RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21450, 29 June 1933, Page 13

RACING NOTES

[By St. Clair.]

RACING. July 1. —Oamaru Jockey Club. July 11, 13, 15.—Wellington Racing Club. July 20.—Waimate District Hunt 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. July 29, —Christchurch Hunt Club. A GREAT RIDING FEAT. Two or three seasons ago AV. (Togo) Johnstone was one of the most successful of the Sydney jockeys, but he was not regarded as being equal to Pike, AFCarten, or the elder Aluuro when he was at his best (says “ Chiron, ’ in the ‘Australasian’). .Johnstone tried his luck in India, and then went to I 1 ranee, whore he is now the most successful jockey. On May 23 he was at the head of the list of winning jockeys in France, ho having ridden twenty winners up to that time. 11. Brethes, who rode llodosto to victory in the Two Thousand Guineas in England, was second to him, with thirteen winners. Sibbritt, who, like Johnstone, is an Australian, had ridden only nine winners up to that time. At St. Cloud, on May 18, Johnstone won three races, and one of them was achieved under difficulties. Ho rodo the two-to-one-on favourite, Trop Presse, in a race for three-year-olds and upwards, over a mile and a-half. r l o the consternation of the layer of odds, it was seen soon after the start that the colt’s saddle girths had given way, and that Johnstone was without irons, lie hanging on to the saddle and the colt’s mane with his left hand and holding the reins with the right. He quickly dropped back to last, but, accomplishing a wonderful balancing feat, he gradually made up ground to score in a strenuous finish by three-quarters of a length from Emprise, the property of the Maisons-Laffitte trainer, Bene Robert. On returning tf> scale on the son of Massine the Australian jockey received a tremendous ovation, for nine out of ten jockeys who found themselves in a similar predicament would have pulled up their mount. KUROW JOCKEY CLUB. The annual report of the Kurow Jockey Club discloses that, as a result of holding the meeting on the Oamaru racecourse, the club was able to show a profit of £173 19s 3d. The committee was very disappointed at the members’ subscriptions received, £IOO being still outstanding, an earnest appeal being made to members whose subscriptions were in .arrear to endeavour to meet their obligations in this direction. The death was recorded with regret of Mr W. H. Ross, of Hakataramea, who was a member of the club for many years, and who willingly gave his services as a deputv-steward of the club. It was also with regret that the death was recorded of one of the life members, Air J. Green, of Hakataramea. .The late Air Green acted as honorary judge for some years. During the year four new members were elected and sixteen resigned. The thanks of the club wore due to all officials who acted in an honorary capacity, and to Dr M'Millan for his contribution. Appreciation was also expressed to the Oamaru Jockey and Trotting Clubs and to the trustees of the Oamaru racecourse for the use of the course and appointments, and also to Air AFAlaster, who audited the books, and to the Press. JOTTINGS. Alorena, who looks very well, was given strong work on the heavy going at Wingatui this morning, and handled it well. Reminder, who looks well, was going much better than Jaunt at the end of half a mile this morning, and ran the distance in 55 2-ssec. The Christchurch ‘ Star * states that Polydora will be a starter at Oamaru on Saturday, when she has Bst (the minimum) in the Grange Handicap, one mile. Bean Fils, by Son-in-law from the St. Frusquin mare Vivid, and sire of Hula Belle, is standing this season at a fee of 30gs. Taking the totalisator turnover at Randwick this season as a guide, money has not been over plentiful in Sydney for racing. The figures are £191,158 less than last season. Trek, who is engaged in the mile and a-quarter hack race at Oamaru on Saturday, will be an unlikely starter, as she has contracted a poisoned heel. Amy Johnson- has built up again since the local Winter Aleeting. She strode along well this morning, and appeared to handle the heavy going as if she liked it. The Christchurch ‘ Star ’ states that Alerry Pool will be in much favour for the Grange Handicap at Oamaru on Saturday. After four seconds in Ids last five starts he is due for a stake very soon.

The Irish horse Lord Argosy, whose few successes in New Zealand include the C.J.C. Aliddle Park Plate, has been showing promise in schooling efforts of late, and will make his next appearance in a hurdle race..

W. Cooper, who was reported to have broken a shoulder blade when Night Parade fell witli him at Ashburton last Saturday, suffered no more serious injury than a hard bruising, and was able to ride work at Wingatdi this morning. Royal Saxon, who has been working well since recovering from tho injury he sustained at the Winter Meeting early this month, was schooled over the brush fences this morning. So far no rider lias been engaged for him in Saturday’s race. The heavy rain overnight made the going at Wingatui this morning dead and slow for the final gallops for the Oamaru Meeting on Saturday. The inside of the grass track next the plough provided a fresh hit of galloping ground for fast work, but there was very little done. H. Turner, who was injured when Doii Jose fell with him at Ashburton, has been discharged from hospital, but both his hands were badly skinned, and ho will not be able to ride at Oamaiu on Saturday. He hopes to be right tor the Wellington Meeting, where ho has been engaged to ride Valves. Ono of Coronach’s foals, a colt front Fair Aberdonian, w r as born without a tail. In all other respects the colt is perfectly shaped and doing well. Coronach won the English Derby in 1926. According to “ Chiron,” in the Australasian,’ Paris was not ready when raced in the Brush Steeplechase at tho Epsom meeting on June LI. Tho same writer is of the opinion that tho race would do Paris an immense amount of good for his Grand National Steeplechase engagement next month. The five successes of Peter Pan at Raudwick last season netted his owner £8,189 in stakes. Other successful horses at that centre wore Bogilla £5,717 15s. Hallmark £5,061, Wiuooka £3,529, Denis Boy £2,802, and Chatham £2,761 15s. ' The three principal winners wore not offered as yearlings. Peter Pan and Hall Mark are raced hy their breeders, and Bogilla is held on

July 29 Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt Club. August 5. —Poverty Bay Hunt Club. August 8, 10, 12.—-C.J.C. Grand National Meeting. TROTTING. July I.—Waikato Trotting Club. August 5,9, 11.—N.Z. Metropolitan Trotting Club.

lease. Winooka was sold as a yearling for 290 gs, subsequently being purchased at two years by his present owners; Denis Boy was bred in Ireland, and Chatham was a Csogs yearling.

A total of £7BO in stakes for a programme of twelve races in Sydney sounds decidedly light, but that was Ascot’s total at a meeting held this month. Owners of winners of each division of the Flying High-weight received only £35, and, as after payment to the jockey and other expenses, even on a low scale, that would get perilously close to £25, it will be gathered that owners had to depend upon the betting ring for a fair return for, a win. Most support for mid-week meetings comes from “ battling owners,” and many of those simply cannot afford to win a stake that would not give them a greater net return than £25 (says “ Pilot ” in the ‘ Referee ’).

Push, a six-year-old by Night Raid from Boutade, started favourite in the mile and a-quarter race at Canning Park on Juno 10 and only just won in 2miu 9 3-ssee. Push was bred by the late Mr A. F. Roberts. Solenoid is the unlucky horse of this season in England. He has run second in the Lincolnshire, Newbury Cup, and Victoria Cup, carrying a big weight in each. He started favourite for the Victoria Cup, notwithstanding his 9.2, the winner turning up in the second favourite, Fonab. In the London ‘ Sporting Life ’ Meyrick Good was very enthusiastic concerning Brown Betty, winner of the One Thousand Guineas. He said he had never seen a better-looking animal, colt or filly. She is of splendid quality and of great length, without being long in the back. Brown Betty is the first classic winner sired by Friar Marcus.

Some of the returns from the tote “daily double” in the Old Country are ’ remarkable considering the straight-out prices of the winners. At Thirsk on April 28 Within-the-Law won a race at 5 to 1, beating twelve other runners, while Come Closer, at 10 to 1. defeated seven in another race. Joined in the day's double they paid £474 6s for 10s, only one ticket being issued for the combination.

When the New Zealander, Tea Trader, won the Australian Handicap at Tanforan on April 22 he carried 7.9 and had five opponents. Ho made a runaway affair of it, heating the second horse, Polydorns (8.4), by five lengths in 1.9, the distance being 57yds short of six furlongs. Backers made no mistake as to Tea Trader’s chance, his return being 2dol 80 cents for 2dol. However, they won their 80 cents without any anxiety. The value of# the race to'Mr D. -1. Davis was 650d01. At the Canning Park (W.A.) Meeting held on Juno 10 acceptances wore not released until half an hour before each race. This was done with the object of trying to inconvenience startingprice betting operations off the com so. Many patrons complained of the inconvenience they were put to, and seceial owners commented unfavourably about tho innovation. Acceptances were taken on Friday, and by Saturday morning they had leaked out. Despite the precautions adopted to prevent the information leaving the course, start-ing-price shops were supplied with the starters and jockeys in ample, time to do business, and later they received other necessary information. According to an American contributor to an English paper, tho racing outlook is anything but bright. “ The sad truth is,” he_ writes, “ that on the high-class sport in the State of New York hangs tho future of all decent racing in the Dinted States. If such racing should cease, within five years there will not be a high-class racing plant in, operation. Tins > s freely admitted by such authorities as Colonel Matt J. Winn, tho matured and practical major-domo of racing in Kentucky, and president of the American Turf Association. Wealthy owners of high-class stables will ship horses to England and Franco to race, throwing out of employment hundreds of thousands of varied employees, and once again—as during the Hughes debacle — millions of dollars’ worth of the finest horseflesh in .the world will be sent out of tho United States apd thoroughbred breeding here will become a byword.” Antrim Boy, who schooled attractively earlier in the week, was set an easy task this morning when he was sent over six furlongs with Broadfield and Tea Urn. Tho last named was beaten off early, and Antrim Boy, pulling strongly, finished half a length in front of Broadfield in linin 32500 on the outside of tho grass track, where the going was very heavy. ' Tho best gallop at Wingatni this moniing was over seven furlongs, when Salmo Salar, Kakara, and Shock went together. They kept together until the homo turn was entered, then Shook began to drift, and Kakara finished a neck in front of Salmo Salar in linin 34scc. Neither of this pair was ridden out, and Salmo Salar was on tho outside all the way.

A Hobart trotting owner (Mr Ralph Langdon) lias received a unique trophy of the turf. When his pony, Dulciewood, ran second at a Hobart meeting, Mr Langdon presented £.lO worth of tickets on her at the pay-out window and received about £lO more than lie was entitled to collect. Mr Langdon noticed the error and returned the “ tenner ” to the clerk. The next day ho was presented by the tote stalf with a gold cigarette case. It is a time-worn jest that, because she “ likes the jockey’s colours,” a woman racegoer often will back a horse without regard to form, the betting market, of other of the accepted guides. Sometimes this method of selecting likely winners is as successful as any other. Nowadays, bright and distinctive colours are worn by riders to malio the horses competing in a race comparatively easy to identify, but early in the history of racing, variety of riding jackets was limited. No owner had possession of an individual set of colours, and there was much confusion. Members of the English Jockey Club adopted colours for the exclusive use of the riders of horses owned by them late in the eighteenth century, but not for years later was it made compulsory for owners to describe their colours •adieu nominating horses. Mr Richard Marsh, who lias died in his early eighties, was perhaps the most famous' racehorse trainer of his time. King Edward (then Prince of_ Wales) appointed him Royal trainer in 1892, and in 1910 King George continued him in that office. For King Edward, Marsh’s first success was Persimmon’s Derby in 1896, won by a nock. Persim-

mon was of a queer temper, and had to be lifted into his railway horsebox by a number of men, who got a sovereign each for the job. But Marsh’s greatest success was when the King’s Diamond Jubilee won tho Two Thousand Guineas, the Derby, and the St. Leger, ’ His stable attendant rode this colt in the two latter races, as it took a disliko to its jockey, Mornington Cannon. Marsh trained King Edward’s third Derby winner, Minoru; and Jeddah, the only horse that over won that race at odds of 100 to 1.