RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18348, 14 March 1923, Page 6

RACING.

SEASON'S FIXTURES.

New Zealand. March 14 and 17—Ohinemuri Jockey Club. March Masterton Racing Club. March —Opunake Racine Club. March 21. 22—Rangitikei Racing Club. March 21—Bay of Plenty Jockey Club (at Avondale) March 24—Opotiki Jockey Club(atTakapuna) March 31. April 2—Auckland Racins Club. March 31. April 2— Feilding Jockey Club. March 31. April 2Wairarapa Racing Club. April 2. 3—Canterbury Jockey Club. April 7. 9—Avondale Jockey Club. April 12. 14— Wellington Racing ClubApril 18, 19—Manawatu Racine Club. Australia. March 10—Victoria Racing Club. March 31. April 2, i. 7—Australian Jockey Club.

DATES OF COMING EVENTS. New Zealand. March 31-Great Northern Champagne Stakes. March 31—Great Northern Oak*. March 31—A.RC. Easter Handicap. April 2—Great Northern St. Leger. April 3—Great Easter Handicap. April 3—Great Autumn Handicap. April 7—All-aged Stakes (Avondal«>. April 18—Awapuni Gold Cup. April 27—Hawko's Bay Cup. AUSTRALIA. March 31—Doncaster Handicap. March 31—A.J.C- St. Leger. . April —Sydney Cup ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. X Y Z -The publication of the amount of dividend's on horse races is prohibited by a " Conscript. Onehunga."-The official return agree. Achilles "JJ^InTK foaled in the same year (1899). in the New Zealand Cup of 1903 Wink, carried 5.2 and Achilles 9.6. " Hobson."— Hawk's time record dm 9 1-5.-) at Tientham on January 21, 1922. was equalled by Chimera at Riccarton on April 18 of the same y<jar- Each carried the same weight (9.2). C.P.. Pukemiro.—The placed horses in the Launceston Cup, run on February 14 last, were Seignorina, Binbi, and Bright Plume, who finished in that order. Ennis did not figure among the. starters. " Puriri."—The following is a list of the Now- Zealand Cup winners bred in Auck:—Manton (1888), Tirailleur (1889), St. Hippo (1892), Impulse- (1894). Itfaiuku (1897), Seahorse (1899), Fulmeu. dead-heater (1900), Halberdier (1902), Canteen (1903). 'Frisco (1907), Lady Lucy (1909).

NOTES BY PHAETON

THE DEARTH OF STAYERS

At no previous stage in the history of the thoroughbred family in these lauds have so many sires of high lineage been at the command of breeders. With this fact so pointedly demonstrated it might be expected that no falling away would have to be noted; but whatever the cause the fact has to he recognised that the sprinter is very much more in evidence than the stayer; indeed the paucity of the latter could be voted alarming, were one inclined to use the strong term. The marked falling away in tho list of contestants for the Australian Cup (the prize money for which was £3000). decided at Fleming ton last week, is tho latent illustration of the dearth of stayers, for only ten horses were deemed to possess the necessary capacity to contest that valuable race; and the lact had to be noted thai in casting the handicap the V.K.C. weight - adjuster was content with fixing the standard weight at 9.0; and placing a horso in the position of honour that had nothing to his credit beyond a mile and a-half! The long-distance races in New Zealand, also, it must be said, fall very much below what they should be; and even when the distance is below two miles, the standard of the contestants is poor. Take for instance the last Wanganui Cap, the field for which consisted of Palestrina, Enthusiasm, Sunurt, Muraahi, Stork, Omahu, Wheatfield. Fera. and Skylight. Outside the three first-named—and they are nothing to rave about—the others arc not ol much account for a cup contest of importance. There cart be no doubt that races of a mile and a-quarter are more popular with the majority of owners than events beyond that distance; but should that be cultivated? In these days, no doubt, racen are run very much more solid than was the case a quarter of a century back, and that, of course, has to be taken into account in surveying matters on this staying question. The troublesome point, however, that intrudes itself is that there is far too great a preponderance of sprinters over stayers in our midst; and one might well ask, so far as the Dominion is concerned, where are tho Templetons, Sir Modreds, and Maxims? I do not mention Carbine, for he was, of course, one of a century: but it might be expected that the horses of staying capacity would not be so rare as the records of tho present day afford such convincing proof.

FROM ENGLAND. New Zealand and Australia are not the only part of the British Empire wherein there is a scarcity of stayers. In writing on that much-discussed subject, " Vigilant' in the London Sportsman writes:—" lhe paucity of genuine- stayers in this country is, I am sorry to say, becoming more apparent year by year, and the reason for the shortage is easy to find. Owners are not philanthropists, and in these difficult times it is not to be wondered at. Yet, with the improvement of the thoroughbred as the main object of racing, it is surprising that more is not done to encourage breeders to patronise the stouter lines. As I have previously pointed out, it is far easier to ,train an animal to win several sprints or mile races than one event of two miles or over, and so, naturally enough, staying blood continues to be sacrificed for speed, which cannot in the long run fail to be detrimental to our great horse-breeding industry. No breeder can possibly bo expected to favour staying sires when ho finds the- progeny of sprinters fetching much higher prices, and the only remedy so far as I can see is for the Jockey Club to insist on the provision of more long-distance races. I know, of courso, that there are races demanding stamina, of no mean order, but these are for the most part beyond .the reach of the small owner, and, although they encourage the breeding of stayers in a measure, it is not, in my opinion, sufficient to counterbalance the craze for speed."

LEAVES FROM MY NOTEBOOK. A win for Lady Jellicoe's colours, it need hardly bo stated, will be very widely regarded as one of the most pleasing incidents oi the present racing season. Gartmore-, who carried Lady Jellicoe's colours home first at the Napier Park meeting on Saturday, is a two-year-old son of unbeaten Boniform, and. though the young thoroughbred is voted considerably below his sire at the present stage, that must not be allowed to stand in the way of a hope being expressed that ho will develop into something above the moderate and repeat his victory before lon'/. The yearling colt by Lticknow, from Auraria's Daughter, who realised the top price (2000gns.) at the Victorian sales Hs-ld at Melbourne last week. it is interesting to relate, is strikingly inbred to the Musket line on the dam's side. Auraria's Daughter was got by Pistol (son _ of Carbine) from Auraria. who was sired by Trenton (son of Musket). At one period inbreeding to Musket would have been strongly deprecated, but views have undergone great changes in recent years on this breeding question: and what would once have been scouted in the belief that it would lead to failure has frequently to be accepted as successful. Mention of Auraria's name revives recollections of the V.R.C. Derby and the Melbourne Cup of 1895, for those events furnished a striking illustration of what may happen in racing when everything is in absolute order. In the decision of the Derby, Auraria was well beaten by both Wallace i and Oscillator, and her prospects of leading j the field home in the Melbourne Cup fell to zero, which may be gathered from the fact that she was ranged up with the 100 to | 3 division at the post. The Auckland-bred | Hova, who had won the Melbourne Stakes j in brilliant style on the opening day, was the ruling favourite, and with an 'impost ' 91b. under weight-for-age, matters looked | bright for the son of Ingomar and Happy j Land. To the dismay of those who stood the favourite, Auraria beat Hova a neck in j a hot finish, and with Wallace and Osculator, who beat the Trenton filly in the ! Derby contest, chronicled among the " also ' ran" division in the Cup, -a neat little problem was presented for the edification of : those who back racehorses. i At the .<=ale of the Koatanui yearlings in j the autumn of 1921 a filly by Absurd hour the Ayr Laddie mare Leta came in for a j deal ot inspection, and in the competition , that ensued for her possession the bidding ! travelled to 130Ctgns. at which price the | Featherston sportsman, Mr. C. Elgar. was j announced as the purchaser. The Absurd . filiy made her debut under the title of | Zany, but she failed to attain the standard fondly anticipated. At two years old she contested 12 races, and a small race was her sole victory. This .season Zany failed on several occasions, and she was recently passed on to the Blenheim sportsman, Mr. J. J. Corry. At the Marlborough meeting ot- Saturday last Zany managed to win the Pelorus Hack Handicap under 9.2, but -she | had to be ridden right out to defeat Eonmark (9.13) by half a length. Zany is apparently unable to accomplish anything above the very ordinary at the present stage of hex career.

The outlook in connection with the Great Northern Champagne Stakes, set down lor decision at Ellerslie. on the 31.st inst., presents a decidedly interesting situation, for ■Ra7zl c Dazzle. Queen March. Bathos, and Tußia, who represent the , lea-dine juvenile division, all remain in, and, unless someth:M; unforsfcen occurs, they may all apfarently be expected to line up at the post, 'he position between the quartette is yet well merged in uncertainty, and, with that (net established, the issue carries that dash of uncertainty which points to a very keen interest being maintained. Wheatfield. who recently passed into the hands of Mr. Eliot Davis, after a series of failures under the colour? of Mr, Eric Kiddiford. figures among the entrants for events at the A.R.C. autumn meeting, and that points to the Buckwheat gelding carrying silk at Ellerslie in his next engagements. No one at present seeks to exalt Wheatfield above the moderates, but that does not say he may not repay Mr. Davis at an early date for the expenditure he made in his purchase. The win of Lady Jellicoe's Gartmore was the surprise of the afternoon at the Kapler Park meeting on Saturday last. In a field of half-a-dozen that contested the Kuao Handicap only one of the candidates for honours was hacked for less money than Gartmore. The winner is said to be an evenly-built customer, and, as the Boniforms improve with age, the prediction is offered that Gartmore may be seen to greater advantage when he is properly matured. It is now quite certain that Kick Off will bo on hand in the land of his birth to battle for honours during the Easter season. The All Black gelding is engaged both at the Auckland and Canterbury meetings, and his owner, Mr. J. S. McLeod, will therefore have to decide between the North and South Islands as to whero Kick Off shall carry his colours at the two important meetings near at hand. At the Gore meeting, held last week, Cazna. a seven-year-old gelding by Stronghold, won the two steeplechases that came up for decision. Stronghold, sire of Cazna, was got by Clanranald irom the Maxim mars Teredo, and. as Cazna's dam was got by the Tubal Cain horse Ironworker, he can bo referred to as a stoutly-bred horse. Dominant, who won the Trial Handicap at the Napier Park meeting last week, is a three-year-old daughter of Martian and the Melton mare Lovelorn, and she is thua a full sister to the New Zealand Cup winner, Menelnus, and she also holds the same rerelationship to Lovematch. who figures among winners of the Wanganui Cup. Epitaph is not equal to interrupting the series of defeats that are entered against her name since last December. The chestnut mare contested two races at the Napier Park meeting last-week, and she finished in third position in each of her engagements at that gathering. From the fact of Mr. G. D. Greenwood having a quartette engaged at the Auckland autumn meeting, there would seem to be a good prospect of the Southern sportsman being represented at Ellerslie during the Easter season. Uncle Ned, who has been off the scene for several months, figures among the entrants for several events set down for decision at the A.B.C. Autumn Meeting, and that would appear to, Point to the veteran training on satisfactorily. Volo is apparently to be given an opportunity to earn further distinction en the flat before being again called upon to take a place with the hurdlers. The Husbandman gelding figures among the entrants for the A.R.C. Easter Handicap. Th« weights for the Easter Handicap. Present's Handicap, Brighton Hurdle Race, Onslow Stakes. Ne'son Handicap, and Eden Handicap are clue,to make their appearance on Monday next. Mr. L. R. Freeman, who filled the nosition of secretary to the Foxton Racin? Club for some years and who recently retired from the position, is now included among residents of the Auckland district. Chimera is given much credit for her victory in the Flying. Handicap at the Napier Park meeting, in which event she carried 9.10 to victory. There were 22 applicants for the position of secretary to the Foxton Racing Club. Mr. D. R. Ogilvy was appointed to the office-