ON THE TURF

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 11 August 1928, Page 13

ON THE TURF

FIXTURES

August 14, 16, 18— Canterbury J.C. Grand National. August 25—Hawke’s Ray Hunt. September I—Otago Hunt Club. September s—Mar5 —Mar ton J.C. Spring

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Next Tuesday will see the commencement of tho C.J.C. Grand National meeting, which will be continued on the following Thursday and Saturday. The steeplechase course at Riccarlon will bo practically the same as that erected 12 months ago. . The dimensions of the fences arc as follow: Cults brush 4ft 111, in, 4ft on top; first sod wall, 3ft 7in, 2ft wide; second sod wall, 3ft Bin, 4ft wide, with ditch 4ft in front; Kennels doubles, first 4ft Bin, broom over sod wall, post and rails, with ditch 4ft in front; second, 3ft 9in, broom over post and rails, 78ft between the two fences; brush at top of straight 4ft 9J,-in; carriage paddock brush 4ft 4in and double, brush hurdles in iront of stand. The carriage paddock brush will bo the first and last to be. encountered in the Grand National Steeplechase, and in the three and alialf mile journey candidates will have to negotiate 21 jumps. Royal Saxon, First Sight, Taboo and Malmsey, who were The first four horses past the post in the Brabazon Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday, are all engaged in the Winter Cup, to be decided next week, and as a result of their forward running are likely to continue m favour. There is very little difference in the weights they will have to carry in their next meeting, as Royal Saxon has the same weight, while First Sight drops lib and Taboo and .Malmsey 41b. First Sight appears to have had none the best of the luck early in the Brabazon Handicap and he may turn the tables on Royal Saxon in the Winter Cup, although ability to begin well may favour the latter. Thanks to a very successful meeting at Trentham, the "Marlborough Racing Club has had a good year. Tho following extract from tho annual report speaks for itself:—The balance-sheet disclosed that the expenditure over the summer meeting was £2873, and the receipts were £21&04 19s. The receipts from the meeting held at Trentham totalled £IOOO, and the expenditure under this heading was £l2 16s 3d. The profit and loss account disclosed on the one' side miscellaneous expenditure totalling £1922 11s lOd, and loss over the summer meeting £SB 11s lid, while on the other side miscellaneous receipts were £IOBB 10s, the net profits from the agricultural account £454 15s sd, and the net autumn meeting profit £987 3s 9d, ' leaving a balance for the year of £549 5s sd. The committee regretted the necessity of racing away from home, and thus depriving many members and the residents of the district of a race meeting, hut under the circumstances, and taking into consideration the results achieved, the sacrifice was well worth while,. Our thanks are due to the Wellington Club for its valuable assistance. If Royal Saxon wins the Winter Cup next week he will be the first to do so following a Success in the Brabazon Handicap. A. E. Ellis’s mounts jn the three big events at Riccarton next week will be Tuki in the Seeples, Brigadier Bill in the Hurdles, and First Sight in the Winter Cup.

Royal Damon is stated to have made great improvement since he raced at Trentham. He and Panther are both expected to show up in the Winter Cup

OH GALLOPS AND TROTTING

next week, and should he worth following at the meeting. Despite being well up in tho weights Taboo is in such great form that he should he in the money next week. He is a great mover in heavy going. Historic, has been galloping well at Trentham.

Passin’ Through, who had just entered on his 12th year when he won the ITomeby Steeplechase again last Saturday, has contested 150 races and won £6879 in stakes. Malmsey’s form is well above that ot the average maiden hack. Scion is a light-weight who might easily win the Grand National Hurdles. There is no need to emphasise his flat racing record’; or to point out that with "an advantage of nearly three stone from Nukumai and over two from Red Fuchsia and,Beau Cavalier their chances against him over two miles and five furlongs would he very slender. He is only ten years old this foaling, and lie looks a picture of condition. It was interesting to witness on Saturday that he leaves little to ho desired in the style in which he clears his hurdles, and had he not hooked a fence down the hack ho may have won. It was a last run race, vet Scion was always within striking Ilistanee; so that the National leaders are not likely to get far away from r.im. Further, he was ridden on Saturday without a whip, and under these conditions he does not do his best. There is no better stayer, in the lug hurdle race, and under his nine stone lie will be making the top-weights feel every ounce of their burdens at ihe end of two miles and five furlongs. Nine of Spades looks likely to he very hard to beat in the Hack Hurdles at the Grand National meeting. Peneus is a good, tried horse, and Nine of Spades would have troubled him had he not made a faulty jump in the middle stages of the Longbeach Hurdles at Riccarton. V. 11. Collelo, who formerly owned and trained the Elysian gelding, always said he would make a good jumper. A good hack steeplechaser would get a lot of money at the present time, and next week at the National meeting this class of event is going to be very easy to win.’ Nukumai was awarded 12.9 in the Jumpers’ Flat Race at Riccarton next Tuesday. In 1923 witli 9.13 lie was unplaced "in this event, but won it with 10 9 in 1924, and again with 11.9 in 1925. In 1926 he had 11.13, hut, failed, Ngata winning with 12.13, while last August after his treble success at Wellington lie was given 12.2, but did not run into a place? , . The list of thoroughbreds in the Dominion received an addition last week in the shape of the Australian-bred lior.se Mercian King," a son of King Off a and Bunfeast, who was purchased by Mr J. J. Gatenbv, of Hawke’s Bay. Mercian King is a brother to Royal Feast, who put up a brilliant record at two-vears-old in the season of 1926-27. " Rascal has been off the scene lately, as a result of bruising a heel. He has made a good recovery. hut the enforced spell will prevent him from being at his best- for a few weeks. He will not be racing until the Ashburton meeting, to be held next month. The form shown by Meadow Lark at the Christchurch Hunt meeting augurs well for his prospects in minor races at the Grand National meeting next week. The Songbird gelding was in the money at Trentham, and is reported to he a useful sort over sprint courses. Hurly Burly has been an absentee from the Riccarton tracks for a few days. She wrenched a fetlock while contesting the Maiden Stakes at the Christchurch Hunt meeting on Saturday, and she was very lame for a couple of days. She is making a good recovery now, and it is hoped that there will he no permanent ill effects, hut it is unlikely that she will be, racing next week. This is had luck, for she looked like playing a prominent- part in the Cash‘rr.ere Plate.

In slake money and a gold cup the Auckland Trotting Club last season gave *129,880. The amount received in nominations and acceptances was £6083. For admission to the course and stands at the three meetings of the Auckland Troltincr Club last season the public paid £10,252" 17s 6d. The number of race cards sold was £43,961. Great Bingen was allowed to drop out of his engagements on the opening day of the Metropolitan meeting, but he is expected to be produced on the second and third days of the fixture. The total amount paid to the Government in tax during the season just closed by the Auckland Trotting Club was £27,744 2s 6d. Escapade, who has been in J. Bryce’s stable for the past few weeks, has gone wrong, and will not be further persevered with. She will be retired to the stud and mated with Sonoma Harvester.

It is announced from Canterbury that a comprehensive scheme of alterations at the Addington course- has been decided upon, and the works attendant thereto are expected to absorb a sum running to £45,000. L. F. Berkett reached Christchurch on Wednesday from Nelson with Imprint and Louisiana. Now that the new season is about to begin and statistics are available dealing with the past twelve months, it is always interesting in these days, when trotters and pacers are being bred in the purple, to glance through the records and see how the best winning times compare with those previously entered up in the records. During the season just closed not, one of the existing records was shattered, although several horses registered fast times. At a mile Acron’s time of 2.3 3-5 still stands, but Native Chief in his match with Great Bingen went 2.4 1-5. The best winning miles during the season went down to Nelson Fame and Loganwood, who each broke 2.10 by going 2.9 3-5. Minton Derby’s record for a mile and aquarter of 2.40 1-5 was not improved upon, the best done being the 2.41 by Jewel Pointer and Nelson Fame when the pair ran a dead-heat at Alexandra Park. Next best was 2.42 4-5 by Author Jinks. Nothing got near the 3.13 record of Onyx for a mile and a-half, and the best winning performance during the season for the distance was 3.21 2-5 by Padlock. For two miles Great Bingen’s record of 4.19 2-5 was not in danger, and I lie best done was 4.23 3-5 by Jewel Pointer at Alexandra Park. The next best winning performance was credited to Terence Dillon, who went 4.25.