RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23500, 14 February 1940, Page 2

RACING NOTES

[By Sr. Clair.]

RACING. 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.—Wai&u Racing Club. February 24, 26.—Westland Racing Club. February 24, 26.—Te Aroha Jockey Club. February 24, 26.—Woodville D. Jockey Club. March 2.—Franklin Racing Club. March 2.—Banks Peninsula Racing Club. March 2.—Rangitikei Racing Club. March 7, B.—Taranaki Jockey Club. March 8, 9.—Cromwell Jockey Club. March 9, 11.—Bay of Plenty Racing Club,

JOTTINGS Dunedin Cup Meeting. Owners and trainers are reminded that acceptances for the first day of the Dunedin Cup meeting close to-mor-row at 5 p.m. The Cromwell Meeting. Nominations for the Cromwell Jockey Club’s meeting, to be held on March 8 and 9, close on Monday, at 8 p.m.

Peony Rose. Though Peony Rose was nominated for the principal handicap on the second day at Gore she was not handicapped, having been withdrawn after dead-heating with Sparkle.

Owned Balboa. Mr Drummond Pringle, who died suddenly at his home in tno Kawarau Gorge last week, at one time owned Balboa when that good sire was standing in the Otago Central district.

Atua Rere. The cold Atua Here _ contracted on the eve of the Tapanui meeting is a fairly bad one, and his owner stated at Gore on Monday that he is a very doubtful starter at the Cup meeting next week. A World’s Record. The daily double at Callaghan Park, Rockhampton, established what is entitled to rank as a world’s record recently. There was a dead heat for first in each leg, with the result that four dividends were paid. Penalties. For their successes at the Gore meeting Wild Career was penalised 51b and Peony Rose and Sparkle each 81b in the Winton Cup. As Wild Career beat Sparkle in Monday’s race he appears to have received the best of it. Engaged in Hack Company Again. Aspire, who has yet to win about £l3O before becoming ineligible for hack races, has been running in open company during the past few weeks, but on the opening day of the Dunedin Cup Meeting this mare has been engaged in the Berwick Handicap, and weighted at 8.8. Should be Hard to Beat. When Stanza, starting from 60yds behind, finished a head behind 'fcilma at Gore on Monday, he registered 3min 29 3-ssec. In the Hokonui Trot, to be decided at Winton on Friday, Stanza will start off 12yds, having been assessed at 3min 38sec. He will only have to repeat his Gore form to be hard to’ beat. Obituary. The death occurred last week of Mr George Scoles, a well-known sportsman in the Cromwell district, at the age of 75. Deceased was for many years a supporter of racing in Central Otago, and a valued member of the executive of the Cromwell Jockey Club, Not Eligible. The successes of Southern .Sail and Craiglea at the Gore meeting made them ineligible for the Trial and Novice Handicaps, to be run at Wingatui next week. Both are engaged in other races on the opening day, and they are booked to meet in the Barkly Hack Handicap at Winton on Friday.

Engaged at Winton and Wingatui. The following horses engaged on the first day of the Dunedin Cup Meeting, have been paid up for at Winton on Friday:—Slammap, King’s Chorus, Aspire, Night Pal, Withdrawal, New Note, Pink Dress, Moonraider, Southern Sail, Craiglea, Phalanx, Mona’s Song, Sailing Lady, Peony Rose. Wild Career. Sparkle, Swordstick, Valantua, Chirp, and Cherokee.

A Promising Hurdler. At the beginning of the season Fundy Bay gave promise of being a useful hurdler, and with 9.0 on the opening day of the New Zealand Cup meeting beat a good field over a mile and threequarters. When allowed to run along hp jumps well, and those handicapped above him in the Warrington Hurdles on Thursday of next week will have to show improved form to head him off. •

Dunedin Cup Horses at Winton. Six of tho seven horses engaged in the Winton Cup on Friday are also engaged in the Dunedin Cup, which will be run over a quarter of a mile farther than tho Winton race. The following is the comparison of their imposts in the two races :

March 9.—Birohwood Hunt Club. March 9.—Carterton Racing Club. March 14, 16.—Wellington Racing Club. TROTTING. February 17, 19.—Manawatu T.O. February 17.—New Brighton T.C. February 24.—Patriotic meeting, Addington. March 2.—lnvercargill T.C. March 9.—Timaru T.C. March 16.—Taranaki T.C. March 18.—Cheviot T.C. March 18.—Wyndham T.C. March 23, 27, 28.—New Zealand Metropolitan T.C.

Defaulter Doing Well. Both Capricious and Defaulter continue to do good work at Riccarton, and track watchers state that the latter will only require a couple of fast gallops .to bring him to his best. Unless some of the others opposed to him in the James Hazlett Gold Cup show exceptional form on the first day, the race looks a certainty for the Defoe horse.

A Good Programme. Easter falls early this season, and the Riverton meeting will be held on March 23, 25, and 26, when the club will distribute £6,100 in stakes. Of that amount £1,575 has been allocated for the five steeplechases on the programme. The Riverton Cup again carries a stake of £6OO, plus a sweepstake of £5 each from starters, the Easter Handicap on the second day,£4oo, and the Fiord Handicap on the' third day £250. Nominations close on Monday, February 26. Beau Vife For Australia. Though Beau Vito would appear to have the two St. Legers in the Dominion at his mercy, Mr R. Stewart has now decided to send his champion hack to Australia for the autumn racing. Mr Stewart believes that the colt was not seen to his full advantage in the Commonwealth during the spring, and ho is anxious that he should have the opportunity of showing himself the champion three-year-old of the season in Australia and New Zealand. Tentative plans have been made to ship Beau Vito across the Tasman during the next fortnight. He will enter the stable of F. M'Grath at Kensington, and after a few days’ rest in Sydney will be sent down to Melbourne, where his first race will probably be in the Victoria Racing Club St. Leger on March 5.

Handicapped on Past Reputation. Paper Slipper, who heads the handicaps for the Publicans’ Handicap with 9.2, the same weight as he carried into third place in the Craven Plate at Riccartou this month, has had 10 starts this season for . one third and five fourth placings. He will meet Alma on the same, and his stablemate, Counterblast. on 31b worse terras in the Wingatui race than at lliccarton. In that race Counterblast finished only a head behind him, while Alma, who was going like a winner, at the end of six furlongs, finished fifth-after being galloped on. Last season, as a five-year-old, Paper Slipper only won two races, at four years old threej but in his two and three-year-old seasons ho was a champion of champions, and to some extent is now being. handicapped on the reputation made in his first three seasons. Paper Slipper is a stallion, and looks grosser and heavier now, and may be that is the cause of the indifferent form he has shown this season. This is his fifth season. Willie Win’s Chance. Though the Midsummer Handicap was not a truly-run race, Willie Win won on his merits, going to the front six furlongs from home and making the pace to suit himself. That race was run over a mile and a-quarter, and the extra two furlongs to be covered in the Dunedin Cup should be all in his. favour. The following is a comparison of the imposts carried by horses in the lliccarton race also engaged in the Dunedin Cup

Willie Win is thus set to meet Sovoriegn Lady on 121 b, Queen of Song 71b, Settlement 81b, and Night Dress 101 b worse terms. He is unquestionably the proved stayer in the field, and though now eight ears old will be the best suited by the longer journey. Riders of the lighter-weighted division are not likely to allow him to set his own pace as they did at Riccarton, but a solidlyrun race invariably suits a good stayer. F. D, Jones’s Pair.

Though he will not have Royal Chief at Wingatui next week, F. D. Jones will be represented with Settlement and Disdain, a useful pair that would make their presence felt at the meeting if they run up to their best form. Settlement was one of the triple dead-heaters in tho Islington Handicap, mile and a-quarter, run on the second day of the Grand National Meeting last August. At the New Zealand Cup Meeting Sovereign Lady, carrying 8.3 and conceding him 121 b, beat him a length and a-half in the Fendalton Handicap, mile and a-quanter. In the Dunedin Cup Settlement will meet her on 818 better terms. They met early this month in the Midsummer Handicap, mile and a-quarter. at a difference of 241 b, Settle, ment finishing fast into third place, with Sovereign Lady sixth. For that performance Settlement will meet her on 41b worse terms. Last season, ns a three-year-old. Disdain won twice out of three starts, her final performance being to win the Railway Handicap under 7.4 from Smoke Screen 8.12, Galilee 7.0, Strotto 9.7. and 16 others. This season she has failed to strike form, and out of 12 starts a second and third and two fourths have been her best performances. She has recently been transferred from L. G. Morris’s stable to Riccarton, and under the change of quarters may return to her two and three-year-old form. As a two-year-old she was unbeaten in the two starts she had.

Winton. Dunedin. Dif. Mona’s Song ... 8.5 7.8 nib Swordstick ... 8.3 7.0 171 b Wild Career ... 8.4 7.5 131 b Sailing Lady ... 8.1 7.6 9lb Peony Rose ... 8.2 7.6 101b Sparkle ... ... 7.13 , 7.3 101b

t.., S' n3 S a d 2 3 O 5 Sovereign Lady (6) 9 7 D 2 — 51b Willio Win (1) ... 8 8 9 1+' 71b Queen of Song (2) 8 6 8 6 Settlement (3) ... 7 11 7 10 — 11b Night Dress (7) ... 7 4 7 1 — 31b