TURF

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12804, 7 March 1936, Page 11

TURF

eccentric may CO TO AMERICA " ‘ Ojhe 'best, racehorse in Sout\v Africa was the seven-year-old dall'ion Eccentric, who has now won £14.151 in \stakeU, which is the larg,t. sum ever won by a. horse bred in South Africa. He won both the-Dur-],an July Handicap and the Cape Metropolitan. inclusively ' worth ■£ 10,000. n lent which has been cqiiallfsl- In the Johannesburg Christmas Handicap be was weighed nt 9.7 and was giving 281 b or more to t ho host imported horses, including jFnxmasque, who started second fayniirito in last year's City and Suburban Handicap with 8.1. It was proposed to send Eccentric nvrr to America to. contest the rich. Santa Anita Handicap, but his engagement in the Christmas Handicap stood in the way. He ran splendidly in the latter race, but was beaten by three-quarters of a length and a short head by Tap Root. 7.7 and Spear Ranee 7.0. Eccentric, who belongs to the No. 3 family , is by Sugar Plum, a son of (Persimmon, from Coma, by Pietr’i from Outspan, by C'amp Fire. .Qntspnn was imported to South Africa as a three-year-old and Eccentric’s dam was bred there as well as hinvell.

ENGLAND’S CHAMPION JOCKEY

( WILL GORDON! RICHARDS RETIRE.

,\n English correspondent of a Southern' paper writes:-—-

Tt lias Been suggested that Gordon Einhards. the champion jockey, lias already in mind tho time when he will retire fiom the saddle and take up the duties of a trainer. Intimate friends, however, knew that he had (Shaped hit plans differently. When Richards gives up riding he'will‘ completely sever hi's connection wirli the turf. He has: never concealed the fart that his interest m racing is polcly a, fact of" tiding winners. To him it has been for some years nothing more- than v^rk-which gives him a handsome financial reward. Already ho has-earned a, substantial sum, and when he has an income which enables him to live as he wishes to do, I believe he will sav good-bye to the turf. He is only 31, and inasmuch os lie js not troubled with • increasing weight, lie might continue to ride for another 20 years, but'l think that, if, most ' unlikely. ’ Social life does not appeal to him. His little spare time he spends 'with his wife and children nt iliis country home, -and ilomng pigeons are his chief hobby. At the jwwent time he is enjoying the winsfiorts in Switzerland. Next- season Richards will again be the chief 'jockey to the Reckhampton Plable. He has also subordinate retainers from Mr. Martin Hartigan, the trainer with whom he began his career, and Airs. Collette Glornev, and from these three sources it- is believed that he draws over £SOOO a year, without taking into account the customary riding fees- Although he is 7 unequalled, and has broken every record, he has not yet, strangely enough, ridden the winner of the Berby' ond I am afraid his chance of doiim so next year it slight. There is no suggestion that Beckhampton possesses At colt of first-class classic stamp. In the circumstances his hope ynust. be that he will be releasee by the stable and allowed to ride for another owner.

golden milled GREAT ’CHASER’S WIN AT " NEWBtTRY LONDON, Jan. 4. The Christmas holidays and spell of severe .frost caused a break in racing of 13 days. ' Sport was only resumed the day after Boxing ay, at Kemptbn and Wolverhampton but the racing'at those places was on y of minor importance. The most interesting: event* of'the season vas the reappearance' of the champion >chW Golden Miller at Newbury on Dwember 30.' { It was his first race over fences ftnoe ' by?' two failures at Aintree in tile Grand National"week last'March. At the end of --an' afternoon <>,; driving TainI’the 1 ’the great ’steeplechaser whipped up the spirits of a' drenched and ichilled' crowd' by winning a twomiles handicap ' race -under ’ l2st: 101 b. Tie showed'ali bis old brilliance and courage and when' he made 'his last virile effort, successfully to shake "off the challenge's-of Deldpaix and Borris Hand,* great! cbeetirig ’WAs raised. Hundreds’ of - iraCegoers rushed to the paddock and’ ’there, standing ih the heavy rain;'cheered him 1 and his E; WRsonV i; a''S', thickly bespattered with mud, 'itheyvimade the UKtaddlihg enclosure, v. Golden’Miller has , for a. long time, been, an - exceptionally popular horse. Ho is : -nceU’stomed 1 to theSS' entfvusi astie onthttrsfeA'hutf'therQ ; 'was , one «xceptidha.lly 'pteasitig' s 'feature about bis dbrform'an’co. 1 •Tib' shbWed'at first °P" kartunity after hi? sorry; displays at Tiy;otpool lakt March that die B°o(\ ; as over. T His failure in the last Grand Natienal and 1 his poor and disastrous atat- tho first, fence in the Cham-

pion Chase on .the following, day were SUl ;? ly 'a*tti-ibutable "■ to the firm ground and 'to the effects of the in I'd race which lie had had •" a- fortBight before against. Thomond IP for the Cheltenham Cold CupTie lias won that- race four timet ui succession and he will probably wi,n ityagalin if he runs for it next Marcli. ' •

* . f r that will come another Grand National effort. He will, of course, be given the maximum weight—l 2.7 in thait race, but as the handicap is restricted to a- range of 2st. the only one (likely to beat him is this year’s winnerj ' Reynolclshown. NOTES AND NEWS A Melbourne critic writes. —“Walking with an air of grace and distinction, C'uddle impressed me iif; being not unlike Wakeful, the wonderful mare who finished second in a Melbourne Cup with 10.0 and should never have been beaten.”

1 One of Brisbane’s turf veterans Wivanhoe, developed a distinct partiality for a. daily nip of whisky during the lattr stages of h'ls career but Rockhampton lias a galloper with more genteel tastes. This is the Leading ‘Dig-lit filly Leadola, who thrives on a diet of: cakes, ice cream, ice blocks and ham ‘sandwiches.' Moreover she is liable to fret if her midday meal does not include a cup of tea, which she drinks very sweet. These commodities do -not affect her appetite for more solid foods and she one of the best “doers” in her stable. She likes to finish each meal with fruit, of which her favorite choice is man'gOEO. However, since an attack of mango boils, this fruit has been eliminated from her, menu ihough it $* made up with an cxra ice block or two.