RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22577, 19 February 1937, Page 14

RACING NOTES

RACING. February 20.—tYinton J.C. February 20. —Tologa Bay.J.C. February 20, 22.—Woodville D.J.C. February 20, 22.—Waikato R.C. February 26, 27. —Gore R.C. February 27.—Waiapu R.C. February 27.—Opunake R-G-February 27, March I.—Te Aroha J.C. March 4, 6.—Napier Park R.C. March 6.—Banks Peninsula R.C. March 6.—Rangitikei R.C. March 12, 13.—Cromwell J.C. March 11, 13.—Wellington R.C. March 13. —Birchwood Hunt. March 13,- 17.—Ohinemun J.C. March 19, 20.—Pahiatua R.C. March 20. —Stratford R.C. March 20.—Otautau R.C. AN ENGLISH OWNER Major P. Kerr-Smiley, who left Sydney last week for England, is a wellknown patron of ,f. T. Jamieson s stable and occasional buyer at J rent ham yearling sales. He has raced half a dozen or so horses in Australia and New Zealand during the last few years. The best performer among them was probablv Persian, but the four-year-old Latharna may be a better. _ Since he resumed racing when Jamieson s term of suspension was over, Latharna has won twice, in half a dozen starts, his second success being in the Warwick January Handicap last month. He is a four-year-old son of Liniond and Pomvris, the dam also of Pomp, and cost his owner 800 gs at the Trentharo sales. The major's health was adversely affected by the war. and he now regularly' escapes the English winter by going to Australia. He has left on his return to England earlier than usual this year in order to attend the Coronation. He will not see Latharna under colours again till next summer. JOTTINGS Acceptances for the opening day of the Gore Racing Club’s Summer Meeting close on Monday at 5 p.m. Three consecutive wins in handicap class is usually more than is to be expected from any horse, but three times this feat- was performed over the recent Taranaki and Egmont meetings. The three horses to score trebles were Sansfoy, Friesland, and Great Hope. The stalls at the Invercargill course are being repaired. New roofing iron is being put on, and the roof now slopes back instead of forward, as formerly. This is an improvement, as on several occasions horses have been cut by striking their heads against the beam The grass tracks on the Invercargill course are so heavy as the result of wet weather that many horses are being worked on the sand track. It was unfortunate for trainers that the weather should break so near an important meeting, as naturally they are unable to give their charges the amount of fast work they desire. A two-year-old sister to Knockfin has been put in work by H. Nurse at Riccarton. Like Knockfin, she has a nervous temperament, and this family trait is shown also in Rearm, a four-year-old mare by Rapier from Bella Donna, the grand-dam of the other two. Rearm is being trained by W. M‘Donald. She is small and will not be raced for several months. According to a Riccarton report, Arctic Star has resumed training after a spell, looking in good health, but he will not be ready to run until about May. He may start off with hurdle races, but it is probable that he will be got ready for steeplechases later on. Grey Boy is another that has joined the stable lately. He has had a little experience as a hurdler, but his prospects will depend on how much improvement he can show. Referring to the inquiry at Wiugatui last Saturday evening a northern paper states that in part of his evidence Ellis stated that his mount was carried out wide at the home turn by another horse coming out from the rails, and at

£Bv Sr. Claib.]

TROTTING. February 20.—Now Brighton Trotting Club. March 5, 6. —Invercargill Trotting Club. March 6.—Wellington Trotting Club. March 13.—Wanganui Trotting Club. March 13. —Timaru Trotting Club. March 17.—Wyndbam Trotting Club. March 20.—Cheviot Trotting Club. March 20.—Wanganui Trotting Club. March 27, 29.—Hawera Trotting Club. March 27, 31. —N.Z. Metropolitan Trotting Club. April 3.—Taranaki Trotting Club. April B.“—Reefton Trotting Club. April 10. —Roxburgh Trotting Club. April 10.—Ashburton Trotting Club. April 10.—Thames Trotting Club. April 17.—Manawatu Trotting Club. this stage he was six horses out, and by the time he got his mount straightened up again his chance of taking part in the finish had gone. The evidence of the other riders mentioned was to the effect that, their mounts were pushed out by the same offender,, and Willie Win was on the extreme outside of them. Wotan did not run at Hawera, but there is nothing wrong with him, and he made a public appearance in a trial gallop*each day. His scratching from the Australian Cup means that he is not going to Melbourne, but all going well "lie will bo raced in Sydney. His stable mate, Lo Grand, would have gone to Melbourne had space been available. This well-bred gelding is racing solidly now, and was very unlucky on the Taranaki circuit, especially on Satur day. Roaming, winner at his last start of the Post Handicap at the Midsummer Meeting at Riccarton, has been sold by Mr A. Louisson, and has gone into H. B. Lorrigan’s Treniham stable Roaming is a four-year-old gelding by Nightmarch from the Paper Money mare Waterlow, and he has given indications that he will win over a longer distance than seven furlongs, which is the longest over which he has successfully raced to date. When he was ax Riccarton he was trained by P. V. Mason, who educated qnd developed him. In regard to Golden Miller’s prospects in the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase this year, an English exchange says there is not likely to be any_ market movement in his favour until after the Cheltenham meeting, at which he is to attempt to capture the Gold Cup for the sixth time. There is an interval between this race and the Grand National of only a fortnight, and to ask him to win both may be asking too much. It is, in fact, equivalent to setting the Derby winner to capture the St. Leger a fortnight after running at Epsom. Indeed, the severity of the task is so great as to raise doubt whether Golden Miller will bo sent to Aintree. One of Jimmy Hayes’s “ dont’s ” for jqokey’s is not to be outside kicking distance of the leaders. His argument is that you can then see who is clapping on the pace, and, if necessary, be in a position to follow it without interference. Another error of judgment that has been discernible on many occasions is_ that boys have waited on the rails looking for an opening, while their mounts have been full of go. Jimmy’s idea is that only a mug jockey will leave room for another to get through and that he is only justified in staying on the fence when his mount is not going well enough to go the longest way and win. The carrying of their declared rehandicap by Davolo and Willie Win on the first day at Dunedin last week was a tribute to the sporting spirit of their owners, for there is little doubt that they were not legally obliged to do so (writes “ Rangatira.” in the Wellington ‘ Post ’). Both horses failed on the opening day, but they had recompense in each winning a race on the final day. Very little was mentioned in southern exchanges about the omission from the Dunedin Jockey Club’s official- programme of a rehandicap condition, and the D.J.C. itself made statement. though it undoubtedly reached an agreement with the three owners concerned in a rehandicap after the C.J.C. Meeting the preceding week.

One may, however, be assured that the next programme that the D.J.C. publishes will contain the provision very prominently displayed. So, after an oversight that escaped notice for more than a year, the D.J.C. has had a rather lucky escape from what might some day have been an unhappy contretemps. Mr D. F. Glanville, interviewed on his return from Adelaide, said the supervision of trotting at the interdominion championship meeting was strict and impartial. Every horse is timed, and if any horses fail to race up to the time they are handicapped to do, they are not allowed to race again at the meeting. The starting barriers used are considered to bo the best in the world, and are now installed at Randwick, Flemington, Perth, and on all trotting courses, also at Calcutta, Durban, Rangoon, and Chicago. The barrier can be used to start any number of horses from any number of marks, and the release is not in view of the horsemen. The starter holds the control switch behind his back. A feature at Adelaide is the system of timing. An electric, clock with a dial 4ft Gin in diameter is erected at the rear of the judge’s box, and it is automatically started when the starter presses the button which releases the starting barriers. At a meeting of the Canterbury Owners and Breeders’ Association on Monday members discussed the different betting systems in operation, and came to the conclusion that the singlepool system of betting, 76 and 25 per cent, for first and second horses only, provided the fairest medium of speculation for owners, , ti’ainers, and the general public, it was considered that the ’ big increase in totalisator investments was due to better times, and not to the win-and-place system of betting. The Owners and Breeders’ Association may have expressed the general opinion of its members; but whether this opinion is shared by the public is another matter, and the public is the first consideration. The big increases in totalisator investments have greatly benefited clubs, which in turn have been enabled to give increased stakes. Up to the present the win-and-place system has proved popular in Canterbury’s trotting, and apparently is appreciated by the race-going public. A special meeting of the New Zealand Trotting Conference will be held at Wellington on February 24, when the executive will move that the rule which stipulates a 35 minutes’ interval between races be rescinded and the following substituted:—“ln no programme of any race meeting, any day of which falls within the period from May 7 in one year to August 31 in the next succeeding racing year, shall the starting time of the last race on any such day be fixed for a time later than 20 minutes before sunset.” The executive will also attempt to have deleted rule 245, which deals with horsemen’s riding and driving fees, and to have substituted the following:—“ln the absence of any special agreement to the contrary, the fees payable to horsemen in relation to the net amount payable to the owner of the winner shall be: To winning horseman, in no case Jess than £2. If the net amount does not exceed £2OO, £5 per centum thereon. If the net amount exceeds £2OO, £5 per centum on the £2OO, and £2 10s per centum on the excess. To losing horsemen: In no case less than £l. If the net amount exceed £3O, but not £l5O, £2. If the net amount exceed £l5O, £3.” The introduction of the latter rule will make a big difference in the earnings of horsemen, for previously a losing rider or driver was paid as little as 10s, and no provision was made for a bigger fee than £2. The fee for a winning horseman was not Jess than £2, and if the net amount payable to the owner did not exceed £2OO lie was entitled to-3 per cent, of the stakes. In a race exceeding £2OO the driver or rider was paid 3 per cent, up to £2OO and 2 per cent, on the excess.