RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21931, 18 January 1935, Page 14

RACING NOTES

[By St, Claib.]

RACING. January 19.—Bay of Islands R.C. January 19.—Wamo Jockey Club. January 22, 24, 26.—Wellington R-0. January 22.— Ashhurst-Pohangma R.C. January 26, 29.—Takapuna J.C. Jan. 31, Feb. 2.—Wairoa Racing Club. Jan. 31, Feb. 2.—Wanganui Jockey Club February 2.—Matamata R.C. February 6.—Tapanui Racing Club. February V, 9.—Poverty Bay T.C. February 7, 9-— I Taranaki J.C. February 9.—Canterbury J.C. February 9, 11. —Rotorua K.C. February 13 14.—Egniout J.C February 14. 16.—Dunedin J.C. February 20, 21. —Gore R.C. _ February 21.—Tologa N Bay J .C. February 22, 23.—Woodrille D.J.C, February 23. 25.—Te Aroha J.C. February 27.—Opunkke R.C. February 28.—Waiapu R.C. '

IMPROVED TOTAUSATORS. The workings of the new. automatic totalisator barometer in Victoria were explained to a ‘ News ’ reporter by Mr A. M’Donald Smith, who has been on a visit to the principal racecourses in Australia gathering information on behalf of the Canterbury Jockey Club, and returned by the Maheno. Mr Smith spoke most enthusiastically of the innovation, which he considered would greatly benefit win and place betting in the ‘dominion. . . In-the course of visits to the principal race meetings in New South Wales and Victoria he had found, he said, that Victoria was infinitely ahead of the other States as regards totalisator betting facilities. The new automatic totalisator barometer had proved a decided success, and it was probable that the Canterbury Jockey Club would introduce this feature into the dominion. Wellington, of course, had had a form of totalisator barometer worked by hand; the one in use in Victoria was a great improvement upon that. The only course in New South Wales which intended to adopt the barometer was Randwick, where a contract for improvements had been let involving r an expenditure of £30,000, which would put the Australian Jockey Club on a •par with the courses in Victoria. “ The problem in New Zealand, contiued Mr Smith, “ has never been properly attacked with the object of letting the public know immediately and without wearisome calculation what dividend each horse is paying for a place. With the ordinary monogram type of totalisator the public is asked te make calculations which they do not wish and are not able to make. In short, under the present system, they are practically betting ‘ on the blind. FINAL GALLOPS AT INVERCARGILL. A steady rain was in evidence during training operations at Invercargill yesterday morning/and the extreme outaide of the course proper, where all the galloping was done,, was lifting and somewhat greasy (reports the Southland News’). All the candidates for Wairio did their final gallops, but any work of an interesting nature was impossible under the conditions. Red Treasure and June the Third took 1.24 4-5 for six furlongs, the last four in 58 2-5. r t> Pompax ran right away from Bon - lands 'over seven furlongs in. 1.37 o-o, the last four in 56 l-ssec. Pompax did her work nicely, but Rowlands fully lived up to his reputation as . a bad track worker. Venite beat Thornton by two lengths with Valiska eight lengths away over a mile in 1.53, the last fpur in 58 2-ssec. Venite was always going generously, but Thornton _ could not handle the going and Valiska shaped poorly. The last named has been a disappointment in his last couple of gallops and he will have to improve a lot it he is to show to advantage at Wairio. _ , Honest Maid beat First Song by three lengths over seven furlongs m 1.36 2-5. the last four in 56 l-ssec. Honest Maid did her work nicely and pleased more than First Song. . Galleon and Silver Dart were going better than Euge at the end of six furlongs in 1.22 1-5. . . The Rosenor.mare in F. W. Ellis s stable beat Moneyless and Clatter over five furlongs in 1.8. Clatter was all at sea in the going and finished well back. Irish Birdcatcher was much too good for Johnny and Golden Lap over six furlongs in 1.22 4-5, the last four m 56 1-5. . , • , . Silk Arrow was not doing Iks best to run four furlongs in 53 3-ssec.—-the best of the morning for the disYourig Sentinel and Signaller were on terms at the crid of a mile in 1,56. Great Shot and Cough ran four furlongs in ,54sec, the former finishing under a strong pull. ■ Enwood ran five furlongs comfortably in 1.8 2-5, and Miss Winston and Waiponnamu left four furlongs behind in 55 2-ssec. . ■ ■ THE WAIRIO MEETING. The jubilee meeting of the Wairio Jockey Club will be held l to-morrow afternoon, and the fields promise to be almost a record for the club. . Recent rains have had a beneficial 'effect on the course, which is reported to be in excellent order. . The following horses should run well in their respective engagements; — 12.30 — Birchwood Harden Handicap, 6f.—Galleon, Euge, Vavemai. 1.10 — Nightcaps Harness Trot, lim. —Vacatioii-Blue Prince bracket, John Desborough, Tour. 1.50 — Woodlaw Handicap, 6£f. —Irish Birdcatcher, Juno the Third, Silver Dart. . 2.30 — Wairio Jubilee Cup, 14m. — Honest Maid, Venite, Broken Rule. 3.10 — Forde Memorial Steeplechase, about 24m.—Umtali, Panocha, Possum. 3.50 Wairaki Handicap, sf.—Bay Duke, Silk Arrow, Maid of the East. 4.30 Ohai Saddle Trot, 14m.—Fortune King, Seamark, Autogo-Happiness bracket. s.ls—Bates Memorial Handicap, Im. —Beam, Queen of Song, Bay Biddy. JOTTINGS. The single-pool system of betting will be in operation at Wairio to-morrow, and dividends paid in the proportion of 75 per cent, on the first horse and 25 per cent, on the second. Southern Smile, who won a double at the Vincent Meeting, is a four-year- , old filly by Adioo Guy from Regina Logan, by" Logan Pointer—Regina de Oro, by Copa de Oro—Regina Belle. The committee of the Dunedin Jockey Club inspected the course and appointments at Wingatui on Wednesday afternoon. It has been .decided to complete the work of top-dressing the plough track with tan. . The nominations received by the Tapanui Racing Club for its meeting to be held on February 6 are very satisfactory, and the club’s appeal to owners to assist in keeping this old permit alive has been well responded to by owners.

TROTTING. January 19.—-N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. January 26.—Timaru Trotting Club. Jan. 31. Feb. 2.—Forbury Park T.C, February 9. —Wellington T.C. February 16.—Kaikoura T.C. February 16. 20.—Auckland T.C. February 23.—New Brighton T.C. March 1, 2.—lnvercargill T.C. March 2.—Wellington T.C. March 9.—Timaru T.C. March 9. —Marlborough T.C. March 13.—Wyndham T.C. March 16. —Cheviot T.C. March 25.—Wairarapa T.C. March 23. —Roxburgh T.C. March 23.—Auckland T.C. March 30. —Thames T.C. March 30.—Manawatu T.C.

Trivet, Guarantee, and Kemal Pasha were shipped north for the Wellington Meeting on the Maheno, which sailed this afternoon. An owner who raced a horse each day at the Vincent Meeting says that nomination, acceptance, and riding fees together with railage and stabling at Omakau cost him £lB for the two The following horses will be bracketed on the race card at Wairio to-mor-row : —Autogo and Happiness, Blue Prince and Vacation, Bondi Chimes and Grade, and Silver Guy and Sunup in the Nightcaps Trot; Bowlands and Pompax in the Jubilee Cup; and Autogo and Happiness in the Ohai Saddle Trot. . , n The mid-summer meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club will be held on the Saturday prior to the Dunedin Cup Meeting this year, and will provide trainers with an excellent chance of giving their horses a run in public before the local meeting. Nominations close on January 25 at 8 p.m. It is reported from Cromwell that there is no chance of this early , established club’s permit being allowed to lapse, and good promises of support have been received from down country owners of patronage to the race meeting. The dates allotted the club, March 8 and 9, are clear of all other meetings in the South Island, and with good organisation the meeting should be made successful. Compris, now in Ceylon, holds the time record for the Wellington Cup. He won in 1932 in 2min 29sec. This was the Australian and New Zealand record for a mile and a-half until Gaine Carrington won the Caulfield Cup of 1933 in 2min 28isec. Compris still holds the New Zealand record. Nominations for the Derby of 1935, to be run at Epsom on Wednesday, June 5, numbered 291. On December 3 the number remaining in the race was 183. That seems plenty to choose from, but bookmakers were then already offering comparatively short odds about several of the candidates. Roy Reed easily holds the riding record for the Wellington Cup. Including two dead-heats he has won it six times, scoring on Rewi. Poto (dead heat with Red Ribbon) 1919, Kilmopn (dead heat with Oratress) 1920, Maioha 1921, Rapine 1923, Star Stranger 1928, and Compris 1932. His brother, Ashley Reed, who has been living in Melbourne since 1924. won the Wellington Cup on Bee in 1916, and on Bunting in 1917. , . L. J. Ellis and G. Humphries arrived at Invercargill from Christchurch on Wednesday by motor car, and were riding work at Invercargill next morning. Ellis will do the riding for his brother s —F. W. Ellis—stable and Humphries will have the mount on Honest Maid in the Wairio Cup, though it was the latter’s intention not to do any riding at the meeting. Mr Tom Walls, famous now as a him star, theatrical manager, and ownertrainer of racehorses, always had two racing ambitions. One was to win the Derby, which h© accomplished with April the Fifth, and the other to win the Grand National Steeplechase. According to present intentions, Grafty Alice is to run for him in the lastmentioned race this year, and she is to be ridden by T. Walls, jun.. who has already proved himself a good amateur jockey. Even'if all the acceptors go to the post, the field for the Wellington Cup, to be run on Tuesday, will be the smallest since 1918. In that year Nobleman beat eleven opponents. To find another occasion when the field failed to reach more than a dozen it is necessary to go back to 1911, when eight started, and Miss Mischief won, in earlier days the field as often as not failed to reach double figures. In both 1898 and 1902 there were only four starters, Mr G. G. Stead winning each time with respectively Uniform and St. Michael. The largest field in thus event was in 1929, when twentyone started, and Vertigern won. Although Winooka is regarded as favourably weighted in the A.. J.C. Challenge Stakes at 10.5 there is no possibility of his running. The Windbag horse is suffering from a burst hoof, and while the trainer, M. Poison, regards the trouble as serioMs it is not anticipated that it will mar his future. It was ‘after competing in the Carrington Stakes that Winooka’s near hind hoof cracked. The injured heel was cut away, and lie has been shod with a bar shoe to keep pressure from it. In the meantime Poison intends to restrict Winooka to easy exercise, but at least three weeks will elapse before it is known whether the autumn itinerary mapped out for him will be affected. Indianapolis was worked in a light sulky on Tuesday morning, and he did not appear to appreciate the change from a long-shafted vehicle. He will become accustomed to the sulky, which is much more suitable for speed making that a jogging cart is. The difference in the weight between a sulky and a jogging cart is 121 b. In America the sulky is used by every trainer for racing purposes, because it is better balanced than a and it is faster and easier on a horse than the jogging cart or the speed cart. In New Zealand the long-shafted cart, with a narrow wheel base, is the most populdThe Free Handicap, the knnual official ranking of ‘England’s two-year-olds, was issued on November 29. Bahrain (by Blandford) was awarded pride of place with 9.7. Next come Hairan (by Fairway) and Theft bv letratema) with 9.6 apiece. Each of this trio is owned by the Aga Khan. I ourth on the list is Bobsleigh (by Gainsborough), owned by Lord Derby, with 9.3. The next two are Maltravers (by Mr Jinks) 9.0, and Shahali (by Sansovino) 8.13. Both of these two are, like the first three in the handicap, trained by Frank Butters. Shahali belongs to the Aga Khan and Maltravers to Mr T. Lant. Shahali is not engaged m the Derby, but all of the others are.