RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23001, 2 October 1936, Page 11

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel Wellington Nominations for the Wellington spring meeting are due to-day tit 5 p.m. Owner of Custos Mr C. N Draper was present at the Rosehill meeting when Custos ran third in the Rosehill Guineas. The Gore Meeting The Gore spring meeting is dated for October 24 and 26, and nominations close on Monday next at 5 p.m. A. Flying Trip Mr G. J. Barton left yesterday on a brief visit to Melbourne. He will probably be absent about three weeks. Still Staying , Word has been received from Melbourne that A E. Didham has decided to abandon an immediate return to New Zealand, and hence will not attend the Dunedin spring meeting. Not a Wireless There are 52 wires connecting every ticket-issuer on the new totalisator at Trentham with the main machinery. , Greenwich The Chief Ruler filly Greenwich who won at Marton, is well named. Her dam, Summertime, was got by Grandcourt from Very Hot, by Grosvenor. the sire of Rosenor. Possibles The declaration of acceptances for the New Zealand Cup may sift the grain from the chaff, but will, no doubt, still leave some possible and potential stayers in the field.

The Dunedin Spring Meeting Acceptances are due to-day at 5 p.m. for the first day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s spring meeting. A payment is also due for the M'Lean Stakes and Dunedin Guineas. The New Zealand Cup Meeting An acceptance is due to-day for the New> Zealand Cup at 5 p.m., and nominations are also due for the principal handicaps to be decided at the meeting, and also for the Canterbury Cup At Caulfield Included in the colts’ division of the Caulfield Debutant' Stakes, to be run on October 10 are Colonel Dazzle and Cygnus Light, owned by, Mr W. T. Hazlett, and Sir Ken and Silver Bond owned by Mr G. J. Barton. Latitude The Polazel gelding Latitude is to be brought down from Riccarton to be included in the sale of the late Mr W. Crossan’s bloodstock, to be held on the off day ’“of the Dunedin spring meeting. Latitude won twice last season, and was also placed in 10 other races. ’ ' • Derby Prospects The Sydney Morning Herald sums up Derby prospec.ts as follows:—“ Gold Rod is assured of favouritism at short odds for the Derby, and the form in recent weeks entitles him 'to the position. Mala’s second to him at Randwick gives the colt a chance, and Shakespeare must also be considered Talking, Custos and Rob Roy seem certain runners. On form, they should hold all other starters fairly safely with Gold Rod outstanding.” Hands Up Hands Up, a winner at the Hawkesbury meeting last week, was bred at Elderslie and got by Night Raid from Red Shank, who came over from Australia to visit the son of Radium. Red Shank was bred to Iliad in 1933 and went back to Australia. She is the dam of Manfred and was got by Thrice from Red Streak, by Wallace from Elsie, the, first St. Simon mare to be imported to Australia. / Test of Stamina

It is rather interesting to note that some of the Australian critics are condemning ' horses as stayers when they are beaten over nine furlongs or less. A horse may be beaten for speed over a middle distance, but nevertheless be a good stayer when another half-mile or so is tacked on to a journey. A Bolt and Lucky Escape On Tuesday morning while F. Shaw’s team was being exercised on the road to the north of Wingatui, a stray heep suddenly startled the horses. F. Shaw who was riding Black Earl and leading Viking, got thrown. Slack EarJ and Viking bolted and they were joined in their flight by Forecast. Araboa and another, youngster Forecast turned into his stableyard and threw his rider, who sprained an ankle The others galloped on towards Mos giel. An approaching car turned them off the road to the railway line They cleared the cattle-stop and gal loped’ along until reaching a bridge when they stopped after going a mile Araboa was the only one to mffer damage. He pulled off a shoe and was sore in consequence. Viking was worked yesterday morning. F. Shaw escaped with a cut on the head, and had to receive medical attention, bui was on the course yesterday morning attending to the working of his team A Relation

A two-year-old half-sister by Nighi march to Cerne Abbas is in J. Ruttledge’s stable at Wingatui. She is known as Bonne Fortune and is a rather likely looking sort, but a bit on the leg and may require time. It is interesting to note the ownership, as the sportsman for whom the filly will race, won the New Zealand Cup with Wolverine in 1890, and in subsequent years raced Red Gauntlet, Blackstone Crichton, and others whom he brought over from Australia. Mounts at Kurow L. J. Ellis will be at the Kurow meeting, and will ride Southdown Brevity, and Silver Lark. He will be riding at Wingatui on Thursday next his mounts including Matoru. Greek Gold, and the two-year-old Lazybones and on Friday he will travel by air to Palmerston North, en route to Ellerslie, where he will be in action again on Saturday, Gallio, a likely can didate in the Great Northern Guineas, being one of his mounts. Other engagements for Kurow are as follows: — G. Humphries, Lord Nuffield, Wine Card, Polveraph; D. O’Connor, Polygraph (High-weight Handicap); M. Kirwan, Rosseau, Polydora; W Jones Rona Bay; C. Hughes, Redolent; A Parsons, Silver Slipper: R. Beale, Ada. More About Gustos

In commenting on the running of the Rosehill Guineas on September 19, “Pilot,” in the Sydney Referee, stated that Gustos, in third place, was plugging along in his usual fashion and he was only about a length and -half away from Shakespeare, compared with the four and a-half lengths Gold Rod beat him when conceding Him 71b in the Chelmsford Stakes. Applying that form Shakespeare would not have a good chance against Gold Rod at nine furlongs, and there is no sound reason for supposing he will do better than the latter at 12. Gustos is a place prospect. Racing is doing him good, and though he does not possess the dash of some of the Sydney three-year-olds, he has hung on well under pressure in his last two races. His owner, Mr C. N, Draper, was present at Rosehill, and should have been pleased with his showing. Speedy Youngsters According to reports from Melbourne. George Jones has two smart youngsters in training for Mr W. R. Kemball. One is a filly from Lady Quex, by Lord Quex from Miss Wayward, by Boni-form-—Lady Wayward 11, by Ladas, and the other is Sunny Morn, a colt by Siegfried from Enmity, by Gape Horn— Enned, by Demosthenes. Both youngsters won their heats at Caulfield, when 82 were sent down in 14 heats. Those that finish in front are not always the best, but at least it is a fairly good indication of merit. Some trainers arc never anxious to draw attention to their horses by winning gallops, but arc in a sense silent workers. As the old saw has it, “It isn’t the hen that cackles the most that lays the largest egg.” A Veteran Retires

Western Australia's 82-year-old trainer, Fred. Hill, has retired and the West Australian Turf Club has honoured him by allowing him to retain his trainer’s badge. Hill has been connected with horse racing in some form or another since just before entering his teens, and has had experience not only in Australia, but also in New Zealand, and India, while in the years that he took horses overseas he made a trip to America taking Sir

Modred there from Australia. Before taking up residence in Western Australia, he had been training in New Zealand. That was about 1916. Sir Modred was purchased at 2000 guineas by Mr J. B. Haggin, whose Rancho del Paso stud was then the largest in the world. Sir Modred was the first New Zealand-bred horse to go to America, and he was followed by his brothers, Idalium, Cheviot and July Sir Modred was a great success at the stud, but the others were only fairly successful. They were followed by the Musket—Ouida horse Artillery, and later by Maxim, for whom Mr Haggin paid 4000 guineas. Mr Haggin was so pleased with Maxim that he sent out the trotting stallion Del Pdso as a present to the late Sir George M'Lean for selecting. the son of Musket and Realisation. About the same time Mr Haggin offered Sir George M'Lean 1000 guineas for the use of the Musket— Pulchra horse St. Clair, who was then at the Warrington Stud. Sir George was then in San Francisco, and when this offer was made replied that “ be is only a small horse.” “I want his blood,” replied Mr Haggin. Sir George M'Lean raced Lady Evelyn (winner of the first Middle Park Plate), and also Pulchra’s second foal, St. Clair. Mr Haggin was on the right track when ho wanted St. Clair for his stud. Pulchra afterwards produced Formo. the dam of Multiform and Uniform, and also Forme, the dam of Cruciform. Epsom Favourite The Marne is now a substantial favourite for the Epsom Handicap, with the two New Zealanders Silver Ring and Sporting Blood on the top line of. Metropolitan quotations. The Sydney Morning Herald of September 24 says:— The market on the Epsom, Handicap after the races reflected the fact that of the fancies for that race The Marne is the only horse who has stood his ground through consistent form. Gay Lover and Panax are the latest failures. Gay Lover was the subject of a strong commission from Melbourne, and Panax came into favour by his second to The Marne in the Tramway Handicap. Their inability to fill a place in their races at Victoria Park yesterday caused their quotations to ease, and that of The Marne to firm a point. Bookmakers were frank about this year’s pre-post operations. One stated’that in his experience there had never been a year when so many favoured horses had been withdrawn or eased, to become outsiders, nor had so many horses come into the market on such advantageous terms to bookmakers. One retired bookmaker went further, stating that in times when the volume of pre-post betting overshadowed that in recent years books would be closed by now and they would be something to gloat over There was activity yesterday in the market. Before racing began, Black Laughter was backed at a long quotation for the Epsom Handicap, and Panax and Soft Step were coupled in a fashion suggesting knowledge. Soft Step was also supported straight out for the Metropolitan. Operations were suspended during the racing until bookmakers took stock. Prittle Prattle’s quotation was reduced to one-third of that on offer before he won ,the Zetland Stakes, but there was a general easing of quotations for the Metropolitan. Silver Ring was made equal favourite with Sporting Blood, and High Cross and Wykeham were a point easier.