GOSSIP OF THE TURF

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12168, 19 June 1925, Page 8

GOSSIP OF THE TURF

Talk from Track and Stable

(By

“CARBINE”)

RACING FIXTURES June 19 and 20—Napier Park R.C. Winter .Tune 20—Banks Peninsula R.C. Wi June 24. 25 —Hawke's Bay J.C. Winter. June 26, 27—Ashburton County R.C. Winter. June 27—Hawke's Bay Hunt Winter. July 7,9, 11 —Wellington R.C. Winter. July 18—South Canterbury Hunt Steeplechase. August I—Christchurch Hunt Steeplechase (at Riccarton). ■ August 11, 13 and 15 —Canterbury J.C. Grand National. - NOMINATIONS. June 22—Wellington R.C. Winter. June 26—Canterbury J.C. Grand National Steeplechase, Grand National Hurdles Beaufort Steeplechase, Lincoln Steeplechase, Sydenham Hurdles, and Winter Cup. ACCEPTANCES. June 22—Hawke's Bay J.C. Winter. June 22 —Ashburton County R.C. Winter. June 26—Hawke's Bay Hunt Winter. July I—Wellington R.C. Winter. July 13—South Canterbury Bunt Steeplechase. July 29—Christchurch Hunt Steeplechase. TROTTING FIXTURES June .26, 27—Ashburton County R.C. Winter (two events). July 18—South Canterbury Hunt Steeplechase (one event). NOMINATIONS. July I—South Canterbury Hunt Steeplechase (one event). ACCEPTANCES. June 22—Ashburton County R.C. Winter (one event). July 13—South Canterbury Hunt Steeplechase (one event). FIRST FORFEITS. July 16—Ashburton T.C. N.Z. Sapling Stakes, 1926. SECOND FORFEITS. Dec. 17—Ashburton T.C. N.Z. Sapling Stakes, 1926. NOTES AND COMMENTS A heavy frost at Trentham yesterday morning made the tracks had and delayed work till a late hour. Tho grass tracks were open, and Debate and Kuhio were sent six furlongs together, Kuhio going a little the better of the pail . Nadarino went half a mile in 54sec. The Arrawsmitb colt in T. Young’s stable was galloped half a mite and got to the end of the journey in 54sec. The Napier Park meeting will open to-day. Mahura. and Red Cent were erroneously omitted from, the list of acceptors for the Napier Steeplechase. Pronto is favourite for the principal flat event at Napier, and ought- to go well.’ Others who will be backed are Megan, - Battle Knight, and Lady Joyce. The Strand Is in favour for th« Settlers’ Hack Handicap, and. so are Tempean and Alabama. , P™nto and Tempean are both owned by the Wairarapa sportsman, Mr F. Jensen. . i Oarawook is fancied by his partv m the Napier Steeplechase to-day he can- be depended on to run prominently* b. Walls will havo the mount. A reproduction of his best form would make; Nukumai a good thing for the Ahuriri Hurdles. He was below form at Wanganui," and to-day is ai. acceptor in two races. / Many. Colours ought to run prominently in the Moteo Hurdles. In the mile flat race at Napier today, Nukumai is handicapped to give Santiago 101 b. In the mile and threequarters hurdle .race Nukumai concedes the same horse 2llh. Mr A. Alexander has.purchased the disappointing Hindi. The New Zealand 1 horseman, Harold Young, leaves for Australia to-day, he the™ 8 accepted, riding engagements Museari has been operated on for throat trouble. Orchid 1 is, reported to have been sold to , a Wellington sportsman, and it is understood' R. Lorrigan will train the Absurd gelding at Trentham. Sunshot, who won the chief flat race at Waverley on Saturday, is to be entered for the Parliamentary Handicap, which will be run at Wellington next month. Says the Wanganui “Chronicle”:— Since arriving from Auckland last week the steeplechaser Master Peter has had a bad leg, apparently the result of a knock during the Great Northern Steeplechase, and he has done practically no work. This will throw him back in his preparation for the Wellington and Grand National meetings.”

Apache, Frenchman, Boughleen Dlioun and Irish, four of Mr W. T. Haslett’s Southland team, have arrived at Riccarton. Apache and Frenchman will go on to Trentham next month, to race at the Wellington Racing Club meeting. They will then rejoin their two mates and the four horses will remain at Riccarton until after the Grand National meeting. Lord Ashlea. (A. G. Campbell) was schooled over tho. steeplechase fences at Riccarton on Tuesday, going once round and also jumping the double the second time. He gave a satisfactory exhibition. Apex (R. Chont) gave a good showing over a couple of hurdles. It would not be- surprising to find some material alterations made in the Wingntui steeplechase course before a field is next asked to race over the cm’utry: the most likely alteration will probably consist of shifting the big sod wall, which is now generally considered roo severe a jumn as the first" fence in a race such ns t*'e Otago Steeplechase.—Christchurch “Press.”

The death of Mr G. S. Lintott, who was well known in connection with racing and trotting sports in Otago

and Canterbury before going to Auckland to take up residence over twenty years ago, occurred on Saturday afternoon at Mount Eden. He was a steward of the Auckland Trotting Club and the Takapuna J.C. for a considerable time. Income. Yoma. Passin’ Through, Tuki, and other Taranaki horses left Auckland on Friday evening for Taranaki, but the boat they were on could not cross the Manukau bar so they had to return, delaying the trip till this week. W. Raynor has Deluge in steady work again at Wanganui, and the sprinter will be in good trim by the time the early spring meetings come round. Motley has also been taken up. and she is said to look all the better for her spell. The Australian horseman, B. Rosen, who has been riding in Auckland for over twelve months, intends taking a abort holiday to the Commonwealth for the winter months. Te Kara’s elder' brother Malatour is being prepared for jumping races. His work over hurdles at Hastings recently has been encouraging. When Golden Prince broke down on the second day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting early this month' it was thought his case was serious. The wonderful old gelding appears to have made a great recovery, however, according to the Christchurch “Star,” as his name figures among the nominations for the Winter Steeplechase at Ashburton next week. Mr William Anderson, a well-known anefc popular figure in the sporting world v died in Dunedin la6t week. He was for a number of years associated with A. Pringle's stable at Ashburton, and afterwards went back to Dunedin, where he assisted in the training of several horses in different ownerships. He became broken in health some mpnths algo, and gradually faded away, to the deep regret of everyone who knew him. In all probability the last has been seen of General Advance on a racecourse (says “Argus”). The Advance gelding pulled up lame after his race at the Dunedin winter meeting, and it is doubtful if he would survive another preparation. General Advance was a good, horse in his day, and, in addition to winning the Grand National Hurdles.. won. races from six furlongs up to a mile and a quarter. Prior to racing at the last Wingatui meeting General Advance was being schooled over steeplechase fences, and shaped as if he might score a good win between the flags. THE ACID TEST Something like a campaign has developed against the Auckland handicapper, Mr F. Macmenamin, because of his work at the recent Auckland meeting. Has anyone heard of the critics retiring on a huge fortune they made over Mr Macmenamin's “mistakes?” Or, are the critics still at work? This is the acid test. ALTERING ELLERSIJE The following is from the Auckland “Star”:— “Ideal as the Ellerslie racecourse is from the" point of view of beauty of landscape and general appointments, it is recognised by the management committee that improvements can be made to the conditions under ■ which the actual racing takes place. To meet the defects a scheme was approved yesterday for altering the course, principally in respect of certain bends and turns, which will ensure a greater measure of safety for the competitors, and incidentally add to the spectacular aspect of racing. “The main improvement involves a wider sweep of the course proper from the turn by the five-furlong post to the main turn into the straight. The proposal is- to take the course out into the paddock behind the" row of trees along by the four furlongs arid the mile and a half posts, the portion of the course which is generally referred to as the top. The radius of the turn near the five-furlong post and into the straight will thus be widened.

“Tn addition to ensuring a better entrance for the run home, important alterations, or readjustments, will he made in the starting-places, notably the one, one mile and a half, and two miles and a half. The mile startingpost will come down from the neck where it is at present situated, a distance of nearly half a furlong, on to the course proper. This will he greatly appreciated by patrons, n» the start will thus be brought under general view. Man' important races are run over the mile course. “The alteration to the one mile and a half post, from which several classical and other important races are run. will give a. 'letter run to the straight entrance. The starting mint of the Great Northern Hurd'e Race (two miles and a half) will he shifted up into the straight nearer th" grandstands; at Present it : s on the turn at the entrance to the straight “A s'ight but important alteration is also to he made to the steeplechase course. At present it commences to turn'at the second nost-and-rei] fence. The intention 'n to continue the course air,,,,* the T/"rl ; er’ yf)le some distance, riving a straight run after landing over thp fence before turning for home. “The alterations will he a gradual process and ocenpv several years, being done ns the opportunity offers. The work will not affeet the present course procor in nnv wav., hut will he so arranged that th n whole of the improvements can he absorbed into the course nt once.”