NEWS AND VIEWS

Evening Star, Issue 25698, 23 January 1946, Page 3

NEWS AND VIEWS

[By The Cbitkj.] Fixtures. January 26.—Wanganui Trotting Club. January 26. Wellington - Racing Club. January 26.—Forbury Park Trotting Club. January 26.—Pahiatua Racing Club. January 26.—Otautau Racing Club. January 26. Geraldine Racing Club. January 26, 29.—Auckland Racing Club. February 2.—Pahiatua Racing Club. February 2.—Matamata Racing Club. 2.—Winton Jockey Club. February 2.—Canterbury Jockey Club. February 2.—Wellington Trotting Club. February 2.—Auckland .Trotting Club. February 2, 4.—Westport Jockey Club February 2, 4.—Wairoa Racing Club.

Great Record.

Golden Souvenir was only started once as a two-year-old, in a five furlong maiden race at the Wairoa meeting in February, 1944, winch he won. Since then he. has started 21 times for seven wins and nine seconds, and has been unplaced five times. Last season, as a three-year-old, he had 11 starts for two wins and six seconds, his stakewinnings totalling £1,910. He com-

menced • this season with a couple of unplaced performances, and then ran second to Pensacola in the Harcourt Stakes at Trentham in October. He won the Buchanan Memorial Handicap at the Banks Peninsula meeting, and a week later the New Zealand Cup. The following Saturday he won the Churchill Gold Cup, but on the concluding day of the Cup meeting was beaten into second place by Miss Medley in the Canterbury Cup, another weight-for-age race. His next appearance was in the Auckland Cup, in which he finished second to Expanse, but on the concluding day of the meeting won the Clifford Plate (w.f.a.). His win in the Wellington Cup marked his tenth appearance this season and gave him his fifth win. Thus in less than three months Golden Souvenir has won for his owner £9j790 in stakes, making his total winnings to date £11,785. This easily constitutes a stake-winning record for the Dominion. Since October, 1944, Golden Souvenir has been trained at Riccarton by L. J. Ellis, who set up as a public trainer only a few months before taking charge of Mr E. N. Fitzgerald's champion. Answers to Correspondents. " Curious." Balloon was never raced, being purchased in England as a two-year-old for the Alton Lodge Stud. He is a half-brother to Beau Pere, Mr Standfast, and Gay Shield, who had done well at the stud in America, Australia, and New Zealand*

" Interestedj" —The stake money in the Wellington Cup was divided as follows :—First horse £3,250 and gold cup valued at £IOO, second horse £I,OOO, third horse £SOO, and fourth horse £250. x Still 119 Lots to Sell.

The national sales of yearlings will be concluded on Friday, and 119 lots from some of the leading studs have yet to be offered. Big Average. On the opening day of the national yearling sales the Trelawnay Stud, situated near Cambridge, sold 13 yearlings for a total of 12,685g5, an average of slightly over £1,024 10s. Consistent Form. Peter Robinson, winner of the Wellington Stakes last Saturday, is a brown colt by Sir Crusoe from Idolize, and prior to that race had been racing in hack class. Out of six starts this season he has won four races and been third in the other two. Next Saturday's Acceptances. The Forbury Park, Trotting" Club has received 102 acceptances for next Saturday out of 172 nominations, as compared with .122 out of 162 nomination* last Saturday. All the races have filled well, an 3 another good afternoon's sport is promised. Fined £SO. At Timaru last Saturday George Malcolm Arthur, who was apprehended just a few minutes before the sitting of the court, was fined £SO on a charge of bookmaking. The police said Arthur was chiefly an agent for a Christchurch bookmaker, and. this was his first offence. Promising Sprinter. Gold Song, who won a double ai the Vincent meeting, was catalogued to be sold at the 1944 national yearling sales, but was not sent forward. On his showing at Omakau, Mr Herhhy has retained a most promising sprinter, 'and it is reported that he has already turned down offers for this son of Gold Boa. Aurora Australia.

It is suggested by a northern writer that Aurora Australis, who had a lot of racing during the holiday meetings, has trained off. Two years ago this Salmagundi mare appeared to be right at the top of her Iform when she concluded a sequence of successes by winning the James Hazlett Gold Cup. Then suddenly she lost all form, which she did not recover until early this summer.

Small But Select Stud. At the 1944 national sales, Mr E. E Steele, of the Windsor Park stud, sold two yearlings, a Robin G°°dfellow—Falcon colt for 1,500 gs and a Defaulter —Homedale colt for 625g5. Last year he sold two Bulandshar colts, one from Kama for l,Boogs, the other from Portadown for 1,500g5. This year Mr Steele was unlucky m having to open the sale with his yearlings, all by Finis. The Tommy colt made 450 gs, the filly from Portadown 1,250g5, and .the filly from Mercian Bell 410 gs. Mechanical Handicapping.

Liberty Bond conceded Dillondale 24yds and beat him by about four lengths in the Dunedin Handicap last Saturday. In the Metropolitan Handicap next Saturday Liberty Bond will meet Dillondale-on 12yds better terms, and Water Ranger, who separated them in the Dunedin Handicap, will meet Dillondale on 48yds better terms. This is the result of the present handicapping system.

Golden Souvenir's Dam. Valadore, the dam of Native Song, Kindergarten, Native Chief, Silver Coin, and Golden Souvenir, all winners, was purchased cheaply by Mr E. N. Fitzgeraldj on the recommendation of H. N. Wiggins, and her progeny have now won him just "on £30,000 in stakes.' She was got by Valkyrian from Adornment, by The Nut from Elegance, by Seaton Delavel from Antelope, by Apremont from Miss Kate, the founder of a very successful family. Ann Acre, the dam of Bridge Acre, Al-Sirat, Barwon, and the colt which realised 3.750 guineas last Friday, is also descended from Miss Kate. . ' Goo'd Consolation Prize. , At the Oamaru meeting early this month 1 the connections of Racket lost a stake of £l6O when R: Register weighed in ljlb light after finishing first in the High-weight. They received more than a consolation prize when the Solicitor-General mare collected £385 by beating Master Garry and The Monarch in a similar class,of race at Trentham. Racket has been first past the post on four occasions, each time in a High-weight. Racket ran away from the opposition at the finish, and paid several times more, than would nave been the case at Oamaru.