RACING AND TROTTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 September 1945, Page 7

RACING AND TROTTING

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES.

Sept. 22: Geraldine. Sept. 22: Thames. Sept. 22: Foxton. Sept. 29: Hawke’s Bay. Sept, 29: Otago. Sept. 29: Ohinemuri. 4 trotting September 29: Methven. October 6: New Brighton. October 13: Forbury Park. October 20, 22: Auckland. October 20, 22: Greymouth. October 22: Oamaru. October 27: Invercargill. October 27: Wellington. For Geraldine: Rahiri, who won so impressively at Ashburton, claims an engagement in the Belfield Hack Handicap, run over mnb furlongs, at Geraldine on .Saturday. The son of Defaulter looks the likely favourite. He has not been over-raced and should have a successful season. Well Related: Major Argosy, who came from well back to win his division at Ashburton on Saturday should be a useful performer this season. He is a three-year-old by Defaulter from Lady Argosy, by Iliad from Princess Argosy, who won the Great Autumn in 1933. Desert Maid’s Death: The Nigger Minstrel-Spearmaid mare, Desert Maid, died last week while foaling to Airway. A two-year-old filly by Salmagundi from Desert Maid, the oldest of her progeny is to join F. W. Ellis’s team at Invercargill shortly. Retired to Stud: The Grand National Hurdles winner of twelve months ago, Flying Spy, has been retired from racing. She will be mated with the imported stallion Paper Boy, who is by Colorado Kid (son of Colorado, by Phalaris) from Art Paper, by Artist’s Proof (son of Gainsborough). By Beau Re pa ire: Beau le Havre, a shapely two-year-old colt by Beau Repaire (son of Beau Pere) from Pretty Brown (imp.) by Tommy Atkins, is expected to be a good winner as a two-year-old. He is still green and gave his pilot a rough ride in the Pioneer Handicap at Ellerslie when he finished fifth.

Staying Bred: Western Front did not take his place in the John Grigg Stakes, but he can be kept in mind for later in the season, especially over some gr.ound. He is bred to stay with the best of them for he is by Coronach from All Quiet, by SiegfriedSpeechless, by Demosthenes-Queen Kora, by Stepniak-Dometer, by Wallace. He showed signs of staying last season.

Gold Flight: .The Nigger MinstrelFrancolin mare Gold Flight has produced a colt to Man’s Pal and has been returned to the same horse. Other interesting books to Man’s Pal include: Queen of Song, Nightwings, Princess Argosy, Spearmaid (dam of Spanish Lad and Nigger Boy), and Caterpillar (dam of Steward and Joygiver).

Promising Galloper: Ruling Master, who won a division of the Trial Handicap at the Avondale meeting, is a three-year-old by Foxbridge from Ruling Spi, thus a half-brother to the ill-fated Sea Spi. Ruling Master cost 1250 gns. at the national yearling sales in 1944. He should be a good winner this season and there are hopes that he will develop into a stayer.

By Dink: Rating who won the Pioneer Handicap at the Avondale meeting is a bay gelding by Dink from Every Port, daughter of Winning Hit and Sailor’s Love, by The Ace from the Treadmill mare Sailor’s Hope. The third dam of Rating produced that good mare Fast Passage, winner of the Auckland and New Zealand Cups. Rating was bred by his owner, Mr. J. McGhie.

One of His Best: Lord Advocate ran one of his best races when he won the Spring Handicap at Ashburton at odds of nearly a third of a century. This horse is a grand track worker but does not always race up to his track form. On Saturday, however, .he finished on better than usual over the seven furlongs and won comfortably. He is in again at Geraldine on Saturday, this time over six furlongs, and should not be at such a long price.

Definite Improver: The third horse in the Pioneer Handicap for two-year-olds at the Avondale meeting was Balancer and he took the eye as certain to make a lot of improvement. He is a brown colt by Ballater, an English-bred horse by April the Fifth from the Ellangowan mare Caeriaverock. Balancer is out of Cape Mint, by Sargon (son of Catmint) from Hukapapa, daughter of Snow King and Marie Odile (grandam of Gay Sheila, Gay Blonde, Gay Sheik, Gay Brunette, Philcourt, and Lady Fox).

Close Fourth: Piccolo attracted a lot of attention by his excellent track work, prior to the Ashburton meeting but he disappointed on Saturday in finishing fourth, though he was only a head behind Beau Cheval, who was a neck behind the second horse, Salmi. Piccolo’s next engagement is in the Geraldine Cup of one mile and aquarter. The race he had last Saturday should have put the finishing touches to his condition and he will not be discarded for that failure.

Overdue Win: Silver Sal secured a well deserved win when she saluted the judge at Ashburton on Saturday. This Salmagundi mare, owned by Mr. C. B. O’Connor, and trained by C. G. Humphries at Riccarton, was definitely unlucky last season when in 17 starts she was seven times second, twice third and twice fourth, but in the consistency of her record and her strong finishing efforts she proved herself thoroughly game. On Saturday she had the advantage of a 71b. allowance and she got home by a head from. Royal Rae in a splendid finish. Silver Sal is a six-year-old by Salmagundi from Silver Memory, by Straightcourse from Sweet Memory, by Maniopoto.

Late Norman Blackmore: The death at Palmerston North of Norman Blackmore, a former Greymouth resident, recalls the deeds of that fine race mare Mandane. Mandane raced in the colours of Mrs. Blackmore, but Mr. Blackmore, who was foi’ many years actively associated with the Manawatu Racing Club, was the directing force. Mandane ran third to Mimetic and King’s Speech in the Great Northern Foal Stakes at Ellerslie and then won the Pacific Handicap of Trentham beating Black Cat, the dam of a Wanganui winner, Kuri. As a three-year-old Mandane, who was by Panmure from Cherry Mart, by Birkenhead-Martia, by Martian, ran third to Father O’Flynn and Star Area in the Wanganui Guineas and third to those good horses Runnymede and Star Stranger in the New Zealand Derby. However in the New Zealand Oaks she was successful and later beat Star Stranger in the Fendalton Handicap. She carried on in her next season and had her share of success. At the close of her racing career Mr. Blackmore put her to the stud. The first foal a colt by Night Raid was lost but then came four fillies in a row. None of them however reached the heights of her dam. Two of them, La Bru and Evasion were bred from by Mr. Blackmore, and they have so far left Princess Anne and Red Foil, both promising gallopers.

“ONE OF THE BEST” PRAISE FOR IMMEDIATE SYDNEY, Sept. 17. Immediate has suffered no ill effects from his double exploit on Saturday. He was ridden by his trainer, Ellis, in quiet work at Randwick to-day. Immediate looked only a trifle lighter, and he should pick up quickly. The “Sun’s” turf editor says: Immediate is one of the best horses racing. No horse could have shown greater courage and ability than Immediate did in the Camellia Stakes. The greater credit is due to him because he had been in Sydney for less than a fortnight, and had been standing for a week on the steamer. His jockey , L. Hare, also came through with flying colours. Sandwiched between Munro and Cook, Hare showed unmistakably that he could hold his own in any bustling tactics. Immediate and Sleepy Fox have been entered for the Clarendon Stakes, of nine furlongs, weight-for-age, to be run at Rosehill next Saturday. They are also entered for the Arthur Dight Quality Handicap, which is run under special weights. Sleepy Fox has top weight of 9.5. Shannon (the Epsom favourite) has 9.4, and Immediate is next on the list with 8.8. High Play has 8.2 in this race, and he heads the weights, with 10.7 in the Welter Handicap. EPSOM AND METROPOLITAN (Rec. 11.50 a.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 18. At the declaration of the first acceptaices, Sleepy Fox was withdrawn from the Epsom and Metropolitan Handicaps. Doubles punters have switched their support lor Immediate from the Metropolitan to the Epsom, and the New Zealander is now second favourite for the Epsom. He remains second favourite for the Metropolitan. BOOKMAKER’S DOG If someone asked in a quiz, “what is a bookmaker’s dog?” could you give an answer? (writes the Turf Editor of the “Sydney Morning Herald”). Is it a horse who shows good form on the track and races like a dog in a race, therefore enriching the bookies? Is it a man who snoops round giving worthless tips in the hope that the mug punter will back them with his principal? Or is it just any sort of a dog? It’s none of those, according to one of the ilk. A bookmaker’s dog is a general factotum. One of his jobs is to see that his employer has a suitable position from which to view a race. His equipment is a box of some sort, which he carries round to the front of the stand, and sits on until his employer arrives. Whereupon he hands over, and the bookmaker steps up to look over the heads of the crowd. But if you want to see what a bookmaker’s dog looks like don’t | seek him in the "saddling paddock at Rand wick on Saturday. You’ll be lucky if you find one—at work anyhow—because the racecourse supervising staff disapproves such goings on.