SPORTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21146, 2 October 1930, Page 5

SPORTING

RACING AND TROTTING NEWS

FORTHCOMING RACING. October 4.—Napier Part Meetlne. October 4.—Huron Meeting. October 4. 6. —Auckland Meeting. October 9. 11. —Dunedin Meeting. October 10. 11.—OUkl-Maorl Meeting. October 16. 18.—Soutb Canterbury Meeting October 18.—Masterton Meeting. Oetotyer 25, 37.—Wellington Meeting.> October 27.—Waverley Meeting. October 27.—Waikato Bunt Meeting., October 27.—Walpana County Meeting. October 27.—North Canterbury Meeting.

RACING NEWS.

. fcy Sentinel.

The indications for a successful opening of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s season at Wingatui look, very favourable for the meeting to he held on Thursday and Saturday of next week. A glance through the horses handicapped on the first day shows ■ that all those engaged are'in active commission and ready to race. The M‘Lean Stakes and Dunedin Guineas show, every -. prospect of attracting good fields, and so will the Trial Stakes. In fact,, as they say in sporting parlance,* the club has a good chance of starting on the right leg to race through a successful season. ' Far more than usual interest is being taken in the Kurow meeting, and a widespread opinion exists as to what is likely to wiif the Kurow Cup. The well-performed Paladin horse Rabbi is doing a light season at the stud and will then go back into training. Acceptances for the first day of the Dunedin spring meeting, payments for the MTjean Stakes. Dunedin Guineas, and entries for the Trial Plate are due to-morr-row at 6 p.m. . Phar Lap's stake-winning total continues to mount, up steadily, and, with £28,900 now down to his credit and the outlook'regarded as extremely bright tor him once again proving the. star performer,in the weight-for-age class at the Australian Jockey Club’s , approaching spring meeting, a further large addition to it may be expected. The races in which Phar Lap is engaged at the A.J.O. meeting include the following:—Spring Stakes, of £2OOO, one mile and a-quarter; Craven. Plate, of £2500, one mile and a-quarter; Randwick Plate, of £2OOO, two miles. • The purchase of the Wairakau estate of Mr J, M'Nicol by the Government will probably mean-the dispersal of one of the oldest'stud farms in, the Auckland province. For many years, (says “Whalebone”) Wairakau, situated about eight miles from Te Aroha, has been a home for the thoroughbred. It was the birthplace of a number of famous performers on the turf.. Among these were Soultl ine, Lottie, Miss Lottie, Te Aroha, St. Amans, Mdheno, Tattoo, Turbine; Romeo, 'Soltano, Maxwell, Arran, and' Woody Glen. Horses bred on the estate, now racing, include . 'Black Maire and Miss Albyn. It is now proposed, to cut the property of over 2000 acres up for closer: settlement. ; It; is reported that Great Charter looks improved as the result'd! his race"at Avondale and is patting-plenty, of dash into his Work af headquarters, ‘ The son'of. King John and En Parole' is a-class horse at-his best and is certain to get' .plenty of support- In any race he dontesta at Ellerslie. ' It.' Alexander, who' only..- took ’charge 'of Great Charter late in the autumn.of last year, was successful. in winning' both' the. Ormond Memorial Gold Cup and-the'Great ■Easter;. Handicap with the bay gelding, and he should, have'another profitable season ahead of him.-' ■ ■ . ’, La Poupee, the' Tea Tray filly; who is. included in the team ; brought* north. for the Auckland spring meeting by the; Awapuni.trainer, Mrs A. M'Dpnald, is a racylooking sort and her trainer, expects: this filly to prove a bit ; above the ordinary. In, her intitial appearance . (says’ “ Whale- - bone ”); -in -the Debutante' Stakes at' Wa- . nganui, La PonpeC, after getting all the worst of ;Jhe running; finished on-impres-sively to .get, third -money- in' She. is engaged in the .Welcome Stakes and is likely to do better after her outing ait Wanganui. -_ . ■■'A maiden who failed;to.secure the best of .passages at Hastings was the GisborneOwned and Hastings-trained- Tino, Waiata. She is a three-year-old,- by Hunting Song' from. TinoatuaV a; mare, bred by Mr T. H. Dowry/ by. Finland from -La - Cloche, by St. Leger. This is the saine family (says an exchange) from which springs the Avon-, dale Bakes winner,- King Colossus, .and Ruapapa. Queen Elizabeth, dam of the latter pair.ia also Finland, mare,', while her dam, Sonnette, is a half-sister, by Royal Fusilier,;to Tinoatiia. ’ Tino Waiata looks an early winner with any luck; ??:At the annual meeting of the Wellington Racing Club Mr ,H. P. F. Blundell;-in speaking to the adoption of the annual Report and balance sheet, brought up the question of payments for classic events, He- considered that there was .rather a long interval between the payment of forfeit and, the day of the race. In Aus-. tralia there were two-payments’, whereas , in New Zealand, with one or two .excep- '■ tions, owners became liable for the full amount after the first'forfeit of £l. The eajrly .. seasons in the Dominion-were not conducive to’showing whether a horse'was good enough for classics or not, but in older to avoid being left owners, had to become liable for' the full amount on general entry day. Mr Blundell considered that two payments, one of £1 and another of £2 or £3 a few days prior to the race, would _ meet, with .general approval. - He criticised the action of the Canterbury Jockey ■ Club in calling for payments prior to the "Wellington meeting,' and suggested; that- consideration should be given to the opinions he ex-, pressed, and that the Canterbury • Jockey Club should.be approached in the matter. -During the winter months, a small sea of ink was spilt over the merits dr. demerits of the crouch seat as introduced by Tod Sloan, Strange■ to say, not . one correspondent quoted Sloan’s own opinion on,; the matter. Sloan, was a miniature man, and yet a herculean : horseman. He revolutionised race riding in England because'he was a great judge of .pace, and had the very happy gift of getting into sympathy with his mounts. It is a mistake to think that 1 Sloan won his .races by going -to the front and staying there. He did so on many occasions, riding a waiting race in front; but many of his best feats in the saddle took place when he waited with the field and 'outjudged and outrode some of the best horsemen of the day when it came to a finish! . , Sloan was unquestionably an artist in the saddle, and his great horsemanship won him friends amongst the very highest in the land. During the controversy on the Sloan seat the writer overlooked the fact that he had in his posseseion a photograph of Sloan riding back to tbe scales after winning the Ascot Gold Cup on the Australian horse Merman.- A glance at the photograph, which appears in the Otago Witness,. will show that some of our present-day riders out-Sloan Sloan and ride shorter than .the famous little man from America. In fact, they sit more like a caricature of his seat than what he actually adopted, in the saddle. . * Merman ; was. deemed short of work' when he started in the Ascot Gold Cup only as the result of a last-moment decision. In his description of. the race Sloan states that “I tacked on behind, and had the wind-break- for over a mile and a-half, and as the race » was run really a worse horse might have won it.” In his interesting book, published in 1915. Sloan relates many incidents in race riding—some where he slipped his field from the rise of the barrier, and in others where he waited in behind the leaders. Many will remember that Sloan stated that he would have beaten Flying Fox in the Derby with Holocaust. Sloan does say in his book that he had Fiying 'Fox beaten when Holocaust broke a leg; but the former went a quarter of a mile to three furlongs in each of five false starts, and that nearly led to Orme's famous son scoring a miss. in the world’s greatest classic. That, however, by the way. The object of this note is merely to introduce Sloan's seat to present-day riders and racegoers, and show that he rode with much longer leathers than many of his imitators. Let Sloan-speak for himself. He says: “Just another word about the * crouch ’ seat or ' riding short,’ which I have heard so much discussed. This is rather an important matter in connection •with the ' revolution ’ in race riding of, say, 20 years ago. It is a great mistake to think that some of us rode short; in fact, it fa a misconception altogether. In

MEETINGS. October 27. 29.—Gore Meeting. TROTTING October 4.—Mcthven Meeting. October • 11.—Waikato Meeting. October 18.—Northland MeetlngOctober 25 . and 27.—Greymoutb Meeting. October 25 and 27.—Aucklano Meeting. October 27.—Oamaru Meeting. . • November U 13 14.—Metropolitan Meeting.' November 22, 26. Otahubu fleeting November 27, 29.—Forbury Park. December 27. 30. 31.—Auckland Meeting.

walking and cantering my stirrups were frequently as long, in fact nearly always, as the old school of English riders. , When breaking into a canter it was often the same; but once a- race had begun, and by ’the strength of the legs the ‘ crouch ’ assumed, there would be an immediate difference in the - action’cof a horse and his speed. Since then others have quite shortened the stirrup—not with'the best results. That, is why the, term ‘ riding short' came in. Hands, and brain have more to do with successful race riding than_ anything else." Anyone who has studied the anatomy of a horse must be fully aware that the neck is'not made or supported to carry weight, ’and yet - a large: percentage of present-day riders place the'full weight of their body on the neck of their mount. The neck is supported and held by muscle, and the longer and lighter muscled-it is the less adapted it becomes' to carry weight. Hence the neck is the last place where weight should be placed. The extreme crouch puts all the weight of the rider in front of the. saddle during the progress of a race, and those who go to extremes in that direction do not know the first thing about the construction of a, horse. Ever since man placed a riding saddle on a horse the stirrup leather hangs in the same place, by accjdent or design, over the centre of gravity. In recent years ttmSloanites have extended the flap over a horse’s shoulder, but the support to the foot remains in the same place and cannot be shifted. Riders whose knees are as high as the withers follow an ignorant adoption of the crouch; and we nave Sloan s own authority for the statement. The chief merits of the crouch is that it reduces wind pressure and allows- the rider • to poise nis Weight slightly in advance of the centre of gravity. The fact that a large , number of riders place their weight on a horse’s neck, could, with a good show of reason, be held responsible for the apparent lack of stamina in. many horses.- The neck, is the. first part of a horse to tire,.and when forced to the unuse of carrying weight must result;in the so-called lack oi stamina, fi,® san , e . Person would carry weight on the end' of a stick, and the riders' who lie on a horse s meek and hold the reins near the rings are following 1 the must unscientific method of: distributinga Durden for. the simple reason that they are forcing an extra and unnecessary strain on the muscular force required to utt: the forehand to each stride.

TROTTING.

By Sentinel

_Tlie Worts Committee of the Forbnry Park Trotting Club'has spread ■' 1450 loads ot top-dressing on. the course; which'- has been well banged and,should be in splendid order -for racing and training during tne season. .. yery few horses are in work pn the track, :_and it ‘ is . surprising that More opportunity is. not taken by owners to . nave ■ their horses trained on the course. , . . The Peter Chenault mare . Dolores has produced a colt to Author Dillon and will be mated with Great Bingen. e J?? n New Zealand Cup of 1927, is m solid work at Otahuhu under o. throat, and no fault can be .found with nis condition (says a. northern writer).in the second division of- the race last November Kphara finished third, but was well beaten _ in the final. When Kohara registered, 4.25 _4-5 some time ago he reached the limit ■ of capabilities, and if kept pn. ,4.24, his mark last year, cannot be given much hope. _ Machine Gun, formerly trained by K. ii. .Berry, effected a wonderful comeback ‘®?t T year for his owner-trainer. R. A. MMillan, winning, among other events, Jfi®, Auckland Summer Handicap and' Ptahuhu Cup. His best time effort is 4.25 2-5, registered when he acted as runner-up- to Terence Dillon in, the Otahuhu Cup of 1928. The Tamafaere candidate will make the trip south for the New Zealand Cup. ■ " Locally (says the Auckland Herald) much interest will be centred in the-pre-” paratmn of Gold Jacket for the big race. Although he /ailed m his heat last season, the son of Gold Bell produced his best form again at the Auckland Christmas meeting to capture the Auckland Cup for ? ec( md time in succession. L. M Mahon s charge, whose best time over “-Ki 8 H 4 2 - 5 V has bee n well caied for in the interval, and the brilliant pacer is now in good order to commence the work necessary, to fit him for a bar d race, Gold Jacket will be seen out in short, heats at-the Auckland spring meeting, and on the way south' will make an attempt to win the 10 furlongs Cup tnal at Wellington, an event which he won last year; .Kohara. who won the New Zealand Cup of 1927. is in solid work at Otahuhu kbder. S. Groat, and no fault can be found with his condition. In the second diviaton of the race last November Kohara finished third, but was well beaten in the final. - When Kohara. registered 4.25 4-5 some time ago he reached the limit of : his capabilities, and if kept on 4.24, his mark last year, ! cannot be given much hope. Jewel Pointer was a great stake-earner a couple of seasons , ago, when in J. Shaw’s stable, and he has to his credit a. placed performance of 4.22 1-5. Last season the sturdy Logan Pointer horse was showing a return to form for A, J. Julian, when he was purchased by a patron of S. M. August s stable. Under the new colours (says an exchange) Jewel Pointer ran a fane two miles at Epsom in June to finish second, to Florent. .It is something of a coincidence that of the long list of Cup entrants Wraekler, who has the slowest record, 4.28 4-5, is an early pronounced favourite. He is a great pacer and his high-class performances last year entitle the Wrack gelding to-the honoured position. But Auckland will have two solid opponents for him in Gold Jacket and Native Prince With the exception of The Abbey and Peter Bingen, all horses in the Auckland district eligible for the New Zealand Cup have been accorded a nomination. They comprise Gold Jacket, Jewel Pointer, Kohara, Native Prince, and Machine Gun, and witfi such a solid quintet to represent the province there is every reason to believe (says the Auckland Herald) that some of the rich stakes will find - its way ln -o the pockets of Auckland owners. - -The Abbey, by virtue of Being handic?PP®d on 4.26, the Cup limit, was eligible, but the connections of the Gold Bell gelding were not keen on getting on such a tight mark,, and Wv Clifton’s pacer * take part in other two-mile events at the hiovember meeting,at Addington j er , Bln K en . twice winner of the Cup, and who List year put up a world’s race record of 4.18 4-5 to win the final, is at present doing stud duty at his owner’s lamahere property. While he is owned in Auckland, Native Frmce is now receiving his Cup preparation at Addington under the charge of un? V. est Coast trainer, D. Bennett, ifae .Native King horse, who has done well for the Epsom trainer, J. Shaw, made his Cup qualification secure toward the end of last_ season* when he established a two-mile ■ record for Forbury Park of 4.24 4-5. At the Addington carnival last month Native Prince put up some sterling performances which quickly brought him into favour for the November fixture. The attitude of .the Waikato TrottmClub toward the merger of the Auckland and Otahuhu Trotting Clubs formed the subject of a letter received by the Waikato Club’s executive at a meeting from Mr W, Stopford, secretary of the Cambridge Trotting Club. The letter was as follows:—“I have noticed some remarks made by your president with reference to the seconding of the resolution for the amalgamation of the Auckland and Otahuhu Clubs at the annual conference by myself. I would refer your president to the report of a Waikato Trotting Club meeting (the writer quoted from an Auckland paper of July 4), and from which I received my information as to your club’s objection. It states there: ‘lt, was decided to instruct the club’s

delegate to the conference to support the remit on condition that the clubs, if amalgamated, be allowed only one delegate. Your president (according to newspaper reports) said that your delegate was instructed to support the amalgamation remit, but to oppose dual representation on the conference. The newspaper report of July 4 does not say that. In my remarks I pointed out the benefits the country clubs in the Auckland province had received through the kindness of the Auckland Trotting Club in allowing them to race on their course, by which we jp Cambridge benefited to the extent of over £3OOO. and your club, having raced there twice, nearly £7OOO. Under these conditions, and it also being in the best interests of the sport that such amalgamation should be allowed, it seemed strange to many that any conditional voting on, .such an important remit should have come from your club. I shall he glad if you will bring my letter before your committee and give the same as much publicity’ as your president’s statement, as under the circumstances I was perfectly justified in saying what I did." The meeting received the communication. NOTES FROM ADDINGTON. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 1. • In framing the handicaps for the Cup, Mr George Paul has not' sacrificed the good horses at the expense of those not quite in the best class. In the Cup 12 months ago Padlock was handicapped on 48yds bhd, or 4.22, though he did not win this race, he subsequently won the Free For All. He was dead-heat for third place in the Auckland Clip, and dead-heated for first in the Champion Handicap of a mile and a-quarter. If these performances do not warrant a penalty they ■- certainly should be sufficient to keep Padlock on the original mark. Gold Jacket was on 4.24 in last year’s race, and off the same mark he brilliantly won the Auckland Cup. ■ For this performance he has gone back 12 yards, when the penalty might quite justifiably have' been 24 yards. Ahuriri is another horse that has been let up on- his handicap of 12 months ago, while Logan Park for a win in the second division and a second in the final has been penalised 24 yards.Roi I’Or, Kingcraft, Wrackler, Native Prince, and Author Jinks are well placed, and should not have much difficulty in beating most of the front-markers, while Kohara, who was on 4.24 12 months ago, and has registered a couple of good performances since, has been let up 12-yards. Of' the limit division nothing appeals more than King Pointer, who, off 4.27. won the National Handicap, and defeated Daphne de Oro, Logan Chief, Linkman, and Travis Axworthy off the saine mark. On that form none of the horses mentioned .is likely to be more in favour than King Pointer. Had Mr Paul started his handicap off 4.22 it would have given him a greater latitude in dealing more equitably with the big field. The practice of letting horses up in the handicap under the present system is not one to be. encouraged, no matter..whether in the opinion of the' handicapper a horse has lost form. Mr Paul’s idea seems to have been to give the back-markers a bettor chance of winning than they are rightly entitled to, and in consequence he has done this at the expense of the 4,26 horses. The race for the Cup, however, promises to be a very exciting one, and if Ahuriri and Padlock were in their best form they would probably beat the rest. Younger horses, however, may be preferred, aftd early backers will probably select Wrack ler. King Pointer, Terence Dillon, and Logan Park as the most likely winners. , . Daphne de Oro was started regularly last season, but the only victory she attained was in the Murchison Handicap at the combined. clubs’ earthquake relief meeting at Addington, In which she earned 280soVs, In that race she started from a 4.29 mark, and won in 4.25 4-5. She was certainly eligible for ■ the New Zealand -Cup, but a 4.26 .mark in this race suggests that she is - somewhat • out of. her class when .it is remembered that others engaged have been let up on what are their recognised handicaps.. Up to the present R. B. Berry has not had much luck with his three-year-olds, Checkers, Colorado, and Romonds, but the: former pair may yet pay their way. Early last season Checkers looked like turning out well, but he failed with the colours up. He will be given another chance at the Methven meeting on Saturday; and with the fields not above the "average in strength .he may do-botter-on this occasion. THE TROTTING CUP. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 1. - The following are the handicaps for the NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP, ■ Of 3000sovs. Two miles. Grand Light ... scr Yds bhd Daphne De Oro scr Imprint .... 12 -Jean M'Elwyn scr Jewel Pointer 12 Travis - Kohara .... 12 Axworthy .. scr Machine Gun 12 Linkman .... ecr Native Prince ’ 12’ Logan Chief .. scr Waitakj Girl 12 Dilworth .. .. scr Kingcraft .. 12 Dundas Boy .. scr. Wrackler .... 12 Harold/Thorpe scr Logan Park .. 24 King Pointer .. scr Roi L’or .. . . 24 Quality ~ ~ scr Terence Dillon 24 Talaro ... .. scr Ahuriri .... 24 Yds. bhd. Gold Jacket .. 36 Author Jinks 12 Padlock .. .. 36 RICCARTON NOTES. : (Special to Daily Times.)' CHRISTCHURCH, October 1. - Heavy rain overnight made the ' Riccarton tracks very soft this morning. The gates were not opened before breakfast, and the trainers who put in-an appearance later had to be content with very light tasks for their teams. L. Watson, a much-travelled New Zealand jockey, is at present on a visit to Christchurch. He commenced his riding career in Auckland when apprenticed to N, Cunningham, and later he followed his profession in Australia, riding winners in ■several States. He paid two visits to India, where he had considerable success, and he intends to return there in December in time for another season’s racing. In the meantime he is renewing his acquaintances with relatives and friends in the Dominion, and while here he contemplates doing some riding, his intention being to attend the Dunedin meeting next week. He can go to scale at 7.7., a weight which should provide plenty of opportunities. NAPIER PARK RACING CLUB. ' (Per United Press Association.) NAPIER, October 1. The following are the Napier Park Racing Club’s acceptances:— Prince of Wales Stakes. Four furlongs. —Brittany, Movietone, Golden Wings, Curie 8.5, Sailing, Poi Girl, Beppie, Alimony 8.0. Trial Handicap. Six furlongs.—Full Crop. 9.0, Laconic, Pews 8.12, Merry Cry, Futurist 8.9, Royal Bengal, Mon Roi, Shenanikida, Nea Lap, Veralux, Sum Up. Black Acre, Tino, Waiata, First Whip 8,8. Groenmeadows Hack Hurdles. One mile and a-half.—Call Again 11.5, Puraeful, Kalakaua 10.4. Whabane, Cloyne, Kaokaoroa 9.5, Winacre, Fiery Comet, Asterly, Barracouta 9.0. Ahuriri Hack Handicap. Six furlongs —Huntingdon 9.0, Tahoma 8.9. Brown Sugar 8.0, Souchong 7.13. Keen 7,8. Ganpat 7.7. Crossfire, Flute 7.2. Taradale High-weight Handicap. One mile.—Queen’s Choice 9.13. Valsier firlO, Mountain Heath 9.5. Zippor 9.2. Shining Armour Rory Mor, Lordlike 8.13, Te Awha 8.12. Sir Limond 8.9, Little Wonder, Whakaari 8.7. Park Stakes. One mile and a-quarter. —My Own 9.0, Singleton 8.13, Hynanna 8.10, Shrewd B.G. Railway Handicap. Six furlongs.— Head Serang 8.12, Admiral Drake 8.11. Aston 7.13. Simba 7.12, Huikai 7.10, Taranto 7.5, Cuticle 7.2. County Hack Handicap. Seven furlongs.—Kahikatoa 9.2, Tahoma 8.13, Pakitere 8.10. Jenny Diver, Acmil, Tunbridge 8.8, -Little Wonder 7.11, Running Over, Shenanikida, Ruby Step. Charmaline, Whakaari 7.7.