RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23492, 5 February 1940, Page 5

RACING NOTES

racing. February 8, 10.'—Egmont Racing Club. February 10, 12.—Poverty Bay Turf Club. February 10, 12.—Gore Racing Club. February 10, 12.—-Rotorua Racing Club. February 16, 17.—Winton Jockey Club, February 17.—Tolaga Bay Jockey Club. February 17.—Opunake Racing Club. February 17, 19.—Waikato Racing Club. February 22, 24. —Dunedin Jockey Club. February 24.—Waiau Racing Club. February 24, 26.—Westland Racing Club. February 24, 26. —Te Aroha Jockey Club. February 24, 26.—Woodville D. Jockey Chib. JOTTINGS Dunedin Cup Meeting. Nominations for the Dunedin CupMeeting close to-morrow, at 5 p.ra. The Gore Meeting, Ilecent rains have greatly improved the Gore course and it is now carrying an excellent sward of grass, _ which will make the going good for its meeting this week-end. The following rehandioaps have been declared for the first day of the Gore meeting:— Gore Racing Club Handicap.—Pink Robe, 41b to 7.4. Longford Hack Handicap.—Verdure, 51b to 7.12. Acceptances close to-day at 5 p.m. Queen of Song, Queen of Song, winner of the Midsummer Handicap last year, did not look well when she paraded for the race on Saturday, but was made second favourite and ran a good race, beating all but Willie Win. She had been showing signs of lameness earlier in the week and was sore on returning to the enclosure after the race. Defaulter. At the conclusion of the racing at Riccarton on Saturday Defaulter and Capricious, with the colours up, were sprinted over six furlongs. Defaulter looks well forward, and they ran about six furlongs in Imin I4sec. Both are booked to race at Wingatui this montii. A Promising Three-year-old. Pink Dress, winner of a double at Tapanui on Saturday, was trained by G. Ridgway at Riccarton before being transferred to D. P. Wilson’s stable early this season. Her only , placed performance previous to Saturday was a third at the Vincent meeting to Miltiades and Withdrawal. Her dam, Gold Dress, is by Hunting Song from Etoile d’Oro, wlio did a lot of racing at three years old, winning once and being five times second. Now Out of Hacks. Judging by the confidence with which he was ridden Not Out scored the easiest win of the day at Riccarton, and his success in the Post Handicap now places him out of hack class. He was always nicely placed next the rails, but fairly well back until after turning for "home, then he ran past the leaders very easily, and had it been necessary his winning margin could have been much wider. Not Out has now won five times, has been second twice, and third once out of 10 starts this-season. Failed To Stay On. Alma was on her good behaviour at the start of the Craven Plate on Saturday, and was actually the first to break a good line. She was always close up to' the leaders, and just after the field had passed the false rail was travelling like a winner. It was surprising to see her stopping over the final furlong after the good races' she has been running over middle distances. Alma lodised very well in the parade before the race, and has filled out into a big mare. Veterans Show Up. Willie Win and Queen of Song were the veterans in the Midsummer Handicap on Saturday, both being eight years old, and the fact that they finished first and second does not say a great deal for the younger horses who finished behind them. Racing and travelling lias brought Willie Win back to the good form he showed two seasons ago, but Queen of Song’s appearance suggested that she has had enough racing for a while. She had been causing her trainer some trouble with one of her legs a few days before the race. Going May Have Affected Him. When Atreus won at the New Zealand Cup Meeting he created the impression that he was the makings of a high-class two-year-old, and was entitled to be sent out a good favourite at Riccarton on Saturday. He had every chance, being one of the smartest to begin, and quickly hit the rails. When he was challenged in the straight he was inclined to run about a little, and had no chance with Retrogression. A heavy shower while these two-year-olds were at the post may have affected him, and also the going a little. A Popular Win. Though almost the outsider of the small field started in the Midsummer Handicap, there was no more popular win during the afternoon than Willie Win’s success. It was his first success since he won on the same course in August, 19.17. after which he ran second to The Trump in the Melbourne Cup. Over the last seven furlongs he was allowed to make his own pace, the race was run at a muddling pace, the first six furlongs taking I min 17sec, and with a strong wind behind them, the last half-mile in 49 2-ssec. Engaged in Champagne Stakes. It is not often that the Clifford stable has to wait until the seventh month of the season before one or more of its two-year-okls have won, but Retrogression gave the stable its first success in a two-year-old race when he won the Lyttelton Plate at Riccarton on Saturday. Starting from No. 12 position at the harrier, he began smartly anti was alwavs disputing the lead with Atreus, and over the final furlong beat him well. Retrogression is by Magnus (by The Tetrarch) from Retrospect, by Anturanus from Telescope, by Martian from the Maxim mare Weathereye, and is a well-fur-nished youngster. He is engaged in DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB. AUTUMN MEETING, 22nd and 24th FEBRUARY, 1940. VrOMINATIONS Clo-e on TUESDAY. Bth ■L s FEBRUARY, 1940, at 5 p.m. Forfeits for Champagne Stakes due same day. L. G. HILL, Secretary.

[By St. Clair.]

TROTTING. February 10.—Canterbury Park T.C. February 10, 14.—Auckland T.C. February 17, 19. —Manawatu T.C. February 17.—New Brighton T.C. February 24.—Patriotic meeting, Addington. March 2.—lnvercargill T.C. March 9.—Tiraaru T.C. March 16. —Taranaki T.C. March 16.—Cheviot T.C. March 16. —Wyndham T.C. March 23, 27," 28.—New Zealand Metropolitan T.C. the Champagne Stakes to be run at Wingatui this month, and judging by the manner he finished on Saturday, the extra furlong should not trouble him. No Control. The two apprentices who rode Royal Lassie and Royal Rank in the Trial Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday each rode with such short leathers that they had no control over their mounts, amt when they broke through the barrier, were unable to pull their mounts up until considerably over a mile and a-quarter had been run. Under rule 288 of the rules of racing, the stewards are given power to require any rider to lengthen his stirrup leathers in order to prevent danger to himself or to any other riders or to any horses in the race. There were an unusually large number of apprentices riding on Saturday, and several of them appeared to be riding much too short to give them proper control of their horses. Some of these lads have grown since they first commenced riding, but have not made the necessary allowance for this by lengthening the stirrup leathers. Falsely Run Race. There can be no doubt a* to which is the faster track over any distance, but particularly over a mile and a-quar-ter, Riccarton or Tapanui, but on Saturday Pink Robe won over 10 furlongs on the latter track in 2min 6 l-ssoc, while Willie Win took 2 l-ssec longer to win over the same distance at Riccarton. If the riders of the other horses in the Midsummer Handicap were riding to instructions they appear to have been badly advised, and if thev Used their own judgment it was equally had. Willie Win, easily the best proved stayer in the race, had 8.8, ana when L. J. Ellis found there was no pace on over the first three furlongs he took him to the front, but once there steadied him, and none of the other riders appeared to realise that he was setting his own pace. When Willie Win ran past Night Dress, who had only 7.4, the latter was pulling bard, and bad he been allowed to run along with the winner he would have done better. Shortly aftjer turning for home, where Night Dress was •till running second, he stopped pulling and at the same time stopped galloping. * Willie Win deserved his win, but it was in a great measure due to the tactics adopted by his rider. Concertpitch Returns. Previous to his winning effort in the Craven Plate on Saturday, Concertpitch had not started since he ran unplaced in the Jockey Club Handicap at the 1937 New Zealand Cup Meeting, and his last win was scored in the Coronation Cup, mile and a-quarter, at the Ashburton winter meeting in May of the same year, when, carrying 8.94, he beat Queen of Song (8.9), Ponty (8.0), and five others. For nearlv two years he has been spelling, and when paraded on Saturday looked big. but was evidently much more forward in condition than appearances suggested. He was just a trifle slow in finding his feet at the start, but within a furlong had run up to the leaders, and then, taking charge, was not afterwards headed. Like most of Balboa’s progeny. Concertpitch evidently comes to hand quickly, and credit is due the young trainer, 6. Ridgway, for the good condition he produced him in, Concertpitch is now seven years old, and looks good for another successful run. As a four-year-old he won five times and was second in four races out of 16 starts, Ooria the Better. From the time they first met, in the John Grigg Stakes last September, when Gold Flight beat Doria, there has been much controversy as to which of these fillies is the better. Gold Flight suffered from a cold when the M‘Lean Stakes were run, and giving Doria lolb, finished second to her. Gold Flight was still suffering from a cold at the New Zealand Cup meeting, and was not able to start in the Welcome Stakes. At the Dunedin Christmas meeting Gold Flight showed a return to form by carrying 8.13 and easily heating Atreus over five furlongs on the opening day. She had done everything well since, and meeting Doria on just a stone better terms in the Middle Park Plate than in the M'Lean Stakes, was more than twice as well backed. Gold Flight was steadied after jumping out well, but was always in front of Doria to the distance. At that stage she looked a winner, but Doria, who got through next the rails, caught and beat her home. Doria was certainly the better handled of the pair and covered less ground, and over six furlongs clearlv demonstrated that she is unquestionably the better of the two.