Racing Notes

Grey River Argus, 2 February 1944, Page 3

Racing Notes

Improving: Finishing ninth in the W.R.C. Handicap at Wellington, Nighean was the punters’ second choice for Ihe Pahiatua Cup at Woodville on Saturday, and she fulfilled their expectations. finishing half a head behind the outsider Lambourn. with the favourite Yogi three-quarters of a length away third. Lowry Bay, who finished ahead of Nighean in the W.R.C. Handicap, was no match for the placed horses. Three in a Row: My Bonnie and Coronaire are showing great possibilities under the handling, of the Takanini trainer F. Smith, and these two-year-olds took major honours in. the Calliope Handicap at Auckland on Saturday. Though paying a shorter price than his stablemate, Coronaire stood no chance with the fast-finishing My Bonnie, who went on after running in a handy position throughout to win by two lengths. Smith’s stable hold some small juveniles besides open class handicappers and sprinters, and in the Calliope Handicap, besides My Bonnie and Coronaire, he raced Beau Siri, Beau Volo and Broieform, the latter a good type only requiring time. A Sport: People who are not .associated with the sporting world generally regard racing as a mere medium of gambling. In a desire to keep the Middle Park Plate alive, the Canterbury Jockey Club has again issued a programme for a non-totalisator meeting, with £7OO in stakes. The programme lias met with a good response from owners when the restrictions on travelling are considered. Twenty-one remain in the Middle Park Plate. It is interesting to recall that the first race, run in 1884, was won by the late Sir George McLean’s Lady Evelyn. Some famous horses appear in its list of winners, inclMding the world-renowned Carbine, whose descendant, Battle Song, is siring yearlings commanding big prices under the hammer. Fancy Free Dead:

Fancy Free, dam of the Derby winner Blue Peter, died in England last September. A 3000-gn. yearling, she was purchased by J. L. Jarvis (who trained her to win £2447) on behalf of Lord Wimborne. When the latter decided to dispose of all his bloodstock Lord Rosebery purchased privately Fancy Free and the other mare. Apart from Blue Peter, she was the dam of Tartan, a winner of £4405, and now at the stud in Ireland. Later came Full Sail, winner of the National Breeders’ Produce Stakes at Sandown Park, and March Stakes, Newmarket. Full Sail, a brother to Blue Peter, retired to the stud, a winner of £7037. He was sold to Argentina, where already he has been successful. Neptune (by Hyperion), a half-brother to Blue Peter was purchased for 2000gns. in England in 1941. and is now .at the Cranleigh Stud, Wanganui. Tragic End: , The suspension of W. J. (Broughton for “going to sleep’’ on Glenfalloch is a comparatively light punishment compared with that inflicted on the late James Walls, a wellknown rider of bygone years. In a steeplechase at Timaru Walls landed over the last jump over a fence clear of the second horse, and it looked impossible for him to lose. Walls .allowed his mount to slow down to a canter. There were loud shouts from the spectators urging him to “wake up,” but he mistook them for cheers marking a popular success and got beaten on the post. Walls lost his license and never rode again He came to a tragic end, his body being found in Wellington Harbour. Placed: In the Woodville Jubilee Cup in December Yogi ran a creditable fourth. He then went north for the Auckland meeting where he failed in both the Christmas Handicap and A.R.C. Handicap. On Saturday Yogi was narrowly beaten in the Pahiatua Cup, a course over which he won the Gothard Memorial three years ago.

Dominated: Although the biggest prize went' to a southern owner through Mace-1 doine’s sensational victory in the. W.R.C. Handicap, the North Island; took the major portion of the “plums” j at the meeting as a whole. Of the I £l9 200 offered in stake money, £7415 j went to Awapuni-trained horses, 1 £4670 to the South Island, £2405 to Taranaki, £1540 to Hawke’s Bay,. £l4BO to Auckland, £755 to the Wanganui district, £615 to Wairarapa/and a modest £320 to Trentham representatives. hA Good Opinion: A good opinion was expressed about Bascule, when his owner, Mr H D Greenwood, went to 750gns for his yearling brother. The best has

yet to be seen of Bascule on the turf. Paladeo: Paladeo is still in D. J. McDonald’s stable at Wingatui, as the reported sale was not completed. Rapid Change: A question now being asked is why could Glenfalloch outclass the field in the W.R.C. Handicap after making such a comparatively poor showing in the Wellington Cup. He was well up for about a mile andi ahalf in the Wellington Cup, and the change in the going apparently made all the difference. For. Australia? Prior to the Wellington Cup meeting a Melbourne paper reported that a commission was being sent over to purchase Kindergarten at a fivefigure price, if possible. Electric “Tote” The Taranaki Jockey Club will use I the portable electric totalisator at I the meeting to be held next month, iSo far it has not been used in the i South Island. Slow Starting: I . The frequency with which some riders get their mounts away slowly lat the rise of the barrier, strongly ' suggests that they have never been itdiught how to make a smart getAaway. The principal cause of the start is “holding” a horse to I make him stand in line and continu- | ing to hold him at the rise of the 'barrier, with the result that.it is said to be a “bad start.” The importance of “giving a horse his he.ae at a start cannot be too strongly stressed.