RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23180, 1 February 1939, Page 13

RACING NOTES

[By St. Claib.]

racing. February 2, 4.—Wairoa Racing Club. ’ February 4.— Canterbury Jockey Club. February 4.—Tapanui Racing Club. February 4. —Matamata Racing Club, February 4. —Opunako Racing Club. February 9, 11.—Dunedin Jockey Club. February 9, 11.—Egmont Racing Club. February 9, 11.—Poverty Bay Turf Club. February 11, .13.—Rotorua Racing Club. February 17, 18.—Winton Jockey Club. February 17, 18. —Wpodville District Jockey Club. February 18.—Tologa Bay Jockey Club. February 18, 20.—Waikato Racing Club. February 23, 25.—Wanganui Jockey Club. February 24, 25.—Gore Racing Club. February 25. —Waiapu Racing Club.

WINDSOR LAD'S TROUBLES Mr Martin Benson is not at all happy about Windsor Lad, for whom he paid the Maharajah of Rajpipla £50,000 after the son of Blandford had been defeated into third place in the Eclipse Stakes after winning the Derby in 1934. At the time Mr Benson appeared to have made a particularly good bargain, as before the season ended Windsor Lad won the Great Yorkshire Stakes and the St. Leger. The two races were worth £12,155 15s, and as Windsor Lad as a four-year-old accounted for two more races, including the Eclipse Stakes, of an aggregate value of £10,689. he won back for Mr Benson almost naif his purchase money. Windsor Lad was then retired to the stud with a full subscription at 400 gs a mare. There were no vacancies in his list for the 1937 and 1938 seasons, so that stud fees for those two years almost made up the remainder of the £50,000 Mr Benson paid for him. Had sill gone well with him it is likely that Windsor Lad would have been returning Mr Benson a profit during the next season or two. Troubles, however, have overtaken, the horse. In-September last Windsor Lad was . operated on for head trouble. There was a recurrence recently, and some weeks ago it was announced that another operation was necessary. Now it is announced that Windsor Lad will not be available for service this season. The Teddy horse, Chrysler 11., a good performer on the turf in England, who is owned by Mr Benson and who was standing at the Upend Stud,'near Newmarket, will return to Beech House to replace Windsor Lad. JOTTINGS A Big Increase. The nominations received for the jubilee meeting of the Gore Club to be held this month total 409, an_ increase of 108 on the number received for the summer fixture last year. Liable-To Rehandicaps. Though the stakes, at the Tapanui' not worth more than" '£Bs to the "jviliner, . winning horses at that fixure are liable to be rehandicapped for the first day of the Dunedin Cup Meeting. ; ' The Dunedin Double. v

Ante-post wagering on the Dunedin Cup and Publicans’ Handicap will be light until after the acceptances close on Friday afternoon. . In the meantime .Royal Chief and Sovereign Lady are the popular selections for the Cup, and Toro Koura and Counterblast for the sprint race. Will Be Fancied on Saturday.

Sovereign-Lady will'be ridden by L. J. Ellis, in the Midsummer Haridicap on Saturday, and her recent track form shows her to be well. Provided the a is firm at (Riccarton she will be y fancied in this mile and a-quarter race.

Winton and Gore Handicaps. The handicaps for the opening day of the Winton Meeting are due next Monday, and winners at the Dunedin Cup Meeting will be liable to be rehandicapped. Handicaps for the Gore Jubilee Meeting are not due until the Tuesday after the Wingatui fixture.

Good Displays. Recollection (J. * Murfrtt) was responsible for an excellent display over four hurdles at Riccarton on Monday, ■and Grampian jumped two hurdles well. The latter was ridden by G. Salt, who • will have the mount on him on Saturday. '■ Redolent in Work,

'Redolent, who has failed to stand up to many preparations in the’past,'is being hacked about once again by S. (Barr at Riccarton. Redolent is a splendid jumper, whether over hurdles or country, but he has not been a satisfactory racing proposition. Waitaka Likes Easy Tracks.

Waitaka, carrying a surplus of condition, and looking in great health, is once again in F. A. Roberts’s team. Since he was beaten narrowly by Catalogue in the Winter Cup at ißiccarton early in the season, Waitaka has not been placed in eight starts. He appreciates tracks on the easy side, and should be ready to try once again in the autumn.

Rider for Royal Chief. It is reported that B. H. Morris has been asked to make the trip to Wingatui next week to ride Royal Chief in his engagements. Morris is ngat m the front line of riders in the Dominion, and none can concede him points when it comes to a tight finish. Well Handicapped.

Though the class Swordstick beat each day at the Vincent Meeting was not good, the Rapier gelding won so convincingly that he must be considered nicely handicapped at 8.6 in . the Stewards’ Handicap. From the Wmgatui Meeting he gradually showed improved form at Wyndham and Invercargill to winning a. double at Omakau, and that is generally the profitable time to follow a horse.

February 25, 27.—Westland Racing Club. February 25, 27. —To Aroha Jockey Club. TROTTING. February 2,4, Wellington T.C. February 11, 15. —Auckland T.C. February 11.—Otaki T.C. February 11. —Canterbury Park T.C. February 18.—New Brighton T.C. February 25.—Kaikoum T.C. February 25.—Wairarapa T.C. March 4. —Invercargill T.C. March 4.—Wellington T.C. March H. —Timaru T.C. March 11. —Themes T.C. March 18.—Wyndham T.C. March 18.—Cheviot T.C. March 18, 25.—Wanganui T.C. March 25—Westland T.C.

C. C. M'Carthy’s Team. It is reported from Riccarton that A. E. Ellis has been engaged to ride Haughty Winner in the Dunedin Cup next week. From the same stable Rabble, Improvident, and Argentic are also booked to race at Wingatui. Spelling Corrected. Among the notifications in the ‘ (Racing Calendar ’ is a change of the name of the three-year-old colt who won at Dunedin as Atwa Rere to the correct Maori, Atua Rere. Defaulter Still Growing. Defaulter continues to grow, and the crack three-year-old measures about 16J hands. He comes of a giant family, as Defoe stands well over 17 hands, ana Hurry On (sire of Defoe) was a big horse Riders at'Tapanui. G. (Barclay will have the mounts on Western Song and Moonraider at Tapanui on Saturday. _ (R. J. Mackie will ride Osprey and Pink Bond, W. Ward Amelita, and X Strathearn Astral Flash. For Wellington. Jenny’s Guy is to. fulfil engagements at the Wellington Trotting Club's meeting this week, and her recent form suggests that she will more than pay expenses, Australia’s Crack Three-year-old. ? The crack- Australian three-year-old and dual Derby winner Nuffield has begun his preparation in earnest for autumn racing, and recently made a reappearance on the track at Epsom, Melbourne. He is stated to have built up a good deal and his chief mission during the autumn will be the Y.R.C. and A.J.C. St. Legers. Steeplechase Course Altered.

The distance of the steeplechase event to be decided at the forthcoming meeting of the Winton Jockey Chib has been reduced in each instance by two furlongs. The reduction has followed an alteration to the steeplechase course. The two post and rails on the east side have, been deleted, and two brush fences closer to the course proper have been Instituted.

Milford Works Well. At Invercargill yesterday morning Milford and Trebleack reeled off four furlongs in 51 3-ssec on the middle of the course proper. Trebleack, who resumed work about' three weeks ago after a long spell, is standing up to training all right, and he put plenty of dash into his. gallop this morning. Milford. who was given a short spell after the holiday meetings, has freshened up nicely, and he moved freely".

Effect of Extreme Heat. The extreme heat on January 14 caused almost record weight reductions among jockeys at Warwick Farm. After the last race Maurice M'Carten, the former New Zealand jockey, found he weighed 7.12 instead of his normal 8.4. “ I had half a dozen ginger beers, too. and should really have been nearlj 9.0,” he said. E. Bartle dropped from his normal 7.12 to 7.5, his lowest weight since he was an apprentice 15 years ago.

Royal Chief Gallops Well. Though eased in his work for a few days previous to the Wellington Cup Week owing to having bruised one of his heels, Royal Chief has been working well since, and his gallop last Saturday morning with Sovereign Lady, to whom he conceded about 2st in weight, showed that he will require little finishing off to be at the top of his form next week. He was going better than Sovereign Lady at the end of nine furlongs in Imin 58 2-ssec.

Waikouaiti Cup Winner. When Night Dress won the Waikouaiti Cup on New Year’s Hay lie carried 7.0 i, Thermidor (who was third) 7.2 i, and Petersham (who finished dose up behind the placed horses) 8.3. In his handicap for the Dunedin Cup Mr Russell has left Night Dress on the minimum, and he will meet Thermidor on 2£lb and Petersham 12£lb worse terms. The owner of Night Dross cannot complain of the weight allotted his horse in next week’s race.

Improvements Planned. The president of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club (Mr C. E. Cross), the chairman of the Grounds Committee (Mr J. E. W. Cross), and Mr J. Highsted, caretaker of the Addington course, have been visiting Dunedin, taking samples of the soil on the Forbury Park track and another soil in the hills in an endeavour to discover the best soil for reconditioning the Addington track. Research work is also being clone in Christchurch with certain soils. It is understood that plans for Addington also include the provision of electrical equipment to accelerate the drying of the course after rain.

Auckland Trotting Club Nominations. The following nominations have been received for the principal races at this month’s meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club:— Otahnhu Handicap, £4OO. Limit, 4.33. Two miles.—Double Great, Our Peggy, Fernbrook Lass, Kewpie’s Triumph, Willie Derby, Navy Blue, Kenworthy, Kewpie’s King, Gold Dredge, Our War, Star Pronto, Sandusky, Bexley Girl. Alexandra Park Handicap, £4OO. Limit, 4.33. Two miles.—Double Great, Our Peggy, Fernbrpok Lass, Kewpie’s Triumph. Willie Derby, Navy Blue, Kenworthy, Kewpie’s King, Gold Dredge, Our War, Star Pronto, Sandusky, Bexley Girl. A Lucky Breeder.

Mr J. S. M'Leocl, president of the New Zealand Racing Conference, has been associated with racing since 1914. The first horse in which he was inter-

ested was the King’s Gnost mare Fair Rosamond, whom he raced successfully in partnership with Mr E. J. White. On her retirement to the stud Fair Rosamond’s first progeny was a, firstclass horse, Kick Off. Mr M'Leod lias bred from a very few marcs, but he lias sold his young bloodstock for over £25,000. In addition he has raced such good stake-earners as Kick Off, Tre.ssida, Simba. Ilunnymede, Ticga, Gesto, Polly Peaclium, Beunannec, and My Own. During the war Mr M'Leod purchased three mares from Australia who did not cost altogether £3OO, and it is from the progeny of two of these, Queen Lizzie and Tressida, he has reaped practically all of his rich harvest of stake winnings.

Gore Jubilee Meeting. The Social Committee for the Gore Racing Chib’s Jubilee Meeting submitted a report to a meeting of the Club Committee containing suggestions to mark suitably the jubilee meeting, and among others the following were adopted:—Members and their wives to be supplied with a suitable jubilee badge; members to be supplied with a special race book; the Director of Broadcasting to be approached to ascertain if the meeting cou!d_ bo put on the air; a social evening in the form of a banquet to be given to members on the night of the next annual meeting; a band to be engaged on both days of the meeting. A Good Gallop.

The most interesting trial of the morning’s work at Invercargill yesterday (says the ‘ News ’) was that between Mona’s Song, Galleon, Foxlove, and Ashaway. Mona’s Song jumped off slightly ahead of the others, and held a slight advantage practically all the way to the finishing post to record 1.46 3-5, the first four in 54 3-5 and the last four in 52. Galleon and Foxlove, who tailed the others to the straight, were practically on terms with Mona’s Song at the post, and all three were doing their work exceptionally well, while Ashaway was close up in fourth place. It was a good gallop. Sale of Brood Mare.

Wright, Stephenson, and Co. Ltd, have just completed the sale of the young brown mare Strathallan, on account of Mr Alex. Chisholm. The purchaser is Mr James Fletcher, of the Fletcher Construction Company Ltd., who intends establishing a thoroughbred stud in the Auckland province. Strathallan, who is by the imported Lemberg horse, Woodend, is a halfsister to Auctor. She is out of imported Spean Bridge, and has a chestnut colt at foot by Salmagundi (a halfbrother by Phalaris to the English St. Leger winner, Salmon Trout), now at Mr Chisholm’s Otautau stud. Though Salmagundi has sired numerous goodclass winners in Australia, the present foal is one of his first crop in New Zealand. Strathallan has been served again by Salmagundi. She is a very attractive type of brood mare, and, as she is related on the dam’s side to Backwood, winner of the Melbourne Cup, the Goodwood Cup winners, Border Minstrel and Catmint, the One Thousand Guineas winner, Winifreda, she should establish a good slaying family for her purchaser. Interesting Table. The draw for barrier positions has never been looked upon as a serious phase of racing in New Zealand, but in Australia, the draw has an important bearing on the activities of investors, some of whom work to ti system of beting from barrier numbers. The following table, printed, in the Melbourne ‘ Sporting Globe,’ shows the results of positions drawn in 300 races at 43 meetings in the Melbourne area from July 16 to December 31-

Barrier No. 1 Win. 26 Place. 44 Total Places. 70 2 28 45 73 3 32* 52 85 4 21 47 68 5 28 44 72 6 16 54 70 7 29* 38 68 8 19 30 49 9 20* 39 60 10 12 42 54 11 7 32 ii9 12 6 21 27 13 17 ' 15 32 14 7120 28 15 5 14 19 16 3 10 13 17 3 5 8 18 1 5 6 19 2 2 4 20 3 2 5 21 1 0 1 22 1 0 1