RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18496, 5 September 1923, Page 6

RACING.

SEASON'!) FIXTURES. v 1 NEW' ZEALAND. K ■ ' September • 6—Mar ton Jockey Club. September' &—Rangitikei Hunt.. ' ' ; September B—Otago Hunt. September —Pakuransa. Hunt , I'oint-to- ( point. Steeplechases. September 13, IS—Wausanui Jockey Club. September 21. Asbburton County Racing Club. , , , " September 22, 24—Avcndale Joc'key._ Club. September 22. —Otalsi-Maori Racing Club. September 2CManawatu Hunt. , September 27. —Geraldine Racine Club, September 29—Napier Park Racine Club. / October 3—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club. October 4—Kurow Jockey Club. October 5. 6—Ogmaru Jockey Club. [ October 11. Whangarei Racine Club. October 11. 13—Dunedin Jockey Club. October 12, '13—Masterton,- Racing Club. October 20. 22— Wellington'" Racine Club. October 22—Waikato Hunt. November, 3. 5. 7,; 1Q— Canterbury Jockey Club November 3, s—Auckland Racine Club.

ANSWERS. TO CORRESPONDENTS.

W.M.C., Otahuhu.Trenton was foaled in. 1881, and ho ran his first) race in November, 1883.

■ "Kamate." To Aroha.—The value of the Auckland Cup in 1021 was £3500. It was reduced to £3000 in the. succeeding year.

"Wager."Tho- following New ' Zealandbred horses have won the Australian Jockey Club's Derby:—Nordenfeldt.. Bonnie Scotland, Noctuiform, Kilboy, and Cupidon. .

NOTES BY PHAETON.

THE AMERICAN CHALLENGE.

In regard to the American challenge to match a colt*. against the English Derby winner. Papyrus, the prospects of such being ratified seem to be somewhat,, remote; indeed, the condition imposed that the match should take place in New York on October 20 seems to place < the matter out of bounds if such should -b<i insisted upon. Papyrus, it may be remarked, is engaged in the Donca-ster St. Ljj(er on the 12th of the present month, and he also is engaged in the valuable Sandown Foal Stakes, which event comes -up for decision in the fourth week of October. Possibly, indeed. I think very probably, this much-vaunted American challenge may be nothing more -than an exhibition of bombast on the part of " Brother Jonathan and Ilia family." CRUCIFORM AND WAKEFUL. The death of Wakeful revives recollections of the meeting between the bay daughter of Trenton and Cruciform, the chestnut dauglitor of St. Leger, at Randwick in the spring of 1903 Both mares were produced to contest the Spring Stakes on the opening day, tho event in question beinx: run oyer a mile and . ji-hsdf at standard weight-for-age. The Victorian rally in favour 'of Wakeful was of so pronounced a character that odds of 13 to 8 were laid on her ability to win. However,, in a finish of the electrical order. Cruciform defeated her rival by a head in 2m 36is. .When the Craven Plate (one mile and a-quarter) came, up for decision on the third day of the meeting it was again a . caso of -odds; being laid cn Wakeful, but slut went down again. Cruciform did not win, but it was a close thing between victory and ' defeat - with the . chestnut mare, as she was only half a head; away from the winner, Ibex, Wakeful "being two lengths awny third. When Wakeful registered hor great performance at Flemington in the succeeding month it was : contended that she could not have been Quite herself at Randwick in the preceding month, but still • there it was: Cruciform defeated her rival on two occasions, and. however much may be urged as to Wakeful being the ; better stayer. Cruciform was probably Quite her match at a mile ana a-auartcr and a. mile and a-half. THEN AND NOW, Wakeful'B winnings in : stakes during the four seasons on which she figured ' on the turf amounted Jo £16,690, which gives her no better place than sixteenth in t h"e category, of leading ' winners in Australia so far as money value is concerned, but, as in' tho case of Carbine, whose record has been outstripped by Eurythmic and Gloaming, wo have to remember the important fact that horses race for : very different stakes nowadays than was the' case 20 and 30 years back. For instance, in Wakeful's ppenintc season on the turf, when sho captured three important handicaps, her earnings' only reached to £3711, whereas in the present day one of the . races which sho won : would have been nearly equal to that sum. Then take the value of the Autumn Stakes when Wakeful .won' that race in' 1903. It only came to £395, whereas it ,is to-day worth £2500. And then the Sydney Cup won by Wakeful was only worth' £2064 Last year's race was worth £6000. Had Wakeful been racing for the same value of stakes as now rules, her total would have been nearer £30,000 .than t £16.690. • The money value of victories is no doubt interesting reading, especially to the lucky owner, but it is not -a. guido to merit. WAKEFUL' RECORD. The record down to the credit of Wakeful is one that will; stand' a. looking into with the most powerful searchlight, and a. strik- ; ing feature in connection therewith is that she demonstrated that she could both sprint and stay, and her efforts under the latter heading went to the, searching course of I thr&» miles. The full record of this wonderful inaro was as follows:-— ■" Un--Ist. , 2nd. 3rd. placed. Stakes. £. At tyrs ..3 1 1 1 3.741 At syrs ..9 , 4 '■ 1 1 : 6.343 At 6.vrs .. 10 3 1 '—. 4.551 At aged . . 3 3 1 1 2.055 ■! 25 li. .. 4 ; 3 £16,690 • 'EXIT WAKEFUL. ' In the sprino,' of 1900, when tho racehorses belonging to fcho late Mr. W. R. Wilson wero sent ud to auction, included in ■ tlio list was' a four-year-old unraced bay /mare named Wakeful, described as by Trenton from Insomnia. ,- She excited no • great animation when brought into the ring, and in . the , space of a few minutes she was knocked down to Mr. Leslie; Macdonald for 310gns. Little did the keen men standing at the ringsido that spring • day think that they had paraded before them a mare , who was deatined to earn distinction as tho greatest mare bred in Australia. So it was. however. Wakeful won three goitl races that season, which included the Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket 'Handicap, iand Doncaster Handicap, and she very nearly succeeded in landing the Sydney Cup also. At the opening of her five-year-old career Wakeful went near to recording ; & Cup victory, for she ran Hymettus to half-a-head for first honours in the Caulfield Cup. However, the Cud victory came to her in".< autumn, when ehe won the Sydney Cup under 9.7. At six years old Wakeful won ten weight- races, and at seven years she registered tho performance which pave her the distinctive place. This was. in connection with the Melbourne Cup of 2903. when, under the great load of 10.0, she rah a fine three-year-old like Lord Cardigan (6.8) to three-quarters of a length -for first honours ill tho Melbourne Cup. That marked tho closing of Wakeful'a racing career. Wakeful produced a Melbourne Cup winner in Night Watch, who was bred by Mr. Leslie Mardonald. and, another of her descendants is Baverstock. who begat David, the most noteworthy long-distance performer on the scene at tho present time in Australia. Wakeful was foaled in 1896, so that she'had reached the great age of 27 years at the,time of her death. " THE MARTON MEETING. The Marton Jockey Club holds its spring meeting to-day, and, with a good number of Auckland-bred horses engaged, a keen local interest will be centred in the gathering. Tho leading event of the* programme is the Marten . Handicap (one' mile and aquarter), in which the following horses are engaged:—Mark. 9.0, Admiral Codrington 9.6, "L'Amour 8.5, Listowe! 8.5, Zircon 7.11, Bonny Heather 7.11, Bright Day 7.9, Cold Steel ' 7,8. Demos 7.8. Arch ' Salute '7.7. Hallowroz 7.3, Kilgour 7.0. Tenterfield 7.0. Equitable 6.l2.'Red Bob 0.11, Kahikatea 6.11. L'Amour's displays in the Islington Handicap and Heatbcote Handicap last month showed him up attractively,- and his "party should certainly bo encouraged to aJlow the Kilbroney gelding 'to - take his chance in' 'to-, day's race. \. The Railway Handicap,, which' is run over six furlongs, has "a strong'-field engaged, ■ and • with the- brilliant Thespian likely to figure among the ; starters there will be a lot to rivet attention. ' Th.t> following .is a- list of the horses engaged r — Thespian 10.5, Muraahi Bright Day 7.12, Amber Tips 7.12, King Quin 7.10, Zouave 7.9. Tatau Tatau 7.5. ■ Island 7.5. Hipo .7.3, Helen Rufuii 7.2, Snatcher 7.0, Lady Koteripo 7.0, Automoana 6.11, Aeriform 6:11. Mouptaio Signal 8. IP, Pagoda 6.7. Yankee Fff Wr'

. ' - N.Z. HORSES AT HAND WICK. v -" \ The New Zealand-owned horses' that were engaged in competing at Randwick .on Saturday last 'all apparently made a. bold bid for.- victory m their resßectivo races, but ; seconds and thirds were tho bust positions they - could secure.' ' Another meeting is '.fixed Uft Saturday next, when, it ,is tq,r,be /hoped -.that .'.better,, luck .will attend the New Zealand division than that which followed them on Saturday last. One of the events set down for decision on Saturday is the Chelmsford Stakes, a weight-, for-age event of £1200, run over a mile and a furlong at weight-for-age. with penalties and allowances. - Possibly , that may be the race that will be chosen for Gloaming to make a. re-entry on the scene. PROMISING ENGLISH-BRED COLT. When Mr. Victor Casey was on a visit to the Old ' Country lasi year \ .he paid a visit to Doncaster. and while , attending the yearling, sales held there a chestnut colt by. Desman' from Damson Gin took .:ii3 fancy, with the result that he secured the youngster at 105gris. The juvenile m question was duly transported to Auckland list year, and that he has found the change from the northern to' the southern hemisphere quite • to l.is liking there is very good reason to. conclude, for he has aires,ay furnished into a really nice horse, and, it good looks and breeding are any c j Mr.-.Casey should certainly have good reaiion to rejoice over his English. purchase. ,Mr. Casey -has adopted the wiso course ofKiv:.ng his colt plenty of, time to - mature ~? r V; and the English-aired youngster will " ot b® placed in commission until .isovember, and the object in. view is to give him a . race in tho »ut»nm m the event of everything progressing satisfactorily with bim. Choice Damson—for that is, I l.he name conferred on the English-voungste is included in the team trained by John Williamson. AN UP-TO-DATE ESTABLISHMENT. When Mr. John Williamson decided to hold on to the property situate on Campbell Road, on which his late father of happy memory trained for so many years, he made a wise resolution, even in the face of land Tallies having gone up at a rapid rate. A new range of concrete stabling erected on up-to-date lines having recently been completed on the property. I expressed % wish to Ine owner to revisit the old place, and one day during the present week Mr, T \\ilhamson drove me there in hi* ear. ■ I rfcaracier something ' of a cnarac.ei with -regard to the design, permanence, u i arrangement of > these, new boxes, and ■- t I found to be very amply justified- fcirst of all, a wise decision was come to m havine the boxes facing ntfrth. or ths morning sun is a matter to be thought of where stabled, horses, arc considered. A spacious covered verandah, lift, wide, » the entrance to the boxes, is an admirable arrangement, and. the boxes therpsejy®' - nine m number—are fine room.v ap»r^ment<. Instead of. as in many stables, the horses bein<r completely isolated. provision ms.de in these new boxes whereby a hor. e can nee a companion in tho adjoining al3ar nfc J the insertion of a 3ft, wire window a d this simple arrangement, ,s J*V? custom in American stables. P|ays no small part -in . causing horses to settle down com posedlv. Mr Williamson has plans drawn for a. further addition of t nine, boxes, cast on the same' permanent lines as vliiJE.e erects, and it. will then be the moat commanding structure for the housing: of ra £,v in this portion of the Dominion. _ "too total, area held by Mr Williamson is over 14 acres, and. with plenty of paddock room of »D ideal character in which to mdn.it horses with a rim in the open, the establishment on Caninbell Road is so admirably adapted under all headings for the use to which it is being nut that the ownor lias certainly good reason to rejoice .over ms fine property." ' 1 • ' ' ' ,!i .

LEAVES. PROM MY NOTEBOOK. " Anything might win," an : enervation frequently, heard when' the New Cup problem is under consideration, "which, of course, in a large way may be interpreted in-the-sense that Mr. J. ;E. •• Henrys .ha. succeeded admirably in casting a strong vol of- uncertainty round-• issue. .No doubt a good proportion of the entrants for the big Biccarton race have to be taken on trii«t for* a two-mile race, but people with memories of New Zealand Cup contest* wilt not. require to bo reminded that some h° r : e * of moderate calibrn have developed staying capacity Enabling them to win the Southern race, and Star Rose and Tan<r.hou, who respectively won in 1907 and 191°« a ® a brace that may bo cited where tho extraordinary happened. It seems to be a popular opinion, hewever. that the winner of the £*ew Zealand Cup is more likely to come from the dm vn* from 8.0 upwards; which is composed oi IS horses, and it is interesting to note that six of the number ranged up . m tl.at quarter have Cup victories to their credit among whom a trio of 4 New Zealand _C up winners are included in the shape of flcion Oft""). At or (1921). and; Vagabo.ad C 1919). Then there are Insurrection (\\ elTngton Cup). Rosed »y <Dunedin Ciini, Royal Present (A.vondf>lo CupV. Sunart (Wanganui Cup), and Loughrea (Timam Cup). An aspirant for honours in tho New land Cup, who ha-o not so far anything to t his credit beyond a mile and , a-quarter, that is ticked off as likely to develop the staying quality . this season, is Deucalion, -the 5 fx -yea r'old i son of Demosthenes and the All ; Black mare Mocking Bird._ Last season Deucalion won two good raccs over lO ' furlongs.' and he is considered to havo win tered really well. ■ With Loyal -Irish'and Pittsworth engaged in New South Wales, it was only to b® «- pected that their owner. Mr. John William son, should evince a strong desire to -be on hand when his. colours are once again unfurled there during the present month. Wall, the owner of Loyal Irish, and Pittaw<uth contemplates leaving for. Sydney by he Ulimaroa on Friday next, and. as ail inter pretation can no doubt be placed therton that an encouraging word 'has reached him from the other side with regard to l.he manner ■in which his horses have progressed, something calculated to, coax up the>3ubilaint spirit may be - forthcoming when Loyal L[ ia h and Pittswortli come to fulfil engagement!!. " To-dav there is; no keener snorting country. the world than Argentina, no country that is making greater progress m all games, and no country that will eventually-; produce more champions in ' every branch of.; snort and athletics. Jfc ph ™ the eulogistic ' finding--of a well-known English ■, writer. The sreat change dales back no more .than.; 20 years , . Sneak n* broadly, the writer in question states, (he sporting history of the Argentine Republic covers less than a-auartev of a century, and he ' contends .' that it Js the most , high developed snorting .nation in the world. .1 ha Argentine • Jockey • Club conducts anproximately 60 race meetings a year on. tho one tiourae, and - necessarily- handles, millions of money. The . Hippodrome National, . or national racecourse of Buenos Aires, , is about 20 minutes by automobile J;om the centre of the city, and is a . marvellous artificial coi""-e. It wis constructed at, a cost of a million rounds on a piece of waste land fronting the River Plate.

Everything augurs extremely well for the success of the point-to-point races promoted by the I'akuranga E'unt, and which ;iro fixed to be held at Ramaramn on Saturday. September 15. . Entries for all events clone on Friday next, at 4 n.m.. C with v the secretary, Mr. K. D. Neal, Buchanan 3 Buildings, corner Wyndham and-, Albert Streets.

Mr. F. J.- McManemin >vill declare , She weights on Friday next t'ort the Maiden Plate,- Grey Lynn .Hurdl.;, Race, Welter Handicap. Henderson Handicap, and Swmpon Hack Welter Handicap, to b*. decided on tho first' day of the Avondale spring mooting.

WANGANUI NOTES.

THESPIAN AT BARTON. - [FROM ottr own correspondent. ] . Thespian will be a starter in the Railway Handicap at 'Marto'n if-'the coins: is in coud order. The-bis son of Absurd looks to bo well forward for this early stage, but will require a race or two before he will be seen' at Ins best. ' He baa 10.5 to .carry 011 Wednesday. but. : if be begins well. ,wi11.,. be hard to shake off at the finish. . .. '■ P. Rayner liones to be able' to ' ride Thespian at Marton. as his injured shoulder is improving nicely. ■ ' Motley, the two-year-old filly by Absurd— Pennon, has thrown off , the cold which caused her to be: spelled r for some time, . and she was given her first spin again on Thursday, when she ran along over. a couple <f. furlongs with Dangle, the limn registered being 05 fl-ss. both pulling-hard. Civility has . been hitting, out in attractive style, and. looks , lively to run prominently at Marton. .She slipped over five furlongs nicely on Thursday in lm 4s. « She is to he taken to, Auckland after • the Wangs mooting for* the' Avondaln Guineas. She is not engaged in thc : classic event lure, which is unfortunate, as she would probably have- made- thines- interesting. • • • ■ • . J. Farmer. the Wairarapa mentor.' uus arrived hero With Suggestion, a.' Guineas '•nndidate. p. rid Subjection, ' a ' two-year-old. Thn latter is by -Submersion, a.nd will contest the'' Debutante Staked 'and go on to . for the Avondale • Stakes.. H« is <*■ fine-looking colt, and handles himself well. ' . ' ' 1 W.' -Dwyer •"«#"» • Alsric 'engaged at 'Jhe' Wangan'M meeting. also the two-year-old gelding Dangle. The latter in buil* or. Vines which i3"ggest that, he should gallop -' fast.' and 'be has been hitting out in a pleading manner:'- ... . • • • • . .• ; i.v • Another likely-looking two-year-old .tV Siaosi, the full-brother, to Civility.. He will be a starter ■in the Debutante Stakes, I: avid the"' way he is shaping points to him.r;l?iMng. : I Hk»ly -to' make good. "• /; : • ■ Some of the ■ local touts . expect • to. , see Gfi'lari- 'prove 4 he beat, of the two-year-olds about here. The son of Absurd—Noifeen rla'n's' 'an* encasement- i™ .the- •Avorrdale Stakes ,on "Plumber 22.' M.' Gardner, who trains--- Gii'lard, . also • has Pirouette' and Op's Delight -in, steady work, .and they are , bo tV i moving along nicely. -" ' < , ; ■ *.. Deh'^e . has;, not been on the track for' several, days. • He appears to-", have (rone wrong, but .- what . the trouble is his trainer (W. : Baynerl has -so .'far not - been ablu to' ascertain ■ definitely.. ; A couple . of months aeo the ; son of Absurd looked likely .to .develop, into a. fine ~s tamp, of. three-year-old, but of - late he has gone back., and it looks m it , ; it.m.ay. be, a lons time before he will rtc?d M&m. " v