RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21990, 27 June 1933, Page 4

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel. Mr B. F. Spiers, the owner oE the three-year-old filly Importance, has placed a yearling filly in A. S. Ellis's stable. She is by Shambles from Kilada, by IV.U--broney from Red Wink's dam, Ada Mer« Hug. by Martian from Leonore. . Diamond Jack and Graball are being qualified with the Otago Hunt. Handicaps for the first day of the Wellington meeting are due on Thursday The classic winner Cylinder showed that he is not a spent light by finishing third at Napier on Saturday last. The entries for the three days of the Wellington winter meeting total 516, as against 554 last year. After allowing for the fact that the Ashburton track is fast, Polydora put up an excellent performance by winning over a mile and a : quarter with 10.2 in 2nun Palantua, stayed on well at Ashburton and won over seven, furlongs in limn 26sec. She beat Merry Peel, who was outstaying her at the end of six furlongs at Thnaru. . ~. , The trial Plate winner Missarty, who won at Napier, is a four-year-old by Hunting Song from Sarty, by Sarto from the imported mare Love Token. Sarty. te a sister to Sartist, a good but unsound horse. , _: A good bet over jumps is generally supposed to be the best of good things and a much sober investment than finding the winner of a flat race. Two that looked certainties at Ashburton, in Night Cap and Night Parade both tipped out in their races. Huntley had only one start last season when he scored a lucky win in the Styx Hurdles. He is a half-brother to Lancer and got by Clarenceux from Bella Donna, by Vasco—Belle Clair, by St. Clair. . In recent years the result of the Napier Steeplechase has not supplied a line to the Grand National Steeplechase, probably because some of the winners. at Riccarton were not seen out at Napier. Captain Jingle won the Napier and Wellington Steeples and Grand National ot 1912 The recently defunct Hymestra was a particularly speedy horse, but dni n°* leave any great impression in the istud Book when retired from the turf. .There is a good deal of stamina represented in his pedigree, but none of. his close relations were notable, for staying. His sister Torfreda could go fast but not very far. . ~ The improvements earned out on tne win totalisator at Trentham will arouse a good deal of interest, as it will show the state of the odds during the progress of betting. The fact will remain however, that the stat e of the; odds during the progress of the betting may not always give a line ,as to the final odds. It is the final bets that frequently, decide the, dividend and not what is being displayed in the early market. The great drawback to the complete popularity for the totalisator is that the actual dividend or odds cannot be learnt until the close of betting. Early. knowledge is thus comparatively valueless, and the backer is forced to take the odds at the close ot hetting, no matter how the market may fluctuate. A Dunedinite who has mst returned after spending about two years in Australia states that the big bettors at Flemington, Caulfield, or Randwick never bother about the totalisator, but always place their commissions at the set market odds offered by the fielders. ..■ £ An interesting story lies behind tne name Slippery. He was foaled six days before his time, with the result that he was unable to stand. For six days he lav and slept, being hept warm under rugs and straw, while he was nourished by being lifted up to suckle his mother. On the sixth day he stood alone, and from the due date of arrival began to thrive, while, in a month's time he was mud fat. If is remarkable that under .such circumstances he should prove possibly the most solid of his brilliant galloping family. The nominations received by the Canterbury Jockey Club for .the principal eventß at the Grand National meeting make up an excellent list. There is a decrease in each race compared with last year, the total drop being 31. The following are the figures, those for last year being shown in parentheses:—Grand National Steeplechase 29 (22 , Winter Cup 60 (53), Beaufort Steeplechase 31 (24), Grand National Hurdles 29(28), Sydenham Hurdles 30 (28), Lincoln Steeplechase 33 (26).. ■ • . The following clubs have applied to the New Zealand Racing Conference for extra days next season:—Avondale (one day), no date stated; Taranaki Jockey Club, August 24; Rotorua Racing Club, October 14 and 16; Ohinemuri Jockey Club, October or November; Carterton Racing Club, November 17; Waipa Racing Club, December 15 (recommended by the Auckland District Committee for the Waipapakaun Jockey Club's permit); Matamata Racine Club, February 5; Franklin Racing Club, March 5; Stratford Racin« Club, March 17 or March 24; Woodville Jockey Club, March 25 and 26; and Bay of Plenty Jockey Club, March 26. Since the announcement was made tnat Mr 0. S. Watkins would not be seeking re-election as president of the New Zealand Racing Conference the names of some of the leading sportsmen from both islands have been mentioned as likely successors. The matter has not yet taken a definite shape, but it is understood that the position has been offered to Mr T. A. Duncaii, of Hunterville, and that he is likely to accept. Mr Duncan has been a practical supporter of racing for many years, and has had his colours successfully represented in all parts of the Dominion. Peter Pan is stated to be the mostdiscussed horse for the Melbourne Cup in November, and much curiosity is evinced as to the weight he will .be awarded. There is a conflict of opinion on the point whether he was as good in the autumn as in the Bpnng of his three-year-old career, and to that may be ascribed in part the keen interest with which the assessment is being awaited. That Peter Pan will be awarded an impost in excess of weight-for-age may be regarded as very likely. A review of weights issued for the Melbourne Cup in previous years shows that notable four-vear-olds have been weighted as follows: Carbine 10.0, Wallace 10.0, Poseidon 10.0, Phar Lap 9.12, Rivoli 9.7, Wmalot 9.5, Windbag 9.2, and Nightmarch 9.2. Windbag, Nightmareh. and Phar Lap won and Carbine and Rivoli ran second. . Sydney must have its racing sensations, and a section of the press sees to it that thev are provided week by week, lhe latest is a story circulating around, the 14 2 pony Fortuneola, who peculiarly enough failed in pony events (says "Vedette"), yet won when heavily backed in open company a month or so ago. Recently the A.J.C. stipendiary stewards admitted that.certain allegations had been made to them about Fortuueola's racing career, and that particularly he had worn racing plates on some occasions and loaded shops on others. Mr L. G, Frazer, chief stipendiary steward, said that they had received the statement and some exhibits, but for the time being nothing further could develop' as some of the principals against whom the charges were laid were absent from Australia. Naturally nothing could be done until they were present to answer the charges. The people concerned are among those travelling to America with Winooka, but not those absolutely connected with that horse. Action was commenced on account of a quarrel over possession of Fortuneola. Instructions were given before the departure or the Winooka partv that Fortuneola was to be spelled. The strapper in charge of the horse declined to give him up when presented with a letter of authority and endeavoured to start him at Kensington, but the stewards stepped in and declined to allow him. A continuation of the argument for possession has brought about the present situation, the strapper having made a public statement to a section of the press, provided exhibits of shoes and letters, and then handed them to the stewards. When Beau Cavalier first appeared at Trentham and won the Wellington Steeplechase, he got so much up in the air that the opinion was formed that

when tackling Riccarton be would beat himself by overjumping. Nevertheless, he came south' and won the Grand National Steeplechase, and so completed a triple success in winning the Great Northern Steeplechase, Wellington Steeplechase, and Grand National Steeplechase. When racing at Riccarton he flew his fences, and going at Cutts's big brush fence for the first time his flag went up on landing as he had taken the knock, but he sailed on to win. It was rather remarkable that a horse putting in such a superabundance of energy at every jump could stay so well. Beau Cavalier was also started in the Grand National Hurdles with 291 b less than he carried over the big country, but petered out a long way from home. A remarkable feature of his win over Riccarton country was the fact that S. Henderson, who rode him, used the shortest leathers ever seen in a steeplechase. It appeared as if such a big jumper as Beau Cavalier pecked on lauding that Henderson would be shot into the next parish. Beau Cavalier 12.5 started favourite the following year for the Grand "National Steeplechase, but finished outside a place, and also failed again in the Grand National Hurdles.