GOSSIP OF THE TURF

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12195, 21 July 1925, Page 8

GOSSIP OF THE TURF

Talk from Track and Stable

(By

“ CARBINE ”)

RACING FIXTURES July 23 —Waimate District Hunt Steeplechase. July 25—South Canterbury Hunt Steeplechase. July 23 and 25—Gisborne R.C. Steeplechase. August I—Christchurch Hunt Steeplechase (at Ricearton). August I—Povertyl—Poverty Bay Hunt Annual. August 11, 13 and 15—Canterbury J.C. ■ Grand National. August 15 —Pakuranga Hunt Annual. NOMINATIONS. July 24—Pakuranga Hunt Annual. ' HANDICAPS. July 27- Canterbury J.C. Grand National (Minor Events). July 27—Christchurch (Hunt Steeplechase. July 27—Poverty Bay Hunt Annual. July 31—Pakuranga Hunt Annual. ACCEPTANCES. July 28—Poverty Bay Hunt Annual. July 29—Christchurch Hunt Steeplechase. August s—Canterbury J.C. Grand National (Minor Events). August 7—Pakuranga Hunt Annual. FINAL PAYMENTS. August s—Canterbury J.C. Grand National Steeplechase and Hurdles, and - Winter Cup. TROTTING FIXTURES July 18—South Canterbury Hunt Steeplechase (one day). August I—Poverty Bay Hunt Annual (one day). HANDICAPS. i ■ , July 27—Poverty Bay Hunt Annual (one event). 1 ACCEPTANCES. July 13—South Canterbury Hunt Steeplechase (one event). ' July 28—Poverty Bay Hunt Annual (one • 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 The committee of the Auckland Racing Club met last week, Sir 23. Mitchelson .presiding*, for the purpose of considering the programmes framed in connection with the four, meetings to he held at .Ellerslie during ,the- coming season, and the same were . finally , passed. It.was decided to reduce,the.number of races, per day from eight, to .seven? The prize money for air hack rapes was increased to £SOO eacji. ahd it is provided that should! a hack Tace necessitate dividing owing to a large field; the winner of each division shall receive £250. The open handicaps (flat), that formerly carried £6OO prize money will now be endowed with <£6sß each. * Several other alterations were decided upon,- and the order of the running of some of the races changed. The .total prize money for the season amounts to £65,000, which will be increased, should division races in hack events, be necessary to comply with the place -money conditions. • It will thus be seen that although the Auckland Racing Club stood sponsor for the recent remit passed by the Conference allowing clubs to give Only ,90 per cent, of their totalisator receipts in stakes, the Auckland Racing Club do not intend to take advantage of the new rule/ the idea of which was to help smaller clubs. A pleasing feature of the programme is the tendency to increase the distances of races, and all hack events are now a mile* or a mile and p quarter. of the Carbine Plate was increased to a mile and. a quarter, and the condition limiting- the riders to holders of gentleman riders* certificates was eliminated. Future classic events were endowed with the same prize money as fixed on last year., . v ,

San Forte, who arrived at Riccarton on Thursday, has' been out doing steady exercise Ha. does not look so well as last year.

J. Jones has booked accommodation for two of Mr W. H. Gaisford's horses for the Grand National meeting. They are probably Serene and Many Colours. Many Kittle is stated to be in so bad a way in Sydney that he is not likely to race again. The Winkie gelding was a good horse when well and won besides other races, 'the Dunedin Guineas and the G. G. Stead Gold Cup. In Sydney Count Cavour is second favourite for the Metropolitan Handicap. Early speculators are likely to be disappointed, for it is no certainty that the trip will be undertaken with the son of Solferino. Pilliewinkie is also prominent in the quotations for tho big spring handicaps.

Boomerday is a mass of condition (says "Archer**). He is doing an excellent preparation for the Grand National Hurdle Race, and though he has a few pounds more than what ho failed with last year his chance looks good. v It is very likely that he will have a run at tho Christchurch Hunt meeting before the National.

The Wanganui Jockey Club has accepted! a tender for the erection of 52 horse boxes, the work to be completed by September sth, and so be available for the spring meeting on September 10th and 12th. The saddling paddock is to be extended considerably/but’this will take some time.

It seems to be now fairly certain that Stratford's claims for further racing permits are to be recognised to a certain extent (says the Stratford "Post**), and there is every indication that the Stratford Club will receive the first floating permit available If that is so, ’ a race meeting will be held on March 31st next, the date of tho anniversary of the Taranaki province.

A statement of receipts and expenses m connection with tjie last meeting, presented at the meeting of the committee of the Ashburton Racing Club recently, showed a loss. The New Zealand Racing Conference's letter' asking the club to make provision for a casualty room for jockeys was hold over until next meeting. Three new m'embers were elected. The racecourse inspectors* report, which was forwarded by the Conference, was considered satisfactory.

The Aga Khan has engaged Steve Donoghue as his first jockey. Until this engagement Donoghue had not accepted a retainer for two years. Donoghue is making good progress to recovery _ from the injuries which he received in his fall in the Grand Prix de Paris recently. Steve Donoghue’s sudden appearances on and departures from racecourses in airplanes will soon lose the charm of novelty if th% famous jockey keeps up the pace he has set himself. Meantime they are the talk of racing men, and-the sight of his airplane on the course helps to distract the attention of backers who have had a losing day (says a London writer). Steve’s latest flight, on May 4th from Paris, where he had been on a business mission not wholly unconnected with horse-racing, nearly ended in disaster. He left Paris in a ’plane at halfpast eight in the morning, and had the roughest journey he has experienced since he adopted this method of crossing the Channel. Owing to fog his ’plane'' forced to fly at times only a few feet above the water, and contact with the cliffs on the English side was narrowly averted. The conditions were so bad at one (period that the pilot discussed the advisability of returning to France. Fortunately for backers of Donoghue’s mounts, the j ourney to Lingfield was safely made, a landing being effected three miles from the course. Steve lost no time in getting to work. By 1.50 p.ln. he was riding in the first race, in which he was unplaced. His second mount, in the 3.20 event, was also a loser. An hour later he rode a winner in Zetla, showing a profit on the day. His energy appears to be inexhaustible. At Hurst Park one Saturday he rode in five races, including the last, which was pot decided until half-past four. Immed»tely afterwards he new direct from the course to France.

Precautions to be observed in the feeding of thoroughbred horses, and methods of dieting for various purposes, were explained to members of the Victorian Breeders, Owners, and Trainers" Association at a meeting held last iponth, by Professor H. A. Woodruff, Professor of Veterinary Science at the Melbourne University. Professor Woodruff pointed out that many complaints commonly, met with in the management of horses were the direct outcome of incorrect food or bad methods of feeding. He pointed out that animals in Australia were particularly liable to attack by bone disease, owing to a natural deficiency of phosphorus in Australian soils. As a preventative of this disease, he suggested that liberal quantities of lucerne hay should be used in tho fodder, and the top dressing of pastures with superphosphate should he encouraged. Emphasis was laid on the working food value of bran and oats, and maize was recommended as a valuable fodder for conditioning horses. Professor Woodruff said that in a great many cases colic, azotafia, lymphangitis, and broken wind could he traced to improper feeding. : Sir Medallist has broken down, and is to be turned out for a long spell.

Vasilkov has joined R. C. Reed’s string at Wingatui. He will probably be given a ■ chance .to distinguish himself oyer hurdles. The other members of Reed’s team are doing well. They are Flique, Incursio, Galaxy, Gay Raiment, and the pacer Coldwater. C. Ware has a useful team in work. Included in the number are John Bradbury, Arpent, Bachelor Gay, Heather Lad, and Taboo.

Mr L. Hazlett has purchased Avispado, and is initiating him into the jumping business. Golden Sarto, another of L. Hazlett*6 team, is reported to be jumping well in his schoultug essays.

_ C. Gieseler has Happy Days, Monoxide, Gay Flower. Bonena, and Sporting Girl doing useful work at Wingatui. They should be well forward for the now season’s racing.

F. Dempsey, the Melbourne jockey, now riding so well in England, is not the only horseman of that name capable of piloting winners in galore. New South Wales has an amateur rider,, also named F. Dempsey, who has put up some remarkably good performances in the saddle. At a meeting of the Rowena Amateur Tarf Club, held recently, this F. Dempsey almost carried off the programme. The fixture was a two days one. and F. Dempsey rode four winners each day.

Mr A. T. Creswick’s .filly Swift, who won the Princess Handicap at Flemington, was bought for 3500 g- at the Allendale dispersal sale last November. Swift is the highest-priced two-year-old filly ever sold under the hammer in Australia. She is by Heroic’s sire Valais (imp.) from Velox bv Bill of Portland, and is a Derby and two Cups candidate. This was Swift’s first success, but she looked like doing well in the early spring. T. M. Burke has invested 5080g5.. in yearlings this season. The most important members of 'his juvenile team are King Osric, by King Offa, from Mercian Princess, and Dark Plot, a colt by All Black from Comedietta. Each ot these colts cost IOOOgs. V. O’Neill trains King Osric, and W. Burke has charge of Dark Plot. T. M. Burke's yearling team is the largest got togther by fcnty Victorian owner this season. Nine of his yearlings are to be prepared by W. Burke, who has also six other juveniles belonging to Messrs H. and M. Bourke, the Monomeith stud masters, under his care.

This, is how Ptolemy 11., the .£50,(100 French Derby horse, arrived at Epsom (England) from France. As . Ptolemy, preceded bv his stable companion Black Prince, walked across the sunlit turf of Epsom Downs from Tatten'ham Corner Station to his quarters near the Derby starting-post, he was, escorted by five detectives. One, carrying a bag, marched beside him, two walked just behind, while two more were some distance in the rear. One of these was ex-Detective Inspector David Goodwillie, recently retired from the Metropolitan Police, who is responsible for the safety of the animal. The giant black 'horse had a crimson hood on its head, and its fetlocks were wrapped in cotton wool round which was swathed grey linen, but there was little need for the detectives to keep a sharp look-out as no crowd greeted the much-discussed animal. Only a few people had gathered to see ■it leave the station. Two detectives travelled in the horse van with Ptolemy, and two detectives will remain in the stable every night. The horse’s guard at Epsom consisted of 10 detectives—nearly all oxC.I.D. men—two of whom were always with the animal.