NEWS AND VIEWS

Evening Star, Issue 25750, 25 March 1946, Page 3

NEWS AND VIEWS

[By The Ckitic] FIXTURES. March 30.—Manawatu Racing Club. March 30.—Waimate Racing Club. March 30.—Bay of Plenty Racing Club. March 30.—Birchwood Hunt. March 30.—New Brighton Trotting Club. March 30.—Waikato and Thames Trotting Club. April 5, 6.—Whangarei Racing Club. April 6.—South Canterbury Jockey Club. April 6.—Poverty Bay Turf Club. April 6.—Gore Racing Club. . April 6.—Manawatu Trotting Club. April 6, 13, 20.—New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. April 6, 13.—Wanganui Jockey Club. April 6. 13.—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club. April 13.—Thames Jockey Club. April 13.—Kurow Jockey Club (at Oamaru). April 13, 15.—Reef ton Jockey Club. April 13.—Taranaki Trotting Club. Successful Meeting. It is just six years since the Oamaru Jockey Club held a two-day autumn meeting, and since then there has been a great change in racing conditions. Despite the fact that the fields were unusually small, the fixture was easily the most successful the club has ever held, and provided some very interesting racing, including a deadl heat each day.

This progressive club has recently of the most up to date of the country ipointments, making its course now one of the most up to date of the country clubs in the South Island. The Oamaru course is always a fast one, and on Saturday it was exceptionally so. Amorlad's 2.4 4-5 for a mile and a-quarter and Grill's 1.38 2-5 established new records for the track. Amorland's time is a new record for Otago and " Southland courses, and Griff's equals the record jointly held by Silver Ring and Royal Lancer, established at Wingatui in 1936 and 1943 respectively. The meeting was excellently managed, and punctuality closely observed on both days. Improved Form. Sumra was fifth favourite and finished! fifth in the High-weight Handicap the previous week, but her connections must have realised that race had improved her, for on Saturday she was made first favourite, and justified the confidence placed in her by winning very easily. Promising Two-year-old. Fine Night, the two-year-oldl gelding by Nightly from Palahtua, is a wellgrown and promising youngster: Missing the jump-out, he made a forward move after a furlong and a-half had been covered in the Novice States, and showed a good dash of pace. He should make good with a little' more experience. Fop Australia. Majestic Fox, the two-year-old by Foxbridge from La Poupee who started fourth favourite in the Novice Stakes on Saturday, did not look ready to race when paraded. He moved well in his preliminary, but failed to show up in the running of the race. Majestic Fox is booked for Australia, where he is owned. Tuis's Sister. ' P.atmos, the three-year-old sister to Tuis, gave Mr S. Taylor his second win during the afternoon when she narrowly beat a useful field of hacks in the Farewell Handicap. The race was really the best contest of the afternoon, the field being well bunched all the way. Both Petty Cash and Te-Muka appeared to be unlucky in the straight, but neither would have beaten the winner. > Failed to Jump Out Smartly.

Frances was having her first start since racing at the Vincent meeting in the Novice Stakes on Saturday, and was very solidly supported to win. Starting from tenth out at the barrier, she failed to begin as smartly as did Espadrille, who was next outside her. Frances, however, was in a handy position, about fifth, turning into the straight, and had every chance from that stage. From a Good Family. Good Review improved on his first day's form by 5 2-ssec to win the Landon Trot on Saturday. This three-year-old is far from being an attractive pacer, but when called on can muster up a lot of speed. Credit Funds, his dam, had a record of 2.44 1-5, and her dam, Credit Slip, was at one time owned by Mr G. J. Barton, and produced for him Willie Derby (2.44 3-5) and Cracksman (3.29 4-5). ■ Big Stakes Attract Them. The following Otago and Southland horses have been engaged in tlie Great Easter and Autumn Handicaps:— Wantwood, Aurora Australis, Lisheen, Black Light, Lord Dundonald, Real Chase, Lance Wing, Bonny Flight. Great Coon, Joygiver, John Gay (Great Easter), and Sing Sing, Signal Officer, Aurora Australis, Lisheen, Royal Lancer, Eastern Coin, Lance Wing, Royal Chance, Arabian Night, Tring, Great Coon, Joygiver, Amorlad, Pride of Mossburn, and Te Anau Lady (Great Autumn). Espadrille Returns Best Win Dividend.

Thanks to the heavy support accorder Venturesome and Frances in the Novice Stakes, Espadrille. returned her backers on the win machine an unusually good dividend for a third favourite. Having run second the first day, she was the form horse, and as such was ibacked down to a short price for a place. This jvas Espadrille's eleventh start this season, and there was not a great deal of merit in her win in 1.15 1-5 on such a fast track. Grill Out of Hack Class. Grill was backed down to a very short price to win at his last appearance in hack company, but Siegform had him stretched to do his best and he had to put up a new track record for a mile to beat Siegform half a length. .This was easily Siegform's best performance to date, and it was bad luck for his owner that he should run up against such a good hack as Grill. Siegform should be kept in mind for the several meetings he may race at next month.

Betting in the Dark. It was quite impossible for punters to calculate the prices showing either for a win or a place on the last race at Oamaru on Saturday. In the balancing of the machines 400 tickets were rung up on Te-Muka, 700 on Patmos, and 300 on Petty Cash on the win totalisator, and on the place machine 500 on Te-Muka and 400 on Patmos.

And -several times after the balauced signal had been given alterations were made to the figures. Almost throughout the meeting punters were betting in the dark regarding the' odds they were taking. Likely to Improve. Carrying No. 13 saddle cloth and A. E. Didham, Petty Cash was made favourite and won the Trial Stakes on the first day. Carrying the same saddle cloth and rider, Venturesome, from the same stable,'was also made favourite for the Novice Stakes on Saturday. Under a stronger rider Venturesome showed no inclination to run wide, as on the first day, but was just not good enough to hold off Espadrille at the finish, i Venturesome has not been in work long after a spell, and looks a sure winner if well placed during the approaching holiday meetings. Lacks Stamina.

Iron Bar gave a lot of trouble at the start of the mile and a-quarter race on Saturday and then beat the others off the same mark. He was not allowed to draw out to such a long lead as on the previous Saturday, and when challenged by Cumnock at the top of the straight went to a break. The race was run three seconds faster than the first day's race. Justify, who finished second, improved her time by four seconds. Iron Bar is not at present the prospective champion his admirers claim him to be

Why Kiloney Stopped. Immediately the barrier rose for the Gardiner Memorial Handicap Kiloney streaked away to the front and at the end of five furlongs was six to eight lengths clear. But Kiloney was not travelling very fast, for he took 65 1-5 to cover those five furlongs. Then he began to drop back to his field, but at the home turn was still in charge. The fiace was full on over the last five f urongs, which, timed from Kiloney passing the five furlong post to Amorlad passing the winning post, took 59 3-ssec. Thus Amorlad's time must have been at least two-fifths of a second, faster. It was no wonder that Kiloney stopped. Amorlad's Easy Win. It is a very Ipng time since Amorlad met such a. weak field aa that which opposed him in the Gardiner Memorial Handicap, and his past performances made him appear exceptionally well treated at being handicapped on even terms with Silver Mask. He looked well in the parade, but perhaps because his only placed performance this season in eight starts was a second at the Grand National meeting last August he was somewhat neglected in the betting. Didham rode a very confident race on him, and when asked for an effort after turning into the straight, Amorlad cut down the leaders to score the easiest win of the afternoon. Amorlad has been nominated for the Great Autumn Handicap. Racecourse Certainty Beaten. Backers of Lance Wing on the win machine lost a fifth of their original investment when he dead-heated with Divorced in the Elderslie Handicap on Saturday, but they were unlucky to lose their money. Just after turning for home Lance Wing appeared to have the measure of Divorced, and then his , rider let the latter draw away again, a good couple of lengths halfway down the running. His rider did not appear to move on Lance Wing until about 50yds from the post and then Lance Wing responded well and just reached Divorced in the last stride. In another he would have been the winner. Lance Wing has been nominated for both the Great Easter and Autumn Handicaps to be run at Riccarton at Easter. Royal Chance, in the same stable, has been engaged in the Great Autumn Handicap