RACING

Evening Star, Issue 25472, 1 May 1945, Page 3

RACING

NEWS AND VIEWS {By Watcher.J Acceptances for the Ashburton meeting are due to-day. Handicaps for the Great Northern Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase will appear on May 10. Lou Hall aid not race up to expectations at Timaru. She was a bit slow away, but was making up ground at the imisn.

'J he starting times at Forbury Park are 11.30. 12.15. 1, 1145, 2.30, 3.15, 4, aud 4.45.

Young Southland pacers by Dillon Hall are being inquired for from several quarters. » lltoyal Rae has joined L. J. Ellis's team. It is intended to run him in tne sprint at Ashburton. Salmi is now beina trained at Riccarton by A. McAulay. It is probable that F. J. Smith will start Doctor Ted in the Sapling Stakes. Volo Senwdd may also be included as a travelling companion. Over 2,000 horses have raced in New Zealand since August 1, and there will he maiiy more making their appearance during the winter. Platform, Boloyna, Minority, and l Shadow Boy are all booked to race at the Dunedin winter meeting. j The Forbury Park track has stood up j to the heavy rain quite well, and a good drying wind would improve the going very quickly. No surface water is lying | about the course. I The Vulture is to be raced over country this winter. Though he flounders m heavy going when travelling fast, he may overcome the conditions by the slower pace set in steeplechases. Swift Quarry, in eight starts this season, has registered four firsts and three seconds. He is owned by the Auckland sportswoman, Mrs A. Powell. Albino has gone north in charge of R. Heasley on the journey to the North Island to compete at the Wailkato and Auckland winter meetings. Accession, winner of the Canterbury Guineas and A.J.C. St. Leger this season, is by Coronation Day (son of Coronach) from Silver Scorn, which carried Mr G. Murray-Aynsley's colours with' marked success

Rakanui and IReorapa, who race in the same ownership, are now in regular work in Hawke's 'Bay, and they are' in good order to start a preparation for winter racing. There was a report that Rakanui was to be tried over hurdles, but this has been denied. The death occurred recently of PoHuka from an aoute attack of laryngitis. He had been spelling since he last raced in October, and had been brought in to resume work again. PoHuka was an aged gelding by Nightly from Toque, owned by Mr W. Cooper, Masterton, and trained at Awapuni by L. Knapp. He had won on the flat and as a hurdler.

" Old Winter," as Winterset is nown affectionately in his stable, is

now one of a select band of three champion Australian jumpers to have won more than £IO,OOO in stakes. When he won the Great Easter Steeplechase at Morphettville, South Australia, at Easter, he ticked over that total with £5 13s 4d to spare. 'The All Aged Stakes, to be run at the winter meeting of the Ashburton Trotting Club, will be decided over a mile- and three furlongs instead of a mile and a-half, this year. A new condition imposes a penalty of 12 yards on free-for-all winners. The three-year-olds will be on scratch, four-year-olds on 18 yards, and older horses on 36 yards. So far no four-year-old has won the race, though the division has likely types this time in Navigate, Scottish Emperor, Bel Hamed, Emulous, and Imperial Lady. The committee of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Racing Owners', Breeders' and Trainers' Association has written to the Racing Conference on two subjects of interest. The first criticises the policy of changing the stipendiary steward during a meeting extending over two or more days. The recent meeting at Riccarton was quoted, it being pointed out that the stipendiary steward acting on the last two days was at a disadvantage in considering any reversal of form, as he had not seen the first day's racing. The second point to which attention was drawn was the need for improved dressing facilities for riders at some courses.