RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21641, 11 May 1932, Page 3

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel.

Aftei’ the rain on Monday the going at Wingatui yesterday morning was on the .heavy side. The inside grass track next to the course was open with the trestles wide out. Several horses with engagements at the Southland Racing Club’s meeting were given strong work, blit owing to the heavy nature of the going they did not travel ..on a time-mak-ing mission. Academy and Ossinfan worked at a sound pace over six furlongs. Sahno Salar led Ballance at the conclusion of a circuit, but neither was extended. Blue Metal and First Song went over seven furlongs, with the former travelling the better at the finish. Matu trotted and cantered, and then fot through about a round of strong work. Ie is bright and well at present. Princess Argosy finished strongly over the latter part of a circuit, and others that got through useful tasks included Colonel Cygnus, Wealth, Royal Lhnond, Silver Salver, Master Anomaly, Gallant Fox, Fair Weather, Royal Saxon, Uratali, Bulolo, Red Racer, Bitractor, Master Anomaly, Antrim Boy, Irish Lancer and Bold Brigand. The last race at the Amberley meeting was decided in semi-darkness. Nominations for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting close at 5 p.m. today. Nominations for the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s autumn meeting close at 9 p.m. to-day. Arisus bled rather badly after a gallop last week. He has previously displayed the same trouble. Royal Saxon has been coming on nicely since being taken up again, and is in fine robust condition. Hounslow, the winner of the principal race at the Amberley meeting, is a halfbrother to Royal Saxon. Although Otairi was reported to be lame after running at Hawera, he has been paid up for in the Century Hurdles. Pomp is reported to have put up a good gallop at Wanganui on Saturday last. Craigavon got away badly in his race at Amberley and did well to finish third. Both Enwood and Crubenmore displayed good winning form at Riverton, and should shape well in their engagements at Invercargill. Matu finished third in the Riverton Autumn Steeples; about eight lengths away from Squatter, and meets the latter on 10lb better terms in the Southland Steeplechase. G. H. Humphries had his left instep injured in the mix-up that occurred when Weatherly was sent On to the rails in the G. B. Starky Memorial Handicap at Amberley on Saturday and he had to miss 'his later riding engagements. : G. Salt, who has resided at Ricearton ever since he took up the racing game as a lad, has gone to South Canterbury, having accepted an engagement with F. Trilford at Washdyke. He will ride the jumpers in the stable at'the Dunedin meeting next month. After that it is probable that he will accompany A. Trilford. when he leaves for Melbourne with Aladdin, whom’ he will ride in his Australian races. A complaint by G. H. Humphries, the rider of Weatherly, that he had been pushed on to the rails’in the G. B. Starky Memorial Handicap, was the subject of an inquiry by the Amberley stewards.. Evidence was given by Humphries, also by N. J. Dwyer and J. M. Pine. The stewards decided that J. M. Pine, the rider of Hystride, was responsible for the trouble. He was suspended for the remainder of the meeting and was severely cautioned. ■

According to reports, Muff was unlucky in the Starky Memorial Handicap. She tried to run. off when leaving the straight, and, afterwards got into a pocket from which a clearance came too late to allow a strong finish to do better than gain second place. - The three-year-old filly Iceni, by Last Dart from Boadieea, was taken to the Amberley meeting to contest the Novice Stakes, but met with an injury' whilst travelling in a horse float. Although the. trouble is not serious, it was not considered advisable to start her.

Excellent acceptances have been received in connection with the principal events to be run at the Invercargill meeting. Totolomai and Night Maid were the only horses to drop out of the Southland Cup, Umtali is the only absentee from the Steeplechase, and Palermo, Royal Duke, and Kerbside droppedout of the Flying Handicap. After winning the Great Western Steeplechase, Squatter also . won the Autumn Steeplechase at Riverton, and appeared to win rather comfortably when he gave 271 b to Nylotis, in addition to a three lengths beating. Squatter is allowing an extra 41b to Nylotis in the Southland Steeplechase, and it is doubtful if the extra weight will bring them together. In the D.J.C. Handicap, Red Sea gave The Smuggler 121 b and a length and ahalf beating. There is 91b between them in the Southland Cup.. The Smuggler has shown improved form since then, and he would require to have a chance at the weights. On the first day of the Riverton meeting First Money beat Enwood a nose in the Aparima Handicap. First Money meets Enwood on 21b better terms in the Flying Handicap at Invercargill. Enwood won the Flying at Riverton when in receipt of 161 b from First Money, who finished third. There was a difference of 6lb between them in the Farewell Handicap, run over seven furlongs, in which they both finished outside the placings. Fulmond, the three-year-old son of Limond and Full Swing, won the Licensed Victuallers’ Handicap, one mile and aquarter, at Victoria Park, Adelaide, on April 23. He got home by only a short head, but he paid a good dividend. His engagements this month includes the S.A.J.C. St. Leger and the Adelaide Cup, in which he has 6.10. Fulmond cost his present owner (Mr E. E. Jolly) 1500 guineas as a yearling. None of the Great Northern Steeplechase candidates training on Auckland tracks are more forward in condition than Billy Boy, who accounted for the Autumn Steeplechase at Easter, and has since trained on very pleasingly. If he continues as he is doing at present Billy Boy should be very fit for his engagement on June 4. and he can be expected to run a very solid race. Only on three occasions in the past 10 years has a horse succeeded in winning the Great Northern Steeplechase with 10.0 or over, but Billy Boy is an excellent fencer with good form to recommend him, and. he has prospects of upsetting the run of success enjoyed by light-weights in recent years. The outstanding feature of the Egmont winter meeting was the win of Make Up in the Egmont Steeplechase. It was his first public appearance as a steeplechaser, yet he beat a good field pointless. Make Up has been a very consistent horse for some time, both on the flat and over hurdles. He is also able to carry weight, as his win under 11.12 at the Stratford New Year meeting indicates. Make Up is very fit (says an exchange), and it will be hard to pick a better prospect for the Great Northern Steeplechase. Mr Corry has got an excellent second string to Make Up in Landmark. Landmark was selected to run in the Adamson Steeplechase on the second day. He jumped poorly over the first few fences, but then settled down and was going well when lie fell at the sod wall; in fact his rider, Di O’Connor, thinks he would have won. As both Make Up and Landmark are 1 borough!,v fit horses, and can be relied upon to improve as they gain experience as ’chasers, they look like doing great service for Mr Corry during the winter. The Amberlcy Racing Club’s annual meeting attracted special interest by reason of the fact that five shilling totalisator tickets were issued for the first time at a galloping fixture in the' South Island. ’The result of the day’s specula--1 tiou left no doubt that the innovation was

popularly received, and the general trend of conversation amongst patrons seemed to suggest that the change fulfilled a much desired want under the prevailing conditions. It is interesting to note (says the Press) that the amount of £6o7s 15s handled during the afternoon was made up as follows;—£1 tickets, £2318; ten shilling tickets, £2011; and five shilling tickets, £1744 15s. As regards the numbers of eacli unit issued, five shilling tickets totalled 8723, as against 4022 at the ten shilling windows, 1 and 2318 at the pound windows. In referring to the day’s result, the club’s president (Mr G. N. M‘Leau) said that the figures far exceeded his expectations. He had anticipated a turnover of £4OOO, with the ten shilling minimum, but the total of over £6OOO clearly demonstrated that patrons of racing in Canterbury and probably in the whole of New Zealand are crying out for a, cheaper medium of betting. Mr M'Lean continued that a large number of people who attended race meetings did so two years ago with £5 in their pocket. To-day the same people are fortunate to have £2 to go with, and these are the individuals - who should be afforded the opportunity of making their investments with a five shilling unit. If this facility were not available, the would-be racegoer would probably decide to stay at home and place his bet over the telephone with the bookmaker, who is pleased to cater for his wants from half a crown upwards. Mr M'Lean considered that a five shilling totalisator is moreover a very great convenience to the public, as a large number do not wish to invest more on a horse and very often cannot find a friend of the same mind to make up a ten shilling ticket. In Mr M'Lean’s opinion, based on the success of Saturday’s experiment, the five shilling totalisator has come to stay, and he hoped next year to see the Amberley Club running a five shilling machine on which a horse can be backed for a win or a place.