THE TURF.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 194, 10 August 1921, Page 2

THE TURF.

RACING FIXTURES. Aug. 9, 11, 13.—Canterbury J.C. Aug. 21.—Dannevirke Hunt Club. Aug. 31.—Egmont - Wanganui Hunt Club. Sept. 3.—North Taranaki Hunt Club. Sept. 7. — Marton J.C. Sept. 10. —Rangitikei Hunt Club. Sept. 17. --Pakuranga Hunt Club. Sept. 23. 24. —Ashburton County R.C. Sept. 22, 24.—Wanganui J.C. Sept. 24, 26. —Avondale County R.C. Sept. 24. —Birchwood Hunt Club. Sept. 26, 27. —Otaki Maori R.C. Sept. 29, 30.—Geraldine R.C. Oct. 1. —Napier Park R.C. Oct. 5. —Hawke’s Bay J.C. Oct. 6.—Kurow J.C. Oct. 13, 14.—Whangarci R.C. Oct. 13, 15. —Dunedin J.C. Oct. 14, 15.—Masterton R.C. Oct. 22, 24. —Wellington R.C. GRAND NATIONAL MEETING. FIRST DAY’S RESULTS. Christchurch, Aug. 9. The Canterbury Jockey Club’s Grand National meeting opened in fine weather. The Governor-General and suite | were present. The course was slightly I holding. The totalisator investments ! were £67,608, against £72,844 on the opening day last year. Results:— Tally-ho Steeples.—Morning Glow 1, Pctitcsse 2, Likelihood 3. Won by six lengths. No time taken. Trial Hurdles. • — Penury Rose 1. To Oro 2, Master Boris 3. Won by two lengths. Time, 3.26 3-5. i Hunters’ Hurdles.—Ready 1, Painp- • lora 2, Birkenvalc 3. Won . by a j head. Time, 3.29 1-5. Jumpers’ Flat. —Demagogue. 1, MulI tivc 2, Kauri King 3. Won by two lengths. Time, 2.45 2-5. Grand National Steeples.—Coalition 1, Coroglcn 2, First Line 3. All started. Vfiimai and Coroglcn took turns in making the pace from San Sebastian, Coalition, Master Strowan and Crib over the first circuit. Gay Boy fell at i the first fence, and Master HamilI ton toppled over him. In the second I round Waimai jumped to the front from j Coroglcn and forced the pace. Coalition • headed Coroglcn at the sod wall and j First Line ran into fourth place. Racing to the last fence Waimai drew away from Coalition, who was being hard ridden, but slipped on landing, leaving Coalition to win by three lengths from Coroglcn .who was the same distance in front of First Line. Master Strowan, who broke down during the race, was fourth. Timo, 7.15 4-5. A protest against the winner for interference with Coroglcn was dismissed. Enfield Steeples. — Fire Eater 1, John Bunny 2, Tigerland 3. Won by six lengths. Time, 3.58 1-5. Winter Cup. — Clean Sweep 1, Heathersprig 2. Royal Star 3. Entering the straight, Killowen was in front, with Clean Sweep on the rails and Royal I Star on the outside coming fast. Clean I Sweep went on to win handsomely by [two lengths from Heathersprig, who , finished fast, and beat Royal Star by a I head for second money. Time, 1.46 2-5. Avonhcad Handicap.-—Scrimmage 1. I Cantoris 2, Mirza 3. Won by a length. STEEPLECHASE COURSE. DESCRIPTION OF FENCES. Though the country negotiated in the | Grand National Steeplechase is unj doubtedly the stiffest in the Dominion, it is not so formidab’e as was the case two decades ago. That it is quite I severe enough to fully test the ability | of the candidates admits of no doubt, j but even so the fences are so well built as to make them quite devoid of the I trickiness associated with some less j formidable courses. The competitors in I yesterday’s contest had to negotiate a i journey of about three and a-ha If ; miles, interspersed with all sorts of I obstacles. They started oft* at the top | of the straight, and soon came to a i brush fence 3ft. Gin. high, with Ift. 9in. of brush on top. 2ft. in thickness, j Then came the stand double, a by no i means formidable jump, but one that always levies its toll on the comI petitors. The two fences are similar | in formation, consisting of a 3ft. 6in. rail surmounted with one foot of manuka brush. The fence at Cutts takes more jumping than any other of the many obstacles, not so much on account of its size as from the fact that there is a slight rise in the course as i it is approached. It consists of a 2ft. • Sin. rail, with 2ft. tin. of very stiff | manuka brush on top. This brush is I so solid that no risks can be taken i with it. Next came the sod wall, ■ known as Fords’, 3ft. 6in. high, and of i similar breadth. It is fronted by a I ditch 3ft. 9in. wide, the nearest : approach to a water jump on the ; course. Half way along the back > straight is the post-and-rail , jump, ' which, though onlv 3ft. 3in. high, is so j stiff of construction as to necessitate I e’earing. The Kennels double consists

of two solid fences 3ft. 9in. high, topped by Ift. of brush 2 ft. 9in. through, with a 3ft. 6in. ditch in front. This is a more severe jump than the stand double, and is usually responsible for mishaps. The next obstacle is a sod wall, 3ft. Bin. in length and 4ft. through, with a 3ft. 6in. ditch on the take-off side. Turning towards the home straight, the horses encountered a stiff 3ft. bin. rail brushed with 21t. of manuka, which is 4ft. through. That completbs the circuit. Though the fences all take jumping, they cannot be assessed as more than “fair hunting country.” Altogether, 21 obstacles had to be negotiated in the journey of the full National course—a thorough test not only of jumping ability, but also of stamina. The average width of the jumps across the course is about 60ft., and most of them are provided with uings much higher than the part to be jumped by the competitors. NOTES. (By “Trenton.”) Coalition, by winning the Grand National Steeplechase with the heavy I burden of 12.7, has once again demonI st rated what a really good horse he is. It seems that there was an element of I luck in his favour as old Waimai was ' in the lead over tlie last fence and fell on the flat. However, Coalition won comfortably from a good one in Corog- : ien, and it may be that Waimai’s inis- ! bap was caused owing to his being | done at the time. j Coalition is a big gelding by Pat- ! roness out of Pauline, and his record 'is as follows:—Won Grand National Steeplechase, carrying 11.3; second Wanganui Steeplechase, 12.7; won Great Northern Steeplechase, 12.5; won Wellington Steeplechase, 12.11; won Grand National Steeplechase (1921), 12.7; unplaced Lincoln Steeplechase, 12.13 and two flat events at Hawke’s Bay Summer Meeting. | The following pacers and trotters won over a thousand pounds last season : — Willie Lincoln, £2,880 ; Author Dillon, £2,325; Albert Cling, £1,950; Reta Peter, £1,827; Astuno, £1,730 ; Sherwood, £1,560; Childe Pointer, £1,557 ; Legacy, £1,460; Loro Rose, £ 1,445 ; Whispering Willie, £1,405; Man-o’war, £1,370; Dean Di Ton, £1,365; Emilius, £1,275; General Link, £1,225; Jack Arrah, £1,170; Rangitoto Lass, £1,167; Belmont Chimes, £1,136, Goldstream, £1,075; Indra, £1,050; Gleaming £1,045; ana Nelson Derby, £1,040. i>ir. 11. F. Nicoll was the most successful trotting owner last season, 1 his horses winning £4,161. Other pro ' niinent winners were:—Mr. J. R. Corrigan, £3,574 10/-; lies and Young, £2,880; Mr. T. Roe, £2,670; Executor'J. Knight, £2,325; Mr. G* Paul, £2,315, Mr. W. B. Masliam, £2,165; Mr. G. Steele, £2,073 10/-; Mr. F. H. Robson, £1,952; Mr. M. J. Hannon, £1,950; Mr. F. Johnston, £1,760; Miss Cunn, £1,655 • and Mr. R. A. -WcMulan, £1,645. The Douglas estate, Hawke’s Bay, headed the list of winning owner:, during the past season witli £11,430 credited to them. Air. W. R. Kemball came next with £10,350 and then follow:--Air. W. G. Stead, £9,390; Sir George Clifford, £8,306; Air. A. B. (Williams, £6,795; Air. R. Hannon, ’.£5525; .Mr. G. L. Stead, £5295; Mr. La. AlcDonad, £5,245; Mr. K. D. Dun--1 can, £4,765; Air. C. F. Vallance, i £1,464; Alessrs. Clarkson and Pearson, i £4,621; Air. W. Desha, £4,500; All. H. J. Eaves, £4.320; Air. W. Stone, I £4,121 10/-; and Mr. G. D. Beatson, I £-1,002 10/-. Other Auckland owners well up are: Air. E. W. Alison, jun., £3,785; Air. S. Alison, £3,495; Air. J AlcNicol, £3,297 ; Air. H. S. Keesing, £2 680: and Hon. E. W. Alison, £2,57«. The stock of the trotting sire Harold Dillon won £12,276 10/- last season. I Other leading sires and tho amounts I won by their stock were:—Petereta, £7,359 10/-; Wildwood, jun., £6,878 10/-; Rothschild, £6638 10/-; Logan Pointer, £5,994 10/-, and Gold Beil, £5,185. The Waikanea stud had a stroke of bad luck last week. Lady Stewart, a brood mare by Bezonian-Sister Frances, foaled a filly by Boniforni at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 31st., the new comer arriving just eleven hours too soon. The youngster therefore already ranks as a yearling. Commenting on the display of Coro glen at Riccarton the other morning, a writer in the “Press” says: —“Coroglen (S. Walls) gave one of the most brilliant displays of jumping big fences ever seen at Riccarton. Bowling along at racing pace, he completed a circuit in 1.58, which is much the fastest time ! put up for some time. After doing once round over the country Coroglcn i was pulled up on the tan track, and galloped a circuit on that, to pull up j with hardly a blow. This performance ; was so good that Coroglcn will be at I a much shorter price for the Grand I National Steeplechase, and there is little doubt that he is just as capab’e ■of tackling the Riccarton country | successfully as any other National canI didate. ______