RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21998, 6 July 1933, Page 3

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel. A field of eight acceptors for the Wellington Steeplechase, of OOOsovs, is a disappointing reply to such a good stake. Billy Boy won the Wellington Steeplechase last year with 11.3. Callamart (10.0). did not gain a place. This year Billy Boy meets Callamart on 13Jb better terras. , Although the St. Simon line is frequently referred to as decadent, the fact j-emaina that' this season in New .Zealand his representatives have got winners of about 132,000 in stakes. They still spin their horses out in England and prior to the Derby track reports showed that several candidates avere galloped the full distance. The Derby course demands that a horse has to be as fit as possible. . The betting on the Derby prior to the running of the Two Thousand Guineas made it appear at that stage the most open race in the history of the Lpsom classic. It was tens to one the field at that stage of the market. Hyperion came into the market at much longer odds. Billy Boy won the Grand National Steeplechase in August last with 11.13 end was going well when he dropped his rider in the Lincoln Steeples at the second of the Kennels double about six furlongs from home. He was shouldering 12.12 on that occasion. Chief Euler, who is at present at the lead of the list of winning sires with £8656 10s to his credit, topped the list last year with winners of £14,098. His first winners appeared in 1927-28, when he had six representatives that gathered £IBOO. The following season they captured £10,067, in 1929-30 the score went bp to £20,136, and in 1930-31 the total amounted to £12,188 10s. Chief Euler s total was on May 20 just under £70,000, cr an average of £IO,OOO for six seasons without including his winners in Aus-two-year-old. Cheap Money, by Paper Money, from Tortrix, sister to Caterpillar and Eepudiation, has been cold by Mr M. B. Savill to the Rangiora trotting enthusiast. Mr H. Archer, ‘ who is a new-comer to the ranks of owners of fallopers. The filly is to remain in £>• larr’s stable. . ~ , . According to a writer in the Manchester Sporting Chronicle, no jockey now riding in England has been longer m tne game than F, Herbert, who has again been tiding winners this season. Herbert has been riding 34 years, and has w,on races in 18 countries. Some years ago Herbert rode successfully in Australia, but he has done a lot of travelling since A rising two-year-old filly by Silverado from the English mare Pitbrow Lass, has arrived at Riccarton and joined i • D. Jones’s stable. He was bred at Longbeach by Mr J. H. Grigg. who made • present of her to Jones. Pitbrow Lass Was bred in 1911 and was purchased in England by Mr John Grigg, when she had a foal at foot, later known as Heath Lass, dam of Royal Saxon and Hounslow. Garpal, dam of the One Thousand Guinea winner. Brown Betty, is by Phalaris from Brig of Ayr, and was sold at auction in 1925 to Sir Alec Black for 3100 guineas. Subsequently she fractured her pelvis, and after being in slings many weeks, it was almost decided to destroy 'her. However, the veterinary surgeon who had charge of Garpal persuaded otherwise, and the mare made such a good recovery that she was again used at the stud, and threw Brown Betty,., In- 1896, ; Queen Victoria sent the late Richard Marsh a message to say that if he could assure her that Persimmon would win the Ascot Gold Cup she would once more, and for the last time, join the Royal party in the State procession at Ascot. To make sure Marsh tried Persimmon early in the week before Ascot with two good horses, when he accomplshed such a great performance that he thought it must be wrong, so on the Saturday he set him a bit more to do, with a similar result. He then wrote to the Queen simply: “Your Majesty can go to Ascot without the_ slightest qualm, for Persimmon will win easily enough.’ After the race Queen Victoria sent for the trainer and thanked him in her usual kindly way. It was her last visit to a racecourse. The Auckland correspondent of the Wellington Post states that Emancipation could be regarded as next to a, good thing for the Winter Hurdles if his jockey had had more experience and could hold the horse together better at his fences. The Australian-bred gelding is a difficult horse to train and ride, and with his still inemerienced rider a lot has to be left’ to chance. It is considered that Emancipation, might have won both the Brighton Hurdles and Great Northern Hurdles had he been ridden to better advantage. The same pilot will be aboard at Trentham. Quite apart from this, Emancipation is recommended as the best ®f the northern quartet in the Winter Hurdles. •„

Mannamead (winner of five races in succession this season) is now considered the best horse on the turf in England. Recently he very easily defeated two such good horses as Orpen and Brulette, one of the best stayers in England. Mannamead is another with Musket blood, for his dam was. by Trenton’s eon, Torpoint, a good stayer, and sire of the great brood mare, HamOaze. He was bred and is owned by Lord Astor, and was unbeaten at two years, but went amiss when being trained for the Derby last year. Mannamead is by the Derby winner. Manna, from'Pinprick, by Torpoint from Third Trick, by William the Third from Conjure bv Juggler, a son of Touchet (Lord Lyon—Lady Audley) and Enchantress, by the Ascot Cup winner, Scottish Chief. Manna' is by Phalaris from Waffles, dam of the Leger winner, Sandwich, by Sansoveno. Waffles is by Buckwheat, son of Martagon and Sesame. Mannamead is a magnificent type of horse, lie appears to have got over the trouble which put him out of action last season. Perhaps the greatest of all the late R. Marsh’s triumphs was gained with Minoru in 1909, This horse had displayed only moderate form as a two-year-old, but (says the Morning Post) in the following season superior condition enabled him-to tain a decisive victory over the stronglyfancied V.alens at Newbury. • Then be won the Two Thousand Guineas. In the Derby, Minoru, although heavily backed, was not so well fancied as the Ameneambred Sir Martin. And there were many who thought that Bayardo would beat, both of them; What would have happened if Sir Martin had not fallen during the race, thereby interfering with one or two of the other runners, it is impossible to say. For the huge crowd it was;good enough to see the Kings horse battling out a most exciting finish with Mr W. Raphael’s Louviers and Lord Michelham’s William the Fourth. The hoisting of Minoru's number in the frame was the signal for, perhaps, the most memorable scene of enthusiasm ever witnessed upon the racecourse. Amid all the recipients of congratulations that day Marsh was not forgotten. It was probably the finest thing he had ever done - as a trainer, for Minoru was not such a good horse as many, believed him to be. and it. was only the exquisite condition in which he was sent to the post that - enabled him to pull at Epsom. The last winner for King Edward tv as Witch of the Air, at Kempton Park on the afternoon of the day on which i his Majesty died. The announcement of the filly’s success was one of the final intimations the King received. The 'cross-country course at Kiccarton has often been the subject of discussion, ’opinions differ whether it> is as formidable at present as in bygone years. In 1916 the following comment and description of the course was published: "Of all the steeplechase courses in the Dominion that at RiccaTton, over which the Grand National is annually decided, takes the most jumping. bot that the obstacles are particularly formidable, tor there are quite as difficult ones on.other courses, but it is their average size that tests the ability of horses more than where some are big and others easy. Ab a matter of fact, even the Riccarton fences are not nearly such stiff proposition* as was the case many years ago, wfaen they averaged probably 6in more all

round than is now (he case. Starting at the top of the straight, the competitors have to complete a little over two circuits, which works out at about three miles and a-half. The first obstacles encountered is a brush fence at the western end of the carriage paddock. This is 4ft Sin high, and is the only one that has to be crossed three times before the winning post is reached. Next comes the stand double, two brushed hurdles standing about 4ft each. Of all the obstacles, that known as ‘Cutts’ causes the most trouble, yet it is pot by any means a formidable one. It consists of a thick manuka fence 4ft lOin high, and it is probably a slight rise in the approach that has earned it such ah unenviable reputation; No. 5 jump is a sod wall 4ft in height, and of similar breadth, with a 3ft ditch on the take-off side. Then comes the post-and-rails, which is about 4ft in height, having a 3ft ditch at the approach. This is one of the easiest jumps of the lot, and was formerly situated at the turn into the home straight. Though of minor proportions, however, it is one that the competitors cannot take liberties with. The next obstacle is known as the “kennels double,” the first of which is a brushed post and rail 4ft Sin high, with a 4ft ditch in front of it, while the second is of very similar proportions. No. 9 obstacle is a sod wall 4ft high and of equal breadth, with a 3ft ditch in front. Then comes a 4ft lOin brush fence very similar to that at ‘ Cutts,’ which completes the circuit. Altogether, 21 obstacles have to be negotiated in the course of the full National journey—a thorough test not only of jumping ability, but also of stamina. The average width of the jumps is -about 60ft, and most of them are provided with wings much higher than the part to be jumped by the competitors.”

The rule that allows a horse to race in ordinary shoes is open to strong objection, and the latest mail to hand from England brings some comment on the subject. “Robin Goodfellow,” of the London Mail, recently wrote as follows;—It will be known officially and presumably by the public whether or not runners are carrying extra weight on their feet if the Jockey Club accepts a proposal which Lord Rosebery is to make at the annual meeting of the club to be held on Monday, June 12. An owner, trainer, or duly authorised agent is now compelled by rule to declare his horse a runner not less than three-quarters of au hour before the time fixed for the race. Lord Rosebery desir.es to make it obligatory for the trainer to declare at tlie same time whether the hoi’se is plated or not. Most horses run in plates made of aluminium or other very light metals. These are usually fitted a short time before the race. An expert may be able to see when the horses are in the paddock which are plated and which are to run in their ordinary shoes. The latter, being much heavier, impose a handicap upon any horse who wears them in a race, but this circumstance cannot as a rule be known to the general public or to the handicappers. What a horse, carries in the saddle is declared to all, but extra weight on his feet cannot, as the matter stands, be taken into calculation by anyone except the few who are sharp enough to notice that he has not been plated. Occasionally a horse who has not been plated wins, and the fact that he has run in heavy shoes adds to the merit of his performance. The stewards, the public, and particularly the handicappers should have this information. Most of the horses who run in their exercise shoes are not fancied by their connections; maybe th6y dispense with plates as an economy. Apparently ;this saving, will still be practicable if Lord Rosebery’s proposal is carried, but most owners will probably prefer to incur the cost of plating rather than reveal by a declaration that they are deliberately lessening any chance the horse may have of winning. Such an effect would he a step in the right direction. There must usually be in a race some horses who have no chance of winning, but it is not right that any runner should be deliberately handicapped by heavy shoes.