RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22294, 21 June 1934, Page 5

RACING NEWS

■ Bv Sentinel, The value of trophies hung up (luring the present season amounted to £2184, Gallant Fox will be sharpened up by his race at Timaru and should keep on improving. Handicaps for the Oamaru meeting are due on Monday next and acceptances on the following day. Rebel Chief was one of the big diaappointments it Timaru where he ran a lot below his track work. ■Lord' Ranald was backed on his reputation at Timaru and failed through lack of racing condition. Cherry Queen has a good turn of speed, but found 9st and busy opposition rather too good for her at Timaru. The Dromore Steeplechase, to be run At Ashburton, promised to be an interesting race, but the scratching pen hag been too busy on the field. Up to last week £2,515,097 was invested oh the totalisator at race meetings and £99,213 ■ on the trotting events held in connection with them. Puncheatown was travelling like a possible winner when he struck trouble at the second last, fence at Timaru. Membo may be hi* most formidable opponent at Ashburton. Verden’s race over, hurdles at Timaru will probably improve more than the increase of poundage he has received for his engagement «t Ashburton. The two-year-old filly by Rosenor from the imported mare. Week End, has been leased from her breeder, Mr J. B. Starkey, by the Riccarton trainer, R. W. King. The stakes distributed during the present season up to last week amounted to £222,647 5s and £9833 was also added to trotting events figuring on race programmes.

The three-yenr-old colt Cyclonic, who . won at Hawke's Bay, is a half-brother by Hunting Song to Cylinder. Cymene, the „ dam of Cyclonic, was got by Cylgarf— Hippqcrene, by Spearmint—Glass Doll, by Isinglass. , In discussing totalisator systems the secretary of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club (Mr H. S. Moss) stated that he be* • lieved there were less than 10 per cent, of racegoers in his district who wanted a continuance of win and places. His committee would consider the point of

going back to-the single pool mode after the present meeting. ' r . A suggestion will come before the Hnc- ' ing Conference that a stipendiary steward should: retire jafter giving ’evidence on a > case beforevthe stewards consider their decision, .More star chamber methods , There wps a good deal of support for Lady Kate at Timaru, but she. failed to run up to expectations. She is bred to stay and may do better when racing over more ground. Some trainers take a horse to the races

without arranging for a jockey. One of these days they will take a jockey to the races but forget to arrange about. the borsc:. 1 '' ’ ■ ; , ■ ’ . Mr P. Delargey’s colours have not beer iii evidence of late, but they were carried at Timaru by Footwork, who made a poor show in his races. Mr Delargey won the Grand National Hurdles of 1920 with Hylaus.,

When a name was required for Phar Lap’s yearling sister, a well-known Rotorua guide was asked to select an appropriate name in Maori, it being pointed out that the meaning of Phar Lap was lightning. A reply was ■ soon forthcoming, and the name Te Nira was claimed for the, youngster. It has since been ascertained that the Maori for lightning is Uira, and evidently the word sent down from Rotorua in the. guide s handwriting was misread oil receipt. There is no word Nira in the Maori dictionary, and probably the filly’s owner will have the name changed to Te Uira. One of the rising two-year-olds being handled by the Chokebore stable that has attracted notice since being ridden op to the tracks, is Panegyric, a chestnut gelding by Honour from Eulalic, by Absurd from Eulogy. He closely resembles his .sire in colour and markings, and if looks can, be taken as a guide, lie will have a successful career. Jle is owned by Mr G. R. Macdonald, who purchased Enlalie with Panegyric at foot at the Greenwood dispersal sale in 1932 for 250gns. The coining Melbourne Cup, with £IO.OOO in stake money, promises to claim wide interest in New Zealand (says ‘‘Phaeton’’), for a perusal of the list of entries shows that the number of New Zealand-bred horses engaged is 43, as follows:—Liraarch, Blixten, Nightly, King March, Deputy Ruler, Master Brierly, Minerval, Miramond, Palantua, • Silver King, Sir John, Theo, In- . flation, Antique, • Forestry, Peter Jackson, Almada, Lirobobra, BougJiol, Sirona, Lion Heart, Round .Table, Pawky, Sir Nigel, The Khedive, Vcntrac, Chief Light, Cape York, Cape Morn, Greenhorn, Dazzling Raid, Hunting Bag, King Colossus, Movie Star, Sir Simper, Custodian, King of Diamonds, Miss Nottava, The Masquerader, Wheriko, MareUs Cicero, Red Bank, Upoki Ariki. The Australian-bred gelding Red Manfred, who is owned by a New Zealand lady, is also included among the nominations. Definite signs of a revival in racing shown at the winter meeting of the Australian Jockey Club are welcome, but it is a pity (says the. Sydney Morning Herald) that the people who are being ,wtm back to racing are forced to witness so many reversals in form that must tend to shake the confidence of the crowds. Reversals are sickening, and in recent weeks there have been so many that the position is disturbing. The popularity of racing rests to a large degree on the fact that horses are not machines, and that there are so many situations that can arise in

a race that a dozen horses well matched with weight would probably provide a different result every day of the week, were they so raced. To borrow a phrase, this is the glorious uncertainty of sport. Trainers themselves are often baffled by the failure of their horses to act up to winning trials. The horse is allowed to run unsupported the following week, and duly wins. Where the animal has been a short-priced favourite on the first day, the public mind, made suspicious through bitter experience, is lulled by the knowledge that after all there was no support in the ring for the horse when he won, and proceeds to forget the incident. Where the unexpected return to form is presaged by an onslaught in the betting ring, however, it is difficult to persuade backers that matters were all above board. It is such a case that does irreparable damage to racing. The dyed-in-the-wool backer accepts the ramp as .part of his racing philosophy, but the more sensitive newcomer is shocked—and its ultimate effect depends on his mental balance. Almost on a par is the case of the horse backed down to favouritism one day to win convincingly, who with an increase in weight is subsequently supported by the public, only to drift in the market and finish nearer last than first. There are other forms of reversals, and, although the betting ring is not an infallible guide, it is not always wrong, and there must be a reason for backers, credited with knowing their way about, supporting horses that succeed after previous efforts indicate little or no winning chance. Having tha interests of racing as its special care, officialdom cannot afford to let such happenings go unchallenged.