RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23146, 21 December 1938, Page 4

RACING NOTES

[By Sr. Claie.]

RACING. December 24, 26, 27.—Manawatu Racing Club. December 26.—Waipukurau Jockey Club. December 26, 27.—Dunedin Jockey Club. December 26, 27.—Taranaki Jockey Club. December 28.—West Coast Racing Club. December 26, 28, January 8, 3.—Auckland Racing Club. December 31, January 2.—Wairarapa Racing Club. , December 31. January 2.—Greymouth jockey Club. December 31, January 2.—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club. January 2.—Waikouaiti Racing Club. January 2.—Wyndham Racing Club. January 2, 3. —Stratford Racing Club. January-2, 3. —Marlon Jockey Club.

THE ST. SIMON INFLUENCE In a series of articles on ‘ Science and the Thoroughbred ’ in the ‘ Field ’ a well-versed correspondent dealt with St. Simon and his super-prepotency. Discussing the leading stallions of the past 100 years, he regards St. Simon as th® greatest of all in these words: P if champion stallions (the sire line) count for so much these days, perhaps the following summary may be of Snterest. Since about the date Son-In-Law retired to the stud, there have been, from 1921 to 1937, 85 _ classic traces. Twenty-five stallions with one leach. Blandford ten, French sires mine, Hurry On eight, Swynford six, Phalaris six, Gainscourt five, and Lemberg and Solario three each. _ The greatest stallion of our time, St. Simon, In his day claimed 17. He is the only stallion who sired the winner of each ®f- the classic races (five) in the one year, whose grand-daughters or grandecms supplied the winner of the Oesare■witch for the 10 successive years, 191625 ■ whose grand-daughters are the dams of Phalaris. Gainsborough, Sauna, Colorado, Fairway, Trimdon, yperion, and Colombo, and in like manner dams of the three placed horses in the 193.3 Derby and of the four first past the post in the 1924 St. Leger.” With Blandfprd’s son, Bulandshar, doing so well with his first crop of two-year-olds, it is interesting to note that the Blandford success in England is being attributed to his mating with Imares of the St. Simon line. In New Zealand only two of Bulandshar’s wintiers, Baran and Winning Rival, have any St. Simon blood in their veins. DBaran’s dam, Clemency, is by St. ISimon’s grandson, Limond, while Winding Rival’s fourth dam, To-morrow, 5s by St. Simon’s son, Bill of Portland. Bulandshar, of course, possesses a double strain_ of St. Simon blood, for jSwynford’s sire, John O’Gaunt, was bred from a St. Simon mare and La Douairiere, the dam of Bulandshar, is bred from Dormouse, a daughter of The White Knight, a grandson of St, Simon, and for that reason has not been mated with many mares of the ISt. Simon line. Eleven of Bulandshar’s yearlings will b© ,offered at the national yearling Ealfes nest month. JOTTINGS

Kurow Club's Loss. It is reported that the Kurow Jockey Club made a loss of about £l2O on its (annual meeting last October. No Allowances Can Be Claimed, - The Otago Handicap to be run at 'Wingatui next Monday will be the first handicap run. in Otago or Southland this season in which allowances for apprentices cannot be claimed. Omission. In mentioning the list of winning owners in last night’s issue Mr Alex. Ferguson’s name was inadvertently (omitted. His team has won £6lO in (stakes this season. Mixed Acceptances. One trainer missed the acceptances for the first day of the Dunedin Meeting with three horses, and Top Row’s owner also missed the time of acceptance for the hurdle race. A Lot of Travelling. 'According to the Timaru ‘ Herald,’ Ray Bun and Skytena are to race at the Westland Meeting next week, arid Will then return for the Waikouaiti and Oamaru fixtures. , A Weak Field. Only eight horses have been nominbted for the open sprint on the first (day of the Southland Meeting. Of the bight six have been entered for other (races on the programme or for events (at other meetings. Another Jockey Injured. While assisting in breaking in a koung horse last- week the Auckland jockey H. Goldfinch broke two small hones in one of his hands, which may keep him out of the saddle during the holiday meetings. Schooling Well. Sir Admiral, who has 9.0 ln_ the Dtaki Hurdles, to be decided at Wingafeui next Monday, will be ridden by N. A. Kitto.' Sir Admiral has been schooling well at Riverton, and is reported fco be a much-improved horse. Freshening Up. The Nigger Minstrel two-year-old, Dark Flight, who won on the second day of the local Spring Meeting and afterwards raced at the New Zealand Cup Meeting, has been spelling since the latter fixture. He is reported to nave freshened up well, and it is intended to race him at the Dunedin Cup Meeting. Shin Sore. Boaform is reported to be suffering from shin soreness and is not likely to be raced during the holiday meetings. At the Invercargill Meeting last month Boaform, by Balboa from Some Form, cleared right away from the others in the first division of the Roslyn Trial Handicap.

Reverting to Sprinting. After failing to race up to his real form over middle distances, Ponty is to be tried again as a sprinter, and would be verv hard to beat with 8.9 in the Federal Handicap next Monday if he would show his best. A Good Two-year-old Field. To real lovers of thoroughbreds, a parade of two-ymr-olcls is always one of the most interesting features of a clay’s racing, and Next Monday a field of 15 two-vear-olds is engaged in the Dunedin Handicap. All are maidens' excepting Aranui. who won a race in Victoria last month, and he is likely to le made favourite..

January 2, 3.—Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. January 3. —Oamaru Jockey Club. January 3 ,4. —Southland Racing Club. January 7, 9.—Reefton Jockey Club. January 13, 14.—Vincent Jockey Club. January 19, 21, 23. —Wellington Racing Club. TROTTING. December 26. —Ashburton T.C. December 26. —Wairarapa T.C. December 26, 27. —Westport T.C. December 31. —Winton T.C. January 2, 3.—Canterbury Park T.C. January 5, 6. —Greymouth T.C. January 14.—Cambridge T.C. January 14.—Timaru T.C. January 26, 28.—Forbury Park T.C. January 28, February 1. —Nelson T.C.

Consistently Unlucky. Pink Robe has started at five meetings in Otago and Southland this season, and has finished in the money at each fixture without being returned a winner. Place money won by this mare totals £95.

Can he Stage a Come-back? Harold Logan, on the 36yds mark in the Ashburton Trotting Cup, would have been considered a good bet three or four seasons ago, but age has dimmed his brilliance. Should the old horse stage a come-back he is assured of a wonderful reception from the crowd.

Solidly Backed. It is reported that all the money available in the double, Gold Bank and Debenture, for Gore on Boxing Day has been taken. These two horses are trained in the same stable, and though the latter is little more than a pony in stature she has a lot of speed, andl is likely to start a shortpriced favourite (off the limit) iu the sprint race.

An Improving Trotter. After making a mistake in the early part of the race Jock M'Grath finished a good second to Indian Scout, a double, winner, at the Invercargill Trotting Club’s Meeting last month. He is an improving young trotter, and starting off the limit in the Mataura Handicap at Gore next Monday will only have to begin correctly to bo very hard to beat.

The Dominion’s Sole Representative. The interdominion championships to be held in Tasmania next month only attracted one nomination from New Zealand, Nervie’s Last. This Pedro Pronto gelding has been assessed at 72yds in the mile and a-quarter, 84yds over a mile andl a-half, and 120yds over two miles. It is announced from Auckland that Nervie’a Last will not make the trip.

Auckland Trotting Cup. The Auckland Trotting Cup will bo run next Tuesday afternoon, and with Fine Art, Horse Power, Toorak, Waipahi, and Double Great to represent the South Island, this half of the Dominion appears to hold a particularly strong,hand. The limit is 4min 31sec, andl Fine Art will\only have to reproduce the form he--showed at Addington last month to -be the hardest to beat.

Lawn Derby Well. Although Lawn Derby’s mission at the Auckland Trotting Chib’s Meeting will be an attempt to lower his grass track record of 2.3, he will start in the Auckland Cup and other events at the carnival. AV. J. O’Shea states that the horse has done particularly well on the New Zealand! trip. No definite decision has been arrived at on which day Lawn Derby will make the attempt. Sleepy Sickness. Encephalomyelitis (sleepy sickness) is reported to have become an epidemic among horses of all kinds in the United States, and- thousands of racehorses have been vaccinated as a precaution. In its milder forms the ailment does no more than make the animal listless and slow, but many deaths have occurred. It is believed that the disease is transmitted by mosquito bites. Ashburton Trotting Cup. The Ashburton Trotting Cup, a 4min 26sec class race, has attracted an acceptance of 10 horses, with Indianapolis handicapped at 4min 20sec on the back mark. The field is not a big one for him to get through, and the big track, over a mile and three furlongs round, will also help him in this respect; but given a firm track ha will have to do much faster than his assessment to catch some of those in front of him. May Come Into Favour. Mona’s Song, who has 7.2 in the Otago Handicap, registered a good gallop with Milford and Ardchoille at Invercargill on Saturday morning. Mona’s Song was considered to be unlucky to have bpen beaten in the Southland Cup last month by Ardchoille, both carrying 7.0. In the Otago Handicap she will meet Ardchoille on 41b better terms and Milford on 71b worse terms. Mona’s Song will be riden in the Otago Handicap by AV. F. Ellis. Nicely Handicapped. After winning a double at the Gore Spring Meeting last October, Foxlove finished third under 8.10 to Toro Eonva 7.7 and Lord Cavendish 8.3 in the Linwood Handicap, seven furlongs, on the first day of the New Zealand Cup Meeting in Imin 26 l-ssec. On the third day of that fixture, carrying 8.12, he beat Toro Koura 8.7, Phalanx 8.3, and 11 others in the Seymour Handicap, also seven furlongs, run in Imin 25 2-ssec. Witli 8.0 Foxlove is booked to make his debut in open company in the Burnside Handicap, one mile, next Monday. As Foxlove won over a mile at Gore, the distance should not trouble him, and with the pace ho showed at Iliccarton he promises to be the hardest to beat.

Will Be Fancied. Though Stretto lias 9.7 to carry in the Railway Handicap at Ellerslie on Boxing Bay, the fact that B. H. Morris is to ride her will bring her into favour. Last season this Hunting Song mare won seven times, was second twice, and third once out of 14 starts. She won the Railway Handicap under 7.4, the Electric Handicap with 8.4 on the second day. and with 9.4 on the third clay was beaten a neck by Whirling 8.0 in the Newmarket Handicap. So far this season Stretto has not had a race.

Expected to Race Well. Spanish Lad, who was only beaten in the last stride over seven furlongs at Invercargill last month, has done well since, and his connections are very 7 confident that lie will run well in the Milburn Handicap at Wingatul next Monday. With 8.12 he has been nicely treated, and will moot Astral Flash on only 2Jlb worse terms after beating her two lengths for second jilace. Trained at Riverton, this Balboa gelding works with Rodeur. who 'is the smartest sprinter in Southland at the present time, and it is reported that he can hold his own with her in his work. Previous to his race at Invercargill, Spanish Lad had not done a groat deal of work, and .he will strip a much better horse next week.

The Electrical Whip. Details have been received of the remarkable “ electrical whip,” which was found on a course in South Australia. The whip is so cleverly constructed that, without taking it to pieces, it is imposible to suspect any hidden device. It has been suggested that one of the riders must have misapplied the whip to his own person and that the contact was so severe that he threw it in the air. It is reported that the gear of hurdle jockeys was examined at Woodville, and this action may have been inspired by reports from Australia. A Good Start. In the old days a race meeting, whether held in the most important centres or in the backblocks, always started with a hurdle race, but unfortunately nowadays many clubs prefer to include a high-weight handicap. The committee of the Dunedin Jockey Club is now tbe only club in the South Island that commences each day’s racing with a jumping event. For many years this custom was maintained at a big loss, as only small fields could be obtained, and the public would not bet on them. It is particularly pleasing to see the committee’s efforts to maintain hurdle racing at last meeting with the response it deserves from owners, and a field of 11 in the Otokia Hurdles will give next Monday’s racing a good start.