JOTTINGS

Evening Star, Issue 23175, 26 January 1939, Page 6

JOTTINGS

Handicaps Due. The weights for the Dunediu Cup and other handicaps to be decided on the opening day of the Dunedin Jockey Club's Meeting to be held, on February y and 11 arc due on Monday morning.

Tapanui Meeting. Cirrus 36.yds, was omitted from the Fassifern Handicap in the handicaps for the Tapanui Meeting. L. J. Ellis in Good Form. L. J. Ellis was the most successful horseman at the recent Trcntliam Meeting, with tour wins, and C. Wilson and G. Tattersall followed with three wins each. H. Wiggins had two successes.

Injured En Route. Dropped Catch made a special trip to Wellington on Saturday to compete in the high-weight event on Monday's card at Trentham, but met with injuries on the steamer, and it was not possible to get him to Trentham

The Winton Meeting. Tho committee of the Winton Jockey Club has decided in favour of win-aud-place betting at its annual meeting next month. Messrs J. J. Woods, T. M‘Gillivray, P. Moon, T. Hamilton, and Dr P. Gow have been appointed the Judicial Committee.

Wyndham Trotting Meeting. For its annual race meeting, to be held on March 18 next, the. Wyndham Trotting Club will give £1,330 in stakes The Wyndham Trotting Cup. of 4min 44sec class race will carry £3OO. All the events will be decided in harness at this year's fixture.

Studtey Royal. Last year’s winner of the Dunedin Cup, Studlcy Royal, is not engaged in this year’s race, but his name appeared in the list of horses engaged in the Stewards’ Handicap, to bo run over a mile, on the opening day. To Join W. E. Hancock’s Stable, A rising two-year-old filly by Blatherskite from March Off will join W. E. Hancock’s stable shortly. This halfsister, to Gold Boa, Vahnarch, and co. is reported to he particularly well grown and promising. A colt, also rising two years, by the same sire, from Commentor, may also join the same stable. Oonadea Sold Captain N. A. Rattray recently disposed of Donadea to a West Coaster, who is reported to have resold to another owner. The nippy little Valkyrian gelding should be suited by the tracks and distances in his new territory. Improved Saddle Cloths. The numbers on the saddle cloths used at Treritham on Saturday were painted silver, instead of white, as previously. This was the first time such cloths had been used, and the new numbers were more easily discernible. James Hazlett Gold Cup. Eight owners have engaged their horses to meet Royal Chief in the James Hazlett Gold Cup, to be run on the second day of the Dunedin Cup Meeting, and should Haughty Winner, Nightwings, Rodeur, Top Row, and Wild Chase start, the race promises to be full of interest. Kilrobe appears to he the best of the others. March Off’s Foal. It was recently stated in a northern journal that March Off’s filly foal by Solicitor General had died. This is incorrect, and Mr J. P. Horlihy says that not only is this foal alive and doing well, but is the best-looking of all March Off’s progeny at this age. March Off and Gold Boa have both been mated with Man’s Pal this season. Southland Owners Well Represented. As is usually the case Southland owners are strongly represented in the nominations received last evening for the Dunedin Cup meeting. On the first day they have Baltruin, Grand Finale, King Willow, Western Song, Airdrec, Bilbao, Atna Rere, Spanish Lad, Waitoru, Rodeur, Wild Career, Ardchoille, Ashaway, Foxlove, Galleon, Mona’s Song, Jedburgh, "Happen, and Lochie River to carry their colours. Have Done Well. The 20 young horses exported from New Zealand to Malaya a year ago have won 15 races there, nine of them having proved successful. Top scorer is New Zealand (Paladin —Controversy), with four victories. Lord Gray (Lord Warden —Graceful) has scored twice, and Peggy Pride (Pink Coat—Air Pocket) once. Second Highest in Club's History. The totalisator turnover of £232,517 for the three days of the Wellington Cup meeting was the second highest in the club’s history. The only occasion on which it has been exceeded at Tientham was during the boom year 1921, when £257,111 was handled durum the three days, £102.783 being invested on the second day. The next hh'liest figures are £201,431, recorded in'l922. N

Increased Stakes. Following close on the success of its meeting this month the Timaru Trotting Club has increased the stakes to he given at its autumn fixture to be held on March 11 to £2,200. The principal alteration to last year’s programme is an addition of £IOO to the Kingsdown Handicap for unhoppled trotters, and the tightening of tho class to 3min 4Ssco for a mile and five furlongs, Tho Timaru Cup has been made a “4thm 31soc class, and carries a stake of £6OO. Dunedin Cup Meeting. Tho popularity of the Dunedin Cup meeting with owners is well demonstrated in the good lists of nominations published in another column. Sixteen nave been engaged in the Dunedin Cup including Royal Chief, and recent winners iu Foxlove, Haughty u inner, Mona’s Song, Nightdress. Nightwings. Queen of Song, Sovereign Lady, and Thermidor. Tho field is a strong one, and Mr Russell has plenty of material to make a good handicap. Whip and Spurs. In a talk over tho air from Melbourne last week Brownie Carslake stressed the fact that spurs are rarely used by English riders, and ho does not favour- them excepting in exceptional circumstances. He is strongly opposed to their use on fillies, and more particularly on two-year-olds. Carslako is also opposed to the use of the whip. He says few English riders actually use the whip, although many of the people watching a race are often under the impression that horses are being flogged home. As a matter of fact, the whip is flourished a good deal, but it seldom roaches the horse. Carslake contends that the whip should be shown to a horse three or four times before it is actually used. The St. Leger Course Threatened, There was consternation iu England recently when it, was announced that the Doncaster Corporation, which owns and controls tho town moor on which the Lcgcr is run, had granted a colliery company the right to work a coal scam under the racecourse. It was

thought that it would ruin one of the oldest and best racecourses in England. Technical advisers, however, are of the opinion that no serious effects need be feared for some years, but that when the whole of the coal lias been withdrawn at a depth of about 800yds the surface of the racecourse may fall to a depth of 3ft. Flooding will be avoided by pumping, and it is hoped to deal adequately with any unevenness of the track, which will not occur for some years, if at all.

Foreign Demand for American Pacers. Foreign buyers continue to look to America for highest class young fast record performers. The 1938 Hambletonian Stake and Kentucky Futurity winner M'Liu was sold some time ago for export to Italy. The most recent young star to bo sold for export is the 1937 Futurity winner Earl’s Mr Will, with a record of 2min 3£sec, which has been bought to go to Sweden with 30 other well-bred trotters, the majority of them with fast records. Earl’s Mr Will was a high-class two-year-old, ■winner of the Rainy Day Stake early in the season, and later he scored from a great field in the Futurity at Lexington. Then he won the Review Futurity at Springfield, in which he made his best record of 2min 2£sec, and was only nosed out by M‘Lin in the second heat of the Horseman Futurity at Indianapolis, the time of this mile 2min l£sec, Earl’s Mr Will is a son of Gaylworthy (2min 2£sec), a high-class race trotter which was sold some years ago for export to Italy, while his dam is Hestor Volo, a fast record daughter of Peter Volo (2min 2seo).