RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22193, 22 November 1935, Page 6

RACING NOTES

RACING. / November 23.—Bay; of Islands R.O. November 23. Levin R.C. Novcoiber 25.~"SouthlB.fld R.C» November 30.—Ashburton R-C. November 30, Deeember 2.—Takapuna November 30, December 2.—Fending J.C. Dec. 6, 7.—Wood villa District J.C. Deo. 7, 9.—Dargavilla R.O. Dec. 14.—Waipa R.O. Dec. 14.—Hororato R.C. Dec. 14.—Otaki Maori R.C. Dec. 26.—Waipukurau J.C. Dec. 26, 28.—Taranaki J.C. Deo. 26, 28, 30.—Westland R.C. Dec. 26. 28.—Dunedin J.C. Dec. 26, 27, 28.—Manawatu R.C. -Dec. 26. 30, Jan. 1,, 2.—Auckland K.C.

INVERCARGILL TO-MORROW. The Southland Racing Club will hold ita Spring Meeting to-morrow, and fairly satisfactory acceptances have been received for a one-day fixture. These one-day meetings are not looked on favourably by owners on account of the heavy transport charges by the Railway Department. Over 30 years ago the Southland Racing Club used to hold a two-day fixture in the spring, but after running it at a loss for several years altered it to the autumn. In those days, with free railage back irqm a race meeting it cost about one-third of the present rate of railing a horse from Wingatui to Invercargill and back. ... . The course at Invercargill is reported to be in excellent condition, and as this is the last race meeting in Otago or Southland until Christmas time it should attract a good attendance, A special train will leave Dunedin at 7.6 for Invercargill, and return after the meeting, leaving at 6.40 p.m. ' , The first race is timed to start at 12.46, and the following horses should be fancied in their respective engagements :—. Southland High-weight Handicap. Im.—Golden Lap, Impala, Sungem. Waverley Trot. IJm.—Master Garry, Belle Grattan, Royal Author. Flying Handicap. 6f.—All Humbug, Bay Duke, Beam. Itoslyn Trial Handicap. 6f.—Wild Career, Palermo, Ocean Singer. Southland Cup. IJm. —Amy Johnson, Milford, Honest Maid. New River Trot. lim. —Eighteen Carat, Royal Guy, Sunny . Southland. Stewart Island Hack Handicap. 7f. Bay Biddy, Island Linnet, Surge. Tradesmen’s Handicap. Im. All Humbug (if reserved), Grand Finale, Horn’s Reef. THE VOITRE TOUCH. “ Because 1 followed up a win on Marabou in the Melbourne Cup with a double at Ascot the following day, and then won the Oaks on Nalda the next (day, people are suggesting that I have some magic riding knack that is denied to other jockeys/’ said Keith Voitre jn an interview with the Sydney Sun.’ “ But the only reason I can give for managing to win so often is that I ride as, intelligently as I can. Astride a horse and waiting for the barrier to go up I have my tactics already laid out, said Voitre. “That is if you could call them tactics. I tell myself I must take the shortest way home and cover the distance a bit more quickly than the others. Whether I do or not usually depends about 80 per cent, on the horse and only 20 per cent, on my self.” At tho age of 12, Voitre’s one ambition was to be a bank clerk. At 13, as stable rouseabout at Otaki, New Zealand, he was mildly interested in the prospect of becoming a pockey. His first ride in a race was disastrous. He finished a bad last. To-day, at 22, he is the most successful jockey in Australia. Voitre was still at school ■when he begi\n his racing career., Twelve months later he became apprenticed to Hatch, and it is to Hatch that he says-he owes most of his riding ability. Voitre made his first ride in public after six months with Hatch and finished a oad last. He won his first race at Carterton on Callanmore, over six furlongs, and says he will never forget the thrill of passing the post first. “ After 12 months in the saddle I had ridden 18 winners,” said Voitre. “ The following year I brought 32 home, and in the next season 48. By that time I had an easy seat in the saddle, but most of my races were ridden according to my trainer’s instructions, and his judgment played a big part in my success. In 1933 I put up a New Zealand record with 123 wins, and it was then they began talking ( about my uncanny skill. The next year I came over to Australia, where the greatest races of my career have been ridden.” , There are three important points in" Voitre’s riding—ability to get the best out of a horse, ability to get and keep a good position in a race, and the knowledge lof just when to begin a finishing run. “ A good jockey,” said Voitre, “ should be able to judge how the other runners are going and how much they, too, have in reserve.” Voitre said ho never used a whip unless he was absolutely forced to it. (Often a hard whack with a _ whip would throw a horse out of its stride. “ Common sense ■as well as decency should make jockeys use their mounts as kindly ’as they possibly can,” he addedi. Voitre lias never been in a Turkish bath in his life. He eats normal meals, but if he has to take off weight he “ just goes slow with his food.” He intends to remain in Australia for many years, accepting engagements as they come and saving his money for the future. England has no charm for him now. “In time I hope to have saved enough to live in comfort when age or other circumstances demand iby retirement. That,” he concluded, “is merely common sense, for a jockey knows not the day or the hour.” FORBURY PARK NEXT WEEK. Tho Forbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting to be held on Thursday and Saturday of next week promises to be one of the most successful spring fixtures the club has ever held. The fields will be good, and include some of the best horses racing at the New Zealand Cup fixture last week. Two of the star performers engaged are the champion four-year-old pacer Gamble and another champion in the trotter Todd Lonzia. The track has never been in better order than it_ is at the present time, and with a continuance of good weather until after the meeting ft is probable that several new time records will be established. Several improvements have been carried out since the last meeting, including a new totalisator house in the outside enclosure. , . . . , , Acceptances close this evening at 5 o’clock, and it is not expected that many will drop. put*

[By St. Glair.]

TROTTING. November 28, 30. —Forbury Perk T.C. December 7,—Te Aroba T.C. December 7.—New Brighton T.C. Dec. 26.—Ashburton T.C. Dec. 26.—Gore T.C. Dec. 26, 28. —Wairarapa T.C. Dec. 26, 27.—Westport T.C. Dec. 27, 28, 31.—Auckland T.C. Dec. 28. —Win ton T.C. Jan. 1, 2.—Canterbury Park T.C. Jan.- 4, 6.—Greymouth T.C. Jan. 10. —Reefton T.C. Jan. 18.—Timaru T.C. Jan. 25.—N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. Jan. 30, Feb. I.—Forbury Park T.O.

JOTTINGS. Acceptances for th© first day of the Forbury Park Spring Meeting close today at 5 p.m. The first race at Invercargill to-mor-row is timed to start at !2.45. Win and place betting will be in operation at Invercargill. The special train from Invercargill to-morrow evening will leave at 6.40, not 6.4 as statea in our advertising columns last evening. It is reported that L. J. Ellis will be riding at the Southland meeting tomorrow. If so, there will be a rush to follow his mounts after his successful ruu at Riccarton last week. While at the New Zealand Cup Meeting Mr J. A. Hannah received information that his brood mare Caress had died. Caress was the dam of Cuddle and Padishah, both winners at Riccarton. The starting harrier at Invercargill to-morrow will be in the hands of Mr T. Marshall, the club’s caretaker. . Mr Marshall has had previous experience at several of the country meetings in Southland.

Honest Maid has several good performances to her credit, and is reported to be very well just now. Under 7.0 she will be staying on at the end of the Southland Cup to-morrow when some of the others are stopping.

Mr P. D. Mao Nab will act as starter at the Ashburton meeting next week, owing to the club’s official, Mr A. J. Hastings, being engaged at the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s fixture on the same day.

The committee of the Ashburton County Racing Club has decided to continue the John Grigg Stakes, for two-year-olds, and for next year’s race the stake will be increased to £3OO, £SO more than last year. Entries for this event will be called next month.

Wild Career, by Balboa from that good mare Full Fling, is little more than a pony, but has a lot of speed. At the Gore Meeting last month ho was badly left, and then ran fourth to Great Empire, Palarino, and Wall Street. Wild Career is engaged in the Roslyn Trial Handicap to-morrow, and promises to be one of the hardest to beat.

Indianapolis, in the Free-for-All, split the same hoof that was injured a few days before he won the New Zealand Trotting Cup last year. His trainer transported the champion to various tracks during preparation for last Week’s contest, because those tracks were soft, Indianapolis’s feet are a constant, worry to his trainer, but it is hoped that time will remedy the weakness.

The ‘ Southland Times 5 reports that Kingussie, by Some Boy ll.—Spanish Princess, a .novice flat entrant at the S.R.C. Meeting _on Saturday, and trained by J. Thistleton, at Riverton, came to grief in a training work-out during the week, and injured a shoulder to the extent that he had to be destroyed. Kingussie ranked as an unraced aged brother to a good performer in Toreador. •

Blue Spark changed stables after the Gore Racing Club’s Spring Meeting, and is now being trained at Gore by A. J. Scott. The Matchlight—Dusky Maid pacer was a costly proposition to backers last season. He has displayed speed on the tracks and in races, but has proved unreliable. He was strongly supported in practically all his outings last season, but when he won at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s Meeting, his only success, he was_ an outsider. In his three starts this season he was well supported, and at Gore on both days he let the public down badly. Previously trained at New Brighton and Fprbury Park, Blue Spark may yet settle down with work on the grass tracks.

The trotting gelding Ganton has been purchased by R. W. Franks. Ganton is a half-brother to Indianapolis, but is not §o good. He was ibred by Miss P. Norton and F. Holmes, but early in his career he was acquired by R. W. Franks, who won two races with the gelding, who is a trotter. Franks then sold him to the North Island sportsman, Mr W. Hoskins, who placed l him in P. J. Smith’s stable at Tflkanini. Smith won several races with the son of Drusus and Estella Amos, and when the gelding reached a tight mark for Auckland events he was transferred to J. S. Shaw’s stable at Addington. Under Shaw’s supervision Ganton won a twomile race at Addington in August, and paid a big dividend. He has started several times since then, but the soft tracks have militated against further successes.

The W. F. James Cup Handicap, to be decided on the opening day of the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s Meeting, is worth 400sovs, and the stake is commensurate with the 4min 32sec class that governs the race. A big field should go to the post if the nominations are a guide, and included are several horses that have raced prominently of late and give promise of reaching the highest class. Nothing in the race makes a more direct appeal than the Dunedin-owned Iraq, a brilliant sprinter, and-one who has shown himself capable of racing over two miles (says the ‘ Press In his eight winning efforts last season he won three races over a mile and a-half, three of a mile and a-quarter, and two each of one mile, but at the August Meeting he won the Canterbury Handicap of two miles in 4min 27 2-ssec. His most troublesome opponent may be Recess, a good, genuine race rnaro and apparently a stayer. Encounter should be improved by her recent racing,''and at her best she is a genuine two-miler. Her winning turn is overdue. Little Nelson does not appear honest in a pinch, but it would be in-

teresting to see Gamble from 60yds behind in such a race. The task may not bo beyond the brilliant chestnut, but later in the day he elamis an engagement in the Dash Handicap, of a mile and a-quarter, a race in which he is asked to give away 24yds. An excellent judge in his trainer, M. B. Edwards, will not allow Gamble to start twice in one day, and the possibilities are the Dash Handicap will be the race selected. At first glance Iraq, Recess, and Encounter should be well supported..