount. It is not done. What he may say to him afterwards if he is_ beaten is another matter. In the Guineas, however, Brethes, hearing King Salmon pounding on behind, began shouting at Rodosto ‘ Allez, Allez, Allez!’ (‘ Go on ’), and he continued this up _the_ hill until he had reached the winning post. Harry Wragg, on King Salmon, could hear this going on, and for the life of him could not remember the French equivalent for ‘ stop.’ Now had Wragg been able to shout ‘ Arretez, Arretez, Arretez!’ (‘Stop’), it is quite possible that Roclosto, confused by the conflicting exhortations, would have stopped to think what it was all about,

and that Wragg would have won, which shows how important it is that jockeys should acquire and have ready at their command a few simple French words.” After a couple of hours’ wait to allow the hard frost to be broken up by the sun some good mile gallops were staged at Riccarton on Tuesday morning (says the ' Sun ’). There was also a good deal of fast work on the sand. Ranelagh, with Hurlingham joining in for the last half, saw out a mile in 1.43 1-5. Zeebrugge, similarly assisted over the last half, took 1.44 1-5. Wise Choice, accompanied over the last halfmile by Golden Dart, registered 1.43 4-5. Heather Glow, after beginning slowly, required only ,1-32 to run seven furlongs. He had a mate over the last half-mile. Polydora and Ramo, finishing together, went 1.33 2-5. Lady Valkyrie, joined by Marquato, after a slow beginning, took 1.20 for six furlongs. Imperial Spear heat St, Joan in 1.4, and Quite Soon, taking 1.4 4-5, was slowing up. One of the best schooling exhibitions yet seen this season over the steeplechase fences was provided by Gay Jim (D. O’Connor). He jumped eight obstacles, beginning at the top of the straight, with plenty of pace on, and taking off perfectly he did a very pleasing trial. He shows no signs of unsoundness. H. Turner piloted Dan Russell over a couple of rounds of the steeplechase fences, and he gave his usual fast hut rather erratic display. Drayton, who also had Turner’s assistance, jumped three fences from the top of the straight, but there was no pace on.