THE TURF.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 285, 17 November 1923, Page 2

THE TURF.

FIXTUBES. Nov 21— Ashhurst-Pohangina R.C. < Nov’. 28, 30—Feliding J. C. 1 Nov. 30, Dec. I—Takapuna J.C. ' Dec. 5, 6—Woodville District J.C. - November 30. Dec. I—Feilding J.C. Dec. 12—Danneviake R.C. l2—Taumarunui R.C. Dec. 26— Waipukurau J.C. Dec. 26, 27—Dunedin J.C. Dec. 26, 27—Taranaki J.C. Dec. 26, 27, 29— Manawatu R.C. Dec. 26; 28, Jan. 1, 2—Auckland R.C Jan. 1, 2—Stratford R.C. Jan. 1, 2—Hawke’s Bay J.C. Jan. 1/2 —Marton J.C. , THE RICCARTON STRAIGHT. ; The following from the pen of “Senti- ’ nel” (“Otago Daily Times”), who has seen a good many races won —and lost ■ —on the course of the C.J-C., may be of service to the less experienced of our trainers and jockeys who may in the future have instructions to give, . or to follow, for th© riding of races there. The long straight at Riccarton, he writes, is generally deemed too big a stretch of ground for the average horse. ' Such an idea is in all probability far from the truth, and it would be more correct to say that the Riccarton home stretch is far t°° l°ng tor the average rider. It is doubtful, indeed, if a rider unaccustomed to the course could use a horse to the b. st advantage, and th explanation is simple enough. T.acks running a mile and a-haii! in qirdumlerence and a straight of well over three furlongs are very rare in Australasia. In this country very few tracks run to a mile and a-quarter in circumference and the majority are only eight furlongs. On such small tracks the run in is compulsorily short, and hence riders gather a habit of making their final run as soon as they straighten for home. To do such a thing at Riccarton is fatal, because very tew horses indeed cah sustain a run from one end of the Riccarton straight to the other. It is odds on that if they are asked to do so they fail long before reaching the winning post. Hence it is claimed that the riders, through makirig a too early run, are more at fault than the horses who are said to find the Riccarton straight too long for them. Picture how often, even in short races, the leaders inside ths distance are seen to fade out of a place by the time they reuph the judge. Such a course suits I a really sold stayer who can run a race from end to end, but brilliant horses with a short run have to be carefully nursed if they are to successfully negotiate the Riccarton straight. NOTES. (By “Trenton.”) Patrons of the totalisator at Pahiatuai on Thursday showed much better judgment, or’Were much more fortunate in their selection of first favour- ’ ites than on the previous day. For four of the events they picked the winner and in other two they got second money. Among the former was Awangawanga, who, although he had finished a good long wav back in the Malden Plate on Wednesday, on Thursday, according to press reports, with Sensible out or the way, he “flew' to the front at barrier rise” and made “only an exercise gallop” of the Trial Handicap. Awangawanga—the Maori name indicates uncertainty—is a six-year-old gelding by Feramorz—Suspense. and is now owned and trained by Mr. G. D. Beatson. Last season, the first in which he raced, he ran in the name of Mr. W. E. Conner, but failed to score a place out of his four starts.

The next event, the High weight Handicap, also went to the favourite. Royal Song (Garaiice —Pastoral) who had run a good second to Manchester on the first day, and now exchanged places with him. For the next race, the Tirauiuea Hack, onlookers seem not to have taken sufficiently into account the interference from which Maugawhero suffered on Wednesday, so that he went out sixth down the betting, only to win vqry easily, although he both got badly away from the barrier and “ran all over the course Hi the straight.” The big event of the day. the Pahiatua Handicap, also went to an outsider, in tact, the absolute outsider Mr C. Elgar’s Bonnie Heather (Heather.Mixture —Vexo). who in a field of seven was seventh choice among maehine investors. In his case, however, Dteglect was fully warranted, for not only had /he run last in the corresponding event the previous day. but he had also a pretty long unbroken string of preceding failures against his name. In this case he seems to have been on his best behaviour anil, coming fast at the finish, managed to beat both Hallowroz and Bagdad, who up to then had appeared to have the race to themselves. Mrs. H. M. Qimpbell’s old favourite, ran a really good race, and a- win may come his way ere very long. Of the next three winners Atapo (Tararua Hack) was second favourite, and Sensible (Tane Hack) and M aipa.tu (Electric Hack) were both short-priced first favourites, but in no case was victory easily gained, the verdict being a head in each of the first two of the three rftces, and a short length in the third. Maugawhero was again pulled out for the last race, and again won with comparative ease paying a fair dividend as third favourite. « * • There were two enquiries during the day. Beloved interfered badly with Star Ranger in th e Pahiatua Handicap, and C. Butler, her trainer, was severely cautioned by the stewards. It has to be noted, however, that his mount had a bad attack of bleeding during the race. Running round the turn in the Tane Handicap Mcrrimas struck trouble and was neariy down. As a result of this mishap. L. Berry, rider of Import, was suspended for a month for careless riding. Mr. J. Fraser Smith must be accounted to bo Fortune’s favourite just now. At the Hamilton meeting his two-year-old, Muscari, was undoubted ly lucky in getting the verdict in the Tamahere Stakes on Saturday, for th* Hannon representatives. Quinette and Abbey Bell, were leading at the turn into the straight, and went out wide, allowing Muscari to gqt up on the in side. On the second day the bracket made no race of it. Getting out quickly, they soon had a break on field, and, though Muscari again go" the rails at the turn, Quinette and Abbey Bell drew away again, Quinette winning by two lengths from her stable companion who was four lengths ahead ’ of Lady Rewa, the last-named beating Muscari a few yards from the post for thiid honours. Then comes the decision of tho Distri t Committoe vyhich gtiys that Mr. Hannon’s pair both carried short weight on the second dav and that first money must go to Lady I Rewa * * » The Martian—Samisen mare War- > tune, who went wrong on the eve of ' th? Cantcrbu r x Jockey Club’s Metro- ' politan Meeting, has gone to Kinloch - J to be mated with Paladin, [ | Engelfield, winner of the V.R.C.JHotharn Handicap, is by the Carbine horse 1 George Freer firpni Advantage : (Advance —Lady Spec), a successful performer in the colours of the late l Mr Middleton Melrose, in the Do-

minion and Victoria. It is not often that the-name of N ew Zealand’s “Black Demon” appears in the pedigree of an Australian winner. Owing to the dropping of a line in transcription elsewhere a recent Melbourne cable was made to represent Chatelaine as a Melbourne Cup winner. The cable should have read thus: “The South Australian sportsman, Mr. Aid. ridge, has purchased the mares Chatelaine, winner of the Williamstown Cup, at 800gns and Sister Olive, winner of the Melbourne Cup. at 500gns. for stud purposes.’’ It is not often that the stables of Sir George Clifford and Mr. G. D. Greeliwood go through a meeting at Riccarton without making their presence felt, but at last week’s gathering neither was represented by a winner. This is Glentruin’s fourth season’s racing since she arrived from England, and her failure jp the Members’ Handicap at Riccarton last Saturday marked the first occasion on which sli« has not finished in the money After Roseday’s defeat in the New Zealand Cup and Metropolitan Handicap, says “Sentinel,’’ the owner expressed an inclination to sell the Solferino—Rosalia gelding. An offer of 1500ghs was made, but as this was considerably below the owner’s idea of value the offer was turned down. With ordinary luck Roseday would realise a far better price by capturing any of the important .handicaps in the country. Rdseday is to be treated to a spellMr. W. E. Bid will, the well-known Wairarapa sportsman, has presented a handsome trophy, standing 15 inches high, to the Wairarapa Racing Club. It is inscribed: “Jubilee Cup, 18741924, W.R.C , January, 1924, present, ed by AV. E. Bidwill, 0.8-E. Distance, one mile and a quarter.” The names of the owner, jockey, and trainer of the winner are also to be insci’ibed on the cup. It is reported that during the course of the New Zealand Cup week an offer of 2000gns was refused for the Absurd colt Inferno, He is one of the most solid-looking members of the Absurd tribe, and should inherit a good deal of stamina from his dam. but, says a South Island writer, the offer was good money for one bred on sire lines which do not g e t beyond a sprint course. Recently note was made of an unusual run of luc’k that attended JHr. S B- Joel’s horses at Doncaster, where, all ridden by W. McLachlan, they won three successive items on tjhe day’s programme. Strangely enough, within two or three weeks, Mr. Joel came very close to making a like record at New- ® market on the opening day of tijp Firs i October Meeting. His hopßes woi three events that were successive bu fo? the intervention of a race in whicl he was not represented. In each case too, the rider was AV, McLachlan, bin in one instance it was AV. McLachlan Junior. A peculiarity about thi owner’s tally of successes this season is that on no day has he won one racwithout winning also a second-

The third day of the same meetinsaw a strong favourite in Lord Derby’Swynford—Serenissima filly. Tranquil, beaten into third place in the Jocke*. Club Stakes, Im. 6f.. two other three year-olds, Inkerman and. Legality, get ting home in front of her, the forme, easily and with some two lengths ti , spare. This result- only goes further * to discount the value of the PapyrusZev match as a trial between the bes! i English and American horses of this age, for it will be. remembered that it was Tranquil who beat Papyrus in the St. Leger before he made his so greatly advertised trip across the Atlantic. The first three days qf the Newmarket yearling sales —the report of the feftirth is not yet to hand —praduced no such higlrprices as were realised at Doncaster, in fact, many of the lots going “dirt cheap,” as low as 10 guineas being accepted. The only biddings beyond 2000 guineas were 3000. which secured for Mr. Reid AValker a chestnut filly by the Derby winner. Gay Crusader, from Lass o’ the Glen, and 2500, which was refused for .an own brother to Silver Image, by Juggernaut out of Queen Silver. The stewards of the English Jockey Club make no bones about inflicting adequate punishment in any case of proved breach of the accepted rules of running. During the Newmarket meeting they considered that of a. very well known and successful jockey, JLedson, who had been reported to them from an Edinburgh meeting, where his mount was disqualified on tj?e ground of crossing after he had finished second for the Edinburgh Gold Cup. Tim Jockey Club stewards promptly decided ” to. withdraw Ledson’s license. A little exhibition of like strictness b? New Zealand stewards would not di any appreciable harm. A recently received .Sydney exchange > says:—J. M. Cameron has brought his fine horse The Hawk in again after a spell. He is yet o nthe light side but this is to he expected after hif ailment. Now that the cough has left him the conqueror of Beauford wil soon pick up. and he should be in gooc racing condition by the autumn. The New South Wales sportsman whe prefers to race under the assumei name of “Air. IVolesley” made t lucky deal when he purchased th« threv-year-old Ciaro in England las* year at- 1750 guineas. At the recent Randwick spring meeting Ciaro woi the Epsom Handicap, and that successbrought £3275 to the winner. The decision of the Cantala Stakes at I'lemington would mean the addition of at least another £2500 to “Mr. Voles ley’s” banking account. Ciaro’s victory in tlie Cantala Stakes demonstrated n. a pointe.l manner what a good thing the Epsom handicap was for hm, under 8.7. for under a 101 b penalty in the Cantala Stakes, which meant 9.5 for him in that ra-c, ho scored in fine style, conceding 21b. to a weight-for-age performer in the shape of Easingwold. According to accounts of the latter race to hand, Ciaro would appear. in Cracknell’s hands at any rate, to have got entirely over his nervous aversion from the starting tap?. On< description says: “Ciaro stood at t’e harrier like an old sheep, even though two others nlayed up and delayed th* start, and h? was actually one of the first to move.”

Mr. F. Musscn, the well-known Southlaiyj sporting writer, was married in Christchurch on Mon4«<After the close of the C.J.C, meeting Stuart AVaddeM went on to Dunedin, where he is now ioregadiering \utu ? some of his old cronies of the long-ago. c He is not expected back for another t week or so, but there is no subtle in- i ferenoe to be drawn from the juxta- t position of these two last notes. His j, nephew, Fred Waddell, brought tlie stable’s touring team home during the K week, and all are just now having an r easy time of it- making recovery fioni * slight soreness that has come of their travelling and their racing efforts. The going was really hard on the last two days at Riccarton.