RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20254, 14 May 1929, Page 13

RACING.

SEASON'S FIXTURES. ?tas 16, IS—Wanganui Jockey Club. May 25—Ashburton County Racing Club. June 1, 3—Otaki Maori Racing Club. June 1, S, s—Auckland Racing Club. June 1," 3, s—Dunedin Jockey Club. Juno 12—Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club. June 14, 15—Napier Park Racing Club. Jun* 10, 22—South Canterbury Jockey Club. June 20—Waverley Racing Club. 'ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. " luquirer."—l. In the decision of the Oreat Northern Hurdle Race of 1926 Kawini finished second to Landbird. and at the Fame meeting be filled a like position to Dick in the Great Northern Steeplechase. He contested the two races in question -in the succeeding year. He rail unplaced in the Great Northern Hurdle Race, won by Wedding March, and in the decision of the Great Northern Steeplechase he came home in third place behind Beau Cavalier and Maunga.

NOTES BY PHAETON. THE WANGANUI STEEPLECHASE. The leadiug cross-country event of tho present week's programme is the Wanganui Steeplechase, which comes up for decision cn Thursday. Tho field engaged numbers nine, with Nukumai (11.13) at the head of tne list. The son of Manchineel has not, I think, contested in a cross-country event pince he won the 3£gmont Steeplechase in the winter of 1926. However, he is credited with carrying his age well, and that must ba taken into account in assessing bis prospects. Brigadier Bill won the race last year under 10.10. and with a win to his credit at the Egmont meeting last week that is a bit of a lead. Roman Abbey (10.0) won the Egmont Steeplechase last week, but the distance of that race only extended to two miles and a-half. and the extra half-mile which the Wanganui Steeplechase calis for may not'be to the liking of the Quin Abbey gelding. Matu (10.4) beat a good field •tvhen he won the Marton Steeplechase on the 4th inst., and. as he romped home an easy winner, he will probably have a Ktrong following when he is produced to contest the Wanganui Steeplechase.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. The Fox was scratched for all A.R.C. Winter Meeting engagements at 5.15 P.m. yesterday. Kaikahu. who is included in the south-ern-owned division as a promising candidate for steeplechase honours this winter, is an aged son of St. Amans. In previous years the Wanganui Steeplechase and the Century Hurdle Race have been run on different days, but this year they figure on the first day's programme. The English-bred horse Lorient 11. was made favourite for the President's Handicap (=even furlongs and 22 yards) at the Franklin meeting last Saturday. He ran a good rnce under S.S, but had to strike bis colours to Barometer, to which gelding ho was conceding 1-lb.

Comical, who has not won a hurdle race fince he registered his surprise victory in tho New Zealand Grand National Hurdle Pace of 1926, is down for an engagement; sn the Century Hurdle Race, to bo run at "Wanganui on Thursday, ia which race he is called upon to carry 11.2.

Some little time back it was stated that ."Toy King had shaped most promisingly in his education as a jumper, and as he figures among the acceptances for the Kaitoke Hurdle Race, to be run at Wanganui toroorrow, he is evidently to be given an early opportunity to distinguish himEelf ever the battens.

A Loudon writer, in referring to the Grand National Steeplechase course at A nitre?, remarked:—" Someone may be tempted to say ' they are only thorn fences,' but of.iny own knowledge I can say years have "'So thoroughly interwoven those thorn fences there is about as much chance ot going through them as through a stone vail. 1 . They have to be jumped—and rlcanlyi' too! Anyone who has seen Aintree can easily understand why falls are so numerous in the Grand National."

When Brigadier Bill won the Adamson Steeplechase at Hawera la3t Saturday it marked the 90tli occasion on which he has been called upon to carry silk. The son of -All Bed, who made his debut, on the turf in the winter o£ .1923, is now rising 10 year 3 old, and the fact of his standing his racing so well at this stage may be attributed to hie being allowed to mature properly before the strenuous work was esacted from him. Brigadier Bill has been raced throughout by his breeder, Mr. J. Bull, and up to the present he has won prize-money to the amount of £3SJO. TURF IN VICTORIA. MORE DISQUALIFICATIONS, Australian and N.Z. Press Association. (Received May 13. 11.5 p.m.) MELBOURNE, May 13. The (stipendiary stewards of the Victoria ■Racing Club have disqualified for 12 months the* racehorse Chariot, the jockey W. Scanlon and the trainer-owner W. Foulsham. for Hleged improper conduct in regard to Chariot's running in the Sandown Park Handicap on Saturday.

i\ r OTES FROM CANTERBURY. TRAINING AT RICCARTON. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN COR TIES E'ON DENT. ] CHRISTCHUftCH. Monday. Training operations at Riccarton on Saturday provided very little interest, most of the horses who worked being given tasks cf The useful order. Kaikabu (A. J. Peart) was schooled over * round of the steeplechase fences and gave a very attractive display, suggestive of a successful career as a steeplechaser. Charlatan and Wharncliffe have been nominated for the principal steeplechases at tho Dunedin Winter Meeting, while Wharncliffe is engaged also in hurdle races. G. J. Pine has recommiasioned the fonr-year-old Don Jose, who has been in retirement. since the beginning of the season. Tho three-year-old colt Bulo'o, who arrived at Riccarton recently, is now a regular worker with R. Ellis' team.

Magna Cbarla has pleased his admirers in his early schooling efforts over the hurdles ;.t Riccarton and he may make up in that *!epartment for his disappointments on the iiat. Provided he goes on all right during the next few weeks, he will be a competitor in hurdle races at the Dunedin meeting.

Apparently the idea of sending Troilus to Auckland has been abandoned. lie has lie en nominated for the Dunedin meeting, ■figuring ill hurdle races a3 well as iu races cri the flat t Beau Geste has shown figns of soreness lately and he has been on the easy list, F. P. C'laridge does not view the. position seriously and the Boniform golding will be striding along again very soon with a view •to racing at the Dunedin meeting early ne:;t month.

Evening looks none the worse for her trip Oarnaru, where she won the chief event, run over a mile and a-rjuarter, and she "will make her next appearance at the Duufdin meeting. Evening has made steady improvement during the last few months and 011 present appearances she will race v ith credit uext in the best handicap company. She is bred on stout lines and Ehe should stay any distance. Kaikahu is booked to make liis first ■BTipearance as a steeplechaser at the Dunedin meeting. His first exhibition over the '.Kiccarton schooling fences was very nttrac--I,'ve and he may develop into a good class jjcrforiner over country. Zeuxis continues to provide evidence of improvement- over hurdles, and he should J>ay his way in minor jumping events before long. »