To-day’s Racing News

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 August 1935, Page 11

To-day’s Racing News

Galloping meetings to come.

Xue 13 15. 17.— Canterbury Grand ' National.

R. Beale’s Mounts: R. Beale’s two National mounts are Umtali and Polydora.

All the Riders: As the barometric tote at Riccarton makes no provision for the display ot jockey’s names under the dials, as formerly, a board in the vicinity of the tote is to be re-erected.

Membo Recovered: Latest reports from Melbourne state that Membo’s breakdown in the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase was a ricked shoulder, and that it has yielded to treatment quicker than was expected. He is in strong work again.

N.Z. Cup Conditions: The N.Z. Cup stake for this year is £1250, including a cup valued at £75. The winner of a race with £2OO, or 01 races worth £4OO to the winner, may be re-handicapped, but not above weight-for-age. Nomination day is September 6.

The Favourites: Valpeen and Tudor are the ruling favourites for the Grand National Steeplechase, Rasouli, Revision, and Esteem for the Grand National Hui files, and Golden Hair, Horowhenua, Tuirau, Knockfin, and Epris for the Winter Cup.

Guarantee Lame: Guarantee strained himself in the hind .leg when winning his race on the final day of the recent Wellington meeting. He was lame on his return home, and the trouble has proved difficult to locate. He is now responding to treatment, but may not be ready to race again for some time.

Caterpillar in Foal: . Mr. J. M. Richardson’s Paper Money mare, Caterpillar, looks safely in foal to Iliad. Caterpillar should produce something worth while. She was got by Paper Money from Tortrix, by Martian—Tor tulla, by Torpedo. She lost a foal by Night Raid, and a racy-look-ing filly by the same sire is amongst the yearlings at Elderslie.

Watr Power for the Stud: It is recorded in the south that Water Power ran her last race at Timaru, and is to be returned to her owner, Mr L. C. Hazlett. She still claims engagements, however, at Riccarton. Water Power was one of the best mudlarks, but her form at Trentham plainly showed that she was at the end of her career as a racehorse. Found Fortune in Gutter:

A story comes from Melbourne that the age of miracles is not defunct. A foreigner, down and ou,t and reduced to casual work and very little of it, was walking quite penniless on a Saturday morning at Caulfield. He found a dirty pound note in the gutter. Then came his first venture on a racecourse, and since then has run into over £2OOO in following Voitre’s mounts.

Licenses Approved: The Greymouth. District Committee has been advised that Conference has approved of the granting of licenses to the following for the new season: Trainers—A. J. Griffen (subject to one-horse instruction), M. Conza, E. Joyce' (prov.), E. Kingan, A. B. Spiers, T. J. Smith (prov.), J. Stewart, C. Walsh. Jockeys—V. A. Lee, W. E. Shand, Cl Walsh. Apprentice—L. L. Harding.

Gift Horse Sold: P. T. Hogan has four rising two-year-olds in his stable who appeared in the parade at Timaru. One is Asset, a bay filly by Paper Money from Lucinda, by Martian. Another is Rose d'Or, by Arausio —Imperial Rose. by Crown Imperial—Mungista. A filly by Weathervane-Roseworthy, and Double Gift, by Polazel—Bella Lake complete the quartet. It is understood that Double Gift was sold by P. T. Hogan during the past week. Was It a Test?

In the hurdle racq at the Manawatu meeting, Tudor acquitted himself with credit, but he had. no chance with Salt Spray, who was faster on the flat. However, says a northern observer, what tended to shake the confidence of Tudor’s Grand National followers was the fact that he was a beaten horse at the finish. It may be said that in conceding Saltspray 201 b. with a finish that really amounted to five furlongs on the flat, his effort was a good one, but in the Grand National he has 31b. more to carry and twice as far to go.

Silver Scorn: Silver Scorn appears to have run her last race, as definite arrangements have been made to send her to the stud this season. All kinds of theories have been advanced to account for her failure in Australia to run up to her New Zealand form. The real reasons may be these: Dunedin Cup, 9.2, 2.31 4-5; Middlepark Plate, 9.11, 1.9 4-5. A three-year-old filly cannot -win two races of that kind, with those weights and in those times, within a week and suffer no ill-effects.

Sprint Champion: Greenore, winner of this year’s Stewards/ Cup, the most important sprint of the year in England, was third behind Figaro and Alluvial in the same event last year. He is rated as one of the best sprinters in England. and in recent assessments has been placed second only to Solenoid. His most important success last year was in the Nottingham Stewards’ Handicap, in which, carrying 9.5, he beat Solenoid (9.7) by a short head with two other previous Stewards' Cup winners. Figaro (9.2) and Pharacro (7.11), unplaced. Greener? is a six-year-old by Grand Parade from Tuscar Rock, a Sunstar mare.

Pink Coat’s Progeny: Mr. Grant, has several new two-voar-olds running in his paddocks at Timaru, all by Pink Coat, who, hr the way. has let down nicely and now tills the eye as an attractive stallion. Amongst the youngsters is one that appeals In the shape of a chestnut colt by Pink Coat from The Geisha. Amongst the youngsters is one by British Empire from Kakara. owned by Mr. G. J. Barton. Kakara was got by Paladin from Orang? Blossom, the dam of Silver King, and when raced, was rather a disappointment.

Well-Related Gasman: Gasman, a dual winner at the Poverty Bay meeting, who is racing to-

day, is very closely related to the speedy Symcony, for not only is he by Gascony, but he is also a half-brother to Symcony’s dam Symballo. His dam, the imported- Symington mare Symbolism, left at the stud besides Symballo that good brood mare Catalini (dam of Paleta, Vandyke, Catalogue, and Hunting Cat), as well as Brampton and Killashandra. The family is the same as that to which the Derby winner Cylinder belongs, Symbolism and Cymene (Cylinder’s dam) being near relatives.

The Field of Waterlea: Mr A. E. Weld, who was re-elected president of the, Marlborough Racing Clfib at its annual meeting this week, said the mortgagees had entered into possession of the grounds at Waterlea, and the course had passed out of the club’s hands. Three courses of action were open to the club —to go into liquidation, to surrender two of its four days’ racing and try to make one payable meeting each season, or to carry on with four days’ racing, hoping for the best. The first of these possibilities, he thought, might be the wisest course. The club, as advised, would necessarily lose its permits, but possibly on reconstruction, it would regain them. One disastrous meeting probably would compel the club to go into liquidation. Bloodstock Booming:

Last year the Newmarket First July thoroughbred yearling sales realised 48,506gns for the three days, but this year the total has amounted to 86,007g5, so bloodstock is booming. One session was specially interesting on account of the twelve yearlings sent up by the National Stud, which sold for an aggregate of 19,380g5. The best of them was a bay filly by Blandford—Endowment, who was purchased on behalf of H.H. Aga Khan for 5000 gs. This was the highest price given at this series. The next highest price was 4200 gs given by Mr J. A. Dewar for a yearling by his Derby winner Cajneronian. For a halfbrother to Ankaret, who was just beaten in the Oaks and won the valuable Coronation Stakes at Ascot, Lord Nunburnholme gave Lady Barbara Smith 3800 gs. The Blue Cross:

The need for better provision for the care of injured horses was stated at the annual meeting of the South Canterbury Jockey Club. Mr. C. L. Orbell thought the club should provide a building where a veterinarian could examine an injured horse. The club had the Teschemaker Memorial ambulance building, and he suggested the erection of a Hugh Lowry Memorial horse stall. Mr. A. S. Elworthy mentioned that at the Waimate Hunt meeting a horse with a broken fetlock had been removed from th-? course and walked some distance, when it was destroyed. In his opinion, it was'rank cruelty to walk a horse the distance the one mentioned was obliged to go. It should have been shot on the spot. He considered that a movable horse ambulance for animals that had broken down would be a very fine thing, and if Mr. Orbell’s suggestion could.be combined with a horse ambulance he thought it would be a step in the right direction. Mr. Elworthy said that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals did a great deal of good, and its methods were most humane. The chairman saidjthe committee would consider the suggestions.

RICCARTON NOTES.

[special to “stab.”]

CHRISTCHURCH, August 2.

Punchestown appeared on the tracks to-day with a heavy bandage on one of his hind feet. He is suffering from a fairly deep wound just above the hoof, caused by Burglar when the latter ran him off at the brush double yesterday. The injury is causing pain, and Punchestown trotted very short to-day, but whether it will interfere with bis Grand National programme will not be known for a few days . This gelding has undoubtedly been very unfortunate this winter, as he has been injured twice through no fault of his own, and he is the build of a horse that does not want any checks in his preparation. The three-year-old Greek Shepherd by Iliad from Dresden China has rejoined the active brigade at Riccarton. and looks very robust after his winter respite. He will probably make his reappearance at the Grand National meeting. A. J. Peart, who won last year s Grand National Steeplechaes on Valpean, has been engaged for Dunmure in this year’s contest. t Dunmure’s usual rider, V. Langford, was engaged for the season for Punchestown, and is booked to ride that horse, in the big race.

TROTTERS AT GALLOPS.

STAKES BALANCE BETTING.

* When the racing authorities, very properly, decided for the future that trotting races should not be Dart of Hunt Club totalisator programmes, and a proposal by a Central Otago Club to allow throe trots in eight races was negatived, some enthusiasts of the light-harness sport took umbrage at tho policy defined by these decisions, and extravagant remarks were made in some quarters concerning the value of trotting races on galloping cards, the inference being that if the trotting people were to ■withdraw their support, the clubs concerned might as well dissolve. Now, of tin* value of mixed programmes in tho small centres there is no doubt whatever. Not only do they give locally-trained trotters a chance of competing in classes suitable to them without having to travel, but they also, no doubt, have the effect of making the galloping Helds more compact, besides lending pleasant variety to the day’s sport. Most racing men nowadays are catholic enough in their sporting tastes to appreciate a good squaregaiter. at any rate almost as much as ;> goad galloper, while many trotting men tire among the best judges of racers. Both of these, no doubt, were able to assess these plaints about 'noycutting the money-making trotter, at their proper value, but the figures of stakes and betting for the season just closed are an effective answer to such arguments. Of the Dominion-wide stakes totalling .£253,5i1, prizes offered for trotting races on galloping clubs' programmes totalled .£lO,lOO, or a little over I per cent. Betting on the same bases was .£2.929.930 and .£111.165

(dpprox.l, or less than -I per cent. Therefore, generally, trotting races contributed in betting a smaller pro-

portion of the total than was provided in stakes for them. All the West Coast racing clubs, excepting the Nelson Jockey Club, have had trotting races for a lengthy period. Last season, out of 124 events, the light-harness brigade provided no fewer than 26.

The Greymouth Jockev Club gave £2491 in stakes, of which £5BO was for the eight trotting races. This is 23 per cent. The totalisator aggregate was £17,160, and betting on trots was responsible for £4,142/10/-, or 24 per cent. Westland Racing Club contributed £2,349 in stakes, allocating £440 to trotting, which is nearly 19 per cent. The betting return was over 20 per cent., namely, £3,666/10/- out of £18,163. £1215 was the Westport Racing Club’s stake, £2BO. being trotting’s share —23 per cent. Wagering amounted to £7,356, and £2,241, or nearly 24 per cent, was on the trotters. Kumara gave £499 at its meeting, with £ll4 for the cart-drawers. Betting was £5,144, of which £1,426 was accountable to the trotters, The respective trotting per centages here show a wide discrepancy, being 23 per cent, of the stakes and 27£ per cent, of the betting. Certainly, trotting events paid the Kumara Club. The Reef ton Jockey Club last season offered £1,850 in prize-money, giving £435 to the trotters, which is 23 per cent. The totalisator yielded £1,305/2/10 and trotting alone, £3,027 10/-; again 23 per cent. In no case on the Coast, it will be seen, did the trotting races fail to pull more than their stake value, but in only one instance is the margin more th3.Ji 2 per cent. —an inconsiderable diffarence. The position on the Coast may be summed up by an acknowledgement of the value of trotters to country racing fixtures, and an assettion that their owners get a return commensurate with their pulling power on punters’ pockets. Figures for the Canterbury district, the greatest supporter of trotting, present a similar case. Excluding the Hunt fixtures at Waimate and Washdyke, which draw a special clientele, one finds £32,700 offered for gallops and £3,253 for trots, or just under 10 per cent .of the larger total. The betting figures for those races were £361,986 and £36,184/10/-, which also requires no working out .

OFF TO AUSTRALIA,

FOURTEEN SPRING RUNNERS.

Fourteen horses sailed by the Wanganella yesterday for Australia. T. R. George took eight, G. W. New, fiv , and A. McKay, one. . George’s eight horses for the trip were Princess Doreen, Might, Debut, Wotan, Le Grand, Fulojoy, Debham, and the two-year-old Cricket. Wotan, Le Grand and Debut are owned by Messrs T. A., W., and R. Smith, ol Hunterville, Fulojoy. Debham, and Cricket by Mr W. Higgins, of Wellington, Princess Doreen by Messrs b. E. and T. H. Hill, of Wellington, and Might bv Mr A. F. Loe, of Blenheim. Four "of George’s team are just turned it is in them that the main hope lies in capturing the bigger prizes. Wotan, Le Grand. Debham, and Fulojoy are all well engaged in both New South Wales and Victoria. "Wotan is the “star” expectation of the voyagers, and if he goes on as he promises after his arrival in Sydney he will be contesting the two Derbies and possibly the Melbourne Cup as well. Debham is also in the two Derbies, and is a likely runner in the Randwick classic, but ho has not been engaged for any of the main handicaps except the Campbelltown at Warwick Farm at the end of the month. Le Grand claims the same engagements as Wotan, and though he is at present a doubtful Derby runner he may be allowed to take his place in the Caulfield and Moonoe Valley Cup fields in preference to Wotan, should the latter fulfil classic hopes. Fulojoy's early racing will be confined to the shorter handicaps, including" the Campbelltown and Epsom, but. if she is sent on to Victoria she may contest, the Wakeful Stakes and the V.R.C. Derby. Might will be the older horse for the big distance handicaps, and Princess Doreen will come in for races up to a mile. Might's entries already include the Warwick Farm Spring Handicap, 11 furlongs, for the end of the month, and the A..1.C. Metropolitan. Neither he nor Princess Doreen has been nominated for Victorian events, and it is likely that, whatever the rest of the team does, they will return to New Zealand in October.

Cricket’s mission on the trip will be the A.J.C. Breeders’ Plate, and his present prospects look favourable, as he is a well-developed Chief Ruler colt who has already shown ability to gallop. If Debham and Fulojoy go on to Victoria he will probably accompany them, provided he continues to train on satisfactorily. . Debut, the remaining member of the team, will be set to tackle some of the hurdling events round about Sydney, as the class there does not seem good at present, but he may also be given further opportunities on the flat. McKay’s charge is Tai;ramai. Tauramai’s engagements include the big handicaps in both New South Wales and Victoria. He is to start his campaign in the Warwick Farm Spring Handicap, in which he is weighted similarly as in the more important later races. On the score of handicap he is by no means over-generously treated, for he has to concede weight to both Gay Blonde and his Derby victor Sporting Blood, as well .as to the last A.J.C. Metropolitan winner Waikare, but of course no risk could be taken with a horse of his autumn performances. He is set, too, nearly a stone above Might, with whom he shared the same weight in the Great Autumn Handicap. He has proved himself at his best on bad tracks, and it is on such going that his big chance lies in Australia. The last Melbourne Cup, it will be remembered, was run in atrocious weather, which, without doubt, Tauramai’s connections hope will happen again this year, and if not at Flemington, then at least somewhere else. , The five horses New took across were Hunting Mars, the uu-raced Red Hunting, Legatee, Symcony, and the two-year-old filly Kinsfolk. Messrs H-. N., and A. T. Smith, of Gisborne, owning or being interested in all of them. ' Legatee is the classic hope, and all going well he will contest the Derbies, and possibly also one of the big Cups, the Caulfield or Melbourne. In the Melbourne Cup he is weighted at 7.5, 11b below weight-for-age. He is top-weight at present of the New Zealand three-year-olds in this race, Wotan having 7.3 and Le Grand 7.2. Young Idea and Garrio, the two Australian colts of the age who beat him in the A.J.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes at Easter, are each weighted at 7.9 in the Melbourne Cup. His first engagement may be the Warwick Farm Spring Handicap, in which he has 7.5. Symcony, who appears to have recovered completely from her recent minor trouble, is another member of this team who should be capable of paying her way, as it is doubtful if there was any faster two-year-old in the Dominion in the season just closed than she was, and she has grown into a big filly during her six months’ spell. She is a New Zealander who may make her presence felt in the Campbelltown Handicap at the end of the month, in which she is weighted at 7.7, 11b more than Fulojoy and 51b less than Gay Sheik, for she has shown previously that she can come readily to hand.

Hunting Mars and Red Hunting, older members of this team, will probably be used for the smaller meetings. Red Hunting, as a maiden, should be easy to place if he is of any account. The two-year-old Kinsfolk is to make her debut, all going well, in tho A.J.C. Gimrack Stakes, and there are then other valuable events in which she may compete in Victoria.

THREE DAYS’ RACING. FOR HOKITIKA AT CHRISTMAS. A meeting of the Greymouth District Committee was held yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs W. H. Parfitt (chairman). C. L. Kettle, F. McGregor and A. E. Kilgour. Mr McGregor returned thanks for the Committee’s letter of sympathy in the illness that had kept him from attending the last meeting. '1 ho Chairman said they had had a long association with Mr McGregor in the realm of sport, and the speaker was sure he would ably fill the place of Mr J. D. Evans on the committee. He had great pleasure in welcoming Mr .McGregor as a member and representative of the Westland Racing Club. The Secretary to the Westland Racing Club advised that the committee had been looking into the congestion of Coast dates lor the autumn meeting. Beginning on April •! and ending on April 22, there were seven racing dates, and the Westland Club’s date tell in the middle, with racing days close at hand. It was felt the meeting would suffer accordingly, with four days’ racing in seven days. It was proposed at first to follow Reef-

ton, but it was found the Saturday following was Anzac Day, and with the Nelson meeting. thereafter, the club decided it would be unwise, from a financial point of view, to race on April 15. After considering the matter further, the decision reached was to apply for permission to move the permit forward and use it for a threeday meeting at Christmas, thus — Thursday, December 26, Saturday, December 28 (as approved already), and Monday, December 30, for the third day. A substantial programme had been drawn up and was enclosed for approval. The extra day and the provision of three good hack races and a substantial Cup race should induce a fair outside entry and so strengthen the other meetings at a season when the clubs received the better patronage. Citizens proposed holding a festival period with sports and games in the town for Christmas week. There would be greater outside publicity and this should not fail to advertise the racing and trotting attractions in other sporting centres. The programme of eight races on each day included trotting races on the second and third days, the stakes for each day being respectively £665, £7lO and £6BO.

Mr McGregor said the Club thought the proposed change would be the means of attracting more horses to the Coast, and the sports would be an added attraction.

The Secretary (Mr M. J. Fogarty) said tho only question was whether there would be too close running with Greymouth, on January 1 and 2, in the event of a postponement being necessary at Hokitika. In reply to Mr Kettle, Mr McGregor declared that the Westland Club would not postpone its meeting over the Greymouth fixture. The committee then unanimously approved of tiie programme submitted by the Westland Club. Details of the Hokitika Christmas programme are: —

First Day:—Maiden Race, 5J furlongs, £65; Kanieri Hack, 7 furlongs, £7O; Thompson Handicap, 6 furlongs, £7O; Hokitika Handicap (trophy) 11 miles, £120; Christmas Handicap, 6 furlongs, £80; Rimu Hack, one mile, £100; Stewards' Welter, 7 furlongs, £80; President’s Handicap, 6 furlongs, £BO.

Second Day:—Novice Handicap, 6 furlongs, £7O; Stafford Hack, 7 furlongs, £7O; Borough Trot, one mile, £7O. Westland Cui), one mile, £150; Summer Handicap. 6 furlongs, £SO; Goldsborough Hack, one mile, £100; County Trot, 11 miles, £9O; Railway Welter, 7 furlongs, £BO. Third Day:—Trial Handicap, 6 furlongs, £7O; Koiterangi Hack, 7 furlongs, £7O; Provincial Trot, one mile, £7O; Festival Handicap (trophy) one mile, £120; Electric Handicap, 6 furlongs, £80; Kokatahi Hack, one mile, £100; Dominion Trot, 1J miles, £9O; Miners’ Welter, 7 furlongs, £BO,

GREYMOUTH J.C. COMMITTEE The committee of the Grevmouth Jockey Club met yesterday afternoon: present: Messrs. W. 11. Parfitt (chairman), T. E. Coates, C. L. Kettle, H. D. James, G. Harker, H. Moore ana M. J. Fogarty (secretary). A letter was received from G. Salt, formerly holder of a jockey's license, asking if there were any horses avail-

able to train in that district. The secretary replied that it yvas difficult to advise on such a question, but an announcement in the public Press might have the desired result. Members made complimentary reference to the great improvements being effected on the racecourse- at Omoto by the caretaker (Mr. Williams) and expressed the opinion that visitors would be surprised when they attended the next meeting there.

Trotting ' * MEETINGS TO COME. August 10, 14, 16—N.Z. Metropolitan. August 31 —Auckland. September 7 —New Brighton. September 14—Wellington. September 19, 21—Hawke’s Bay. October s—Methven.5 —Methven. October 12 —New Brighton. October 12 or 19 —Waikato. October 26, 28 —Auckland. October 26, 28—^Jreymouth. October 28—Oaniaru. November 2 —Wellington. November 2 —Thames. New Season’s Assessment: The following assessments will be of interest: —Harold Logan, 2.5, 2.37, 4.20: Roi I’Or. 2.6, 2.38. 4.22; Indianapolis, 2.7, 2.39, 4.23; Impromptu, 2.7, 2.40, 4.24; Glenrossie, 2.8, 2.41, 4.24. American Youngsters: U. Scott,-the trotting colt imported from America and who was credited with going 2.11 J at a matinee meeting, and Taka Chance, a pacing Ally who has recorded 2.9, have arrived in N.Z. waters and will be quarantined at Wellington for four weeks. Raima's Return: Raima gave a very Impressive display in a recent work-out at Addington with Explosion and Mataunga, and this will bring him into favour when he again faces the starter. In the work-out mentioned, Raima was clocked to go better than 3.25 for the mile and a-half. He has not raced for some time and his name does not appear in the assessments for the current season. Party in Trotting: The resuscitated Owners and Breeders’ Association in Auckland again ran a ticket for election to the Auckland Trotting Club's committee at the annual meeting on Wednesday and succeeded in getting three of its seven nominees appointed. The result, in which keen Interest was taken, was the defeat of two long-standing committeemen, Messrs N. Wade and K. Rutherford, but the other two retiring members, Messrs C. V. Mark and R. Wright were re-elected, the former heading the poll. The new committee is as follows: —Messrs Mark, E. G. Bridget's, A. E. Watkins. J. P. Kalaugher, C. Cowan, H. Bull and Wright. Last year the Owners’ and Breeders ran two candidates, Dr. M. G. Pezaro and Mr. M. J. Moodabe, both of whom were successful and who do not retire until next year.