RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21992, 30 March 1935, Page 6

RACING NOTES

RACING. April 4 Waimate R.C. April 6, 8. —Dargaville H.G. April 6.—South Canterbury J.O, April 9, 10.—Pahiatua R.C. April 11, 13.—'Whangarei E.C. April 13.—Otautau R.C. April 13.—Taranaki T.C. April 13, 15.—Westport J.G. April 20. —Tuapeka J.O. April 20, 22.—Wairarapa J.C. April 20, 22.—Pcilding J.C. April 20, 22.—Auckland R.C. April 20 , 22, 23.—Riverton R.C. April 22. —Beaumont R.C. April 22. Waipukurnn J.C. April 22.—Kmnara R.C. April 22, 23. —Canterbury J.C. April 24 , 27. Crcymouth J.C. April 27.—Marlon J.C. April 27, 29.—Avondale J.C.

LIVERPOOL GRAND NATIONAL. Tiie Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase, run at Aintree yesterday, and won by Reynoldstown, is the world’s greatest cross-country event, and attracts as much attention as any race in the Empire. The race is run over a course of about four miles and 856yds, and carries a stake of £4.000, including a trophy valued at £2OO, together with a sweepstake of £IOO for each starter. The sweepstake payments are made up as follows: —Entrance £lO, first acceptance £SO extra, final acceptance £4O extra. The trainer of the winner receives a cup valued at £SO and the rider of the winner a cup valued at T'«. fences to be negotiated in the cii e number thirty, and some idea of iheir formidable character may be gained from the following description ; 1 and 17.—Thorn fence (gorse), 4ft bin high and 2ft 6in wide. 2 and 18.—-Thorn fence (gorse), 4ft 6in high and Oft wide. 0 ami 19,—Thorn fence (fir), sft high and 3ft wide, with ditch on take-off side Cft wide. 2ft deep, banked up to guard rail, Ift 6iu high, in front of the ditch. 4 and 20.—Thorn fence (gorse), sft high and 3ft wide. 5 and 21.—Thorn fence (gorse), sft high and 3fb*wide. 6 and 22.—“ Beecher’s Brook,” a thorn fence (fir). sft high, 3ft 3in wide, with a natural brook on the landing side sft Sin wide, and a drop of 6ft. 7 and 23.—Thorn fence (gorse), 4ft lOin high. 3ft wide. 8 and 24.—“ The Corral Turn,” a thorn fence (gorse), sft high, 3ft wide, a ditch on the take-off side Oft wide, 2ft deep, banked up to the guard rail, Ift 6in high, in front of the ditch. 9 ami 25.—“ Valentine’s Brook,” a thorn fence (fir), 4ft llin high, 3ft wide, with a natural brook on the far side, sft 6in wide, and a drop of 6ft. 10 and 26.—Thorn fence (gorse), sft high and 3ft wide. 11 and 27.—Thorn fence (gor.se), sft high, 3ft wide, ditch on take-off side oft wide, 2ft deep, banked to the guard rail, Ift Gin high, in front of the ditch, and a drop of 6ft. 12 and 28.—Thorn fence (gorse), 4ft 1.1 in high, 3ft wide, with ditch on landing side sft Gin wide and 4ft deep. 13 and 29.—Thom fence (spruce), 4ft 9in high and 3ft wide. 1.4 and 30.—Thorn fence (spruce). 4ft 7in Inch and 3ft wide. 15. —“ The Open Ditch.” a thorn fence (spruce), sft 2in high. 3ft 9in wide, ditch on take-off side 6ft wide, 2ft deep, ami banked to guard rail, Ift Gin high, in front of the ditch. 16. The Water Jump.” a ditch 15ft wide, blinded with a thorn fence (gorse). 2ft 6in high, 2ft 6in wide, and 12ft Gin of water 3ft deep. PREVIOUS WINNERS. Winners of the Liverpool Grand National, Steeplechase (established in 1839) since 1010'have been:—

(rnlwick. MATA. An interesting story of Mala, winner of the New Zealand Cup in 18S7 (then known as the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap) for the late Henry Redwood. Dunedin Cup in 1879 for “Mr Q. Fraser ” after a dead-beat with Sinking Fund, and again in 1880 for

yfay I.—Rcelton J.C. May 4, 6. —Hawke's Bay J. C. May 4, 6.—Egmont J.C. May 4, 6. —Westland R.C. May 6.—Dunedin J.C. TROTTING. April 3. —Manawalu T.C. Anril 6.—Wanganui T.C. April 13.—Wanganui T.C. April 15.—Ashburton T.C. April 17.—Rotorua T.C. April 20, 22.—Hawera T.C. April 20. 24.—N 52. Metropolitan T C, April 27.—Taranaki T.C. April 27. —Mcthven T.C. May 2, 4. —I'orbury Bark T.C. May 4. —Cambriiisre T.C. May 11.— Waikato T.C, Mav 11.—Oainaru T.C.

the late George Cutts, is told in the 1 Australasian. ’ by “ Chiron ” as follows : The recent death in Melbourne of John Williams, veteran trainer and one-time prominent rider, has awakened memories of a Now Zealand horse who, in the early ’eighties, was the central figure in racing’ sensations in Australia. It was about 1880 that Williams came to Melbourne from Sydney and became attached to the stable of Harry Haines. It was in that way, writes “Chiron” in the Melbourne ‘Australasian,’ that Williams came into association with the “hairy-legged” Mata. Harry Prince and Bob Ray brought Mata from New Zealand for the Melbourne Cup Meeting of 1880, Ray being both rider and trainer. On the third day of the meeting Ray rode Mata in the Royal Park Stakes, a weight-for-ago race, and the New Zealander gave a shocking display, being last of a field of six, Progress winning from Lothnir and Wellington. On the last day Yeomans rode Mata, and he was backed “ off the card ” for the V.R.C. Handicap, and won very easily from The Pontiff and Secundus. Then the stewards became busy, as they could not overlook such a glaring reversal of form. The result was Prince, Ray, and Mata, were disqualified for life, hut Yeomans, of course, was held to be blameless in the matter. Mata was then transferred to the stable of Harry Haines, who took him to Adelaide for the Birthday Cup Meeting in the autumn of 1881. At that time there was a feud between the South Australian Jockey Club and the Adelaide Racing Club, and although the S.A.J.C., as a matter of course, adopted the V.R.C. disqualification, the A.R.C. ignored it and allowed Mata to run at its meeting. Mata was an extraordinary horse, as he could both sprint and stay. Starting equal favourite with Progress for the Birthday Cup, he won very easily. Jack Williams rode him. The quality of the field for that race may be gauged from the fact that it included Savanaka, who had finished a close second to Chester in the 1877 Melbourne Cup, and afterwards won the Australian and Sydney Cups; Progress, a Sydney. Gup winner; Suwarrow, winner of the Victoria Derby, and Pawnbroker, winner of the South Australian Derby. They don’t see fields like that in Adelaide now. Another good horse to win at the meeting was Darebin, then a two-year-old, who the following year won the Birthday Cup, and later the Sydney Cup. It was on the third day of the meeting that Mata displayed his wonderful versatility ns well as his remarkable stamina. For the All-Aged Stakes, a weight-for-age race run over seven furlongs, long odds iTOre laid on him defeating three Opponents, but the two-year-old Kohinoor, belonging to Bob Howie, ran a (lead-heat with him. The next race was the May Handicap, run over a mile and a-quarter, in which Mata carried 10.5 and won easily from Blue Ribbon and Miss Harriet, who, like Mata, had started in the previous race. Then Mata went back to the post again to run off the deadbeat, which he won easily. In each of the three outings that day Mata had been ridden by Williams. Mata did not run again at the meeting On the last day Miss Harriet won the City Handicap. Mata returned to New Zealand, am) passed into the possession of the late Mr James Hazlett, whose son is now racing Sir Simper and other horses in Melbourne. Mr W. T. Hazlett told “ Chiron ” recently that he rode Mata along the beach one day in New Zealand when lie was a small boy, aged seven years, and the horse bolted with him. He was faced with a difficult problem, as Mata was heading for some rocks, and must have killed' himself, hut Mr Hazlett managed to run him up a sandhill and avert the calamity. Mr Hazlett’s father sold him to Mr Stephenson, who raced him for a time and then passed him on to Mr J. Pilbrow. He continued to race for several seasons and won a number of races, but he finally reached the sellingplater class and was ultimately killed as the result of an accident in a hack race.

ENGLISH AND AUSTRALIAN TIMES. There is much evidence in support of the view that the time test is not taken very seriously in horse racing in England, aud, when all the circumstances are narrated, this does not seem remarkable. English racecourses are measured in the centre, aud, naturally, in the case of a circular course, a horse skirting the rails all the way would run considerably less than the advertised distance. It lias also been revealed that certain English courses have not been surveyed and measured for centuries, and, with alterations made to the tracks, barriers have been moved backward or forward, while the winning-post has remained in the same place. The question of iinaking a comparison of time records as between English. American, Australian, and New Zealand racing cab therefore he regarded as valueless as far ns accuracy is concerned. The following is a list of time records for six principal distances in England and Australia ;

Amazing Pace. Mhnilla, winner of the Maribyruoug Plato and Ascot Vale Stakes at Flemlington this season, is evidently a remarkable galloper. ‘ Smith's Weekly,’ in a recent issue, j said of her:—• “ Wo mentioned last week that Excitement, sire of I Himilla. was a bit of an outlaw, who diked things his own way, and once stamped the life out of “ There is an old saw, ‘ Like father, like daughter.’ and that applies particular! v lo Dimilla, Excitement's best

representative on the turf to date. When she won the Ascot Vale Stakes at Flemington, instead of running the shortest route from her No. 1G position at the barrier along the ‘ Malua ’ track, under the eyes of the judge, she veered out to the far side, and finished on the opposite rail, yet won. “People said, ‘What a galloper!’ But what a quandary the stewards are in. They warnqd jockeys before the Newmarket that they mustn’t attempt this sorb of thing, and rubbed out Darby Munro for a month for ‘ disobeying.’ But you can’t warn horses they mustn’t do this, especially two-year-olds of the weaker sex. Even if they understood, they would probably disobey. So they had to let Bimilla off, and her jockey, too, though these broke the regulations about eighty feet worse than Darby Munro did. “ What everybody is wondering about is what Bimilla’s going to do next. Now she knows she can beat everything else, even zig-zagging about a racecourse, she might decide to do a blondin along the top of the rails, or climb a tree,_ or jump the rails, and call in for a drink at the bar, and still land the money. “ She’s the swiftest erratic galloper I have ever seen in all ray life.”

FORBURY PARK TROTTING CLUB. The appearance of the programme fertile Winter Meeting of the Forbury T?ark Trotting Club, to he held on May 2 and 4, has been awaited with interest. The £2,800 given in stakes lias_ been judiciously divided over the sixteen races, and a well-balanced programme is the result. On the first day the King George Handicap (4.32 class) carries £350, and the Flying Handicap (2.47) £2OO. Three of the other races have had £l5O each allotted to them, one £145, and two £l4O. On the second day the Jubilee Handicap (class 4.32 again) has been endowed with £3OO, and the Farewell Handicap (2.47) £2OO, the allocations for the other races being the same as on the first day. Nominations are due on April 17. and Mr G Paul will declare his handicaps for the first day on Easter Monday. JOTTINGS. Handicaps for the Great Easter and Autumn Handicaps are due on Monday, and the first acceptance at 5 p.m. on the following Friday. The 1 Southland Times ’ reports thai R. E. M'Lellan is likely to race five members of his team at the Lawrence and Beaumont Meetings. Parasang will be under the care of Alex. M'Kenzie until the Riverton Meeting, when P. T. Hogan will go south with the remainder of his team for Riverton. Silver Ring was withdrawn from the Great Easier Handicap at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday. Mr H. 1). Greenwood, who purchased the chestnut colt by Limond from Homage at the last sales, has named him Kow Tow. War Paint will have her first northern racing at the Thames Meeting, where she will find Bingen Chief, Nimbus, and Francis Lincoln difficult rivals at the, two miles. C. Emerson has brought in Marcus Cicero and Hino Ra from iheii' long spoil. Both did well during their holiday and arc in good order to undertake another preparation.

Handicaps for the first day of the Riverton meeting are due next 'Wednesday, and any winner after the declaration of weights may he rehandicapped. Rational 11., who has been pottering about H. Nurse's stable since he last raced, will shortly be put into work again with a view to racing over hurdles during the forthcoming jumping season. The principal meetings during the next three months in England will be held as follows : April 6.—Newbury Spring Cup. April 23.—Great Metropolitan Stakes. April 24.—City and Suburban capMay I.—Two Thousand. Guineas. May 3.—One Thousand Guineas. dune s.—Derby Stakes. June 20.—Ascot Gold Cup. W. J. Doyle has in work a bay gelding by Rey de Oro from Lady Brent, therefore a full brother to the Great Northern Derby winner, Subsidy. The two-year-old is a well-grown youngster and shows a lot of promise, but unfortunately for Doyle he overlooked a nomination for the New Zealand Sapling Stakes and the Derbies. The winner of any race of the value of ‘£3oo after the declaration of handicaps for the Great Easter and Autumn Handicaps may be rehandicapped. For the Great Autumn Handicap a special condition reads—“ The winner of the Great Easter Handicap to carry such penalty, if any, not exceeding 71b, as the handicapper may impose and declare.” The following is a list of dates of the principal meetings to be held during the next few weeks in Australia; — April 3.—Hawkesbury R.C. April 4.—Caulfield (Charity). April 6.—Rosehill 11.0. April 10.—Rosoberv R.C. April 13.—V.A.T.C. April 13.—A.J.C. (Warwick Farm). April 17.—Victoria Park R.C. April 20, 22.—Williarnstown R.C. April 20, 22, 24, 27.—A.J.C. May I.—Kensington R.C. May 4.—A.J.C. (Warwick Farm). Nelson Bingen, who was imported from America by Air E. X. Lelievre,_ of Akaroa, and proved a rare asset in New Zealand to breeders, had further attention called to him as a sire at Epsom on Saturday, when his sons, Bingen Chief and Te'Kahu, and a granddaughter, Winaway, won races in very easy fashion/ Derby Fame, who was second in Ids race, is also a grandson of Nelson Bingen. J. Holt, who had a great respect for (ho intelligence of his champion, Eurythmic, tells a story about “Red” (as he was known in the stable) and the sea. Holt was visiting Sydney, and he took the horses down to Coogee for a .swim. Eurythmic was very fond of the sea at home, but there was a shark scare at Coogee at this time, and for the first occasion in his life Eurythmic resolutely refused to put a foot in the water. “ That blank horse reads the papers,” was Holt’s comment. Regarding England’s champion steeplechaser, Golden Miller. “ Meyrick Good ” told the following story in a recent issue of the London ‘ Sporting Life ’ :—“ When the son of Goldconrt was a foal Ids owner was a little pressed for money. He therefore took two brood mares and their foals to Dublin,

hoping to raise £2OO on them. The financier asked the owner where the animals could be seen, and the reply was: “ They are in your yard. 1 have brought them with me.” Dealer and vendor went to view the animals, but one of the foals could not be found. Eventually he was discovered two streets away, with little urchins' playing with him, and regaling him with apple and potato peel! That foal was Golden Miller. The money was not advanced for the four animals, and the owner had to return home with them.” Golden Miller’s trainer, B. Briscoe, said he could not vouch for the story, but it had been related to him, and he believed it to be true.

Year. Horse. A co. Starters. 1010—Jenkinson ... Oyrs 10..1 25 1011 —Glensid<‘ ... Oyrs 10.3 3*5 .1012—jerry M. ... Hors 12.7 LH 1013—Covert Coat ... 7vr< ll.fi 22 1014—Sunloch ... ... Ryrs 0.7 21 10Jo—Ally Sloper ... ... «vr< J0.fi 20 v 1016—Vernmeuth ... fivrs i J1 ,J0 21 M017—Hallymacad ... lllyrs 0.12 10 •1018—Pocthlyn Ryi s JI.fi 77 1010—Toethlyn Oyrs. J2.7 22 1020—Troytown 7vrs 11.9 24 1021—Shaun Spadah JOyrs JJ.7 35 1022—'Music Hull ... Ovrs ll.K 32 1023—Sergeant Murphy 13vrs 11.9 28 102i—Master Robert Uyrs jo. r. 30 1025—Double Chance n y .s 10.0 33 1023—jack Horner Dvrs I0..J 30 1027—Sprig . ... TOyrs 12.1 37 1038—Tipperarv Tim JOyrs io.o 42 1020—Oregabiii 7yrs 11.4 00 1030—Shaun Ooihu JOyrs 11.7 41 1031-OnkIe Oyrs • JJ.7 43 1032—Korbra 7vrs 10.7 30 1033—Kclbboro Jack 7 vis 11.0 34 1031—Golden Miller 8yrs 12.2 30 : Substituted rare on r erount of Great Wa , run at

England. Australia. 1 mile ... 1.32 4-5 1.35| u miles ... 2.0 * 2.2-1 H miles ... 2.26-2-5 2.28* 1-3 miles ... 2.56-3-5 2.561 2 miles ... 3.]9 2-5 3.221 n miles ... 3.45 4-5 3.491