TO-DAY’S RACING NEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 September 1940, Page 9

TO-DAY’S RACING NEWS

Galloping

MEETINGS TO COME. September 28.—Kurow. September 28.—Foxton. September 28, 30.—Ohinemuri. October 3, s.—Hawke’s Bay. October 10, 12.—Dunedin. October 12—Otaki Maori. October 12, 14.—Auckland. October 17, 19—Masterton.. A Good Winner: Beaulivre won £2315 at two years and £7460 (£2870 in Australia) last season.. With three wins in Sydney in this term he has increased his score to well over £ll,OOO. Beaulivre cost his present owner 2900gns. Promising Jumper: J. Thistleton has been schooling Viking over hurdles at Invercargill, and the eight-year-old Lord Warden gelding has been jumping brilliantly. Thistleton has hopes that Viking will make good in his new role. Back to Work: Gayest Son, who had little racing last year, is making good progress at Hastings, and he should soon be in racing condition. Royal Minstrel, who has not raced since Easter, is also in.good order to begin a serious preparation.

Not a Dud: When accepting the trophy won by Night Dress at Orari on Thursday, his owner said that the horse had been sold to him as a dud. That was scarcely correct. The main reason for his disposal was that the president of the Racing Conference was disinclined to he associated with such an erratic galloper.

In Work‘'Again: The Buzzer is at work again, and is one of the entries for the New Zealand Cup. He won the Auckland Cup in 1937, when racing as a four-year-old. In the' following season he was second to Arctic King in the New Zealand Cup, and third in the Metropolitan Handicap to Padishah and Sovereign Lady. Last season the Buzzer was unplaced in four starts.

Kindergarten: The three-year-old Kindergarten appeared a trifle unlucky when he ran third in the Henderson Handicap at Avondale. He came from a long, way back, and left the’ impression that he would take a lot of beating next time out. He is a well-grown colt by Kincardine—Valadore, and is trained by I. Tinsley at Gisborne. Severe Loss:

Mr W. E. Hazlett suffered a severe loss this week when the brood mare Direct Hit, and a Sir Simper colt at foot, both died in the paddock. Direct Hit was the dam of Shillelagh Wood (second in the Grand National Steeples), Ballybrit, and Lochcoribb, and was 22 years old. Mr. Hazlett has a nicely-grown two-year-old chestnut colt by Salmagundi . from Direct Hit in work at Invercargill. Question of Divisions:

The position in regard to dividend races is that where the totalisator can be ; operated only- once- in/a race, the whole of the advertised stake must be divided equally between the winners of the, divisions, and no other place money shall be paid unless the committee decide to provide additional prize-money. In no case shall the amount payable to division winners be less than 50 per cent, of the advertised stake. Where the win and place system is used, the amount available for dividends on the win machine is equally divided between the division winners; and in respect of the place pool, dividends are declared on first and second horses in each division. No dividends are paid for third place.

Rigging Races: The practice of rigging races appears to be common in Brisbane, according to a statement made by the chairman of the Queensland Turf Club (Mr P. J. O’Shea) to members of the club at the annual meeting. It is causing worry to the executives of each race club. It was found that one of the best outsiders had been backed by agents on the morning of the race at long prices, and the “riggers”-- then secured the scratching of better-fancied candidates. The result was a race which had nine or ten acceptors dwindled to five or six starters. The practice, however, is by no means restricted to Queensland, as it is common in some of the other States. In Victoria it is done through the four placed horses cards. Inducements are held out to unscrupulous owners to scratch horses which figure conspicuously in the cards and are likely to cause loss to the sponsors of the cards. In one of the other States owners who scratch favoured horses after the acceptances for races have been declared are asked by the stewards to explain their reason for withdrawing their horses. The racing clubs have the power to withdraw the license of trainers implicated in these matters, and they also have the power to exclude -from racecourses persons whose presence is believed by them to be undesirable. The position of clubs in that respect was established by a decision given by the Privy Council in an action in which the Australian Jockey Club was concerned a year or so ago. Some of the racing clubs seem reluctant to use their power, but (says the “Australasian”), it would be in the interests of racing if they made freer use of it.

RICCARTON NOTES. HORSES FOR DUNEDIN. [SPECIAL TO “STAR.”] CHRISTCHURCH, September 20. Spring weather has been enjoyed at Riccarton during the past week, and all tracks are now in excellent order. A strong team assisted at the Geraldine meeting this week, and another fairly good team will be racing at the Kurow fixture at Oamaru next week. The meeting after Kurow to interest owners and trainers will be the Spring meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club, and this is expected to attract an unusually large number of horses from headquarters, including, several candidates for the two classic events, the ■ McLean Stakes and the Dunedin Guineas. An interesting visitor for . the second day at Wingatui will be ; Royal Chief, whose trainer consid- ■ ers he will need another race to fit him for Trentham, where he is booked to contest the Harcourt Cup. 1

Royal Chief has done well since his race at Ashburton, but still carries a little too much condition, and only racing/ will reduce this. Other horses trained at Riccarton probably will include Winning Rival, Don’t Forget, Shikari, Nightglass, . Settlement, . Prudent Prince, Night Dress, Retrogression, and Doria, and the two-year •'olds Blue Bouquet, by

Myosqtis from Royal Baby, Man’s Pal—Vennachar colt, Myosotis— Palanquin colt, Man’s Pal—Universal filly, Salutation ,by Theio— Queen’s Salute, Verlagia by Vermeer —Pelagia, and probably one from the Ghokebore stable.

Halt, who paid’over half a century at Geraldine yesterday, is a big long-striding gelding by Nightmarch (from the Winkie mare Peho, and is owned by his breeder,. Mr. R. Sutherland, who also had Ann Mie in work until a few weeks ago. Ann Mie, it will be remembered, ran second, to Don’t Forget at the Christchurch Hunt Club’s meeting, and paid good-double figures for a place. Unfortunately she went amiss shortly after this, and has not raced since. Applications Refused: The Hororata Racing Club, owing to petrol and other restrictions, decided recently to endeavour to hold its annual race meeting in December on the Riccarton racecourse, and" permission was secured from the Canterbury Jockey Club to do so, provided the approval of the Minister and Racing Conference was forthcoming. Advice has now been received that the application has been turned down by the Conference, as also has an application by the Tapanui Racing Club to hold its meeting in February at Wingatui. An application by the Ashburton County Racing Club to change the date of its Summer meeting from Saturday, November 30, to Monday, November 25 (which is to be observed as the Birthday) was also refused. Wardress, who figures in the nominations for the New Zealand Cup, has been off the scene since the Grand National meeting, owing to suffering from some internal trouble. She is right again now, but is to be taken out of the Cup. . The Sandwichman was put back into commission a few weeks ago, but did not do well, so it was decided to put him out again for a few months, in the hope that he may be able to tackle next Winter’s racing.

Weights for the New Zealand Cup are due to appear next Friday. There is no doubt as to the probable topweight, Royal Chief, and he is likely to be well ahead of the next on the list.

Mr. W. Parsons, owner of Recollection and Night Dress, was laid aside with illness for some weeks before the Geraldine meeting, and his trip to it was his first outing. He bought Recollection from Sir Charles Clifford, and endeavoured to buy Night Dress as a three-year-old from the same owner, but the price asked for the latter, 1000 guineas, stopped any business. Night Dress was eventually sold for 300 guineas, to Messrs Elworthy and Gould, who sold him to Mr. Parsons for 150 guineas with a contingency. Recollection has won good money for Mr. Parsons, in spite of lengthy" periods of inactivity owing to unsoundness, and now that he appears to be quite sound again, he' is certain to win some big races. Night Dress was purchased with the idea of making a jumper out of him, and he has had a lot of schooling, mostly in his home paddocks, but as he appeared to be thriving on the work, it was recently decided to keep him at flat racing for a while yet. Unfortunately, Night Dress was not nominated for the New Zealand. He is bred, and is just the type, to win such a race.

One of the best grown two-year-olds credited to the defunct Paper Money was paraded during an interval at the Geraldine races yesterday. This is a colt from Wanaka, one of the Silver Peak breed, and is not only big, but shows exceptional quality. It will be surprising if he does not turn out a high class galloper. He will race as Prince Shad in the colours of Mr. F. C. Christie, owner of Nightcalm. Mr. Christie also paraded a gelding by Paper Money from Aspiring, another of Silver Peak’s progeny. He is not as big as his' mate, but is likely to come earlier. Mr. Christie is training thelse horses at Orari.

Wagner has been given away to be used as a hack, but his new owner hopes that after a few months’ easy life, the Siegfried gelding may be given another trial. ' Trotting. MEETINGS. TO COME. October s—Methven. v October s—Thames. October 12 —New Brighton. October 26, 28—Greymouth. October 28—Oamaru. October 26, 28 or October 26, 30— Auckland. November 2—Wellington. November 2—lnvercargill. November 12, 14, 15 —N.Z. Metropolitan. November 28, 30 —Forbury Park. November 30, December 7—WaikaOne to Watch: When Lady Carol is asked to face the starter next, she will not lack support. At New Brighton last week she put in some telling work in the last half-mile of the Pacific Handicap. She finished close up fourth, from about twelfth at the half-mile, and was only a neck behind the third horse, King’s Jubilee.