RACING NOTES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11783, 8 November 1912, Page 1

RACING NOTES.

(By "All Red."-)

" As the winner ot the- Cauliiekl Stakes generally tails in the Caulheld Cup, so ilie. winner ot the Melbourne Stakes on the Saturday generally tails 111 the Melbourne Cop on the Tuesday. This year Duke-Foote kept up the record. He certainly did look a good thing for the race on paper. %ut he was beaten fairly I enough by all accounts. Perhaps it- was t too'much to expect- that the son of Sir Jf'ootc could be kept "keyed up" front the A.J.C. meeting at Randw.ck until after the racing at-Flemington. Generally the horse that wins the Melbourne Cup is not thoroughly wound up when the racing at ltandwick takes place, and even though Poseidon, won the A.J.C. Derby betore succeeding in the Melbourne Cup it must -be remembered' that he was defeated ill the Metropolitan Handicap. The runner-up in the Metropolitan Handicap has been successful in the Melbourne Cup 011 several occasions in the last fewyears, the cases of Poseidon, Apoloque, and Piastre being notable oness Piastre is- owned by the brother ot the-gentleman who owns Duke Foote, so that several of the big prizes on the Australian turf have passed into the one family this year.

•/The' jockey (Shanahan) who rode Piastre to victory 011 Tuesday is no doubt identical with tho lad who held a license in New Zealand about three years ago. It appears that the best of the jockeys here can quite hold their own with their brethren on the other side. Continuance is a class above tho majority of the 'chasers to be found in Australia, and the Now Zealand horse's victory at Flemington on Tuesday appears to have been easily achieved, notwithstanding the "fact that he had 13st 111 the-saddle. ;Had Sir Lethe gone 011 -to 'Melbourne, Continuance might have had some difficulty in disposing of the Let-he gelding over two miles, but with the latter out of tlie wry Continuance's task was an easy one. Shuja appears to have run a great raeo in the .Melbourne Cup and, although the going would be a trifle on the soft side, the Soult horse seems ,lo have -set a. tremendous pace, for the race has seldom been run in better time..

The yearling, sales, which opened at Christchurch , ,on Tuesday, were 1111usuajly dull: and when one reads of a half-brother" (by Charlemagne II.) t'o Danube being sold for a moderate 220 guineas tlie outlook for a good average j price is not a bright one. I suppose that by the time a breeder has settled for advertising, transport, and auctioneering expenses his yearlings would have cost'hirii 100 guinea's a, piece. There is, therefore, not likely to be much profit in the breeding industry this year as the average right through will projiably fall short of 100 guineas. The time will come when the racing c-lubs will have to provide more liberal encouragement tor breeders. The Auckland Racing Club, the Canterbury jockey Club., the Wellington Racing Club, and tlie Manawatn Racing Club have already .commenced a move in this direction, and no doubt it will grow as the years roll on. Mr J. E. Henrys* has made a life study of the art of handicapping, and lie has at different times achieved truly wonderful results. The racing that has resulted from his weight-adjusting at the Christchurch Jockey Club's meeting this week is some of the best that has ever been seen at Riccarton. and the finishes in the- New Zealand Cup. the Stewards' Handicap, and the Metropolitan Handicap were real triumphs. Bon Revo was fading away at the end of the Stewards' Handicap (six furlongs) 011 Saturday, and yet 011 Monday he won the Derby (li mile), from end to end". This is proof, that a straight (or nearly straight) six furlongs is a difficult race to win. It may be, taken, too. as an indication that a real stayer can be broken up by being asked to go too fast.in the first few furlongs.

A. Oliver, who rode Bon Rove, to victory in the New Zealand Derby 011 Monday, had..not previously been On a winner of that event.

Mr John Jl'Donald, wlio 'paid' a.high price tor Multiform a fcnv years ago, showed excellent judgment, but was .unfortunate inasmuch as the Hotchkiss horse did not live as lung, as might reasonably have been expected. After Noctuiform. Sungod, Nightfall, Golden Slipper, and Boniform had lifted their sire..on to a high pedestal, there followed , a few lean years, but this season the ] name of Multiform has heen brought j back to'mind by the splendid form shown by Beragoon in Australia and by .the victory of Midnight Sitn in the New Zealand Cup. Having lost Multiform, the Now Zealand turf is fortunate in retaining two of his best sons —Boniform and Midnight Sun —for the staid. Midnight Sun has always been regarded as a bit of a rogue in the North Island, but he certainly did not shirk his task in the New Zealand Cup. Indeed Luke Wilson, who rode'liiin, savs that no horse could have galloped more generously. Last season I had a great opinion or .Midnight Sun aucl before the' Wang.anui' Cup meeting, t was foolish enough—Call double hackers are foolish) I —to couple him with Gipsy Belle, Boval Scotch, and Boanerges for soine hundreds. I. had the mortification of seeing I him finish absolutely last. That reverse must have blinded my racing vision, for though Mr E. J. .AVatt's horse was so well handicapped from a .weight-fqr-age point of view, I did not think his New Zealand Cup chance was .quite so good, as it proved. His owner,"however, who is one of the best judges of form in this Dominion, was confident enough, and. so it is understood, supported Midnight Sun before he. ran so badly at Trentham. • Mr W. Nidd, owner of. Peronilla, has had a run of good fortune since lie took to racing horses. Peroneal, .Emma, "and Peronilla. are the only horses that I can remember as having carried liis colors and l all have been winners. Emma forferly raced at the pony meetings at Miramar. and was not considered much good*"Tliere, but trainer F. Higgott got her into good lacing trim last year, 'and she won several races for Mi' NKld at Blenheim and Trentham. The Wellington .sportsman is a bold_ bettor, ant,, can always be depended oh to land a good deal more than the actual stakes. He"' was a good winner over .the Trentham fixture and an enterprising pickjxicket took advantage of the fact, as Mi- Nidd had £B7 in bank-notes removed from liis pocket while he was leaving the course ill the crowd 011 the first .day, , Bleriot's form af .tlie Avoridal.e- Jockey Club's mooting was no 'iiiore passing flash. This" -the- Soult ftllv demonstrated by winning the Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie this week. Our King, .who was earlier .expected to trou-.. hie the Soult -filly, drifted right out of favor 011 account of the very poor form -he .showed at the Poverty .Bay Turf .Ghih'-s meeting 011 October- 24th.' Later oh .Our King may strike his best- form again." ■ ' ' _ . . - Achilles has had a good advertisement at Biccarton' by the success of .Jason aiul Peronilla. The best has not. yet boon .seen *of ' Jason, -who- is. likely- ,to ■"prove: very brilliant- if he trains on. . Perhaps the most pleasing feature- ol the' racing at Hiccarton has- been the success of BobrikofF- and ; Goldfindei . Both have proved themselves good horses from the time they -were three-year-olds. ';nnci -it i.s' always .a ploasur-e/to see good horses; wm. Goldfinder has frequently -suffered because the handicanoers have had it> nntl-on but to make n "ch"liping■Tblnck". of him as- top-weight. The big horses'* victoi v 111 the Canterbury Cup c.nlv goes to prove that the haudicappeis did; not over-estimate his ability. 0" present appearances :chere O"dht •»rt lie a good race f o r the: Ste;ul -Gold Cuf> to-morrow at Riccarton: No doubt Bronzei Tice-Admiral Goldfinde!.- Los Angelos - and Bobr'koff will ;be amongtlie starters, as well as the. hest thiee" vear-elds owned bv Sir Geo. Clifford, the TTijni J'-D. Ormond. anc! the -Mess«\s ' Stead. It is a pit.\ that Eqnrtas^should Inv" gone wrong, as lier piesence'in the ' field would bare added' a lot more inteiest. ' -