RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19512, 16 December 1926, Page 10

RACING.

SEASON'S FIXTURES. December 16. 18— Dargaville Racine Club. December 27. 29, January 1, S—Auckland . Racing Club. December 27, 28. 30—Manawatu Racing Club. _ , Dec em bo r 27—Alexandra Racing Club. December 27 Waipukurau Racing Club. December 27. 28—Taranaki Racing Club. December 27. 28 —Westland Racing Club December 27. 28—Dunedin Jockey Club. December 31. January 1, i—Greymouth Jockey Club. January 1, 3—Marton Jo'ckey Club. January 1. 3—Stratford Racing Club. January 1, 3—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club January 1, 3 Wairarapa Racing Club. January 3, 4—Southland Racing Club. January 7, B—Veefton Jockey Club. January 15—Asliburton Racing Club. January 21, 22—Foxton Racing Club. January 22—Bay of Islands Racine Club. January 29. 31—Takapuna Jockey Club. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. J.F.H., To Hoi.—Eighteen winners of the Auckland Cup had not previously contested s, two-mile race. " Sport," Waihi.—The revised arrangements in regard to the safety number of etarters in races have not been published. End we cannot, therefore. furniHh the information asked for. NOTES BY PHAETON. THE AUCKLAND CUP. " How many horses have won the Auckland Cup that had not previously contested a two-mile race since the Ellerslie event ■was reduced to 16 furlongs?" was the nature of a query that came to me from a correspondent in the back blocks during the present week. As the subject is one beyond individual interest, a special paragraph may bo accorded to it. In a research for information on the point at issue I make it that 18 horses which have played a part in the leading position in Auckland Cup contests are ranged up under the heading based on the question submitted. Leopold, who led the field home in the Auckland Cup of 1889—the second year from which the altered distance dates—had never previously contested a two-mile race. The other horses returned winners of the Ellerslie race who were previously unknown in two-mile company were:—Pinfire (1891), Pegasus (1893), Anita (1895), Nestor (1896). Antares (1897), Uhlan (1898), St. Michael (1901), Putty (1905), Master Delaval (1906), All Red (1908), Santa Roaa (1911), Sir Solo (1913), Depredation (1916), Fiery Cross (1917). Karo (1919). Malaga (1921), and Te Kara (dead-heater in 1923). The horses engaged in this year's Auckland Cup that have not so far contested a twomile race are Beacon Light, Degage, Mandane, Footfall, Diogenes, Town Bank, Piathair, Nippy, Bennanee, Beau Geste, Dalightment, King Smock, Eillock, Lord Star, Mah Jong, Muscari, Mint Leaf, Papatu, Seatown, Sunshot, Thuraby, Transformer, Templemore, Wiltshire, and Royal Present. < . j THE RAILWAY HANDICAP. The three-year-old division has a decent ?ecord in connection with the A.R.C. Railway : Handicap, but, with Commendation ■withdrawn, a noteworthy horse will be an absentee from ' the six furlongs race. Limited, who ha 3an impost 71b. under •weight-for-age, now holds a place with the favotirites. The 15 three-year-olds still engaged in the sis furlongs race include Joy King 8.3, Limited 7.11, Kiosk 7.7, Rascal 7.2, Tea Bell 7.1. Aussie. 7.0, Bank Note 7.0. Dimmer 7.0. Decoy Bird 7.0, Flying Juliet 7.0, High Pitch 7.0, Helen 7.0. Magna Charta 7.0, Value 7.0, and Young Locliinvar 7.0. The most noteworthy performance registered by a three-year-old is : down to the credit of Cruciform, who led the field home in the race of 1901 under 9.0, In the succeeding year Orlofi carried 8.8 to victory. The three-year-olds successful in the interval and the imposts they carried are as follow :—King Billy (8.8), Dawn (7.10), King Lupin (7.0), Downham (7.3), Parody (6.12), and Master Doon (6.9). In addition Hymestra's dead-heat under 8.6 with King Lupiri (8.12) has to be mentioned to the credit of on'e of the three-year-old division, and last year Lady Cavendish (7.10) led the field hom» in the second division. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. Advices to hand from Hawera credit Lady C'avendish with acquitting herself in attractive style in her training work. The daughter of Absurd is looked upon to maintain'her position among the favourites for the Railway Handicap, set down for decision at Ellerslie on the 27th inat. Ngata is reported to be striding along In good style in his work, and the veteran ia' expected to 'Contest the Manawatu Cup on Boxing Day, in which race he figures top-weight with 2.0. In the big race at Awapuni last year Ngata carried 8.11 into third place behind Clarinda (7.12) and Enthusiasm (8.11). It was only a question cf a head and t» neck between the first and third horses. Glentruin failed to reproduce her old lime brilliancy when she contested the Feilding Stakes last month, but in the interval she is stated to have trained' on so satisfactorily an to encourage her owner to leave her in the Palmerston North Stakes which event is set down for deoision at the Manawatu Racing Club's meeting on the 28th instant. Glentruin is unpenalised so that if she can reproduce her best form lier prospects cannot be disputed. The nomination of Te Monanui for the Christmas Handicap at the Taranaki meeting ■was not taken seriously in the face of the brown horse's engagement in the Auckland ' Cup, and the pen went through bin name shortly after the declaration of the weights for the Taranaki race. By all accounts Te Monanui is in great heart, which may be taken to point to the probability of his being i;a a position to reproduce his best form when he comes to fulfil engagements at the forthcoming meeting at Ellerslie. A southern-owned four-year-old popularly ticked oS to extend his winning record at an early date ia Rapier. At the back end of his three-year-old career the son of Greyspear won the double—Whyte Memorial Handicap and Parliamentary Handicap under the respective imposts of 9.0 and 9.13. Both those races were run over a mile course,»the minimum weight in each case being 9.0. At the C. J. C. Spring Meeting last month, Rapier carried 8.10 homo in front, with a good field behind him. Rapier is engaged in the Otago Handicap to be run at Wingatui on the 27th instant, with 9.0. Sagittarius, a three-year-old son of Arrowsmith and Going Up, who has tha record of winning three of the four races bo far exacted from him, is stated to be above the ordinary " hack" class. There is a great deal to rivet attention in perusing the pedigree of Sagittarius, for his sire, Arrowsmith, is a grandson of Sti Simon, and a further strain of that celebrated blood comes to him through La Flecho, one of the besttested mares that have figured on the English turf. On the dam's side Sagittarius can boa3t of a strain of Musket blood, which comes to him through Field. Buttery, a .son of Hotchkiss. With a view to regulating the totalisator queues at Ellerslie. the Auckland Racing Club is framing the following rules:— Persons desiring to approach any window of a totalisator machine, shall form up in a queue or rank in single file, extendins outwards from such window. No Person shall: (a) Push into any such mieue or rank, or join same except at Hi ro * r end thereof: (b) Take precedhna e «° frcm his 'position rank- (To, in any Bucb QueuQ ° r uueu'es f 01 wa,k between any four satfi,. „ r f a^ 3 so *°" ned, or within extreme 011+t> -■, ?" euea or ranks at the ticket c.r tioky*l t PaSa mcmey or a «ueue or rank j*® 7 D er3 °n in such °r tickets on aiy W rto obtain a ticket dividends aa tha* 6 ' ° S co^eo ' i a dividend «"*>»ay-be.