RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22826, 10 March 1936, Page 7

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel.

Oamaru Acceptances Acceptances for the, first day of the Oamaru meeting close on Thursday. Easter and Autumn Nominations for the Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicaps close on Friday, Birchwood Nominations Nominations for the Birchwood (Bub's jubilee meeting are due to-day.

The Wellington Meeting The Wellington Racing Club’s autumn meeting opens next Saturday, will be continued on the Monday following, and will be concluded on the Tuesday*

The Cromwell Meeting The acceptances for the first day of the Cromwell fixture are very and the fixture carries every promise ot success. The track is reported to be in excellent order.

A Creditable Showing Riptide, was somewhat unlucky during a serious part of the Peninsula Cup on Saturday, and his third placing in the circumstances was finite creditable. He will contest hack events at Trentham, and looks a goofi possibility for a race like the Champion Hack Cup, one mile and three furlongs, on the concluding day of the meeting. “ Swift Horse ”

The horse whoeh name was given as Cheval-de-Colee in the. acceptances for the two-year-old event at Franklin on Saturday is registered as Cheval de Volee, meaning “swift horse." He is a bay gelding by Vaals from the Marble Arch mhre Freesia, dam also of Respirator, a useful horse who figured in a triple dead heat at Franklin six years ago, and he is owned by his breeder, Mr A. Rowan, who raced Protomint. Partial to Soft Ground Although Seafox was allowed to drop out of his Motukarara engagement, he is doing strong work, and he should be ready to show some form at the late autumn meetings. _ He will be a useful sort for winter racing, as he is partial to soft ground. Royal Gallant, for whom the going cannot be too soft, is another member of J. H, Shaw’s team who is working well. \

Likely To Be Favourite It was unfortunate that Kinnonll was not nominated for the St. Leger, but there seemed a prospect of an interesting contest until the sale of Heritage a few days ago, with the decision to ship him to hie new home immediately, robbed the race of an interesting candidate. Now, on the form shown this season, Greek Shepherd is entitled to be a hot favourite. He beat Entail easily in the Great Northern Derby, while Happy Landing has not yet measured up to classic form. A Team of Jumpera

The Riccarton trainer D. O’Connor has another trip to the North Island in view with Royal. Limond, who won the Great Northern Steeplechase last year. As was the case then, he will race before going north at the Otautau and Riverton steeplechase meetings next month, and Raeouli will probably accompany him. O’Connor’s other jumpers, Arctic Star and Lycidas, will be racing at the South Canterbury meeting next month, and present intentions are to take them also to the North Island. Thompson Riders

. The record of the riders in the Thompson Handicap is interesting. H. Gray has done best with four wins, gained on Sasanof (1919), Arrowemith (1920), Rouen (1923), and Gay Crest (1932). Several riders have been twice successful, their list being:—E. Russell (Waiuku, 1895 and 1897), F. W. Davis (Lottie 1894 and Jabber 1900), E. Lowe (Sunbonnet 1908 and Sunny Loch 1924), B. Deeley (Oxenhope 1916 and Shrill 1917). J. Barry (Reremoana 1927 and Paitonu 1930), R. Reed (Joy King 1928 and Golden Hair 1934), and L, G. Morris (Paganelli 1929 and Autopay 1933). Eye Blinded by Stone

_ There was a remarkable incident associated with the Gawler (South Australia) meeting recently. C. Boom, one of the oldest jockeys following his profession in Adelaide, had the ride on Belinda in the second division of the Trial, and while he was rapidly overhauling the leaders, one of whom was the favourite, Bobhard, a flying stone or some hard substance struck him in an eye with such force'that he reeled in the saddle and was nearly dislodged. Blinded and suffering intense pain, he continued to ride Belinda hard, and landed the Peithias mare a clever winner. Boom was immediately taken to the casualty room, where it was discovered that one of the pupils was cut deeply. He was unable to fulfil an engagement for Toxawav in the Welter. .

Tippler Gelding Named The Trentham trainer H. B, Lorigan has claimed the name of Toper for the three-year-old bay gelding by Tippler from Lady Busli he brought over trom Sydney with him when he returned to the Dominion in December. The other horse Lorigan brought was Geitel, who scored a surprise victory at the Wellington meeting in January first time out in the Dominion. Toper is a good type of gelding who has been working along well lately, and he will probably have his first race at the coming Wellington meeting. His dam, Lady Busli, was by Roger de Busli from Jin, and she was a winner at Moorefield as a two-year-old first start. Her racing career, however, was short, terminating early the following season after she had had only eight starts in all. She wont to Mr Hunter White’s Havilah stud, and Lorigan holds Toper on lease from Mr White till the end of next year. Lorigan previously had a Roger de Busli horse in his stable in St. Roger. Race Started Too Soon Mr Rupert Gredne, the starter to the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, was nearly three minutes ahead of time in sending away the field for the St. Clair Trial, the opening event on the second day ot the club’s autumn meeting (says the Star-Sun). A rumour was in circulation later in the day that the stewards had fined Mr Greene for starting the race before time, but such was not the case. The only penalty they can impose on a starter is a fine of £SO for allowing a start to take place on the wrong side ot the starting post. The rules do not cover starting a race before the advertised time. The position is different in New Zealand, and it is on record that the stewards of the Canterbury Jockey Club imposed a fine of £lO on Mr Harry Piper, a very capable man at the barrier, for sending off the field for the first race in

a day’s programme at Riccarton 10 minutes before the advertised time. They also ordered the race to be run again at 6.15 p.m. at the end of the day’s programme. This incident occurred in connection with the Suburban Hurdles, on the third day of the spring meeting in 1906 (Exhibition year). Leeside, owned and trained by W. J. Taggart, won the first time, but when the race was rerun Sardonyx, the favourite, beat him by a neck after Leeside had suffered a good deal of interference on the journey, third place being filled by Mr Duncan Rutherford’s Eurus, who was to win the Grand National Steeplechase less than two years later. Most of the chief actors in this incident are dead, but at least one remains and still is actively associated with racing. The rider ot Leeside was E. Scoullar, who for many years has been prominent as a trainer at Riccarton. Easy Thompson Victory

One of the easiest wins ever scored in the W.R.C. Thompson Handicap was that of Reremoana when he recorded his first victory, in 1925. With only 7.7 aboard and R. J. Mackie in the saddle, he stepped to the front at the rise of the barrier and was never in the least danger of being pulled back. He ran the mile in linin 38soc, too. only half a second slower than the present record for the race, jointly held by Reremoana himself in his second success two years later under 9.8 and by Autopay under 9.4, and bad he been pushed the least he undoubtedly would have registered exceptional figures. Rerenioana’s worth was not then known, but -it was not long before he was forcing his way to the top of the handicaps. Before his second success his trainer < O. Cox) made little secret of the confidence he had in him to win again, and he scored on the merits more easily than the margin of half a length from the favourite (Joy King) might make it appear.