RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21640, 10 May 1932, Page 5

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel. Nominations for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting are due to-morrow. Cullamart fell about six furlongs from home when running in the Adamson Steeplechase. According to the times recorded at Amberley the track must have provided very fast going. Pangolin met with an injury when racing at the Marton meeting, and may not fulfil some of his early engagements. The winner of the Novice Stakes at Amberley, Execution, is a three-year-old filly by Shambles from Sopra, the dam of Reonui. . , , One of the place-getters at Amberley in Rocket is regarded as promising. He was got by Day Comet from Top Score, a sister to Winning Hit. . . A two-year-old in Star Raider is the latest to join F. E. Jones’s stable. Star Raider was got by Night Raid from Wink-a-Peep, by Winkie. . , . Nominations for the Victoria Racing Club’s Grand National Hurdles and Grand National Steeplechase will close on May 17. Charmeuse struck herself when galloping last week, and in consequence dropped out of her engagement at the Amberley meeting. The Rector, who is in at the minimum in the Stewart Island Handicap, is .an Australian-bred gelding by The Sybarite. He won the High-weight Handicap, eight furlongs and a-half, at Wyndham with 9.7 in Imin 55sec. . , , , Wiltshire and Nukumai had a battle royal in the Adamson Steeplechase. They were racing together over the trial stages of the journey and in the run from the last fence the veteran scored by a short head. Wiltshire’s rider droppod his whip at the last fence and this may have cost him the race. If Red Sea is back to the form displayed in winning the Invercargill Cup in January last, she should shape well in the Southland Cup. In winning the firstnamed race Red Sea (8.9) beat The Smuggler (7.1) by a short length. . Red Sea again beat The Smuggler in the D.J.C. Handicap when giving him 121 b. She was then taken up for the Great Autumn meeting but trained off. The Irish Sweep on the English Derby closed yesterday. It will be drawn on May 27. The race is run on June 1. There were over 7,000,000 counterfoils in the drum when the sweep on the Aintree Grand National was drawn. Apparently there is still some argument in England as to the “brutality” of the Grand National Steeplechase. Replying to some recent criticism, a London writer said: —“I am curious to know what Viscount Castlerosse will think when he learns —as I can tell him on, undeniable authority—that one of the amateurs who rode in the Grand National gave £IOO for the privilege of having a mount in the recent race, in addition to wasting 121 b. I did not detect any expression of ‘ terror on this rider’s face when he left the paddock.” Standfast is reported to be going on well in his . preparation for the Great Northern Hurdles, for ■which he is strongly fancied. He is owned by Dr M'Gregor Grant, whose wife will be well represented by Claremore in the Great Northern Steeplechase. Claremore is getting through a solid preparation, having jumped in great style in his solo schooling efforts. Although cablegrams state that rhar Lap’s attendant, T. Woodcock, has signed a contract with Mr W. S. Kilmer, the millionaire horse owner, consular officers in Sydney say there is little hope that, he will be allowed to stay in the United States. Before leaving Sydney Woodcock made the usual declaration at the American Consul’s office covering all temporary visitors to the United States; This provides for a stay of six months, with a possible extension of another six months. Under the Contract Labour Exclusion Act, 1917, it is - illegal for a visitor to the United States to sign a contract with an American employer. The same law applies to proposed permanent residents of the United States. As the law is understood Mr Kilmer is liable now to a fine and Woodcock to expulsion from the United States. However, so many things appear to be possible there that, backed by a millionaire, Woodcock may be permitted to stay, and ultimately become an American citizen. After visiting many of the racecourses in America, Mr R. H, Julius considers that where garden courses are being spoken of, Ellerslie compares favourably with any other he has seen. Mr Julius, of the firm of Automatic Totalisators, Ltd., Australia, has just returned from Miami, Florida, where his firm has been installing machines at the racecourse there. He passed through Auckland last week on his way .back to Australia. “ Some have said that the racecourse at Miami is the most beautiful in the world, he said. “It certainly is very fine. The vegetation is all tropical, and the course grounds are thickly grown with palms. In the centre of the track circle there is a lake, which is a novelty. And then, of course, there is almost perpetual sunshine, which does much to make or unmake a race day.” There was one show course at Belmont, near New York. It was laid out something like Ellerslie, but no betting was allowed there. Needless to say, much was done surreptitiously. In February, 1926, the New Zealand Referee wrote to a number of those associated with racing asking for their expression of opinions as to the best horse they had known or seen racing in New Zealand- It is interesting to relate here R. J. Mason’s reply: Up to a mile and a-quarter, I would without hesitation' pick Gloaming as the best horse that has raced in New Zealand, and I have had lots of good ones through my hands. Next best to Gloaming I would select Carbine, who was trained more for long distance races, and had better chances as a stayer than Gloaming, put if the latter had been trained for distances I think he would have been able to stay quite as well. Gloaming beat all the good horses over distances up to a mile and a-half, although most of his preparation was done for shorter distances. I never had a horse that could do what Gloaming did—take on all the champions at their own distances and beat them, and in several cases put up records in' doing so.”