GOSSIP OF THE TURF

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12200, 27 July 1925, Page 10

GOSSIP OF THE TURF

. . / Talk from Track and Stable

(By

“CARBINE”)

RACING FIXTURES July 25—South Canterbury Hunt Steeplechase. July 23 and 25—Gisborne B.C- Steeplechase. August I—Christchurch Hunt Steeplechase (at Eiccarton). August I—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. acceptance®. July 23—Poverty Bay Hunt Annual. July 29—Christchurch : Hunt Steeplechase. August s s -Canterbury J.C. Grand Na- • tional (Minor Events). ' August 7—Pakuranga Hunt Annual. FINAL PAYMENTS; . August s—Canterbury J.C. Grand National Steeplechase and Hurdles, and Winter Cup. TROTTING FIXTURES August I—Poverty Bay , Hunt Annual (one day). i HANDICAPS. July 27—Poverty Bay Hunt Annual (one event). : ACCEPTANCES. July 28—Poverty Bay Hunt Annual (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 Kendal was hacked and beaten on Saturday, and his return for second left his supporters showing a deficit on ■the transaction. Manutai, one of the East Coast hacks, who has been very consistent in recent months, was hooked down to less than events on Saturday, and he added another victory to his credit. Barrier has struck form again, and when he won at Gisborne on Saturday he paid a very handy price. Of the Grand National Steeplechase candidates engaged at South Canterbury on Saturday the most > successful were Charlatan and Tigeirland, who ran first and second. Tigerland was a short-priced favourite, and Charlatan was also well backed. ■ Now that Charlatan bias beaten Tigerland he will increase in favour for the Grand National Steeplechase. Charlatan is well bred and is only, seven years old, so there is ample room .for improvement in him. In three starts he has credited himself with two firsts and a seoohd. Tuki seems-to he right out of favour for the Grand National Steeplechase. Rational is »i sure starter in the Grand' National 'Hurdles; and most likely will run at the Christchurch Huns meeting.- Someone has oonfid- 1 once in him, judging by last week’s I events. . j En Route, though in the boom for) Riccarton events, ran • unplaced at i South Canterbury on Saturday, Shandre 'won a double on Saturday, | scoring first in the hack six and then ' in the one mile. Shandre is a four- ; year-old hay gelding by Nassau from Polly Prim. Unde Boh was regarded as the best of the day at the South Canterbury meeting on Saturday. He won, and returned a ridiculously short price. Uncle Bob, who is by De Witte from I a Gipsy King mare created a very favourable impression by his form in the I Waimate Steeplechase. His- jumping was not always good, but it is claimed ! for him that the -small fences were not I to his .liking,; and over stiifer country he is expected to jump much.: better. He was in front all the way in the race, and though challenged more than once he drew away very readily when called .on. He gave the/impiression that he wUs a lazy horse who would not fully exert himself when going easily in front, and this may also have ao

oounted for his failure to jump some of his fenced cleanly. He is owned by Mr G. C. Bain, a Southland sportsman, who has been identified with racing in the south for more than thirty years. Mr Bain purchased Uncle Bob in the North Island three months ago, and he was not then in training, He has not had much of a preparation yet, a fact whioh is worth Keeping in mind when considering his future prospects. He is going to Eiccarton, and his owner is quite sanguine about him negotiating the fences he will meet there. He claims an engagement in the Grand National Steeplechase, but possibly he will be allowed to miss this event in favour of some of the minor crosscountry events at Riccarton. Sir Rosebery still holds the position of favourite in Wellington for the Grand National Steeplechase. Erie, Tigerland, Fireblight and Passin’ Through are the next fancied, and each appears to enjoy about an equal degree of popularity. Sunlike won again, but thiß time the price was shorter—a little over evens.

Boomerday, Nukumai, and Vagabond are the favourites for thet Grand "National Hurdles. Others well fancied are Sir Rosebery, Penury Rose and Santiago. Kaikahu, who beat the hack hurdlers both at'the Waimate and the South Canterbury Hunt meetings, is regarded in the South as a useful sort. Ho is by St. Amans. from. Pet.

While Killocra and White Comet are the .Winter Cup favourites in Wellington, Irish is one of the principal fanoies in the South.

The Gay Lad three-year-old, Bachelor Gay, made his first appearance as a hurdler at Waimate, and gave a very good exhibition of jumping for a novice. Ho ran prominently, for over a mile and then faded ’. out. later in the day he was made favourite for the Hunters’ Flat Race, the popular opinion being that he represented betteroclass than the others. He was going well at, the entrance to the straight, where he looked certain to be.second, but he tired and Rockfellow cut him. out of- second dividend, in the last'stride. New Day was responsible for a useful performance in winning the Bluecliffs Hunters’ Steeplechase at Waimate, but he was a trifle lucky to beat Happy, Mac, who lost, some ground through trying to take the wrong course at the entrance to the straight.

Grey Star contested both the hunters’ steeplechases at Waimate. He was third in a close finish for the Bluecliffs Steeplechase, and later on scored a very popular win in the Hunt Club Cup, in which he gave a fine exhibition of jumping and stayed on well. ’

At the annual meeting of the Dunedin jockey Club, Mr A. C. Hanlon was re-elected president and Mr’L. C. Huzlett vice-president. The hallpt .fos the election of five committeemen. resulted in the return of the following r Messrs Allan S. Cambridge, W, H. L. Christie (re-elected), J. A, Cook (rer. elected), .C. N. Draper, and E; H. Lough (re-elected), Messrs S. S. Myers'and J. M. Samson .also, stood. In . the course of the discussion on "the report and balance-sheet, it was suggested that the club should revert to a threodtys’ meeting in the. autumn and also, that it should borrow ' money for'', a building scheme. The president, in reply,'said with regard to the threeday meeting in. the autumn, the club had tried, it for a number of years, hut it had proved a failure. Until they had shifted a day and’ made the three-day winter meeting they had done no good at all. As a matter .of fact the three-day winter meeting had always been a success, and it was the only meeting that really did - pay a decent profit. Then so far as a large borrowing scheme, was concerned, they .must remember that although the’Wellington Club had borrowed a large sum of money, and had one of the best-equipped courses in Australia .or New Zealand, it had a tremendous totalisator turnover compared with Dunedin. So also had Auckland. The Wellington Club, • moreover, hftd secured -some £40,000 to £50,000 of its money before the slump occurred, and it was only now expending it on these stands.