ON THE TURF

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 26 March 1930, Page 9

ON THE TURF

NELSON JOCKEY CLUB'S MEETING PROGRAMME FOR 9TH AND 10TH MAY

Arangoments arc going along satisfactorily for tlio Nelson Jockoy Club's annual meeting to be held on the Richmond course on Friday and Saturday, 9th and 10th May. The programme, which has now been passed by the Racing Conference and Trotting Association provides for the allotment of £2040 in stakes with the addition of two trotphios. It lias been tho practice of the club to give a cup for the old established Nelson Cup race and this has always found favour with owners, so this year an innovation has been, made and on the second day one of the Hack races has been designated Tho President's HackCup Handicap, and a tropliy will bo attached to that race also. It is possible that some other form of trophy other than cups will be presented but many owners are very keen to win the actual tropliy going with a race and it is anticipated that there will be a good response for these races. Tho principal race will, of course, bo the Nelson Cup which remains at £250 plus Hie trophy, while the Redwood Memorial will again occupy pride of placo on the second clay at £2OO. Two trotting events are provided for each day, those on the first day carrying £IOO and the second day £9O each. As there will have been no trotting meeting locally this season it will give local owners a chance of a try out before the Marlborough Racing' Club's meeting the weekafter, while they will no doubt .attract good entries from Marlborough nnd Wellington. Altogether the programme consists of six open events, six hack races (including the two "maidens"), and four trots so that all horses and tastes are catered for. As there will have been no meeting in Nelson for twelve months no doubt the gathering will bo well patronised and draw a large attendance. To Mr B. Dooley, a keen committeeman and owner, belongs the credit of making the donations of the two trophies possible for after being responsible for the suggestion that a Hack Cup would be a good proposal, he overcame the initial difficulty of the extra expense by volunteering to collect sufficient to pay for one, if not both trophies, and at the last committee meeting he banded in no less than £SO odd

which he had collected and was of course accorded the heartiest thanks of the committee.

It is the club's intention to again provide orchestral music at tho coming meeting which will help lo add to its attractiveness. Altogether tho prospects arc. most favourable and given fine weather there should be one of the largest attendances aunl most successful meetings the club has experienced for! some time.

Tho Arehietown gelding Paddon. has resumed work again at To Itapa under the care of his owner, Mr Geo. Soifort. This capable galloper will most likely be given a race at the Waikato meeting next month, and later on it is intended to give him an opportunity lo make good as a hurdler.

Cylinder's yearling brother has been received from Mr 11. M. Reeves, of Canterbury, by J, 11. Jel'l'erd. He will race under the name of Syprus, Count Palatine is entered for events at the Waikato autumn meeting and it looks from that as if he is to be brought north for tho Auckland Pacing Club's autumn meeting. He ran second in the Now Zealand Derby, to Honour, at Picc.'irton, Inst November, and he has been placed on several occasions since. Count Palatine is owned by Mr C. E, Klgar, and is trained by W. D. Moroney. at Featherston. lie is a. half brother to the Great Northern Derbv winner, Martarma. Vertigern, who 'hails from the samo stable, is also nominated for tho same meeting. This horse finished third in the Thompson Handicap at Trentham, and showed up for a. good way in the Autumn Handicap on the second day. The victory registered by Cylinder in the North Island Challenge Stakes extends the already attractive record of the two-year-old division in (hat event. The youngsters have registered no fewer than 18 successes in the North Island Challenge Stakes since the race was instituted in 1899, which gives them a commanding lead. There is no reason why Don Quixote should not improve a good deal yet on what he did at Trentham. The two races there should be of considerable benefit to him, and it is possible he will develop along the lines of Mask, who was of little account until the Trentham High-weights started him on bis winning way. Don Quixote on both sides of his pedigree suggests time for development. He is by Paladin, while his dam, Hornbeam, is a Martian mare from Stephanie by Stepniak from Fanna by Maxim. Both he and Hunting Day are in the Great Northern St. Lcger, and of the two ho may be selected to carry the stable colours in what will be probably another weak field. The record of winners of the Trentham Gold Cup shows that not one inferior horse has ever scraped home in it. Since 1914 the winners are: Merry Roe, Warstep, Eligible, Kilboy, Sasanof, Amythas (2), Duo, Rapine (23), Ballymena, Pilhewinkie, Count Cavour, Rapier, and Star Stranger (2). Rod Heckle has been nominated for the Easter Handicap at Riccarton on Easter Monday, and if ne is not over burdened he will have a lot o ; friairls aftor his running in the Thompson Handicap at Trentham. Merry Cry, the younger full brother to Hunting Cry and half-brother to White Fang, was taken through to Trentham and raced, but merely by the way of education, as he has not been in real work a great length of time. The trip has brought him on nicely, and by Hastings one should be able to form a definite opinion as whether he will possess the galloping ability of his two relatives. At the present time lie certainly impresses as being much more robust than either of the two above-men-tioned relatives.

A grandson of Carbine was the champion sire of America for the year 1929. This was Chicle, sire of Whic'hon.c, who as a two-year-old won £26,000 in stakes. Chicle was bred in 1913, and is by Spearmint from Lady Hamburg. The list of Chicle for the present season at 2000 dollars is full. He is one of tho eight stallions located at the H. P. Whitney stud farm at Lexington, Kentucky. The next horse in tTie winning sires* list was Light Brigade, by Picton from Bridge of Sighs, by Isinglass, son of Isonomy. Picton was by Orvieto, a son of Bend Or and Hecuba, by Isonomy out of Helen of Troy, by Hermit. When H. Gray rode Glare for J. W. Lowe at the Wellington mooting in January, he told the Trentham trainer that he met with bad luck, or he would have won easily. At the same time he told Lowe that he had in Glare a Melbourne Cup horse. Lowe laughed, but Gray's opinion is being borne outj and Glare is to be nominated for the next big prize at Flemington. H. Gray, with forty-eight wins, is now at the head of the winning jockeys'

list, two ahead of 11. Goldfinch. B 11. Morris is next with a total of forty one.

A loading Sydney bookmaker, who was at tho recent Wellington meeting, offered 2000 gs. for Cylinder, but it was not enough. It is doubtful in any case whothcr Cylinder could be purchased. Tho two-year-old Absurd filly Isa, who is out of Rerenioana's sister Valerie, showed great paco in all her early races this .season, but she could not run on. Isa ran in the Plunkol Nursory at Trentham, and finished with a good burst of speed into fifth place. It looks as if there arc hopes for Isn yet, although she has been condemned by most followers of the stable. Star Stranger broke a long spell of bad luck when he won the Trentham Gold Cup, for he had not passed the post first since the Awapuni Gold Cup two years ago. In that period, however, he had run four seconds and two thirds. Ho has won £17,574 in stakes, including two Trentham Gold CupSj the Awapuni Gold Cup, and the Wellington Cup. The prominent jockey, 11. Gray, was married this week in Wellington to Mrs Hay, daughter of the late Mr R. Patterson, well known as the owner of Solution years ago. Gray and his wife have left for Sydney. If he is granted a jockey's license in Australia ho may remain there.

All Red winner of the Hawke's Bay Cup, is described as being by Hal Junior out of a hack mare. Last season All Red raced on eight occasions and was only twice out of the money. In tho Cup on Saturday he was on the limit (4.47) and went 4.39, which was sotting those at tho back a solid task. Ho is owned by Mr J. H. Lloyd, who invariably has a good horse or two. He also owns Rangihau, who won the Novice Handicap, going 3.29 3-5 when handicapped to do 3.4 i?. The growth of the Wellington Trottine; Club in recent years has been almost phenomenal and the sport has obtained a strong hold on local peopde. The appointments on the course have be'en greatly improved and include the provision of a fine new stand, while the conduct of the meetings is of a high standard. The remarkable success of the club is due to the energy and progressiveness of an exceptionally live executive headed by its President (Mr R. A. Armstrong) whose active participation has been marked by far-sighted-ness and an optimism that has proved to have been well-founded. Last Saturday's meeting—the last of the season—attracted a great attendance, produced some fine racing by well-perform-ed horses, and showed an increased totalisator turnover of £4520 10s. The policy of the Club is to provide patrons with real good sport under the most pleasant conditions and as finances permit not only are stakes made more attractive but the amenities are being improved all the time. The hospitality of the club to visitors is well-known. President Armstrong, Juid .veteran-secre-, tary Short—who has been in. office since tho resuscitation of the old Wellington Trotting Club—have been warmly complimented on the success that has attended the club's progressive policy. Visitors to the Hutt Park when the Wellington Racing Club used to hold its meetings there before transferring to Trentham would not recognise the place to-day. In addition to the provision of new buildings, the shape of the course has been completely altered and when the track has been finallv sown and settles down it will be the scene of even higher class tests in the popular light harness sport. The most popular win recorded at Hutt Park for man a day was that attained by Mr D. R. Revell's mare Jean McElwyn, trained and driven by R. B. Berry. The Nelson Bingen marc has been the essence of consistency for the past two seasons, but it seemed for a long time that the mission was to be beaten by narrow margins by different horses. In the Armstrong Handicap she showed rare dash and battled the finish out with a great stayer like Athalone. She has done a lot of racing, but looks none the worse for her strenuous efforts and is probably better now than at any other stage of her career. During the present season Jean McElwyn has started 21 times for one win, eight seconds, and four thirds, while last season in 32 starts she won twice, was second five times, and third on five occasions. In the 1927-28 season, when only three years old, Jean McElwyn did a lot of racing, facing the starter 26 times for four wins, six seconds, and four thirds. There are not many mares racing in New Zealand that have a better record than Mr D. R. Revell's mare.