NEWS AND VIEWS

Evening Star, Issue 24265, 5 August 1942, Page 2

NEWS AND VIEWS

[By St. Clair.]

Nominations for the patriotic meeting to be held at Forbury Park on August 22 close to-morrow at 5 p.m. The stakes for the Invercargill trotting meeting, to be held on October 31, have been increased to £1,500, with £3OO for the principal race. Fideiis will be ridden in the Winter Cup by L. J. Clutterbuck. With every prospect of nine races on the card next Saturday, it has been decided ,to start the first race at 11.2 a.m. Poutatau, Symbol, Compeer, and Tea Drop have been paid up for in both the Paparua Handicap (6f) and Winter Cup (Ira) next Saturday Percy Johnston, who won the Grand National Hurdles on Dummy in 1896, and the National Steeples two seasons later, is at present at Ricoarton in charge of Aussie Ba. Duly two horsemen, W. Young on Te Ari and Paisano in 1910, and R. Beale on Royal Limond and Jolly Beggar in 1926, have suc-ceeded-in winning the big Ricoarton jump-' ing double in the same year. Among the recent lists of. casualties published the name of W. A. Thomas appears ■ as missing. Thomas was one of the foremost drivers of light-harness horses in Southland. All the nine horses accepted for in the Sydenham Hurdles are Grand National Hurdle candidates. The winner of the race on Saturday is liable to be re-handicapped for the National Hurdles. Both Foxiana and Turaki have been left in the Grand Nationals. Other dual jumping engagements for next Saturday include Valens in the Enfield and Grand National Steeplechase and Merry Simon and Aleniale in the Trial and Sydenham Hurdles. The safety number that can be started from "the furlongs barrier at Eiccartoh is 32, and as 41 horses have been accepted for the Avonhead Handicap it looks almost certain that this race will have to be run in divisions. Turaki, who was making his first appearance over the Ricearton country, was going well when he fell, but it is likely that he will require more experience over the big country to hold a winning chance in the Grand National. Slayer and Foxiana remain first selections for the Grand National Steeplechase, with* Bashful Lady and Sallyl Lunn in the first line for the Winter Cup, and Erndale and Kanui Te Pai for the National Hurdles. Twenty-four horses remain in the Winter Cup after the final acceptance, as compared with 22 last year. The withdrawals were:— Happy Ending, Treasurer. Doubleack, Waitoru, Fleet Street, The Champ, Rara Avis, Maggiore, Kevin, Imperium, Mauretania, and Gold Court. There have been 43 contests for the Winter Cup, and only one winner, Princess Doreen, in 1934. has broken 1.40 for the mile, her time being 1.39 4-ssec. Thirteen four-year-olds ha!ve won, 12 five-year-olds, six six-year-olds, and the other dozen contests by aged horses. The withdrawal of The Champ and Rara Avis 'from the Winter Cup last evening would be costly to double backers, as in the North Island they have been second and third favourites. Both have been paid up for in the Paparua Handicap, run over six furlongs. Mutiny (1895 and 1896), Coalition (1920 and 1921), Oakleigh (1922 and 1923), Wiltshire (1928 and 1929), and Valpeen (1934 and 1935) each won the Grand National Steeplechase twice; but the record in this respect is held by Agent, who won it in 1879, 1880, and.lßß4 in the late Mr “ Patsy ” Butler’s colours. Southern representation in the big Riccarton treble has now been reduced to Slayer, Gay Boa, and Turaki in the National Steeplechase; Boloyna, Bashful Lady, Fideiis, The Joker, and Compeer in the Winter Cup; and Noko, Merry Simon. Turaki, Heidelberg, and Auctor in the National Hurdles. None of the fancied candidates in the Grand National Steeplechase dropped out when the final acceptances closed last evening, the only withdrawals being Colonel French, Anglo-French, Night Hawk, and Song Boy, leaving a field of 14, as compared with nine for last year’s race. In the 67 contests for the Grand National Steeplechase only a dozen of the winners have carried less than lOst. No horse carrying the minimum has ever succeeded, hm Peter Maxwell (1928) had 9.1, and last year’s winner Astral Flame, 9.2. Canard (1886).

at iit.xU, lands ilic weiglu-cai i m g rccuiu, and it is interesting to note that eight winners of the first 15 contests carried 12.0 or more. The Canterbury Jockey -Club handicappcr, though not present to see Erndale’s performance last Saturday, must have been greatly impressed with that horse’s win, os he handicapped him to meet Foxiana on 121 b worse terms in the Sydenham Hurdles than he fixed them to meet in the Grand National Hurdles. Erndale was withdrawn from the Sydenham Hurdles on Monday afternoon. A Press Association cable from Melbourne reports that the final acceptors for the Australian Steeplechase are: Highland March, National Debt, Laveur, Victory March, Dorset, Parentena, Sachem, Spirak, Warwickshire, Springhead, Tempus Fugit, Silkway, Tipton Trent Bridge, Field Marshal, Refone.