RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19235, 26 January 1926, Page 6

RACING.

SEASON'S FIXTURES. January 2f—Bay of Islands Racing Club (at Whantrarei). January 27. 23—Pahiatua Racing Club. January 20. 30—Takapuna Jockev Club. February 3, 4—Egmont Racing Club. February 4. 6—Gisborne Racing Club. February 6. B—To Kuiti Racins Club. February n. 13—Dunedin Jockey Club. February 11. 33—Taranaki Jockey Club. February 11. 13—Poverty Bay Turf Club. February 13. 15—Rotorua Racing Club. February 27. March I—To Aroha Jockey CUb olarch G—Matamata Racing Club. March 10—Opotiki Racing Club. March 13. 17—Ohinrmuri Jockev Club. March 17—Whakatane Racine Club. March 20—Bay of Plenty Racing Club. March 27—Franklin Racing CJub. April 3. s—Auckland Racing Club. April 10. 12— Avondale Jockey Club.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Wager."—The placed horses in the Takapuna Cup last year were Polonett {7st. 71b.), Surveyor (9st. ■ilb.). and Muskctoon (Sat. 71b.), who finished in that order. NOTES BY PHAETON. Epistle, who won a double at 1' oxton last week, is a four-year-old daughter of Polydamon and Communique. It would scorn as though the contention that Tamatete has seen his best day is a correct summing up of the son of Absurd, The Australian-bred gelding Cawnpore ran three races at Trentham last week, and his record was a win, a second, and a third.

The Kilbroney gelding Phoenix Park is stated to be on the up-grade, and the opinion is ventured that he is not far away from a win.

Private advices to hand from Sydney state that the Auckland-bred gelding Cherry Ripo won the hurdle race at the Australian Jockev Club's meeting at Randwick last Saturday. Cherry Ripe is owned by Dr. C. Murphy.

Dal Eaton, tho three-year-old son of Eaton Lad, who formed one of J. T. Jamieson s team at Wellington, was sold there last week, and he will journey back to New South Wales, where he was purchased as a yearling for llOgns. in tho autumn of 1924.

The Bay of Islands Racing Club holds its meeting at Kensington Park, Whangarei, to-day. Tho following is a list of tho horses engaged in the Kawakawa Cup:—Tresillian, 8.6; Sleepy Sol, 8.2: Nocturne. 7.9: Lady Patience, 7.6; Bowman. 7.0; Allegiance, 7.0: Just Quietly. 7.0.

The copious rains that fell last week were welcomed in Auckland as well as elsewhere in tho North Island. The tracks at Ellerslie wcro in a hard state, and with the sting now out of the ground matters for certain horses that had displayed symptoms of soreness have brightened up. Musketoon could be cited as ono horse that benefited by the altered state of matters.

In the decision of tho Challenge Stakes at Randwick hist Saturday a Now Zealandbred son of Absurd claimed tho attention of the judge in first place. This was the five-year-old Quixotic, who beat a field of 16 in what is termed dashing style. Quixotic formed ono of the collection of yearlings transported, to Sydney by Mr. W. &. Stoad In the spring of 1923. and ho was purchased by Mrs. R. C. Osborne for 1300gns.

A peculiar accident occurred while the horses were doing their preliminaries for the Novice Stakes at Foxton on Friday last. Telephone (A. Jenkins) bolted and collided with Pardon (W. Mitchell) as the latter was running down the straight, with the result that Telephone had to be destroyed and Pardon taken back to tho stable. Both boys were badly shaken, though not seriously hurt. Telephone was a four-year-old mare by California.

It was always certain that Count Cavour would figure top weight in tho Dunedin Cup, but much interest was centred in the impost Mr. N. B. Lusk would award the son of Solferino in the Wingatui race. The 9.8 allotted Count Cavour represents Blb. over weight-for-age, but ho is not opposed by a strong field and his owner, Mr. J. S. Barrett, may be encouraged to give his horse an' opportunity of earning distinction at Wingatui on February 11.

Sir George Clifford is credited, with the ownership of a very promising filly in the shape of Front Rank who won a Nursery Handicap in attractive stylo at Trentham last Saturday. ' Front Rank can boast of quite a big array of -Musket blood. His sire, Warplano, has no less than three strains; which come to him through Multiform (son of- Hotchkiss). and Wallace (son of Carbine), and the other direct through Musket. On the dam's side two strains of Musket aro quicklv found in Front Rank's pedigree. Her dam Discipline, is by Treadmill, whose dam, Catherine Wheel, was by Maxim, while Madowla. dam of Discipline, is by Tronton. Maxim and Trenton were both high-class sons of Musket.

The Night Patrol, who is engaged in carrying the colours of the Earl of Stradbroke in Australia, ia standing 111 to his racing in such attractive stylo that he looks like playing a strong part when the autumn meetings come round. Dating from Boxing Day The Night Patrol has won four races, three victories in South Australia and one in Victoria being ilown to bis credit. In November last The Night Patrol was submitted to auction at Melbourne, but the bidding ceased at 7000gns., and. as that was 3000gns. below the reserve, the English horse was passed in. During his racing career in Australia The Night Patrol has won stakes to the value of £10,510, and, as he won £6231 on the English turf he has captured £16,531. The Earl of Stradbroke's term as Governor of the State of Victoria terminates in the space of a, few months, and it is stated to be quite likely that The Night Patrol will be purchased by a leading breeder in Victoria.

TIIE CRAZE FOR SPEED. DEARTH OF STAYERS. The encouragement given to sprint and early two-year-old racing are subjects that are commanding a lot of thought with those who are studying racing and the thoroughbred family. In the course of an interesting article in the Sydney Mail recently "Musket" penned the following:—'" English horses do not stay so well now as formerly because of what is now known as the Sloan method ■of riding. Racegoers wl<£ ■ can recall the long-distance races of thirty years ago and more, will remember that races were not run at the pace they are now, and consequently a horse was not nearly so distressed at the end of a race as he is to-day. When jockeys rode with long stirrups and sat on the- backs of their mounts they did not race at the breakneck pace adopted in these days, and that is the sole reason the horses lasted longer—their reserves were not overtaxed. That old saying, 'lt is the pace that kills,' applies just as much lo horses as it does to humans leading fast lives, and horses of to-day have to run two miles in 5' seconds faster time than they did <lO years ago the strain on their hearts must be very much greater. This extra speed has become more pronounced since the Sloan seat became universal and scarcely an important meeting passes but what fresh records are not made. Where these records are going to stop it is impossible to say, but I daresay they will reach a finality some day. During the Christmas races at Kandwick the hurdler Mendit ran two miles over the battens in 3m. 38-Js. — better time than was clocked in the first nine Melbourne Cupa—while the two-year-old Minjerooka established a course record of five furlongs when she won in more young horses of staying breeds ' were kept until three years of age before being raced there would be no dearth of longdistance horses. It is the craze for early two-year-old racing which has such a detri- j mental effect on the young thoroughbreds— 1 they become worn out when the> should j be in their prime." ]