RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23666, 28 August 1940, Page 5

RACING NOTES

[By St. Cuair.]

RACING. August 29. Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club. August 51.—Taranaki Hunt Club. August 51.—Otago Hunt Club. September 5, 7.—Wanganui Jockey Club. September 14. Ashburton C. Racing Club. September 14, 16.—Avondale Jockey Club. September 19, 21. Geraldine Racing Club September 21. —Marton Jockey Club. September 28.—Kurow Jockey Club.

RACING IN WAR TIME In his presidential address to the members of the Ashburton Trotting Club on Monday evening, Mr H. F. Nicoll said: “ We still read in the daily papers an occasional suggestion that racing and other sports should be curtailed or stopped:” This evidently arose from those who were opposed to sport, and would exploit present conditions for the sake of their prejudices, continued Mr Nicoll. In England racing had been carried on with the approval of the Government 'Until the end of June, in spite of the universal call for war Work. After a short space, racing would be started again next month after consultation between the Jockey Club and the War Office, and it would be time enough to consider the advisability of curtailing sports in New Zealand when it was agreed that the continuation was inter-, fering with war _ efforts. v Anyone attending the August week in Christchurch must have been much impressed by the fact that the attendances were noticeably larger than usual, the reason, without any doubt, being that (people found in the day’s outing at the races a diversion and tonic most beneficial.. The season just concluded had, been an anxious one for all sports bodies. While the struggle between freedom and autocracy continued through the world, all would hare to make every effort to win the but undoubtedly business and recreation had to be kept going, and it would be the club’s duty to endeavour to help all those connected with trot-, ting during the difficult days ahead, by keeping up stakes and wages to the full extent that their finances allowed. JOTTINGS T, J. Boyle’s Mount. Lochcorrib,'-who -will' be , fancied by Southlanders in. the Hunt Cup Steeplechase at.Wihgatui on Saturday, will be ridden by T. J. Boyle. Keeping the Stakes Up. The Gore Racing Club has decided to give £2,715 in stakes at the Spring Meeting, to be held in October. This is the same amount as was distributed at this fixture last year. A Big Team. H. Dulieu, who turned out the winners of 51 races last season, has 36 horses in his stable at New Plymouth, and 19 of them were nominated for the Hunt meeting to be held there this week. A Big Contribution. It was stated at the annual meeting of the Riverton Racing Club that, in addition to the ordinary taxation in connection with the race meeting, the club will have to pay about £BOO in social and national security taxes. Otago Hunt Meeting. Lazybones, Hanlon, Straightdell, and Strip are the ante-post favourites for the Tally Ho Handicap, to bo run at Wingatui on Saturday, wtih Hunting Chorus, Half and Half, and Roseman the best fancied in the hurdle race. A Useful Pair. F. J. Boyle is expected to arrive at Wingatui to-morrow with Merry Simon and El Caballo, both of whom remained at Riccarton after the National meeting. This pair have been doing good work on the tracks, and Should race well on Saturday. May Not be Ready. Sparkle, who is to race at the Otago Hunt meeting, was worked around at a solid pace with Lochorrib on Saturday morning. Sparkle has done well in her work, but she will not be forward enough to show her best on Saturday. —‘ Southland Times.’ L. J. Ellis’s Mounts on Saturday. Raceaway, who is engaged in the President’s Handicap on Saturday, is one of A. S. Ellis’s team, and is a very fast sprinter, but does not stay on well. The distance, five furlongs, should suit him. He will be ridden by L. .). Ellis, who will- also have the mount on Hanlon in the Tally Ho Handicap. Rider Retiring. It is reported that the cross-country horseman, E. J. Jennings,’who injured one of his shoulders during the National meeting, is likely to retire. Jennings has had several bad falls in the past two or three seasons, and has probably suffered more injuries than any other rider at present licensed in the Dominion. Now Fifth on List. Saturday’s win at Moonee Valley carried Ajax’s total stake winnings to £38,725, and he now ranks fifth among the stake-winners in New Zealand and Australia. Those above him are Phar Lap £53,038 (not including his winnings in Ani&rica), Amounis £48,297 10s, Gloaming £43,100, and Limerick £38,729 10s. Next on the list is Heroic £38,062 10s. The American Champion. The champion American trotter Greyhound has started the season well, and in. the two races (four heats) he has won the times were 2min 2jsec, 2mm 21sec, 2min Olsec, and 2min Oisec. He is said to retain all the remarkable speed he showed last year, and when doing his fastest times he won without effort. A Great Record. A writer in the ‘ Canadian Sportsman,’ discussing America’s greatest stake winners, says the honours are with the trotting mare Goldsmith Maid, who, racing in the years before prize money reached the high standard of recent times, won 34G,200d01._ In 123 races she was first on 97 occasions, and with only two exceptions was placed in her other starts. Donations by Riverton Racing Club. The sum of £2,000 lias been lent to the Government for war purposes, free

TROTTING. August 51.—Auckland Trotting Club. September 7. New Brighton Trotting Club.

September 18. 21. —Wellington Trotting Club. October 5. —Methven Trotting Club. October 12.—New Brighton Trotting Club. October 26, 28.—Greymouth Trotting Club. October 26, 50.—Auckland Trotting Club. October 28.—Oaraaru Trotting Club. November 2.—lnvercargill Trotting Club.

of interest, for the duration of the war and six months after by the Riverton Racing Club. £IOO has been given to the sick and wounded fund, £IOO to the Riverton patriotic fund, and £25 to the Riverton branch of the Red Cross Society. A donation of 60gs was also made to the Royal Centennial Show. First Classic. The Wanganui Guineas, the first classic race of the season, will be run at Awapuni this year on account of the military authorities having taken over the Wanganui course. The inclusion of Doria, who won an open race over six furlongs at the National meeting, will add interest to this year’s race, and her meeting with Sir Bean will make the race an interesting one. * Profitable Meeting. The recent, Gnyid National Steeplechase jneeting should show a substantial profit. The impression has gained ground that the Canterbury Jockey Club will forward a cheque for the profit from each meeting as soon as possible after such meeting, but under its recent decision the profits for the whole year are to be given to the patriotic, funds, and not for each individual meeting. An A.J.C. Derby Candidate. Nightbeam is not engaged in any of the early races for three-year-olds, and is not likely to meet the best of his age in Australia prior to the A.J.C. Derby. Ho will compete in weight-for-age events, and will not suffer on that ■account. Mr W. F. Hughes seems to have secured good value for the 1,500 gs ho paid for the Nightraid colt, in spite of the fact that Nightbeam at times shows a swelling in the gullet.

A Consistent Performer. Plutus now has a record of 17 wins, 17 seconds, seven thirds, and twice fourth in races in which prize money was allotted for fourth place, and has credited his owner with £6,110 •in stakes. Not since his surprise victory in the Olliver Handicap at Addington in November, 1939, has Plutus won a handicap race, but he has been successful in two free-for-alls, one over nine furlongs and a-half and the other over a mile and a-quarter. These did not affect his two-mile mark. Since his last victory in a handicap event Plutus has won £2,010 in place money.

Vincent Jockey Club. At the annual meeting of members of the Vincent Jockey Club Mr R. Butcher was re-elected president, and Messrs H. E. Stevens, J. Naylor, R. Brown, T. A. Clouston and E. J. Naylor were elected vice-presidents. It was decided to hold the annual races as usual, and devote any profits to the Patriotic Fund. On the motion of the president it was decided to loan the Government £3OO for the duration of the war and six nionths after. Mr A., C. Scoular was elected a life member of the club. Poor Return from Bookmakers. Trotting is holding its own in South Australia, and is more prosperous there rthan in any of the States except West Australia. Stakes paid at Wayville (Adelaide) last season totalled £35,000, an average of close on £l4O per race. That looks small to New Zealanders, but is high in Australia. Totalisator investments aggregated £286,750, and bookmakers’ turnover was £398,750. It is intresting to note ..that the club received £21,550 as totalisator commission, but only £7OOO from the bookmakers on the £112,000 higher turnover. A Successful Year. The annual report of the Riverton Racing Club stated: The club was again very fortunate as regards climatic conditions for the three days’ races, and there was a large attendance. The statement shows a credit balance of £3864 5s lid for the race meeting. The totalisator registered £84,316 (£34,314 win and £49,996 place), as against £86,053 10s in the previous year, a decrease of £1,743, 10s; and the gate receipts totalled £3,555 13s, as compared with £3,811 16s, a decrease of £256 3s. The sum of £8,059 17s lid was paid to the Government in taxation. This amount was made up as follows: Totalisator .duty, £4215 10s, less rebate £SOO, £3,715 10s; dividend duty, £3,687 7s; stake tax, £6l 11s 6d; amusement tax, £4lO 7s 4d; income tax and social security charge, £lB5 2s Id. The year’s working shows a profit of £I,BOO 6s 6d after allowance had been made for depreciation of assets to the extent of £553 13s Bd. Death of Trainer. On Saturday morning the well-known Oamaru trainer, “ Jack ” Ross, was seriously injured when a motor car collided with him while riding a bicycle. Ross was conveyed to the Oamaru Hosoital, but made no improvement, and died early yesterday morning. Deceased, who was about 55 years of age, was in his early days well known as a boxer. For over 20 years he has been established as a trainer at Oamaru, and during that period has turned out many winners. Meadow Lark and Taboo were two good ones that brought him into prominence as a trainer, and of later years Thermidor has won a number of good races under his care. Mr Ross was highly esteemed in the racing community and deservedly popular with a very wide circle of friends, who will extend to his relatives sincere sympathy in their bereavement.