RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21709, 2 May 1934, Page 14

RACING NOTES

[By Sr. Claib.]

RACING. May 3. —Egmont E.C. May 10, 12.—Wanganui J.C. May 11, 12.— Soutklaai R.C. May' 19. —Kangitikei R.C. May 19.—Ashburton C.R.C. March 19, 21.—Te Kuiti R.C. ' May 26.—South Canterbury J.C. Juno 2, 4.—Otaki Maori R.C. Juno 2,4, s.—Dunedin J.C. June 2, 4. 6.—Auckland E.C. June 9,—Foxton R.C. June 14, 16. —Hawke’s Bay J.C. June 16.—South Canterbury J.C. June 21, 23.—Napier Park R.C. FDRBURY PARK TO-MORROW The most important and interesting meeting ever held by the Forbury Park Trotting Club will commence at Forbury Park to-morrow at 11.45 a.m., and with both the climate and track conditions favourable there should be an immense crowd present to see the best horses in Australia and New Zealand taking part. , During the early paid; of the programme Walla Walla will run an exhibition half-mile, and as he. has always been accustomed to racing on a half-mile circuit in his own country he will have no difficulty in handling the turns at Forbury Park. The star attraction of the afternoon, however, should be the appearance of Worthy Queen in the Ritchie Memorial Handicap, set down for decision at 2.30 p.m. This mare recently established an Australasian record for a mile for straight-out trotters, 2min 3 &-ssec, and as she has already shown ability to see out two miles her . chances, even in a big field of high-class pacers, are well fancied. The track was in excellent order this afternoon, and the weather has only to remain favourable for a number of new time records to be established tomorrow. It is many years since the club has been able to give the public such an interesting day’s racing as. is promised to-morrow, and this'has been made possible by the wide area from which the fields have been drawn. In addition to an unusuallv strong contingent trained at Forbury Park, horses from Nelson, Canterbury, North Otago, Southland, and Central, Otago will be competing. The following are the fields, and anticipations : 11.45 a.m.—

June 23.—Ashburton C.R.C. June 30.—Oamaru J.C. TROTTING. May 3, s.—Forbury Park T.C. May s.—Cambridge T.C. May 12.—Oamaru T.C. May 12, 14.—Waikato T.G. May 19.—Wellington T.C. June 24. —Canterbury Park T.C. June 24.—Hawke’s Bay T.C. June 9. —Ashburton T.C. June 20, 23.—Auckland T.C. 3.50 p.m.— RENOWN HANDICAP, 130sovs.

Probationer. Ayrmont Chimes. Gunfire. WALLA WALLA’S SIRE, Globe Derby, sire of Walla Walla, apart from being a great pacer, was a most intelligent horse, and at a Melbourne show, when in the heyday of his career, gave a great exhibition of equine understanding. _ He lost his driver through a collision, and with a damaged sulky dragging behind him. paced brilliantly in the front of the field, put on extra speed when he heard the last-lap bell, 'and when challenged by Harold Wilkes (who drew alongside of him) immediately spurted to win on his own accord, pull up, and make his way to the gate. The thousands present that day simply lifted the roof off. He had a consistent record during his nine years’ racing career, winning sixteen races, being second eight times and third three times at regular meetings, while he had a lot of successes at shows. He held an Australian mile stallion record of 2min 8 l-ssec, and proved one of the wonders of the sport in the Southern Hemisphere. It was somewhere about the time that Walla Walla was foaled that he made his 2min 8 l-sseo mile record in a: test against time at the Shepparton Show, being assisted by a galloping pacemaker. This seems rather a coincidence. JOTTINGS. L. J. Ellis will be riding at the Egmont Meeting to-day' and to-morrow. The first race * at' Forbury Park tomorrow has been scheduled to start at 11.45 a.m. Trainers and drivers are reminded that acceptances for the first day of the Southland Winter Meeting close at 5 p.m. to-morrow. Nominations for the trotting events at the Ashburton County Racing Club’s Meeting will close on Monday. The Riccartpn trainer, S. Barr, has won thirty races this season and been placed in other events. Stakes won by horses from his stable now total £3,326. Davolo has now won eight races, been placed second in four and third in two out of twenty-three starts this season, and £834 10s in stakes. Mr Farquhar M‘Kay, one of the few left who followed the Birchwqod hounds at their first meet in the winter of 1886, has been elected vice-presi-dent of the Birchwood Hunt Club. S. J. Reid, who during his term as private trainer to Mr V. Riddiford turned out 128 winners and 164 placegetters, worth about £30,000 in stakes, has forsaken the turf and taken a hotel in Wellington. , Despite the fields that will contest the races at Forbury Park to-morrow, only two horses throughout the afternoon will be bracketed. Waress and Peter Locanda will be coupled in both the Ritchie Memorial and Forbury Handicaps. . ; _ ~ Walla Walla will arrive in Dunedin by the special train put on for the conveyance of horses to the Forbury Park Meeting late this afternoon, and during his visit to the fixture will be quartered at Mr J. Richardson’s stables. E. Todd with Mocast, All Sunshine, and Journey’s End, E. Mitchell with Nelson Pointer, Rollicking Wave, and Teviot Downs, J. M. Maconnell with Blue Mountain Queen, and F. Langford with Minstrel and King Mac have arrived from the south to take part at the Winter Meeting at Forbury Park to-morrow and Saturday. The first important race in England for the present season, the Two Thousand Guineas, is to be decided at Newmarket to-morrow. Colombo is expected to be a contestant, and if he wins, it is certain that ho will start one of the strongest Derby favourites of recent years. The Derby is to be run at Epsom on June 6. It is not often that you find a leading jockey “ strapping ” a horse (says a Sydney writer). A. E. Ellis acted in that capacity during his recent trip to Australia. He spent hours in the box each day with Colenso, dressing the three-year-old and attending to him generally. Ellis says that you can’t beat strapping a horse to keep him fit. Rational 11. is to be tried as a steeplechaser. Cannibal, who is now a member of Mrs J. Campbell’s team, is to be educated for hurdle racing, as is Verden, another new inmate of the same stable. C. Emerson is also considering having Top Rank schooled, but more with the idea of improving him on flat racing. Harold Logan arrived back at Christchurch this morning, and according to private advice received in Dunedin today has done exceptionally well throughout his North Island tour. Harold Logan will have a couple of days’ spell before travelling down on Friday, and (during his stay in Dunedin will be quartered at Mr Pearson’s Qcean Beach Hotel. The tracks at Forbury Park were busy this morning, fully thirty of the horses engaged in to-morrow and Saturday’s races being jogged. The fine weather this week has enabled the caretaker to get an excellent surface on the racing circuit, and it looks as if a new set of track records will be recorded by the end of the week.

Forbury Park was a hive of industry this morning for in addition to a large number of horses, mostly from the south, being exercised before quite a number of spectators, a strong team of tradesmen were busy putting on the finishing touches to the renovation of the stands, etc., that has been carried out. Since the last meeting was held at this popular rendevous the whole place has been under the process of a general overhaul, and Forbury Park has never looked as spruce, as at the present time. . The Walla Walla-Harold Logan match on Saturday afternoon is undoubtedly the star attraction to the Winter Meeting of the Forbury Park Trotting Club, - but to-morrow’s programme includes two attractions that will be equally interesting. The Australian champion will give an exhibition half mile during the afternoon, and in the Ritchie Memorial Handicap, timed to start at 2.30 p.m., the champion straight-out trotter Worthy Queen will be seen in action. This mare holds the Australasian record for a mile, 2min 3 3-ssec, and her appearance in a field of high class pacers to-morrow will be watched with great interest. Owing to a delay leaving Christchurch this morning the special train bringing horses for the Forbury Meeting will not arrive here until about 5 o’clock this afternoon. The Christchurch ‘Press’ says Walla Walla has freshened up a lot during the last week, but he has not been asked to go fast in his track work. On Thursday he was given strong work over two miles, on Saturday he went a mile and a-quarter without being extended, and on Monday he was given a strong work-out over a mile, running the last six furlongs in Imin 45sec. He paced in pleasing fashion, and as his work was done in the centre of the track it was better than the actual time suggests. Since Nightguard passed from the ownership of Mr A. Louisson to that of Mr J. F. D.. Corry, at Trentham, on January 23, for 15gs, the brother to Phar Lap has started eleven times for six wins, two seconds, one third, and twice unplaced. Ho won twice at the Marlborough Meeting in February, and this month has scored twice at Nelson with two more wins at the Marlborough Meeting last week. Stakes were not largo at these fixtures, but ho has won £338 for Mr Corry, a njee return for £ls 15s. At the monthly’ meeting of the Dunedin District Committee held yesterday the following applications for dates were approved:—Dunedin Jockey Club; October 4 and 6, December 26 and 27, February 14 and 16, June 1,3, and 4. Oamaru Jockey Club: January 2, March 21 and 23, June 29. Kurow Jockey Club: September 29. Otago Hunt: September 1. Waikouaiti Racing Club: January 1. Tapanui Racing Club: February 6. Vincent Jockey Club: January 12 and 14. Tuapeka County Jockey Club: April 20. Beaumont Racing Club; April 22. No application was received from the Cromwell Jockey Club. Waikouaiti’s application for an extra day was -recommended if a day is available. Referring to the six months’ term of disqualification of P. A. Findlay, the owner and trainer of Colossical, and his rider (S. Wilson) at the Pahiatua Meeting last week on the grounds that the horse had not been run on his merits, the Christchurch ‘ Sun ’ says; —“ Not the least remarkable aspect of this sensational incident is the leniency with which the supposedly guilty parties were treated. For many minor offences, in which bad judgment has been the chief factor, those subject to

the rules of racing, have been given punishments as great, if not greater. The conviction of the parties named is not likely to be appealed against, for there is no doubt whatever that, in the event of the Judicial Committee’s findings being upheld in whole or in part, the appellants will run the risk of the sentence being increased.” The pacing gelding Worthy Light won his eighth race for the season when he was first past the post in the Franklin Handicap at Auckland on Saturday. Worthy Light has started ten times since August last, for eight wins and two seconds. His latest achievement of registering 4min 31 3-ssec, from a 4min 34sec mark, on a track that was holding, suggests that he will continue his winning sequence. He is by the American stallion Worthy Bond, who has sired several good horses in Pegaway, Arabond, and Manna’s Son. Worthy Light is only four years old, and being a well-developed horse with a good set of legs, there is every prospect of his eventually qualifying for New Zealand Trotting Cup comPa ?Lre was an accident at the Pahiatua Meeting on Saturday, when the judge hoisted the number of Stitch as finishing third in the Mangahao Handicap. Speed, who did finish in that place, was given the place after a protest from some of the crowd. It was stated that the similarity of colours had caused the error. Colours are supposed to be distinctive, and it is the endeavour of the Racing Conference to avoid any ppssible confusion on that score by restricting the imagination of owners who would have a jockey in trappings like those of a devil-dancer. The chief difficulty, however, is that the more delicate shades of blue, green, and pink, with frequent laundering, lose their pristine freshness and tend to merge into a shade it is impossible to identify without the clue provided in the race book. It is open to anyone to make a mistake in such cases. If the Messrs Smith Bros, faced a loss with Peter Jackson on the autumn trip to Australia they more than recouped their losses at Canterbury Park with the Grand Knight gelding Colenso (says the Sydney correspondent of the Wellington ‘Post’). They took their courage in both bands, for the track was in appalling order after heavy rain during the week. The Sydney people thought the stable lead was good enough, believing that the horse would be racing in his usual conditions; due to the popular belief that it is always raining in New Zealand. Anyway, from double figures, Colenso was bached to favouritism, and although the ring was not a very strong one the connections of Colenso threw in for a good win. A. E. Ellis had the mount, and always had him well placed. Down the straight Ellis rode Colenso very confidently, although the burden was 9.9. The field was a weak one, and Colenso won with something in reserve, although only by a head. Ellis came in for some criticism from some of the papers that have made this a habit with New Zealand riders. He was compared with Pike, much .to Ellis’s disadvantage, but the criticism was as erroneous as it was unfair. They are different types of riders, but Pike could have ridden no better, and probably not as well.

BAYFIELD HANDICAP, 125sovs. Class 3.45. Aim. Ami Parrish scr Bon Haven 24 Kotinga scr Kippagh ... 24 Marvin Guy scr Mother’s Mataunga ... scr Boy 24 . Paul Bingen scr Sea Gift ... 24 Sister Mary scr Chiming Tom Mix ... scr Wrack 36 Triangle scr Golden Bin36 Walter gen ... Wrack ... scr Cathedral Esther 12 Rose 48 Hakatere ... 12 Orphan Bin72 Journey’s 12 gen End .... Teviot . Kilbirnie Downs ... 120 Dan 12 Journey’s End. Hakatere. Walter Wrack. 12.25 p.m.— DOMAIN HANDICAP, 125sovs. Class 3.39. lim. All Thorpe scr Sadie Carillon Axworthy scr Chimes scr Summit ... ■ scr •Compass scr Vologda scr Dinner Bell scr Wandle Erin’s Chimes ... scr Chance ... scr Blondie 12 Greenmantle scr Dundee ... 12 Lone Derby scr Ronald 12 Rollicking Derby ... Wave ... scr Real Burton : 24 Peter MitNelson’s chell scr Fortune ... 36 Green Mantle. Summit. Lone Derby. 1.5 p.m.— BEACH HANDICAP, 135sovs. Class 2.17. 1m. > Blue MounDim ... ... scr tain Queen scr Elite Bingen 12 Cannonball scr Golden Grey Girl ... scr Direct 12 Margaret King’s Cup 12 Chenault scr Mocast 12 Nelson Raider 12 Pointer, ... scr Sure 12 Priceless scr Lord Leslie 24 Red Spur ... scr Prairie King 24 Sunbloom ... scr Wild Guy ... 36 Blue Mountain Queen. Sure. Priceless. 1.50 p.m.— .VICTORY HANDICAP, 130sovs. Class 3.16. 1m and 3f. Agile ... ... scr Jimmy de All Sunshine scr Oro scr Bingen John Dee ... scr Wrack scr Lena Bingen scr Camera scr Real Burton scr Chechahco scr Scotfree scr Chiming Young _ Billy scr Travis scr Golden DolGuymond ... 12 lar scr Lindrum ... 24 Grand Finale scr Erin’s Boy 36 Camera. Chechahco. Agile. 2.30 p.m.— RITCHIE MEMORIAL HANDICAP, 325sovs. Class 4.32. 2m. Great Author scr Erin’s Fortune Probationer 24 24 Lilian Bond Master Roy scr scr Warcss scr 'Ayrmont scr * Chimes 36 Worthy Queen Avemus 12 Royal Again 36 Peter Locanda 12 Gold Tinge ... 60 Raydus 12 Worthy Queen. Peter Locanda-Waress bracket. Ayrmont Chimes, 3.10 p.m.— ST. CLAIR HANDICAP, 145sovs. Class 5.2. 2m. Goldborough scr Hakatere 24 Kotinga scr Bon Haven 36 Minstrel scr Kippagh 36 Sister Mary scr Mother’s Boy 36 Triangle scr Cathedral 72 Walter Wrack scr Rose Esther 24 Teviot Downs 156 Teviot Downs. Walter Wrack. Spp.agki

Class 3.29. IJm. Black Jester scr Queen Author scr Cannonball scr William Tell scr Erin’s AdBlue Mountain vance scr Queen 12 King Mac ... scr Gunmetal 12 Margaret Margaret Bell 12 Chenault scr Red Spur ... 12 Morello sor Raider .., ... 24 Raider. Blue Mountain Queen. Morello. 4.30 p.tn. — FLYING : HANDICAP, 160sov s. Class 2.47. IJm. Chenwood scr Ayrmont Grand Canyon scr Chimes 24 Great Author scr Probationer 24 Nimbus scr Raydus 24 Peter Gold Tinge ... 36 Locanda scr Rollo 36 Waress scr Silver de Oro 36 Gunfire 12