RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23220, 18 June 1937, Page 13

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel , Ashburton Handicaps for the Ashburton winter meeting are due on the 19th. At Caulfleld Royal Order and Desert Chief are amongst the nominations for a meeting to be held at Caulfleld to-morrow. Silver Ring Silver Ring, who has been off the scene at Greymouth *or some weeks, is shortly to be put into work again by J. Stewart, who hopes to have him i-acing once more at the spring meetings. Hostage The Night Raid gelding Hostage is showing improvement in his schooling over fences at Riccarton. His dam Royal Delight, was got by Royal Fusilier—The Brat, by Stepniak—Merisette. by Medallion—Huguenot. Rigging the Scales In referring to Revenue's win in the , Melbourne Cup, "Chiron" says in the latest issue of the Australasian: "He was supposed to have been receiving 251 b from San Fran, who, with his penalty; was sup Dosed to be carrying 9.7 and Revenue 7.10. There has long been a suspicion that the weights were nearly equal, as at that time the scales were being manipulated on some of the racecourses, and Flemington was one of them.*' Riding Fees . Few jockeys are ever likely to experience the wonderful run S. Henderson had at the Great Northern meetings in 1927 and 1928. In 1927 he earned in riding fees during the meeting £319. and the following year he fared even better, and in fees alone earned £433. which is easily a record for the Dominion, and nothing like it has been lifted by another jumping rider at a single meeting. A Son of Solario The results of the English classics this season have been very gratifying to Mr L. S. Otway. of Cambridge, as his young sire, Vermeer, is by Solario, who sired Mid-day Sun, winner of the Derby, and Exhibitionist winner of the One Thousand Guineas and the Oaks. Vermeer. who will go to the stud at Cambridge this season, is the only son of Solario in New Zealand. Broadcasting While speaking at the social evening of the Auckland Owners, Breeders and Trainers' Association last week, Dr W. C. King, well-known Auckland veterinarian, said that while in Sydney recently he learned that broadcasting had become a menace to racing. It had greatly reduced the attendances at race meetings, and the same effect had been noticeable at football matches He urged the authorities to take note of Australian conditions before it was too late in New Zealand. The fact that the Racing Conference Funds received £9OO in fees will materially help to keep broadcasting in use in New Zealand. Wallace Carbine's best son got in Australia was Wallace, who was himself a highclass horse, a winner over a wide range of distances. He had a long stud career, his progeny racing for 29 seasons, during which they won 975 races. Stakes during most of that period were much smaller than they are to-day, so it was-a remarkable achievement'that enabled his progeny to win £276,677 in prize-money. His best season was 1911-12. when 23 of his progeny won 70 races, with stakes totalling £26,743. Llmond Horses sired by Limond have been racing for 12 years. In that period they have won 302 races in New Zealand, worth £100.252. and 216 in Australia, worth £146,110, a total of 518 races, with stakes totalling £246,362. His best New Zealand season was 1930-31. when his stock won 49 races, with £16.033 10s, while 1931-32 was the best in Australia, with 26 races, worth £24.332. Loath to Leave D. Munro. one of Sydney's leading jockeys, has received an offer to ride in India and other countries. A remunerative retainer was mentioned in the overtures. Although Munro has not made a decision, he has said that he was disinclined to accept at the moment. He added that he was not in a position to disclose the source of the offer, but would be required to leave here on June 25 to ride in India, fnd then probably go to France and England. "It will mean that I would be away from Sydney for more, than three years, and I am not favourable to so long an absence from Australia." Munro also stated that he believed that the retainer mentioned was the largest offered to an Australian jockey to ride abroad. First Oaks Winner To the familiar shouts of " Come on, Steve," the veteran Steve Donoghue. ridinct Exhibitionnlst, won his first Oaks p.nd his fourteenth classic. This will probably be his last important victory, as his retirement is expected at the end of the season. Lithe, skilful, and cheery as ever, Donoghue flew to Chantilly (France) on Tuesday to ride in a race in the morning, returning by air to ride at Lewes in the afternoon. Exhibitionnist's owner (Sir Victor Sassoon) is reported to have offered Donoghue the post of permanent trainer on his retirement from the saddle. The curious spelling of Exhibitionnist, who was foaled in .France, is due to an error on the part of the French clerk. The Betting Business " For many years one matter that was discussed at nearly every annual meeting of the New Zealand Racing Conference was whether or not it was in the best interests of racing that the licensing of bookmakers under conditions to be approved by the conference should be allowed by law; but for the second year in succession there Isi. no reference to this contentious topic in the scheduled list of remits fotf, next month's conference." writes " Bangitira" in the Evening Post. "There is also no remit that might indicate the desire of racing executives for extended totalisator facilities such as the power to set up doubles betting." Totalisator Turnovers Auckland Racing Club's present seasonv;was concluded last Saturday. During the 11 days' racing at Ellerslie this year the totalisator handled £508,128. an increase of £107,011 on last year's figures, and an increase of £178,888 on the figures for two years ago. The return is the more satisfactory as Easter Saturday was lost this year because of a postponement or. account of weather, and the autumn figures v/ere down nearly £20,000 as a result on last year's turnover. Thi? year's increase, expressed as a percentage, is nearly 22 per cent. The Canterbury Jockev Club's investments for the year amounted to £419.171. as against £322,216 last year, an increase of- J? 96.955. and against £272.319 two years ago. The Wellington Racing Club's total to date for this season is £406.513, but this will be consider- | ably increased at next month's meeting. Flemington Fences Steeplechasing will come into its own again when the fences on all the other courses are standardised and conform to those now in use at Fleming-

ton. With really solid brush fences everywhere similar to those at Flemington, trainers will have an inducement to make their horses real jumpers before starting them in steeplechases, as they do not when only partly schooled. It is the existence of the flimsy fences (says a Melbourne paper) which incites trairiers to start horses in steeplechases with very little preliminary schooling, because they take the view that the horses can be educated with little risk over the easy brush fences, which can be readily brushed through. That cannot be done v/ith the Flemington fences. It is a course which calls for real jumping ability, and trainers are awakening to the fact that they must educate their steeplechasers if they want to race them over Flemington. Irish Comet

Irish Comet is by Day Comet, sire of the previous Great Northern Steeplechase winner (Aurora Borealis), as well as many other good jumpers. His dam, Rape of the Lock, is a Stud Book mare. She is by the Australianbred Spalpeen, another noted sire of jumping stock, from Golden Tress, by Nelson from Fresole, by Ingoman from Florence, by Papapa from Marchioness. The good performers of this line have included Lottie, winner of the Auckland Cup; Maheno, Great Northern Oaks; and Sport Royal, Adelaide Cup. Through Lottie came St. Amans and Glen Albyn. The family still is fairly well represented in the Auckland district. As Irish Comet followed up his Great Northern win by taking the Winter Steeplechase, it is obvious he is a performer above average class, and he will be a welcome visitor if he is sent to Riccarton in August. A Chance

A chance for maiden performers is again supplied by the Wellington winter programme. The Trial Plate of 300sovs, is for two-year-olds and upwards that have not won a stake exceeding £SO to the winner prior to time of entry. It is followed v/ith another chance in the shape of the Novice Handicap, of 300sovs, for horses that have not won prior to entry a stake exceeding £ 100 to the winner. Mixed Fortunes

The Dunedin winter meeting was surrounded by good and bad luck. The track was in good winter condition during the week prior to the meeting, but bad weather made the going anything but enticing for punters to loosen the purse string. Good luck came in the shape of favourable weather for the three days' racing, and then came another break in the weather. Despite all drawbacks, Mr L. G. Hill states that the meeting resulted in a useful profit, sufficient to supply encouragement and the sinews of war to carry on next season on progressive lines. Success in the Saddle

The fine performance of J. F. Fergus in riding five winners, three seconds, and a third at the Auckland Racing Club's winter meeting revived memories of the excellent feats of S Henderson in the years 1927 and 1928. Henderson piloted six winners and two seconds at the meeting in 1927 and five winners, two seconds and a third in 1928. Henderson's successes at the 1927 meeting included the Jervois Handicap on Town Guard, the Cornwall Handicap on Lomint, the Ranfurly Handicap on Golden Krist, the Great Northern Steeplechase on Beau Cavalier, the Orakei Hurdles on Kamehameha, and the York Handicap on Master Doon, while he rode Archibald into second place in both the Great Northern Hurdles and the Remuera Hurdles. In 1928 Henderson won the Hunt Club Hurdles, the Great Northern Steeplechase, and the Winter SteeDlechase on Glendov/ie, the Green Lane Steeplechase on Kamehameha. and the Great Northern Hurdles on Beau Cavalier, besides being second nn Kamehameha in the Tamaki Steeplechase, and on Aberfeldy in the Remuera Hurdles, and third on Oscar in the Fitzroy Handicap.

Related to Derby Winner The late Mr J. B. Reid imported several mares from England for the Elderslie Stud, and amongst them were two that were closely related to Midday Sun, the winner of this year's Derby. They were Prank and Mint. Prank was got by Picton from Spree 11, by St. Frusquin from Bridget, by Master Kildare—Violet Melrose. Mint was got by Mintagon from Brig of Ayr. by Ayrshire from Santa Brigada, the granddam of Mid-day Sun. Spree II is a three-quarter sister to Santa Bridget. At the dispersal sale held at Elderslie in 1919 Prank was sold at 475 guineas to the Douglas estate and Mint at 500 guineas to Mr T. H. Lowry. Mint became the dam of Egyptian Flower, and Prank produced Kilrush. During the Great War there was a slump in bloodstock in England, and in addition to the two above-named mares Mr Reid also imported Grey Linnet (dam of Songbird), Sprig o'f Erin, Brisselette. Orange Pippin, Christmas Rose, Esther, Rouette, Flowery Speech, and Symbolism. Grey Linnet sold at 750 guineas, Sprig of Erin at 500 guineas, Brisselette at 450 guineas. Orange Pippin at 650 guineas, Mint at 500 guineas, Christmas Rose at 310 guineas, Esther at 500 guineas, Flowery Speech at 800 guineas, and Symbolism at 775 guineas.