Racing News and Notes

Northern Advocate, 22 July 1939, Page 11

Racing News and Notes

By “AJAX.” TW^i^lrTril^gril^Yv^l!^

ur- - A Compliment. L. J. Ellis had three mounts at the Waimate meeting, and each of them started favourite, more perhaps as a compliment to the rider than confidence in the mount.

Padishah Fancied. Padishah has been elected to the position of favourite for the Grand National Steeplechase, and shares the same honour for the Grand National Hurdles with Charade and Survey. There is no pronounced favourite for the Winter Cup Amigo Lame. Amigo has been an absentee from the tracks since the Ti'entham meeting. His leg filled as the result of injuries he sustained through kicking himself. Though the trouble is not serious, it will prevent him from fulfilling immediate engagements.

Win Was Due. Prince Flaneur started thirteen times this season prior to winning at Waimate on Saturday. His previous victory was at Timaru, over five furlongs, in October of last season. Showed Promise.

Gamos may have his first race of the new season at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting next month, and there will be some interest in his future career, in view of the definite promise he showed in his autumn engagements. Auckland R.C, Stakes. The Auckland Racing Club committee has adopted the same prize money as lafet year for the spring and midspring meetings. For tlie summer meeting, the Auckland Cup prize was increased to £3OOO, the A.R.C. Handicap to £ISOO, and the King’s Plate and Clifford Plate each to £750. Southland Quartet. The Southland horses, Fleet Street, Bow Street, Gold Wren and Pandine, Will remain at Riccarton until after the Grand National meeting. All four came through their racing at Trentham in good style, and they will be given a Chance to freshen up before being produced at the Christchurch Hunt meeting on July 29.

Premature Use of Blinkers. At the Hawke’s Bay Hunt meeting last Saturday, a judicial inquiry was held into interference suffered by Raana in the Riverslea Hack Handicap. It was found that this was caused by The Ring running about in the straight. C. G. Goulsbro, the rider cf The Ring, was exonerated, it being considered that he did his best to control the filly, who was wearing blinkers. The rule allowing the use of blinkers in a race does not come into force until the opening of the new season on August 1, and J. M. Camei’on, trainer of The Ring, was fined £1 for the breach of the existing rule prohibiting their use. Manawatu’s Chance,

Manawatu, who will be bracketed with Power Chief in the Grand National Steeples, should be one of the best of the lightweights in that event. Taking a line through Slayer, at present one of the favourites for the race, Manawatu definitely has a chance. He was only a couple of lengths behind Slayer in the July Steeples at Trentham, and as that was only his second start this winter he looks certain to improve considerably. He ran fourth in the National Steeples of 1936, and later at the meeting won both the Beaufort and Lincoln Steeples. Two years ago he was going like a winner in the Wellington Steeples when he ran off about a mile from home.

Lightweights’ Record. So far, the top-weights have completely dominated the discussion of the Grand National Steeplechase prospects. At the present moment it would seem unlikely that any horse with under 10.0 will win at Riccarton. Strangely enough, the race has never been won by a horse weighted on the minimum, although Peter Maxwell had only 9.1 ■when he scored in 1926, and Sturdee and Tuki both carried 9.4 when they won in the two years prior to Peter Maxwell’s success.