RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21384, 11 July 1931, Page 19

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel. The V.E.C. Grand National Steeplewill be run to-day. The weights for the Manawatu winter meeting are booked to appear before the three days' racing at Trentham. Tuki was doing satisfactory work at Timaru prior to going up for the Wellington meeting. • If Claremore does not start in the Wellington Steeplechase, A. E. Ellis will have the mount on Tuki. A. E.-Ellis’s mounts at Trentham on Saturday will be Lord Val, Prince Val, The Smuggler, Claremore, and Topere. fifteen hurdles are crossed in the, three miles of the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles. Town Major is a good horse in heavy going, and the track conditions at Trentham will suit him. The Wellington Racing Club’s winter " meeting will open to-day,. and will be Continued on Wednesday and Saturday next. Wiltshire is booked to, make an attempt to score hi:- third win in the Grand National Steeplechase. Royal Saxon and Town Major will be amongst the popular picks for the Whyte Handicap. Membo and Apache are two good lightweights in the Trentham Hurdles. Tobaccoland is galloping well, and is sure of support in his engagements at Trentham. Royal Mint has been showing a good deal of improvement in his schooling over hurdles. • Royal Saxon holds two engagements today, and should make a bold show in whatever race it may be elected to start '’him. •■■**■'■ , . , . Semper Paratus may be supported in the Te Aro Handicap as a good outside chance. He has. been running on well at the end of his latest races. • Punchestown’s second to Salmo Salar in the King George Handicap reads better than the form of The Smuggler, and it may be that the former will start a letter favourite than the southerner in the Te Aro Handicap. . , Cypress and Love Song were shipped to Sydney by the Ulimaroa, which sailed from Wellington yesterday. The Catmint mare Prodice, who developed lameness, has, in consequence, been retired to the stud.-She won over SOOOsovs in stakes. , - In the opinion of,J. Scobie and other leading trainers Phar Lap has been overloaded with 10.10 in the Melbourne Cup. Pangolin has been schooling well dur- ■ ing the past few days, and showed no .inclination -to shirk a fence. Cornerott and Pangolin will be amongst those backed for the Matai Hack Steeples. At Canning Park (Wi.) on June 27 Banket, by Psychology—Orofino, won the Canning Plate, and Imperial Guard, by Valkyrian—Whitianga, landed the Flying Handicap. • ■ . The Victorian Racing Club and the Australian Jockey Club are considering the adoption of a rule that will make ■ it compulsory for all horses to be branded on registration. . . Mfltu will not be friendless in the Wellington Steeplechase. He met with a mishap in the Great Northern Steeples by colliding with the rails when going ? through a gap. It may be worthy of note that he carried 9.5, and ran’second to Wiltshire (10.9) in the Grand National Steeplechase of 1929. Mr J. A. Ainge has received offers to lease either of his rising two-year-olds, blit intends to retain them to carry ms own colours. They are both very premising sorts in appearance, being well-grown and with plenty of. quality. One is a » brother to Pink Note, and the other a V gelding by Paper Money from Pink Terrace, a half-sister by Tractor to Pink ote - . ■ -. , Since her impressive win at Randwick the Paladin filly Stately has not sported silk. Stately ie, a galloper of great worth (says'the Melbourne Globe), and she may yet fulfil, the promise she gave earlier by running prominently in the > big spring ‘ handicaps. Already she is ) being discussed as a Metropolitan possibility, and further success, will elevate her to a high position in the early charts for the Randwick event. She has won at her last three, starts.' So . far as'taxation is concerned (says the executive .report of the New 'Zealand Country Racing Clubs’ Association), there 'should be a? very definite protest to the Government bn the situation now so plainly manifest.’ A union of all forces connected with the sport of both, racing and .trotting might well be organised to present the case for both branches,, the interests of which are so much identified ' in regard to the heavy burden imposed by the taxation so long complained of nnavailingly. One of the motions for the annual meeting of the New Zealand Country Racing . Clubs’ Association next week expresses an urgent desire for the passing. of an amendment to the Gaming Act, giving the relief so long required to ensure the immediate future of racing, and to assure the ultimate future of a national sport. The New Zealand Country Clubs Racing Association regards the present as an opportune time for leave to .be given • to smaller racing clubs to include not more than three trotting events on. each, day’s programme. This would be an increase of one on the present allowance. ’ The Hunting Song gelding Coon Song has been out of winning form of late, but as he figures as an acceptor in the "open six” at Trentham is apparently coming on again. Last season as a three-year-old he beat Portray (giving 3lb) in the Woburn Hack Handicap, and he now meets her on 91b better terms. On the second day of the meeting Coon Song carried 10.0, and won the Trial Plate in 1.18. Staghunter carried 9.0 and won I the Members’ Handicap in 1.172, so that from a time and weight point of view Coon Song put up a better performance than the winner of the open sprint. On the third day of the meeting Coon Song with 10.12 ran third to Hunting Call (9.3) and Blue Paper (10.10) in the Ki.a Ora Hack Handicap with Portray (10.5) amongst the unplaced lot. Coon Song then won at Manawatu with 9.12 in 1.182. At Carterton in November last Coon Song won with 7.7 in 1.16 3-5 in heavy going, and that is his only win this season. When in winning form at the last Trentham winter meeting Coon Song was regarded as a very, promising sort. High Pitch has far more pace than the average hurdler, and now that he can negotiate the “ small sticks ” in winning form must be dangerous in his engagements at Trentham. As a five-year-old High Pitch won the Henderson Handicap and later in the season the Foley Memorial with 7.7 in 2min 5 3-ssec, and the Parliamentary .Handicap with 9.10. in 2min 24scc —heavy going. Last season High Pitch did not strike winning form, but was placed six tiroes out of 28 starts. Best Friend beat him a nose in the Whyte Handicap with a fairly good field of horses behind them. It is rftther doubtful if anything engaged in the Trentham Hurdles could equal High Pitch’s form on the flat. He is also engaged in the Whyte • Handicap, and on his best form is well treated at 9.3. The following motions will be considered by the New Zealand Country Racing Clubs’ Association at its annual meeting next week: —“That in the interests of maintaining the country clubs and pending the passing of amendments to the Gaming Act tp that end, the rebate of totalisator tax to small clubs be 12 per cent, up to £250 or so much greater percentage not exceeding. 22 per cent., as not to exceed the maximum of £250 to any club in one year.” . "That to reduce costs to owners attending minor meetings, the stakes tax on sums of less than lOOsovs in any event be reduced to 21 per cent.”. As a result of further inquiries into the Gagoola case, the stipendiary stewards have examined the betting books of bookmakers who operated on the Rothsay Trial Stakes at Flemington, with the object of endeavouring to ascertain who were the principal supporters of Gagoola. A close examination by the stewards, however, did not afford any material results, and the secretary of the V.R.C., Mr A. V. Kewney. \ said that there was nothing to report. Mr

Kewney added that the stewards had not examined all the books, and until that was done it was impossible to state whether any action would be taken. The investigation of the books showed that the bookmakers would not have lost nearly as much as had been stated earlier if Gagoola had won. The total amount that would have been taken out of the ring would have been between £IO,OOO and £12,000. In addition to taking Topere and Gold Pit to the Wellington meeting, E. J. Ellis will have Awamutu to represent his stable on the second and third days. Awamutu is a four-year-old gelding, by King Lupin from Queen Ripple, and was formerly trained by F. E. Loomb. In September last, ridden by A. E. Ellis, and in heavy going, he figured as the winner of the Mount Albert Handicap, six furlongs, at the Avondale spring meeting, beating Tetrarchate by a length, with Karapoti three-quarters of a length away. Since then he has contested 13 races, for one third placing behind Chromadyhe and Awarere in the Shorts Handicap at the Auckland spring meeting. Awamutu will race in the same interests as Pakitere.

The Canterbury jockey Club has decided to waive the conditions governing the Grand National meeting, by which all flat events, excepting the Cashmere Plate and Longbeach Handicap, were open only to four-year-olds and upwards, and it will now be possible for three-year-olds to compete in all races, at the forthcoming fixture, except in the Winter Cup, for which nominations have closed. Under the old rule, which has been in existence for some years, owners of young horses were not disposed to race them under the nine stone minimum, but as there is every possibility of that scale being abolished and a much lower winter minimum adopted, the nomination list for next month’s meeting, closing on July 24, should be materialy strengthened by the inclusion of many of' the. new season’s three-year-olds. Provision has also been made by the club to give fillies a sex allowance of 31b from the set weights in the Cashmere Plate. This has been adopted ia case the Conference disapproves of the new minimum rule. If, however, the rule is passed, the Cashmere Plate will then be run at weight-for-age, which will automatically provide for the usual sex allowance.

The New Zealand trainer, A. D. Webster, seldom takes long to get into his stride when he comes to Sydney, and he opened the winning account on Wednesday last at the pony and all-heights meeting at Kensington, when he won the second division of the Fourteen-two Handicap with Enter. Contrary to the impression that gained ground on the course, the stable profited by the win—profited handsomely, too, and for a small outlay, for 20 to 1 was secured for the commission (says the Herald). Enter was brought to Sydney on the trip in the autumn, and was left behind when the trainer returned. He had several starts in the meantime, and had shown softie form,, but with Royal Clare and others in Wednesday’s race backers quite overlooked ,the possibilities of a maiden performer winning, especially as Enter had finished unplaced at Menangle Park the previous day. Royal Clare was made favourite at odds on, and there was support of some consequence for Linda C., but, although each had a clear chance turning into the straight, Enter, who made his run on the outside, easily ran past the field to beat Little Queen by half a length, with Linda C. a length and a-half further away, just in front of Royal Clare. Ordinarily a good galloper does not remain a maiden performer until five years of age, but, although this is Enter’s age, it is stated that he was not broken in until he was a four-year-old. He is by Kilbroney from Password, a mare for •whom a large figure was paid when she was retired to the stud. Enter is her first foal. On breeding he should stay well, and. he showed that he is game enough, at all events. The following is a list of the youngsters now working regularly at Trentham and the stable to which they belong;—S. J. Reid (3)—Clangor, (eh g, Grand Knight —Anthem), Might (b c, Limond—Graciosa). and Meritor (ch c, Limond—Merit); J. W. Lowe (2) —Sage (ch g, Gay Shield —Gloria Nut) and Lord John ch g, Lord Quex —Bayonne) ; A. Goodman (1) —ch f, Arausio—Parearau; T. Young (I)—br c. Shambles—Degage; G. Jones (6) —Posy (b f, Chief Ruler —Rosellate), Rulanut (ch c, , Chief Ruler—Coconut). Miss Beatrice (hr f, Cape Horn—Missmaid), Cape Fair (ch f, Cape Horn —Rag Fair), Cape Paraki (br g, Cape Horn —Paraki), -and Cape Royal (ch c. Cape Horn—Princess Pat); W. Hawthorne (5)-—Sir Pombal (hr g„ Pombal—Toiling Tessie), Gaysong (b g; Hunting Song—Gaimint), Cape of .'Good Hope (br g, Cape Horn—Conflict), Golden Horn (b c, Cape Horn — Eurella)," and Popette (b f, Cape Horn— Menthe); A. E. Browne (3) —Rowlands (b. g. Acre—Wairiporipo), b c, Chief Ruler—Comedy Queen, and br g, Weathervahe—Stardancer; H. B. Lorigan (3) —Early Cup (b g, Tea Tray—Bonny Dawn), br■ g. Leighton—Jentee, and br g, Leighton—Mori; H. Telford (3) —b c, Tea Tray—Zany, eh g, Tea Tray—Lady Violet, and b g, Tea Tray—Ebba; J. McLaughlin (2) —b e, Pombal—Veil, and b e. Lord Quex —Ayah; H. Pritchard (1) —b f, Paper -Money—Dame Winkie; C. Pritchard (1) —b f, Shilinglee—Kilvivan; T. Pritchard (2)—Maypay (b f, Paper Money—Trebelli II) and Red Top (b c, Redfern —Tulpy).