RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22023, 4 August 1933, Page 4

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel.

B. 11. Morris will be on Martian Chief in the Winter Cup and L. G. Morris on Shatter. . D. O’Connor has been booked to rule Copey in the Grand National Steeplechase. Spoon has been going on satisfactorily since ber race at the Christchurch Hunt Club meeting. Morena was quite good at hurdling until recently, and bis latest display may be due to schooling over low jumps. Polydora and Punehestown have been in strong demand for the Winter Cup and Grand National Hurdles. It is understood that the Christchurch Hunt. Club made a small profit over the meeting held at Riccartou. The Oamaru Jockey Club and Oamaru Trotting Club are combining forces in connection with the erection of a new stewards’ stand.

Latest reports from Riccarton suggest that the soreness displayed by • Silver Ring was not deep-seated, as latterly he has been going well in his work. Night Parade has been showing promise in schooling over hurdles. He charged, straight at the first of the brush double at the South Canterbury Hunt njeeting. Arrangements are being made to hold a two-year-old parade after the first race on the second day of the Grand National meeting. Entries will be taken up to the closing time for acceptances on the previ-' ous day. It is no wonder the totalisator “ daily double ” continues in favour in England. There are, of course, many small returns, but a good one often crops up, and that sustains interest. At Gatwick on June 10 only two backers selected the winning combination of Another-in-Law and Dundrave, and they each received over £4OO for 10s.

If all the horses that are mentioned as likely to come from New Zealand for the Australian spring meeting do put in an appearance (says a Sydney paper) there will be a shortage of good performers in the Dominion in September, October, and November. Polydora continues to train on well, and on Tuesdav last ran a good half-mile in company with Charmeuse—who appears to be coming back to racing shape. Charmeuse was brilliant when at her best, and won the Great Easter in 1931 as a (four-year-old. . Thurina is reported to be exceptionally well at present, but nevertheless Hex Beale handled Quiuopal very judiciously at Timaru, and cleverly measured off the. Thurnham gelding in-the South Canterbury Steeplechase. < When they try to resurrect such horses as Lancer and Magna Charta as racing propositions one would imagine that there is a great shortage of horses. Otherwise they would not try to galvanise life into the practically defunct. A trainer with two horses in a race at Moonee Valley recently placed the wrong saddles, and afterwards the wrong riders, on the horses. Fortunately the error w T as noticed before the horses left the mounting enclosure, and the mistake Was quickly rectified. G. Murray-Aynsley has Berate doing only light exercise at present. She Will go into serious work soon,’ and if she trains on all right she may have her first race as a four-year-old at the Dunedin meeting in October. Stanley Wootton has plenty of material in the way of apprentices. The London Sporting Life of a recent date includes a photograph of Wootton s apprentices, with their names, taken after early morning exercise at Epsom. There are 10, and possibly there were some at home. Entries for English races to be run in 1935 and 1936, which closed during June, for foals and yearlings, received greatly increased support from breeders and owners compared with 1932., The total number of entries made this year is nearly 50 per cent, more than last year, and 40 per cent, more than in 1931. , Up to June 19 his Majesty the King had won £5663 in stakes this season and was tenth on the winning owners’ list. Lord Derby leads with £16,022, Lord Astor £13,321, Mr Edward Esmond £9630, Lord Woolavington £9072, and Princesse de Paucigny-Lucinge £9037 are nearest to Lord Derby. The following riding engagements have been announced for the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting next week: —L. J. Ellis — Silvox, Ranelagh, and Hurlingham; A. E. Ellis —Punchestown, Merry Peel, and Imitator; G. H. Humphries—Silver Ring, Nightly, Dracula, and Charmeuse; J. W. Sheehan, Moab Queen; M. Kir wan. Polydora; C. Thomson, Rasouli. The comittee of the Canterbury Jockey Club has decided that the conditions of the next New' Zealand Cup will be the same as last year, viz.:-—A handicap of £IOOO (a cup to the value of £75 and £925); second horse £2OO, and third horse £IOO from the stake. The winner, after declaration of weights, of any race of the value of £2OO to the winner, or of any race or races of the value of £4OO to the winner, may be rehandicapped, provided that no horse be rehandicapped to carry over weight-for-age. Nominations will close on August 25. Billy Boy has had an easy time since he arrived at Riccarton. He has done a few useful gallops, but on other pioinings he has been restricted to walking exercise on the roads. He was a fit horse early in the winter and apparently he does not require much work to keep him well, ho far there has been no talk of schooling him. A year ago he went badly when schooled over the country, but he was a different horse on race day (says “Argus”), as he’won the Grand National in impressive style. With that experience in mind, his trainer may be satisfied to tackle the fences tins year without any preliminaries. There were only four runners in the open seven furlongs at. Foxton, which rightly regarded as a match between Foreign Queen and Royal HuntingForeign Queen. Royal Hunting, and Navabo jumped away into the lead abreast, and ran so right to the home turn, with Eminent three or four lengths auay. Three furlongs from home Foreign G UCCI dropped back two lengths, allowing Roy.il Hunting and Navaho to lead her into the straight. Hero she came again, and alter a short, sharp struggle went on-to win handsomely by two lengths from R.o.va Hunting, who drew out a length liom Navaho over the last 50 yards. Eminent was a good fourth. The winner had not. much in hand at the finish, hut (says “ The Watcher ”) she won decisively and going away. For a first appearance m open company she was _ not, m spite o her recent form, thrown into the race ruth Sib alicvc the minimum, but she scored impressively. if, as it seems, Royal Hunting can bo relied upon as a good trial hoist, for he was her only serious rival, foreign Queen was ridden by K. Voitre, who will have the mount on her in the W intcv Cup. Some of the North Island horses dimmed at the Grand National meeting raced prominently at Foxton. Vitaphone scored 1 narrowly in the hurdle race trom Ramuna, who came with a run from the back that was just too late. Vitaphone, however, put in a bad .pimp at the second last fence, but ior which he probably would have won comfortably (says the Dominion). Morrath, Leisure, and Rasouli were prominent early, but Rasouli jumped badly at the third last fence and fell back. I uvictus was then rushing into i the lead." but he did not last long, nor | did Morrath and Leisure Hatter much 1 further. Invictus led into the straight I from Vitaphone, with Rasouli handy again, i and Ramuna making up ground fast. The last fence was Hat. and Vitaphone boat I Rasouli to it. going nu for a head win

from the fast finishing Ramuua. Rasouli, although beaten, hung on for a close third, and there was a big gap to Morrath and Leisure. Vitaphone and Ramuua are both improving hurdlers, and Rasouli for a first experience ran a fine race. Had he not made the one blunder he probably would have won; in addition he jumped high. Morrath gave a very disappointing display after her Wellington form. She did not look the same mare, and she hit the first fence in the straight very hard in the first circuit. Knollmere’s party were unlucky, the fioat conveying him to the race breaking down on the road. A Dunedin sportsman who has just returned from a trip to Sydney states that Silver Scorn wag not backed by the stable for the Caulfield Cup. Someone forestalled the stable and swept up the market in doubles for the Melbourne Cup It is now quite possible that Silver Scorn will be reserved for weight-for-age races unless a change in recent ideas takes place. The returned Dunedmite says it is most interesting to watch the market operations at the Sydney meetings. They cluster like bees round a hive at the stands of the principal fielders, and the moment a commission is placed they shoot off to get. on with others laying the odds. The totalise tor does not apparently interest the “heads,” and they make a strong point of following the money at a set price. From all accounts bookmalciug has become a very hard game at the Sydney meetings and fielders have to take a more or less big risk on every race. Still, if a small better wants the odds to a fiver or so and refuses to take the price on offer they endeavour to catch the money by extending the odds ‘‘ as a favour.” Betting at set odds dominates the operations of the big punters, and the totalisator is an after thought. They never known how they would stand by placing big commissions on the totalisator. The attendances at the meetings are quite good.