SPORTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 November 1929, Page 11

SPORTING

N dv. k ' Dec. 2.—Takapuna J.C. Nov. k Dec. 2.—Feilding JC. PINK COAT SCRATCHED AUCKLAND, November 30. Pink Coat was withdrawn from all engagements at the Auckland Summer Meeting at 9 o’clock this morning. TRACK AND STABLE NOTES There appears to be every reason to believe that the West Coast Christmas Carnival circuit this year will attract a record number of visiting horses. Contemporary writers in Canterbury frequently make mention of the expressed intention of owners or train-

ers to send horses on the circuit. As an example of this, it is stated that J. Beban is at present busy with his team at Riccarton in preparation for the West Coast trip at Christmas. His representatives will be Topere, Tane, Sapient, Audience, Decoy Bird and Waihemo. Hoylake is reported to be galloping as well as ever at Riccarton, but he is evidently a horse of moods and investors are likely to fight shy of him until he has returned to winning form. Les Hill, the energetic secretary of the Dunedin Jockey Club, is making strenuous efforts to secure Chide, Nightmarch and Limerick to race in the Hazlett Gold. Cup at Wingatui m February. If he succeeds it will be a great draw and will ensure the success of the Cup fixture. . The trotter Trampfast made a great burst of speed from the barrier in the President’s Handicap at Forbury. Park on Thursday, and the crowd cheered lustily as he drew level with the leader, Steel All. Wlien . the finish was on the crowd grew wildly excited, and gave the driver a great reception on returning to the birdcage. It was a very popular win. Peter Bingen has won 738450 vs in stakes in addition to three gold cups. He commenced his racing career as a trotter and .finished second to Peterwah in the N.Z. Trotting Stakes. Grand Canyon, winner of the Progressive Handicap at Forbury Park on Thursday is evidently developing into a good type of racehorse. Before the Sapling Stakes was run a big price was paid for him, but he proved a disappointment in several races. He showed some form when he won at Victoria Park, but on the shifty track at Wellington he broke up badly. It has been recorded that on Thursday he paced like a tradesman throughout the journey and fought on gamely when challenged at the finish. The Hawk has won over 23,00050 vs in stakes, captured by participating in 108 races.

In one of the consultations on the Melbourne Cup, F. W. A. Rhodes, a selector and teamster, living with his mother at 0.8. X. Creek, near Graf-, ton, ' N.S.W., drew Nightmarch and won £20,000. It is the second time within, the last few years that a similar amount has gone to the Clarence River district, as Miss Schipp and Mr Davison won £20,000 in Spearfelt’s year. - /' • There is a fair- sprinkling of New

Zealand horses in the two leading events to be decided at the Summer meeting of the. A. J.C. at Randwick on December 21 and 26. Strangely enough Goshawk, as expected, is not included in the entry for the Villiers Stake, one mile. The entries include Gay Ballerina, White Fang, Crown Area, Commendation, Flicker, Dalston, Perception, Raasay, and Coolmint. The mile and five furlong event, the Summer Cup, has the following engaged :— White Fang, Commendation, Patadown, Papatu, Star God, Raasay. If Commendation is a Gunner his efforts will hold most interest for dominion racing folk. According to present arrangements, T. H Gillett will take only Count Cavour north for the summer meeting of the Auckland Racing Club. The veteran is in good health, although his form at the Riccarton carnival was disappointing, but his owner, Mr J. S. Barrett, is anxious to see his old favourite in his fifth Auckland Cup.

He has been second twice in that race and a win would be very popular. After the Richmond Trotting £lOOO Trot, run in Melbourne this month, G. Minchin, the owner-driver of Red Bazil, was charged with foul driving It was alleged that in the concluding stages of the race he made such free use of his whip that he caused interference to The Admiral and Direct Abdullah. D. Mann, who drove The Admiral, informed the stewards that he had been struck by Minchin’s whip. After hearing the evidence, the stewards disqualified Minchin for two years. Minchin, who won the event with Red Bazil two years ago, has appealed against the stewards’ decision. Recent reports from Sydney state that the French-bred horse Tidal, who •is owned by Messrs O. Nicholson and E. R. Davis, of Auckland, is again among the horses in training at Randwick. and, so far as can be discerned, he has quite recovered from the soreness which sent him out of commission last month. Tidal’s name does not figure among the entrants for the Summer Cup, set down fof decision next month, but, all going well, he may be expected to be again under silk before long. When trained at Addington Kelp showed himself to be a very promising young pacer (says “Argus”), and last season he started five times for two seconds and two thirds. At the Ashburton autumn meeting he was unlucky enough to run up again Purser, in the Improvers’ Handicap, and from a 3.50 mark the latter registered 3.j31 2-5, Kelp doing 3.32 1-5. At the Canterbury Park meeting in June. Kelp ran up against another good one in Wild Bingen', and though he registered 3.30 2-5, he was beaten by three-quarters of a length. Kelp is by Wrack from J. J. Kennerley’s mare Lutine Bells.

In his book, “My Life on the Australian Turf,” just published, J. Scobie, the veteran Flemington trainer, says: —“In preparing a horse for the Melbourne Cup you must put condition on him first, to make him (or her) hard and tough. It is no use galloping a horse that is not well. I just study out the case of each horse a,nd work on my own ideas. The observant trainer can tell instantly if anything has gone wrong with a horse. If the work is harmful, he can tell;

if it has brought benefit, he can tell. There is no fixed theory on which a trainer can work. The main aim should be to get as near to Nature as possible, and to use commonsense. I believe in open air and plenty of green feed.” V