NEWS AND VIEWS

Evening Star, Issue 26103, 17 May 1947, Page 9

NEWS AND VIEWS

|By Observer.! Fixtures. • (May 24. —South Canterbury Jockey Club. . May 24.—Foxton Racing Club. May 24.—Kailcoura Trottiug Club. May 24.—Waikato Trotting, Club. May 31, June 2.—Wanganui Jockey Club. May 31.—Ashburton Racing Club. May 31, June 2.—Ashburton Trotting Club. 'May 31, June 2. 7.—Dunedin Jockey Club.' May 31, June 2. 7.—Auckland Racing Club. June 7, 14.—Manawatu Racing Club. June '7, 14.—Wellington Trotting Club. June 14.—Oamaru Jockey Club. June 21.—Ashburton County Racing Club. Foxbridge’s Progeny's Winnings. Up to and including April. 8 the progeny of the leading sire, ; Foxbridge, nave won £71.254 in the Dominion this season. The total amount won in New Zealand and Australia by his stock to the end of last season was £230,230. Magnificent To Be Retired. Magnificent injured a suspensory ligament while racing in Australia recently and it is likely he will be retired from the turf. He will probably be sold for stud purposes. Magnificent is one of the first crop of horses sired by Ajax, and showed outstanding form at two years and as an early three-year-old. His wins included the A.J.C. Derby and the Victoria Derby. , Cumnock Sold. The Grattan Loyal mare, Cumnock, was sold by auction on the Oamaru course before the first race last Saturday to Miss E. E. Collis, Auckland, for 420 guineas. Cumnock’s best performance this season was recorded at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s meeting on September 7, when she beat Nyallo Scott over a mile and a-quarter. Kaitoa Bought by Southland trainer. At a sale of trotting stock held at Auckland this week, S. Todd, of Invercargill, paid top price of 175 gs for the trotter Kaitoa. Other sales made included Sandiways, who was purchased by E. B. Lardner for lOOgs; Sure Wave, by C. N. MeFlinn for 97Jgs; and Commando, by Alfred Buckland and Sons Ltd., as agents, for lOOgs.

Surprising Result. The Te Rapa trainer, D. Cotton, saddled up three candidates for the President’s Handicap at the Waikato meeting last Saturday, and the result must have surprised him, for the favourite Hippodrome was among the “ also started,” and his two other charges were in the money. The tenth choice, Landfire,. was beaten by a nose after heading Peggy ’O momentarily in the straight, and Al>ess, who was 18-19 in the betting in a field of 21, gained third place. Ashburton Steeplechase Course. Following an inspection of the Ashburton steeplechase course by Mr W. R. Main the manager-caretaker of the Riccarton racecourse, the Ashburton County Racing Club has decided to apply to the Racing Conference for exemption from including a steeplechase on the programme for the club’s meeting on JTune 21. Mr Main made certain recommendations to the club for the improvement of • the steeplechase course, but the committee was of the opinion that it would be impossible to effect these by June 21. Jockeys Protest. Because of the large number of runners in the Quewhevo Hurdles at the Franklin meeting, 23 hurdle jockeys protested that unless the number of panels in each fence was increased,.or the race divided, they would not ride. The matter was amicably settled, more panels being added to each fence. In spite of the large field there was only one casualty, the well-supported Movriful dashing his. supporters’ hopes when he threw his rider, W. Caddy, heavily with a. round to go. Chddy suffered spinal injuries. Recruit to Jumping. A recruit to jumping in the Hawke’s Bay district is the brilliant galloper, Royal Heir. The Hunting Song gelding has proved himself a good sprinter, and among liis many victories is. the C.J.C. Stewards’ Handicap, which is recognised as. the premier sprint raco of the Dominion. Royal Heir has size in his favour, and his sire. has given the turf two of the. best jumpers in the country ■ to-day in Brookby Song and Bramble Song. Hunting Song is also the sire of three winners of the New Zealand Grand National Hurdles in Huntique, Flying Spy (the only mare to win the race), and Bramble Song. Some of the best hurdlers have come from the sprinting ranks, and such a good galloper as Roval Heir, should enjoy a fair measure of success in his new role.

Former Trainer Appointed Patrol Steward. . The former well-known Trentham jfrainer H. B. Lorigan, who recently took up residence in Paimereton North, has heen appointed a patrol steward by the Wanganui district committee, whose territory embraces the Waverley, Wanganui, Rangitikei, Marion, Feilding, Manawatu, Foxton, and Ashhurst clubs. Prior to taking up training Mr Lorigan was a successful rider, and he enjoyed a very fair measure of reward as trainer, having under his charge such berforjners as Concentrate,' Cimabue, UestureT Oratrix, Royal Duke, Dolomite, Entre Nous, Dominant, Sunny Blonde, Twenty Grand, Happy Dale, Toper, Kentucky, Siegmund, Gothic, Solver, Voltaire, etc. Italian Sire Dead.

The great Italian sire Ortello, which was sold to a Californian stud last year, died recently at the age of 21 years. Ortello was one of the greatest horses bred in Italy. He made a clean sweep of the Italian three-year-old classics, and then went to France to defeat the bc-et horses in Europe, including the French hope, Kantai, and the great German colt Oleander, in the Prix a l’Arc de Triomphe. Ortello was the leading sire in Italy for a number of seasons, besides being the leading brood mare sire." For many years bis progeny have dominated the Italian turf, and his importance to breeding was such that during Mussolini's regime a special decree was issued prohibiting his sale for export. It was reported that Ortello was kept iq hiding when the Germans occupied Italy, and was “ rediscovered ” when the country was liberated. Ortello's sire and dam were both French bred, his sire being the celebrated Teddy and his dam flollebeck, by Gorgos from Hilda 11.. by Rabelais. Holleheek was bred in 1914 and exported to Italy as a yearling.