RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23817, 22 February 1941, Page 9

RACING NOTES

1 COMING EVENTS [By St. Clou.] RACING. February 24.—Te Aroha Jockey Club. February 24. —Woodville D. Jockey Club. February 24.—Westland Racing Club. March I—Franklin Racing Club. March I.—Rangitikei Racing Club. March I.— Banks Peninsula Racing Club. March 6, B.—Taranaki Jockey Club. March 7, B.—Cromwell Jockey Club. March B.—Carterton Racing Club. March 13, is.—Wellington Racing Club. March 15, 17.—Ohinemuri Jockey Club. March 20, 22.—Manawatu Racing Club. March 22, 24—Bay of Plenty Racing Club. March 22, 24.—Oamaru Jockey Club. March 27-29.—Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. March 29.—Waimate Racing Club. March 29.—Birchwood Hunt Club. TROTTING. March 1. —Invercargill Trotting Club. March B.—Timaru Trotting Club. March 15.—Wyndhara Trotting Club. March 15.—Cheviot Trotting Club. March 22.—Westland Trotting Club. March 27, 29.—Wellington Trotting Club. March 29.—Cambridge Trotting Club. JOTTINGS Answer to Correspondent. “Wager”—ln 1937 the committee of the 'Dunedin Jockey Club had to postpone the first clay of the Cup meeting to the Friday on account of very heavy rain. The weather on the Friday was fine, but on the second day, held on the Saturday, it was showery and cold, and the track was very heavy . Sir Beau Amiss. Is it reported that Sir Beau knuckled over while sprinting on the Wanganui track early this week, and pulled up lame. He had freshened up well after a. light let-up, and is expected to be at his best for the Taranaki and Trentham meetings. Gate Receipts at Wingatui. Despite rain on Thursday there was only a slight decrease in the gate receipts and sale of race-cards at Wingatui. The good programme offered to-day, and the tine weather attracted a big crowd. tard Nuffield and Doria Collide. In the Publicans’ Handicap on Thursday Lord Nuffield slipped badly and cannoned into Doria, and in his rider’s opinion would have probably fallen had he not hit Doria. This spoiled the chances of both horses, and Doria sniftered abrasions to one of ber legs. Consistent Mare. Sea Lady concluded her “ hack ” career with the best performance, as ■ she carried 9.6 and led all the way over r a mile, which she won at Wingatui on ; >Tfanrsday. She has raced very coni' sistently this season, having been in .the money 10 times out of 11 starts, and in her last seven races has recorded three wins and four seconds. Coincidences. Last year in the Dunedin Cup Sparkle carried No. 12 saddle-cloth, and won. In this year’s race Iceland Spar carried the same saddle-cloth, and only missed winning by the narrowest of margins. It was a further coincidence that both Sparkle and Iceland ‘ Spar were making their first appearances in open company in their first attempts to win the cup. Royal Chief’s Chance. Taking a line through the handicap for the Dunedin Cup Royal Chief should beat all the cup candidates in the James Hazlett Gold Cup this afternoon, as he will meet them on the following better terms, Schoolgirl 28Ibs. Doria 231bs, and Winning Rival lllbs. Royal Chief won this race two years ago, when he carried 9.10 and beat Queen of Song by a neck in Imin 39 JLSsec. A Lucky Holiday. R. E. Humphries, who rode Doubleack to victory in the Dunedin Cup, served his apprenticeship with R. E. Jl*Lellan, and a few months ago left td join up with a stable in the North Mand. Humphries was paying a visit to his people in Invercargill and during the course of‘the Winton meeting last week, the owners of Doubleack persuaded him to remain for the Dunedin meeting and take the mount on their horse. Duke of Gloucester Cup. The Gloucester Cup race, which this season has been allotted to the South Canterbury Jockey Club, will be included in the programme of either the April or May meetings. This race, more than any other in the calendar, has been affected by the war, most of the riders who normally would hare participated being either overseas or in camp. A Good Rule. In England it is not possible on the totalisator to lose money by backing a winner. If the winner is so strongly supported that the dividend is below £l, the investment is made up to the original £1 before being to hackers. This is not the case in New Zealand. There has been more than one case here of a winner paying less than £l, and the latest occurred at Opunake when the supporters of Boden Park lost money when he deadheated with Mahaina. Greyhound to Retire. From America comes a report that Greyhound is to be retired. The grey ghost is a gelding, like the majority of two-minute performers, and is only eight, so that there may be a change of plan. He holds world records of one mile (against time) Imin 55iscc, one mile (race) Imin 57fsec, one and a-half miles (against time) 2min 21 sec, two miles (against time) 4min 6sec; quartermile 26fsee; one mile (half-mile track) Imin 59|sec; one mil© (in saddle) 2min IJsoc; one mile team (with Rosalind) Imin SSisec. He has trotted a mile in 2min or better on 24 occasions. All these times were recorded from a flying start.

A Classic Mile. The James Hazlctt Gold Cup rate was first run in 1914, and placed on the programme to commemorate the memory of the late James Tlazlett, who for about 50 years was one of the loading racing men in Otago, a past president of the club and a member of tho executive during the whole of his long residence in this city. The handsome gold cup attached to the stake is presented by the members of tho family, and is a very keenly sought trophy. The first race was fittingly wou by Mr L. C. Hazlett witli that good mare Sister Radius, and the list of winners includes such good ones as Amythas, Winning Hit, ■ Olentruin, Limerick, Aussie, Nightmare!), Cricket Bat, Silver Scorn, Silver Ring (twice), Wild Chase, Paper Slipper, Royal Chief, and Defaulter. Coming Meetings. Several programmes of meetings to bo held during the next few weeks will demand tho attention of owners and trainers. They are : Timaru Trotting Club, on March 8. Stakes, £2,400. Nominations close on Monday, 9 p.m. Wellington Racing Club, on March 13 and 15. Stakes, £7,475, Nominations close next Friday, at 5 p.m. Wyndham Trotting Club, on March 15. Stakes, £1,375. Nominations close on Monday, at 5 p.m. Waimate Racing Club, on March 29. Stakes, £925. Nominations close on March 17, at 8 p.m. Ashburton Trotting Club, on April 5. Stakes. £2,<175. Nominations close on March 17, at 8 p.m. Canterbury Jockey Club, on April 14 and 15. Stakes. £7,125. Nominations close on March 24, at 5 p.m. Abandoned Permits. At least three clubs were interested in tho fate of the vacant Marlborough and Cheviot trotting permits. Mcthven, Greymouth, and Timaru were all anxious to secure one of the dates, the last two being anxious to conduct meetings in aid of patriotic funds. Their applications cannot, however, be considered, as it has been revealed that when clubs, as a result of wartime conditions, are unable to carry on, their permits will be suspended until normal times; and that no suspended permit will be transferred to any other chib. This applies also to racing clubs, and the Clifden permit will not he available to any other club. The Riverton Meeting. The appearance of the programme for the Riverton meeting at Easter has attracted the attention of visitors to the Wingatui meeting, and with stakes totalling £6,100 it certainly is a programme worth consideration. The Riverton Cup (£600) and Easter Handicap (£400), both run over a mile and a-quarter, and the Southern Champion Hack Handicap (£400), run over a mile, are the best endowed flat races, while sprinters have been well catered for by the Aparima Handicap (£300) on the first day and the Flying Handicap (£250) on the second day. Five steeplechases will be run during the three days, three open and two hack events. The Great Western, on tho first day, carries a stake of £SOO, and the Riverton Steeplechase on the second day £4OO. On the third day the stakes range from £l5O to £250, and two lightharness races arc included. The programme is one of the best issued in the south, and nominations close on March 17. Dunedin’s Oldest Race. The Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap, • the principal race on to-day’s card at Wingatui, was established in 1863, and was won that year by Ultima, ridden by E. Eav. The distance of this race has been ‘changed a number of times since it was originally fixed at two miles, and in 1869 it was run over two miles and a-half. In 1904 it was reduced from a mile and a-half to a mile and a-quartcr, and it remained at that distance until four years ago, when an extra half-furlong was added to give a better run before the turn out of the straight was made. During the first 40 years this race attracted many of the best horses in the Dominion, and included in tho list of winners in that period are Yatterina, Tambourim, Lur]ine, Templeton (twice), Fishook, Lady Emma (twice), Tasman, Necklace, Gipsv King. Saracen, Boreas, Pampero, and ‘Canine Chiel. When Templeton wou the second time he carried 10,0, and that stands as the weight-carrying record.