RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21994, 2 April 1935, Page 6

RACING NOTES

RACING. April 4Waimate R.C. ' April 6, B;—Dargaville R.C. April 6.—South Canterbury J.C. April 9, 10.—Pahiatua R.C. April 11, 13.—Whangarei R.C. April 13.—Otaufau R.C. April 13.—Taranaki T.C. April 13, 15.—Westport J.C. April 20.—Tuapeka J.C. April 20, 22. —Wairarapa J.C. April 20, 22.—Feilding J.C. April 20, 22.—Auckland R.C. April 20, 22, 23.—Riverton R.C. April 22. —Beaumont R.C. April 22.—Waipukurau J.C. April 22.—Kumara R.C. April 22. 23.—Canterbury J.C. April 24, 27.— Greymouth J.C. April 27.—Marten J.C. April 27, 29. —Avondale J.C. THE ASCOT SMASH. „ •ih’lr [Special to the ‘ Star.’! ■s' AUCKLAND, April 1. Eight jockeys were injured and three horses were killed in the accident which occurred during the running of the second division of the Flying Handicap at Ascot, near Sydney, last Wednesday. Ten of the fourteen horses in the race came down, the accident occurring as the field neared the two-furlong post. There was no interference. Myahmin (W. Fellows) was leading from Staccato (J. Tyler) and Bim Boy (J. Pratt), and behind these three, galloping on his own, was The Motorist. He was not near enough to rea'fch the heels of tho horses in front, but suddenly he stumbled, turned outwards, and before he could fall the oncoming horses,, who were more or less bunched, struck him. The horses piled up and then spreadeagled across the track. Labour Girl was killed ..instantly, and The Motorist (who broke his near shoulder) and Juanita (who broke her back) were destroyed. Gee Kay suffered a wound over the near eye necessitating stitches, ' Launcelot _ a deep wound on the off forearm, Nike a wound above the off knee and stifle, and Cordova a wound on the near foreleg and pastern'. Although Glenwitch; ' ridden by E. Britt, was near the rear of the field, he did not come down. He could be seen approaching the fallen, horses, and Rider Britt said afterwards-. that Mulligan saved him from being,, involved. ■ Just as it seemed impossible for him Jto get Glenwitch clear ‘Mulligan, in his efforts to save his mount (Sky Brightener) from falling, collided with Glen witch with sufficient force to bump him out of the way. Sky Brightener fell over another horse, and as he turned over in the air his heels grazed Britt’s breeches, and almost caused him to lose his balance. . By this time, however, Glenwitch was. wide out on the track, and he continued in the race to run second to " Staccato, who was closely followed by Bim Boy an<L Myahmin before the horses reached the winning post. ‘ . A large section of the people in the St. Leger reserve jumped the fence and rushed round the course to the scene, but the police soon had the-crowd in control, and the arrival of additional ambulances within a few minute? of . the accident enabled the injured riders to be speedily assisted. The injured riders were taken to the South Sydney Hospital;: and M'Elhinney, O’Sullivan, and M‘Hugh were admitted.. Knox .and Lightfoot were subsequently admitted to St. Vincent’s Hospital; . At St. Vincent’s Hospital Knox, rider of Labour Girl, said that he did not remember, very much about the smash. In the early -part of.the. race, he said, “ I met with a little interference and was running near the - tail of the field. Suddenly the horses in front of me seemed to disappear, and although my mount jumped to one side to avoid the other falling horses she came down heavily on her neck. What happened after that is more than I can say._ I seemed to be in the midst of kicking horses, and the next thing I knew 1 was in the ambulance/’ D. Lightfoot, who rode The Motorist, the first horse to fall, said that he could not. account for the smash. “ I was running alongside Bim Boy as we approached the two furlongs post, just behind Myahmin and Staccato. Suddenly I felt my mount falling, and everything went black until ! woke up in the casualty room. I don’t know ■if "my horse broke a leg or whether he crossed them, it was all too quick for me to get even an inkling as to how it happened.” One of the most amazing incidents was the attempt of Hoy Carter, rider of Nike, to jump the rails to avoid The Motorist, who'had crashed in front of him. “ The smash gave me the greatest shock I have ever had as a rider. It looked terrible. First of all I saw only one horse down, then over went another, and the rest came rolling and tumbling towards nie. I saw only one jockey get up, and 1 was afraid that the others had been killed. It all happened so rapidly that I could not tell how it did occur.” Carter added that one of the jockeys had been injured in an extraordinary fashion, another horse hitting him and forcing the whip into his leg, inflicting a nasty wound. JOTTINGS. Acceptances for the Great Easter and Autumn Handicaps, first forfeits for the Champagne and Challenge Stakes, and nominations for the minor events to be decided at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Meeting, close on Friday at 8 p.m. K. Voitre, who has done so well in the saddle in Melbourne recently, will go to Sydney to ride Silver Jubilee in the A.J.C. Doncaster Handicap. According to the - Sydney correspondent of the ‘ Australasian,’ Peter Pan was backward in condition when he won the Eandwick Stakes. Broken Rule was not able to start at the Birchwood Meeting on Saturday on account of having been kicked by a stablcmate.

L. J. Ellis, who is now leading W. J. Broughton by one win for the jockey premiership, will ride Capital; Bella Rosa, Silver Sight, and Coatette at Waimate on Thursday. A. E. Ellis has been engaged to ride Gay Crest at Waimate and Washdyko this week, and H. Turner will have the mount on Grecian Prince in the Highweight Handicap at Waimate. Hunting Go was not paid up for at Waimate, but will be seen at Washdyke on Saturday. The bigger track at the latter centre should suit Hunting Go, and he will have the services of L. J. Ellis.

Master Garry and Neola, both off the limit, were omitted from the list of acceptances for the Morveh Trot, and Glen Lady, Master Garry, and Neola, also on the limit, from the Hook Trot at the Waimate Meeting. The nominations received for the Tuapeka (Lawrence) and Beaumont Meetings are the best either club has had for many years, and they should provide good holiday attractions tor Dunedin racegoers who do not wish to go further abroad.

May 1. —Reefton J.C. May 4, 6.—Hawke’s Bay J. C. May 4, 6.—Egniont J.C. May 4, 6.—Westland R.C. May 6. —Dunedin J.C. TROTTING. April 3.—Manawatu T.C. April 6.—Wanganui T.C. April 13.—Wanganui T.C. April 13.—Ashburton T.C. April 17.—Rotorua T.C. April 20, 22.—Hawera T.C. April 20. 24.—N Z. Metrspolitea TC. April 27.—Taranaki T.C. April 27.—Methven T.C. May 2, 4.—Forbury Park T.C. May 4.—Cambridge T.C. May 11.—Waikato T.C. May 11.—Oamaru T.C. Mackinnon and Cox Proprietary Ltd. have bought the name and goodwill of the bloodstock firm of William C. Yiiille and Co. Proprietary Ltd. On April 3 William C. Yuille and Co. will conduct the Melton Park dispersal sale, and that will be the firm’s last sale. Subsequently Mackinnon and Cox will conduct all sales of' bloodstock in Melbourne.

It is reported from Southland that Mr Henderson Hunter, who has very capably filled the offices of secretary to the Wyndhara Racing and Trotting Clubs for some years is retiring at the end of this season. During his term of office Mr Hunter has proved himself to be one of.the best country club secretaries in the South Island, and he has done a great deal towards popularising the two meetings he controls. It is reported (says the ‘ Sun ’) that Mr J. R. M’Kenzie has engaged M. Holmes to drive his promising two-year-old, Double Great, in the next New Zealand Sapling Stakes. Double Great showed great dash in his outing at the matinee meeting, and he will only need to go on the right way to be a strong contender for classic honours. It is probable that the South Canterbury Jockey Glub will fall into line with Riccarton, 'Wellington, and other meetings, and secure permission from the conference to alter the method of drawing for barrier positions. At present all the riders are paraded at the scales and each boy draws his own marble. This entails a good deal of time in getting the riders together, and the rules of racing now make it permissible for the draw to be made by stewards appointed for the _ purpose under the superintendence of either the judge or tne stipendary steward.— ‘Timaru Herald.’ Mr J. C. Clarkson, who died at Christchurch on Saturday, was a prominent member of the Metropolitan Trotting Club, and was chairman of its programme committee. In partnership with Mr F. Graham, he raced a good many pacers and trotters, and formerly he was a well-known winner of gallopers, most of which were trained by and some raced in partnership with J. B. Pearson. Clean Sweep won the Winter Cup in the colours of this partnership, and another good winner he owned was Red Wink, who accounted for a Great Autumn and an Invercargill Cup. Count Ito, winner of the Newmarket Handicap, C. M. Lloyd Stakes, and other races in Melbourne this autumn, is a confirmed tail-swisher. It is generally argued that when a horse commences to swish his tail when racing it is a sign that he has had enough or that he does not relish the task ahead. Neither applies to Count Ito, who has proved himself a real bulldog. Count Ito’s habit prompted inquiries in Melbourne as to other genuine performers who had the same trick, and quite a long list was evolved. Heroic (occasionally) , Whittier, Coolstone, Quintus, Lochano, Emir. Valicare. Beppinson, and Cadonia—all horses who paid their way well—were instanced. If Voitre made a mess of things with Farudale earlier in the day at the V.A.T.C. meeting last month (writes “Chiron,” in the ‘Australasian’), he attoned for it by the masterly manner in which he rode Sarokos, who was favourite for the Übique Welter. Sarokos was out .in front when the field had setled down, and Voitre rode him a nice waiting race in front. Stryraon ran up to him as they went over the hill at the back of the course, and the pair raced together for the remainder of the journey. Half-way up the straight Strymon appeared to be going a shade bettor than Sarokos, whom Voitre was nursing with remarkable patience for a final burst.. H© made his effort right on-the post, and Sarokos responded well to win by half a head. It was an artistic piece of riding. Fifty thousand spectators saw the Irish-bred Azucar win the Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita Park, at Arcadia, California, on February 23, He covered the mile and a-quarter in 2min 2 l-ssec, a track record. Tho race was worth 127,000d0l (£25,000). This has been surpassed in America only by the 1929 Futurity at Belmont Park. The value of that race was 130,260d0l (£26,052). However, Azucar’s share of the stake—viz., 109,500d0l (£21,900) is a record for America. Equipoise played up at the post and got away poorly. He finished seventh, just behind Mate, but three places ahead of Twenty Grand. Ted Clark, who acted as pacemaker, ran the first two furlongs in 0.22 3-ssec, and the first mile in Imin 36 4-ssec. The totalisator (parimutene) aggregate for the day’s racing was 750,000d0l (£150,000). Mention of Chesney (writes “Chiron” in the ‘Australasian’) recalls to mind a chat I had recently with Mr W. T. Hazlett. We were talking of the remarkably high percentage of winners bred by New Zealand studs, and Mr Hazlett attributed the success of New Zealand horses to the climate and pastures, which, he claimed, more nearly resembled that of England than does Australia. He was stressing tho value of limestone in the pastures and its influence on the stock raised thereon, when Andrew Ferguson joined in the discussion with the remark: “Here is an instance which rather Upsets your theory about the value of the country on which horses are bred. . I suppose you will bo surprised to learn that Malvolio was bred where there is not a particle of limestone, as he was foaled on the Williamstown racecourse and reared there. You won’t find much limestone on the Williamstown racecourse.” (Chesney was one of two horses that were turned loose to fend for themselves when the Thermopylae was piled up on the rocks at the entrance to Table Bay, South Africa, in 1899, and they both managed, to get ashore. Chesney, who was a brother to Malvolio and Matuma, continued his journey to England, but afterwards returned to South Africa, where he did well both as a racehorse and as a sire.)

Referring to the chances of Sans Peine, who is to take up stud duties at Elderslie next season, and shares, with Hall Mark, the honour of top weight in the Sydney Cup, “ Chiron,” in the ‘ Australasian,’ says: Sans Peine was a good three-year-old in England, and if we could be satisfied that he has regained his English form after being transported halfway round the world he would have an undoubted

chance even with 9.7, The last race in which he ran in England was the Lcger, won by Hyperion, and lie was with Hyperion as they turned into the straight, and he weakened to finish seventh. Previously, however, he had been started to act as pacemaker for ins stabie mate, Foxhunter, in the Goodwood Cup. Foxhunter broke down in tiie race, and Sans Peine went on 'and won it from Brown Jack, Ximcnes, and Brulette. At Ascot be won the King Edward VII. Stakes, run over a mile and a-half, having' behind him Felicitation, The Boy Blue, Thrapston, and Solfatara. It will be seen that he represented real class and was an excellent stayer. He, however, has not been long in this country, and may not yet be acclimatised, although lie is doing well in his work at Rand wick under the care of Jack King. It was not only in Dunedin that May 6 appealed as a suitable date for a trotting fixture (says the Christchurch ‘ Star ’). The Canterbury Park Trotting Club has had a good deni of trouble with the weather for its meeting, early in June, and as a result it has been hit financially. With a desire to serve all interests it wished to transfer one day and to race on Monday, May 6. The application, however, drew a strong protest from Forhury Park,

and the Trotting Conference declined to sanction the change. It is not hard to make out a strong case why Canterbury Park should have been allowed to race on May G, particularly with Forbury Park using its original dates. The two clubs do not cater all through, for the same class of horses, and there are plenty available in Canterbury for both programmes, while there would be ample time for those who wont to Dunedin to be back to race at Addington. Forbury Park, with its two days, would have offered a stronger attraction to most of the trainers than a One-day meeting of the Canterbury Park Club. The latter club was taking the risk, so there did not seem much need for Forbury Park to raise objection. A point made by, a Christchurch official seems to have some merit. The two meetings are held more than 200 miles apart, and it is a strange position, he contends, that a Christchurch club should be denied the right to provide a meeting for horses trained on its Own course in order that those horses should be free to travel a long journey to race.