RACING

Evening Star, Issue 25699, 24 January 1946, Page 3

RACING

NEWS AND VIEWS .

[By The Critic.] 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 Racine Club. February 2.—Matamata Racing Club. February 2.-—Winton Jockey dub. 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. ‘Gore'Autumn Fixture. For the autumn meeting of the Gore , Racing Club, to bo held on April 6, the committee has . decided to give £2,000 in.stakes. In Work Again. It is reported, from Invercargill that the Grand National Steeplechase winner, Anglo French, has commenced his preparation for the approaching steeplechase meeting. Should Race Better on Saturday. The Welcome Stakes winner, Blue Troutj was unlucky in the running on the opening day of the Trentham meeting, and should do better in the Hopeful Handicap, six furlongs, on Saturday. Given a Chance. With 9.1 in a field not of very good class, Royal Lancer has been given a chance of returning to the winning list in „ the Otautau Cup. The Otautau 'track is never a firm one, and the going will suit this nine-year-old. Engaged at Geraldine. Several Wingatui-trained horses are engaged at.the Geraldine meeting on Saturday, including Prize Ring, Frances, Pat'mos, Dearo, Grill, Runaway, Bring, Young Boh, and Burnbrae. ; Which is the Better? Already many arguments are heard regarding which is the better of the two half-brothers, Kindergarten or Golden Souvenir. One writer sums it up this way: “ Kindergarten won ,the Auckland Cup under 10.2, and Golden Souvenir ran second under 8.10.” No Hurdle Race. For the first time, probably in the history of the .club, there is no-hurdle race on the Geraldine Racing Club’s programme. A field of 10 has been paid up for in the High-weight Handicap, and on recent form the topweight, Prize Ring, should take a power of heating. Heavy Train Traffic. The removal of the special train restrictions to race meetingsmade a huge difference to the attendance at Trentham last Saturday. The four special, rains from Wellington to the course are estimated to have carried 7,000 passengers. Poor Fields. The two open races at the Geraldine meeting, mile' and a-quarter and six furlongs, have attracted only six and seven acceptors respectively. If Dearo is as good as her connections, make out* she should be bard to beat in the sprint race. Schooling Well. Safelight, who is nicely weighted •in the steeplechase, to be run at Winton next week, is reported to have been schooling well at Invercargill. The" distance of the Winton race, two and a-quarter miles, should suit Safelight, who does not stay too well. Big Stake Winners. According to “St. Simon,” .in the * Dominion,’ Golden Souvenir, having won £9.895 this season, put up a new stake-winning record for one year, displacing Desert Gold’s record of £8,350 established over . 25 years ago. The next on the list are Kindergarten £7,730, Amythas £7,695, Gloaming £6.766, Warstep £6,360, and Commemoration £6,187. Moody Horse. Tt is reported that Benbecula’s chances on the opening day of the vWellington meeting was not helped by his being rushed to the front during the middle stages of the race, and it was not surprising that he did not carry on under the big impost, 9.6. However, he did no better on Tuesday, and his recent form points to him being a moody horse Brilliant Filly. Islam has proved herself to be one of the smartest fillies up to a mile . trained. in Southland for some years, but F. W. Ellis has found it difficult ' to keep her sound. She has been taken

up again, and with the prospect of yielding tracks for the autumn meetings, she may stand up to racing. Her record stands at five starts for four wins ajnd a second. Big Totalisator Figures. The totalisator turnover on the. second day of. the Wellington meeting, £221.947 10s, was £897 10s better than on the first day,- and constituted a record for the course. Previous to this meeting the best turnover at Tren tham was £202,145 on the second day of this meeting last year. On New Zealand Cup day at Riccarton £164,360 10s was handled, and on Auckland Cup day at Ellerslie the total was £247,711 10s. Leading Apprentice Injured. As the result of a fall from Lady Oral during the running of the first division of the Elstow Te Aroha on Saturday, the apprentice jockey, R. Dye, was admitted to hospital with a fractured leg. The Judicial Committee held an inquiry into the falling of Lady Oral, which was found to be accidental and due to her getting on the heels of, another horse. Reached the Five-figure Mark. The total stake earnings to date of the recent A.R.C. Handicap winner, Landveyor, are now £10,145, over halt of which has come from his racing last season and so far this term. The eight-year-old won twice at six furlongs, once at seven furlongs, twice at a mile, once at a mile and three furlongs, three times at one and aquarter miles, and twice at one and a-half miles. Forbury Park Track. So far the rain this week has not done any harm to the Forbury the strong winds quickly counteracting the moisture. Given fine weather for 'Saturday, the prospects of an interesting afternoon's racing are bright. In addition to several fresh horses being encaged, first dav's winners in Kathleen's Voyage, Liberty Bond, Czardas, Plunder Bar,, and Dillondale will again be seen in action. Sleepy Fox. Looking in good condition in spite of his long spell, Sleepy Fox had his first smart trial at Randwick yesterday. He ran a half-niile round the home turn in and seemed to be going at only three-quarter pace. Sleepy Fox has put on no superfluous flesh in his mid-summer spell,, and looks like being ready to show .firstrate form as soon as he resumes racing. Sleepy Fox is going to Melbourne, primarily. for. the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on February 23, when Munro will ride him. Sleepy Fox is a great "first up " horse, and apparently is being kept fresh for the Futurity Stakes. Ann Acre's Progeny. The first foal of Ann Acre, a filly by Vermeer, was passed in at the national sales at 60gs. Subsequently she was leased to Mr W. J. Dore, and as Green Gables won several races for him. Ann Acre's next produce, another filly by Vermeer, did not reach the sales. ' Her third offering was Bridge Acre, by* Foxbridge, sold at 725g5, then in turn came Al-Sirat 1,600g5, Barwon 3,000g5, and this year's top-price colt at 3,750g5. All these claim Foxbridge as sire.