TO-DAY’S RACING NEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 February 1937, Page 13

TO-DAY’S RACING NEWS

Galloping Meetings to come February 22 —Waikato. February 22 —Woodville. February 26, 27 —Gore. February 27—Waiapu. February 27—Opunake. . February 27, March I—Te1 —Te Aroha. March 4, 6—Napier Park. March 6—Banks Peninsula. March 6—Franklin. March 6—Rangitikei. March 12, 13—Cromwell. March 11, 13— Wellington. March 13—Eirchwood Hunt. March 13, 17—Ohinemuri. March 19, 20—Pahiatua. March 20—Stratford. March 20—Otautau. March 20, 22— Westport. March 20, 22—Bay of Plenty. March 27—Greymouth. March 27 —Tuapeka County. March 27, 29—Auckland. March 27, 29— Feilding. March 27, 29, 30—Riverton. March 27, 29—Wairarapa March 29 —Beaumont. March 29 —Waipukurau. March 29 —Kumara. March 29, 30— Canterbury. April 3 —Greymouth. April 3, s—Avondale. April 9,16— Manawatu. April 10—Reefton.

Spell for Dungarvan: Awapuni reports state that Dungaivan is to be given a spell. To Race in Australia: Mrs. J. M. Bevan shipped the Acre gelding Sanguine King to Sydney on the last trip of the Awatea, and Midacre is to follow shortly. In P. T. Hogan’s Stable: Nightform, who has hitherto been trained by E. J. Ellis at Washdyke, has joined P. T. Hogan’s stable. On Parade for India: According to an Auckland report, Messrs. S. J. Wood and S. Findlay, former owners of On Parade, have received advice that their horse has been sold to go to India. Arrangements were in the hands of F. McGrath, who has trained On Parade since he was sent to Randwick last May, and who has met with success with this Grand Knight-Royal March gelding.

Novice with Ability: Sky Pilot (R. K. Smith) jumped six of the steeplechase schooling fences at Riccarton yesterday, completing his work in proficient style.. At present the double brush is being..reconstructed, and he went twice round the steeplechase course, which comprises two brush. fences and the sod wall. Sky Pilot lias taken naturally to jumping, arid beirig only a four-year-old, his future ds a ’chaser appears to be bright. Wintdn Cup Winder: The wiritori Cup, yesterday was won by a hack, Ashaway, who had previously wop two small races in the south. . Just, a week earlier, Ashaway was made fourth favourite for 'the Dunedin Cup, in which he was prominent for. pne riiile arid a-quarter, only to tire badly and finish tenth ,of the 12 starters. Strangely enough, Amy Johnsbn, who finished eleventh in the Dunedin. Cup, was runner-up to the Wintoii Cup winner. Ashaway is a four-year-old gelding by Balboa from Some Form; by Soriie Boy 11. from Fairforin, by Boniform from Satisfaction, by Birkenhead from Content, by Dreadnought., Fairform is a sister to the well-known .performers of a few seasons ago,. Rin Tin Tin and Charmaiiie,' and she is a half-sister to the Dunedin Cup and Great Autumn Handicap winner Tauramai. Ashaway is trained at Riverton by A. McKay.

WINTON J.C.—FIRST DAY. FACULTIES! WINS STEEPLES. INVERCARGILL, February 19. The Winton Jockey Club’s meeting opened in fine weather. The track was dead, but improving. There was a good attendance. The totalisator handled £7646/10/-, (as against £5,556/10/- last year. Remaining results:-- . Flyipg Handicap, 6 furlongs:—l/1 Silk Paper 7.12 (P. Spratt) 1; 2/5 Rebel Chief (A. Russell) 2; 5/6 Silver Lark 7.10 . (id. <Caddy) 3. Also started: 3/2 All Humbug (coupled with Niggerhead), 4/4 Beam, 5/3 Moneyless. Won by a heck; five lengths. Moneyless was fourth. Time 1.16. Winton, Steeplechase, two miles and a-half. —1/1 Faculties (R. Beale) 1; 4/5 Black Banner (T. J. Boyle) 2; 5/6 Possurii (W. Cooper) 3. Also started: 3/3 Red Lance, 2/2 Trisox (fell), 6/4 .Gay Boa arid Pandine (fell), coupled. Won by ten lengths; fifteen. Gay Boa was fourth. Time 5.31.

Barkley Handicap, six furlongs.— 1/1 Rodeiir, (J. W. Jennings) 1; 6/7 Roseman (M. Hibberd) 2; 4/6 Island Linnet 8.11 (J. O’Sullivan) 3. Also started: 9/9 Jack Ahoy, 2/2 Golden Vision, 7/5 Bay Biddy, 5/4 Red Treasure, 8/8 Coat of Arms, 3/3 Corban, 10/10 Paia Melba, 11/11 The Jeweller. Won by one length; three quarters. Golden Vision was fourth. Time 1.17 2-5. Hokonui Trot, 3.39 class. One mile and a half.—4/7 Happiness (P. W. Creegan) 1; 1/1 Mountain Lad (L. Klemick) 2; 7/6 Vinola (W. Thomas) 3. Also started: 1/1 Grand Meteor (coupled with Mountain Lad), 3/4 Chevalier, 12/12 Ruru, 6/8 Walter Gay, 8/9 Guywin, 10/10 Silver Laddie, 13/13 Peter Mitchell, 4/3 Mishap, 11/11 Bright Voyage, 9/5 Embark, 2/2 Eddie Tolan. Won by three lengths; half a length. Guywin was fourth. Times: 3.30, 3.30 1-5, 3.31 2-5. Tradesmen’s Handicap, one mile; — 3/5 Half Note (H. Hibberd) 1; 1/1 Linguist (A. E. Didham) 2; <4/3 Fairway (A. Messervy) 3. Also started: , 5/4 Trivet, 2/2 Wall Street, 6/7 Grand • Finale, 8/8 Milford, 7/6 Silver Lark 7.5, Won by a head; half a length. Trivet was fourth. Time 1.44 2-5.

CUDME, A GENUINE STAYER? A SYDNEY OPINION. Reference has recently been made to the number of outstanding horses produced by mares of from six to eight! years old. One that might be added • to the list is Cuddle, who, though now eight years old, is still a champion, judging by her form in New Zealand, this season (writes “Warrawee” in the “Sydney Referee”). Because of her honesty, Cuddle became very popular ! witfi racegoers in Australia, and she

is sure of a hearty welcome when she next appears here. Cuddle is another’ good one to come from a comparatively young dam. Caress (by Martian) was eight years old when Cuddle was foaled. With Tracery (sire of her sire, Psychology) on one side, and Martian on the other, this mare should be a stayer, but many Australians still have a doubt about it. A New Zealand view appears tp be that by winning again at two miles, Cuddle has falsified Australian opinion. Cuddle looks and gallops like a stayer, but Australian opinion was obliged to form itself on what she did here. Cuddle had won a twomile race all the way before she came to Australia, so that winning that race again does not necessarily demonstrate that Australian opinion was wrong. The fact remains that each time Cuddle raced beyond nine furlongs in Australia she was beaten — and very badly beaten —at 10 furlongs, 2 miles, and 21 miles. Yet, carrying 9.4, she made a mess of the field' in the mile Doncaster Handicap, ran away from her opponents in the nine furlongs St. George Stakes at Caulfield, and pointlessly beat Hall Hark and others, in the mile All-Aged Stakes at Randwick. She appeared to have the 10 furlongs Essendon Stakes won at Flemington when she collapsed, and Sylvandale had no trouble in running her down.

If there is any such thing as logic where the Turf is concerned this was most certainly not the form of a stayer. It is possible, of course, that Cuddle was not at her best when in Australia that season, but., a horse needs rather sound condition to win a Doncaster with 9.4 in the saddle, and an all-aged race at w.f.a. Cuddle made an effort to win the Sydney Cup all the way, and was beaten at 12 furlongs. There is no doubt she is a great mare (one of the best seen in Australia for many years—that was the writer’s view after he had seen her run her first race, at Caulfield), and it will be interesting to see how she fares in a Melbourne Cup. For a mare of her class she is not likely to be overburdened by the V.R.C. handicapper. If- she goes out in front, as she does m New Zealand, and as she did in Australia, it will be a miracle (or she will be a miracle) if she -can win a Melbourne Cup. The writer would prefer Wotan, even though he might he 20 lengths behind the leaders early in the race.

LIKE DESERT.GOLD. Many Australians had the impression that she. was a Desert Gold type of galloper. The brilliant daughter of All Black could maintain a great pace in front for 10 or 12 furlongs, but when she met a true stayer, even the advantage she thus secured could not save her from defeat. Racegoers will remember how Poitrel gave Desert Gold about 12 lengths from the top of the straight at Randwick, and beat her over 12 furlongs. In a two-mile w.f.a. event at Flemington she led for the greater part of the distance, but a better stayer, in Wallace Isinglass, beat her easily at the finish. In Australia, Cuddle ran her races in much the same way as Desert Gold did — and weakened' badly in each of her long races. On her last trip to Australia, in the Spring of last year, Cuddle actually failed to stay a mile against Talking at Warwick Farm, but as the writer pointed out at the time, she was obviously short of condition. At least one indifferent stayer has won a Melbourne Cup: Posinatus. In that case he took the lead early and his rider was able to slow down the field because the other jockeys thought he “would come back.” Young Crusader is regarded as a stayer of sorts. He won the 13-furlpng Metropolitan all the way with a light-weight. Still, With a lightweight, his trainer evidently thought he could win the Melbourne Cup all the way, and with a smashing pace on, at that. It was a thought based on optimism of a particularly robust character! Of course, there does not appear to be any reason why Cuddle should have to make all her own pace over a long journey. If she did make it, and the time was fast, what chance would she have of doing, with a heavyweight (she is sure to get well over 9 stone) what Young Crusader failed to do with a lightweight? A Melbourne Cup field is .a different proposition from the fields I of most other two-mile races!

Trotting MEETINGS TO COME February 26 —Marlborough. February 27—Kaikoura. February 27—Roxburgh. Deaths of Horses: Deaths of the following horses were reported recently:—Accras, Audubon Belle, Betty Zane, Electioneer Child, Goldfield, Kraal, Plain Bill, Silver Berry, Silver Dillon, and Young Weary. Timaru Nursery Stakes: Sixteen sires are represented in the Timaru Nursery Stakes, to be run at the Trotting Club’s meeting next month. Those with more than one of their progeny in the list are Jack Potts 5, Man-o’-War 4, Truman Direct 4, Frank Worthy 3, Travis Ax worthy 3, and Great. Bingen 2. Two Good Ones:

Two solid trotters were disclosed at the Auckland Trotting Club’s February meeting; namely, Listowel and Pura Bingen, who won the opening races on the respective days. Neither put a foot wrong, and as it was Llstowel’s first win, and Pura Bingen’s second success, they should have long careers of usefulness, as they are. of a type all too rare in the Dominion to-day. A Good Stayer:

Although in recent racing he had been noticeably more solid and had run second to Mountain Sun on the first day, Great Sonoma was allowed to go out at forlorn odds for the Manurewa Handicap at Auckland on the second day, and, in running second again, he paid in the region of double figures. He is a good stayer.

Handicapper: Handicapper, a big, raking gelding, had been able to win only one race in numerous attempts over a period of years in the South Island, and alter about a fortnight in A. Bryce’s stable at Epsom, he was produced at the

Auckland meeting to run second to Our Peggy in the Waiheke Handicap last week, and to win the Howick Handicap in a battling finish with Worthy Song, who was the leader throughout, Hearsay and Kia Kaba. Early in the later race, the winner was checked when Bronze Queen broke, so he would have been unlucky, to lose. Either Handicapper has improved out of all knowledge or the class he met here was very bad. He is a bay gelding by Great Bingen from Petrova. Horse Power Good: The new North Island Challenge Trotting Cup was inaugurated at Epsom with eclat last Saturday, and the finish was one of the best seen on the course. Horse Power, the chestnut gelding by Jack Potts—Free Advice, proved a shade too good for Axminster, also a chestnut, by Ringtrue— Great Eyre. Axminster and Horse Power sorted themselves out in the straight. It was a fine duel by two game pacers, and there is little between them. F. J. Smith’s two candidates, Neon Oro and Sandusky, broke up badly at the start, which was a good one. Neon Oro finished fourth, eight lengths behind Hillcrest. The other runner was William Direct, who is green. .