RACING

Evening Star, Issue 24989, 7 October 1943, Page 3

RACING

[By St. Clair.] Atmospheric conditions* were pleasant at Wingatui this morning for training operations, and the outside of the course. proper was available for fast work, but was too heavy for trainers to take advantage of, and very little fast work was done. The sand track was slightly faster than yesterday morning. Sixpence did better than Green Boa over seven furlongs on the sand track this morning, recording 1.35, the last four in 57. Paladeo, who' looks an improved horse since the Hunt Club Meeting, was going well throughout six furlongs on the sand track in 1.21 3-5 this morning. . Monetary, who is still carrying his winter coat, . was sent five furlongs this morning with his trainer up. Beginning slowly over the first furlong, he ran the last four m 53. ' Half and Half (R. Heasley) and Kohara (B. Mears) schooled over two hurdles this morning at Wingatui, the formen showing to the better advantage. Lady Don (L. Burnard) was sent over four hurdles and jumped well. E. J. Ellis with Patria and L. H. Pratt with Grecian Glow, Dietetic," and Hoyal Don arrived at Wingatui last evening. Both trainers report that the tracks at Washdyke and Orari have been very wet this spring and against fast galloping. Dark Diana had Cerne Abbas for a companion in a half-mile work out on the sand this mprning. There was not much between the pair, at the finish, the two-year-old just having her head in front at the post,in 54 2-5. , A good idea of tlie softness of the course proper was demonstrated by two gallops, <jne on the sand and the other on the outside of the course proper this morning. Last Effort and Silver Mask recorded 66 4-5 on the sand track, and Minority and Steward took 9 4-ssec more on the course. Macedoine is reported to be suffering from a cold, and can be marked off as a doubtful starter, in the Ranfurly Handicap on Saturday. .The stable apprentice, T. Strathern, .is mentioned as the likely 'rider for Scottish Glens in the hurdle race on Saturday. The North Island horseman, N. B. Holland, has accepted a retainer for the present season to ride for Mr C, E. Robertson as an owner and agent for other owners. Backers of first favourites had a bad day at Hastings last Saturday when all eight first favourites .were beaten. The winners of the first five races returned their backers double-figure prices. P. Gallagher has a four-year-old sister to Special Force ready for racing. Her name is Furlough. She was not raced at either two or three years old, but was a starter at the recent Geraldine meoting. She is reported to be good. It is questionable if Otago and Southland stables ever contained so many maiden performers as is the case this season. For- a six furlong maiden race on its Labour Day programme the Gore , Racing Cliib has received 40 nominations. The ' Star-Sun ' reports that on account of the heavy going probable at Wingatui on Saturday Battle Royal is an unlikely starter in the 'McLean Stakes. Foxhaven has been showing good form in his work on the Riccarton tracks since the National meeting, and on Tuesday morning ran out a mile in the heavy going in 1.51 after taking 55 for the first half. The South Canterbury Jockey Club, one of the few clubs in the South Island to feature hurdle racing, has received good nominations for the mile and a-half hurdle race at next week's meeting. They are: Full Pitch, Gay Parade, Gold Nugget, Half and Half,. Heidelberg, Jacksonville, Knight Commander, Kohara, Lady Don, Midgard, Maggiore, Norse, Prince Dolomite, Rockery, Scottish Glens, Synthetic, Taxpayer, and Treasurer. Special interest is being taken in the appearance of Parshall in the principal race at the New Brighton Trotting Club's meeting on Saturday, as he has been brought down from Auckland with the. view of qualifying for the New Zealand Trotting Cup'.' He is'a five-year-old gelding by Ringtrue, ..and,.,in .two seasons' racing he has started' 21 times for eight wins, three seconds, and three thirds. At Addington last August Countless just got up to. beat him in the National Handicap in the last few strides. For some years there was a dearth of hurdlers in the South Island, and with most of the clubs substituting high-weight flat races, for which hacks were eligible, there was not, much inducement for. owners to keep jumpers in commission. In', the south only the Dunedin Jockey Club and the Southland Racing Club include hurdle races on their programmes. Several clubs have,.not even put on high-weight races, though the rules provide that either a hurdle race, steeplechase, or high-weight handicap shall be included in every, programme. In addition to this not being fair to owners, it is even more unfair to jumping jockeys,..and has been largely the cause of'the scarcity of these riders. This season the patronage given hurdle races by owners shows that there are plenty of jumpers about, and for the remainder of this season, it is up to district committees, to whom all programmes have to be submitted, to see that the rules of racing in this respect are observed.