RACING

Evening Star, Issue 25070, 11 January 1944, Page 5

RACING

[By St. Clair.] Answer to Correspondent. " Railway:"—Lang Biaii, the. sire of Grand Forest, was bred in France and imported to the Dominion by Mr F. Ormond, of the Karamu Stud, Hastings. He was the winner of sis races to the value of 104,210'francs and 38,772 francs in place money and breeders' premiums., Lang Bian was by Massive by Consuls, from Forest Track, by ' Tracery.. from - Forest. Lassie by Isinglass. Lang Bian was only at the stud ; f6r two seasons, as heidied last season. ' ',.'.' . . News and Views, A. -E. Didham's team for the Vincent meeting will include Coy, Damascus, Dearo, and Prince Leighon. Fourteen is the maximum number that may be started in any of the fiat races on the Olhakau course. It is reported that Mr G. J. Barton purchased Sascha after the Duuedin meeting, Thia Salmagundi mare is not likely to fulfil her engagements at the Vincent meeting on Saturday. Grand Forest, winner of the Novice Handicap last Saturday, is by Lang Bian from Minriikin; by Grand '.Knight from Minsk, 1 a Martian maro. Grand Forest cost hjs owner HOgs at the National-Yearling Sales in 1942. ' lii connection with the Vincent meeting next Saturday a special passenger train will 'leave Dunedin at 7 a.m. .for- OmaJcati, and on'the return journey Will leave Omakati-at 7 p.m., arriving at Dunedin at 12:30' a.m.', Sunday; *... jS.'..;-.;', Mr L. C. Hazlett..litis Slayer, Wliii'r, and Stromiboli .in work for the approaching steeplechase season. All three-lock weli, but, owing „to tlie firm ; statc of, the tracks niost of their' work has beeu dene on the hills. .

Bridgehead should be better suited over the eight and a-half furlong races at Omakau than the' Two furlongs extra he was tried over, on Saturday at Wingatui. He has been allotted - 9.9 in the High-weight handicap , and 7,9 in the Clare Memorial Handicap. On the poor form.of some of the horses nominated for the Novice Handicap, to be run at Omakau on Saturday, the handicapper could have quite safely made the minimum 7.7 instead of 8.5. And then there would have been no rush •io back several of them.

The South-landers Macedoine, Sister Sal, and Sal's. Pal have gone north to fulfil their engagements at Trentham ,on Saturday. L. J. .Ellis, who won this race, on Defaulter in 1939, has been engaged to ride Macedoine in the Cup, in which she has 8.2. The penalty incurred by Sister Sal in the Ruapehu Hack Handicap at Trentham on Saturday is only 21b, making her weight 9.5. This mare has only won over six furlongs so far, and the extra iwo furlongs of the .Trentham race may find her out under 9.5. .'

During the five days': racing, on the southern holiday circuit 14..0f Salmagundi's pro-. geny £ ;vyou 14 faces--and gained place money in 10 other events. Sascha £960, Aurora Australia £9OO, Macedoine £635, Sister S'al £SOO, Abdicate £465, Sal's Pal. £305, and Bonnie Chela £250 were all winners.

Because the trophy attached to the Clare Memorial Handicap, to be .run at Omakau next Saturday, is the most valuable in. the Southern Hemisphere, unusual'interest is always attached to this event, and the field for this year's race promises to be the largest that has contested the event since it was first established in 1930.

I According to the official calendar, rthe safety limit at the mile and a-quarter post for light-harness races is seven. As 28 are engaged on the limit in the mile and a-quarter. race at Oniakau on Saturday there wil'f have to be a big weeding out; ito save 'this race, and also the mile and >a-half race, in which 28 are also on the front mark, being run in divisions. In both of his races at Wingatui AmorJiad failed over the concluding silages, but that form is not g6ing to stop his owner starting him in the Wellington Cup on Saturday. AmorVad las.t autumn showed winning form uip to a mile, two and a-half .furlongs, but so far has failed beyond tha.t distance,. He has 7.13 to carry in rthe Cup, but as yet no rider has been engaged for Mm. Thirty years ago the-Vincent Jockey Club gave £155 10s in stakes for the six racing events on its programme, nearly £SO less than for its most'important race on Saturday, and during the 'two day?' meeting the totalizator only handled £2,902. Two races at the meeting attracted five starters, in five races there were only four starters, in two races', two starters,, and in. one there •was a walk-over. The Raker was having his sixty-ninth start when he won the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap. He did not commence racing until he was three years old. and the following is his record:— Starts. Ist. 2nd. 3rd. Stakes. 3 voars 13 ' 6 0 1 £630 4 'rears '..'. ... : 12 2 0 1 £390 5 'vears 21 3'. 3 1 £1,235 6 'rears 17 1 3 3 £76?i 7 Vears 6 1 2 0 £720 Totals ... 69 13 8 6 £3,737J,