RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23353, 19 November 1937, Page 13

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

At Wingatui The recent rainfall has had a beneficial effect on the Wingatui tracks. It settled in the silt that has been used to top-dress the course proper, and will create a better turf than what previously existed at Wingatui. So much so is that the case that a further fop-dressing along the straight could be used to advantage, The outside of the course proper was open for fast work yesterday morning, but very little took place. Hanlon was travelling better than Adena at the end of hall! a mile in 58 3-ssec. Grand Finale and Pink Robe covered seven furlongs in Imin 37 4-ssec. Song Boy Song Boy has built up in to a big and lusty sort, and now looks; in strong, robust condition. Wotan Wofan and Elanage leave Australia on December 1 to be raced at the Auckland Cup meeting. Jolly Beggar Jolly Beggar has rejoined the active brigade at Riccarton, and looks very big and lusty in condition. A Gift

A recent addition to G. Feilding’s stable is a seven-year-old gelding full brother to Last Link. He is a gift horse to the Wingatui trainer.

Lumiere Lumiere has. rejoined J. Cotter’s team at Wingatui. She has plenty of speed, but, up to date, does not carry it far enough. Latitude Latitude is getting through useful tasks at Wingatui in ■ the nope that he will stand another preparation. Gay Vixen Gay Vixen, a Ally by Gallant Fox, has built up and furnished out so well during, the past two or three weeks that she was unrecognisable yesterday morning. Grand Finale Grand Finale puts plenty of dash into his work on the track, and strides along under a puli in a manner suggesting that he would break records If let go. He does not, however, pull at the end of a race. Gold Digger Amongst the youngsiers in work at Wingatui is .a compactly-built brown two-year-old half-sister by Paper Money to Lord Nuffield. She should certainly be called Gold Digger, in being by Paper Money from Attractive Lady; Alma

Alma was cantered a couple of circuits on the inside grass at Wingatui yesterday morning. She looks none the worse for her racing at Riccarton, and, in fact, now looks more muscular than ever previously noticed. At Rest

Most of the Wingatui horses that raced at the New Zealand Cup meeting are having an easy lime at present. ' They deserve and require a spell after two or three races against the i strongest opposition that can be found in New Zealand. A Fine Filly The two-year-old half-sister by Lord Quex to Gold Trail and Desert Chief is gradually working into racing shape whilst being treated to little more than healthy exercise. Mr G. J. Barton paid 400 guineas for the filly as a yearling, and appears to hold good prospects of obtaining a bargain. A Likely Sort A recent addition to the active list at Wingatui is a two-year-old filly by Iliad from Caterpillar, bred and owned by Mr J. Richardson. The filly is in fine, robust condition, and displays a nice easy action in her slow paces. It will take some little time to get her into racing shape. She is being handled by P. Powell. Back Again F. W. Davis has returned to New Zealand with the team he took to Australia for the spring racing. The team, consisting of Francis Drake, Courtcraft, Aiwai, and Homily, did not do as well as it was hoped it would, but Homily was a good winner, and proved herself a smart juvenile. Courtcraft was expected to be hard to beat in the V.R.C. Derby, but lack of experience told o gainst him. He ran very greenly. ‘ gave definite indications, however, oi being good later. The Difficult Part Many years ago the writer asked a successful trainer: “ What was the most difficult thing to overcome in connection with training a horse.’ He replied: “Getting plenty of feed for them." Since then the writer has become very fully convinced that a change of diet and more of it and less fast work would help horses to get on the winning list. The Best After he won the Champagne Stakes, the London correspondent of the Blood Horse, U.S.A., expressed the view that Portmarnock was the best of his age in England. Portmarnock, a grand individual, is by Fairway out of Derk’s Double, by Bachelor's Double out of Dursilla. by The Tetrarch out of Sebenico, by William the Third He is thus most stoutly bred on the dam’s side, which may counteract any weakness which he may have through Fairway and Phalaris. The colt is not to race again this season, and he has already been installed favourite for the 1938 Derby. Star Lad Star Lad, winner of the Trial Stakes at Napier Park, is a three-year-old gelding bred on excellent staying lines. He is by Captain Bunsby from Lady Star. Lady Star is a daughter of Star Lady, who won the Great Northern Oaks, beating the New Zealand St. Leger winner Afterglow. Star Lady was by Demosthenes, who left a lot of good ones from the New Zealand Cup winner Lady Lucy, who descended from the Musket mare Hilda. S f ar Lady was the dam of the fine stayer Star Stranger. Although Star Lad is just out of the maiden class (says “ Carbine "> he* shapes as though he will become a good performer in middle distance hack races. He will take a while to reach his best. A Change of Fortune Lord Glanely, the millionaire owner, has appointed Michael Beary to be his first jockey for .next season. Behind this announcement lies a remarkable story of a man whose luck has turned (says the Daily Express). Less than a year ago Beax-y complained: “For two years I have been under a cloud. ‘ There’s something wrong with Beary.’

Trainers, when I asked them for mounts, have made excuses.” At that time his petition in bankruptcy was filed. Even then he had fought his way back, was once again a crack jockey. But, in his own words, “it was too late to catch up financially.” This year the luck changed in startling fashion. In January he married slim, graceful Eve Herbert. In April he was granted his bankruptcy discharge. And in June he won the Derby on Mrs Miller’s Midday Sun, Hie is riding better this season than he has ever ridden, and with half the term over he has had 50 successes. ■ Sir Barton

The death is reported of a one-time American champion in Sir Barton. In 1919. Sir Barton won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and the following season Man-o’-War, who was to win 20 of the 21 races ha contested, was taking everything before him as a three-year-old. A match was arranged near the end of that season, the Kenilworth Park Club (Windsor) making the successful bid by offering a stake of 75,000 dollars and a 5000dollar cup. The match was decided on October 12, 1920, and Man-o’-War thoroughly trounced the older horse at w.f.a. It is interesting to recall that the match was profitable to the Kenilworth Park people, as over 30,000 people paid five dollars each to witness it. Sir Barton was a younger half-brother by Star Shoot to Sir Martin, who looked almost a certain winner of the English Derby in 1909 when he fell after rounding Tattenham corner. He was owmed by Commander J. K. L. Ross, who sold him' after his defeat in the match with Man o’ War, and he was retired to the stud in Virginia as a five-year-old. Gordon Richards

Writing in Reynolds (London), “Bayardo" says that, notwithstanding he does so much race riding, Gordon Richards finds time to ride a lot of private gallops. “It is no uncommon occurrence,” says the writer quoted, “ for Richards to be at a northern race meeting in the afternoon, then travel south by aeroplane; ride early morning work at, say, Beckhampton. or other of the Berkshire or Wiltshire establishments, and then fly north for more racing later in the morning.” Despite his success, Richards does not suffer from a swollen head. “ Bayardo ” says this is a high tribute to his character, as “more than one jockey riding in England to-day, and enjoying a run of luck, develops that ‘£ 5 to talk to me ’ look, which only vanishes when good luck changes to bad.” “Bayardo ” says that one of the main secrets of Richards’s numerous narrow victories is that he uses a longer rein than most of his fellow riders. As a result, Richards’s mount can stretch its head that extra bit which often lands it in front. Richards uses the whip very little, though his energetic movements often give the impression to the contrary. A-Lucky Speculator Although The Trump started equal favourite with Hua and Sir Regent, actually he was not so bad a result as it would appear. For big double bookmakers he represented in many cases an absolute “skinner," for only in the last few weeks did he appear to be a Cup horse, and then the price of The Trump for the two Cups was prohibitive for most betters. It was estimated (says “Vedette”) that backing oil The Trump straight-out entailed a pay-out by the bookmakers in Melbourne of some £60,000, Mr Eccles did not support his horse very heavily considering he is or has been a very dashing better, and over the six races it was estimated that he won about £50,000. and the stakes amounted to £14,300. The drawer of The Trump in, one consultation met Mr Eccles on Cup morning and arranged to lay off £13,500 of the first prize. Strangely enough, this man arrived unknown in Melbourne and sought accommodation at the same hotel which was housing the drawer of Wotan in last year’s £50,000 sweep. The two men were introduced and discussed their experiences. There are 400.000 tickets in the two lotteries, and yet chance brought the holders of the winning tickets under the same roof in Melbourne on Cup Day. A Farcical Race

There was an angry outburst from the crowd on the flat and on the hill at Flemington on Saturday week after the horses passed the post in the C. B. Fisher Plate, with Black Mac winning from Sarcherie and Allunga and The Trump, a very hot favourite, last Those responsible for the disturbance called to the stewards to take action but the demonstration was not directed against any one horse. The race was farcical, and the sooner the Victorian Racing Club follows the lead of the Australian Jockey Club and places a penalty on the running of weight-for-age races at a snail’s pace, the better the public will be served (says an Australian writer). The mile and ahalf occupied 2min 42sec, against the Flemington record of 2min 29Jsec made by Gothic in the Fisher Plate some years ago. In the first two furlongs the spectacle of each of the five jockeys reefing at his horse in an endeavour to make any but his own mount the pacemaker was laughable. The official timekeeper announced afterwards that the first two furlongs took 35sec to run. Even Black Mac, notorious as a laggard early in a race, was pulling, ana it seemed that Sarcherie actually pulled away from her rider E McMenamin. when she went to the front near the mile and a-quarter. The second two furlongs took 27Jsec, and so did the next two. and the second last quarter occupied 25|sec,