RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23527, 16 June 1938, Page 17

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel Benevolent Dr M. G. Louisson’s colt by Beau Pere from Dignified has been named Benevolent. Polydora Polydora’s only win last season was In the steeplechase run at Oamaru. She has been nominated for this season’s race. Chaste The Cape Horn mare Chaste, who is engaged at Oamaru, won over hurdles at the Geraldine spring meeting, Lord Hawke It is understood that the Winning Hit gelding Lord Hawke has been purchased by a Dunedin owner. Lord Hawke has been nominated for the Oamaru meeting. Winners Winners at the Dunedin winter meeting who are engaged at Oamaru include Corban. Donadea, Valmarch. Silver Slipper, and Balmenter. A. Southern Note Trebleack is back in work, and Milford and Paladino are booked to rejoin R McLellan’s stable in the near future Waitoru will not be raced again until next season. Master Hotspur The Ringmaster—lmpetuous rising two-year-old colt has been named Master'Hotspur. Impetuous was got by Limond from Pennon, and so Master Hotspur belongs to a very successful family. The Oamaru Meeting

The nominations received for the Oamaru Jockey Club meeting to be held on July 2 should supply, a card of good fields. A special train from Dunedin will run in connection with the meeting. Ortyx

The John Grgg Stakes winner Ortyx has been nominated for the Oamaru meeting. After winning her first race Ortyx did not win again. She started 13 times for one win, one second, and six times third The Baker

The Croupier colt engaged in the John Grigg Stakes has been appropriately named The Raker. His dam, Kippit Lee. was got by Arausio from Snowshoe, by Kilbroney—Snowstell. by Clanranald. Taxation

Taxation paid through the Auckland Racing Club for the Great Northern meeting totalled £15,554, made up of: Totalisator tax, £7080; dividend duty, £7743; stakes tax, £111; and amusement tax. £620, Caulfield

Negotiations have been completed for the purchase by the Victoria Amateur Turf Club of properties belonging to Messrs S. O. Wood and J. P. Arthur on the south-western side of the course at Caulfield. This will enable the club greatly to increase the area of the course when the committee deems it expedient. The properties to be enclosed lie between the seven and nine-furlong posts, parallel to Booran road.

John Grigg Stakes The John Grigg Stakes, to be run at the Ashburton spring meeting, may be deemed a bit early in the season but nevertheless 20 youngsters apparently displaying tendency to show early speed remain in the race after the first forfeit. From Wingatui

It is seldom that Wingatui horses are seen out at Ashburton except at the spring meeting, which is followed by Geraldine supplying two days. The winter meeting at Ashburton has attracted nominations from Wingatui in the shape of Travenna, Last Link, Lord Hawke, Our Pal, Valantua, Strip, and Valmarch, Culverden

The Shambles gelding Culverden, who is engaged in the steeplechase to be run at Oamaru, has started five times this season without gaining a place. He is an aged gelding from Heath Lass, who is a half-sister to Pitprop and also the dam of Royal Saxon and Hounslow. Culverden was foaled in 1928. Soho

A recent winner in Soho is regarded as likely to add to his win over hurdles when making his first attempt over the sticks. His wins on the flat this season include the Duke of Gloucester Cup and Napier Cup. Soho is a five-year-old gelding by Defoe from St. Anne, by St. Savin—Conceit, by Boniform —Lady Wayward 11. Southland’s Success

A feature of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting was the success achieved by Southland jumpers, who won flye steeplecha-e events and two of the three hurdle events on the programme. In three of the cross-country events they filled all the places The gallopers did not race up to expectations, however, and their only wins were in the novice event on the first and second days. Southland horses won nine races, were placed 20 other times, and secured £1770 in stakes Full o’ Scotch

Full o’ Scotch, who created a good impression by his winning form over hurdles at Auckland, was got by Raceful, one of the few sons of Martian that sired winners. It is a remarkable fact that while Martian was one of the best sires in the world, his mantle has never been successfully worn by any of his sons. On the other hand. Martian mares have been good producers, but some of his sons may not have received sufficient opportunity to carry on the line. Warplane. Danube. Reputation, and others got by Martian were good performers, bid some of his best, such as Sasanof and Ranine were deprived of a chance to make good at the stud. Raceful was got by Martian from Rose Red, a sister to Ukraine, the dam of Sasanof.

Chokebore Lodge The Chokebore Lodge stables has always turned out successful two-vear-olds. and for next season a strong team has been taken up. At present six youngsters are in the stable, but according to the Star-Sun none of them have been sprinted. Winning Rival is by Bulandshar from Rivalry, dam of Rival Hit, sold early this season for Sydney, where he won recently. Great Swoop is by Magnus from Swoopalong. dam of Sky Pilot, a promising steeplechaser last winter. Jameaux Ravine is by Winning Hit from Brave Deed, so is of the same family as Zeebrugge and Falkland, two smart but unlucky horses. Gay Hind is by Magnus from Winsome Hind, a young matron, a halfsister to Wild Chase. Dress Parade, a sister to Nightdress, by Nightmarch from Ball Dress, is getting her preliminary education. The other youngiter in the stable is Rebel Lass, by Robespierre from Toti dal Monte, therefore a sister to Rebel Lad, a good performer a few seasons ago. This

filly is owned by Mr W. Connolly, of South Canterbury, who purchased Toti dal Monte some time ago. A Quartet F. D Jones has four rising two-year-olds in his team, and report stales they are a likely lot. Night Shift, a colt by Nightly from Minehead. is small, but shapes well. Her dam is a halfsister to Pitprop, a very good galloper of English breeding. This filly was bred by her trainer, whu ;s a partner with Mt E G. McCullough in a pro mising colt oy Myosotis from Moorbird. A filly by Lord Warden from Anthem is a sister to Viking, and looks a promising galloper. A colt by Excitement from Calcite has been in the stable only a few weeks, having been bought at the Sydnej Easter sales. He is a good sort, though not tried yet. It is of interest to recall that his dam, Calcite, an imported mare by Rock Flint, was trained by Jones. Calcite’s yearling colt will be raced by Mr H. S. Williams, well known in Christchurch business circles. He has a wide circle of friends, who will wish him well in his first venture as an owner. Brush Fences

I have it on good authority (says a Melbourne writer) that the Grand National Steeplechase will take place at Flemington early in July if any of the entrants survive the preliminary events. If a few more steeplechases were staged at Williamstown there would not be many horses left to contest the big event at Flemington. The autumn ’chase at the seaside course was a shambles, and one that promised food for the lions at the zoo from the day entries were taken. Nowadays there are not opportunities for trainers to school jumpers over solid fences on any other track than Williamstown. consequently most of the runners in a steeplechase on that course are facing obstacles quite beyond thcix capabilities. All committeemen at Williamstown are humane; no doubt they will conform to brush fences after the recent disastrous race. Bare Performances For a hurdler to win three races at a meeting is a rare enough performance tc attract widespread attention when it is accomplished, and the performances of Full o’ Scotch at Ellerslie nave given rise to much discussion. They recall a similar feat performed at Riccarton in 1933, when the Thurnham gelding, Hounslow, won the Trial Hurdles on the first day under 10.6, the Grand National Hurdles on the second day, carrying 9.0, and finally the Sydenham Hurdles with 10.10. A similar achievement was that of Explorer at the Ellerslie summer meeting of 1921-22, Explorer, an aged gelding by Kenilworth, took the Grafton Hurdles on the opening day, carrying 10.8, did not race on the second day, won the New Year Hurdles under 11.8, and the Auckland Hurdle Handicap, with the weight of 12.2, on the final day. As A. Jenkins was associated with Full o’ Scotch in his unusual treble, so was W. Pascoe the jockey of Hounslow and Stan. Reid the ridei of Explorer.

Schooling Fees A conference remit sponsored by the Wairio Jockey Club reads: —“Owners and/or trainers shall pay to recognised hurdle or steeplechase riders a fee of 5s each time they are engaged to school horses over one or more hurdles or steeplechase fences. This rule shall not apply in cases where an owner or trainer has any engagement with any rider permanently employed in his stable to school horses under the trainer’s care nor in cases where the trainer’s horses are ridden at hunts by riders in their permanent employment.” This remit has a good deal to recommend it. Where no such fee is paid, owners often feel under an obligation to put up a rider with little race experience because he has schooled a horse. This many times results in a race being lost, and in the long run is expensive. On the other hand, boys can hardly be expected to educate horses, at risk of injury, if their only reward is to see better horsemen engaged on race days. Australian Stakes

Entries taken this week by the principal racing clubs in Australia are for events worth nearly £IOO,OOO in stakes These Include the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, Epsom Handicap, and Metropolitan, and also races for which present yearlings will be eligible. Some of these are to be run in 1940. The comparison of prize money between New South Wales and Victoria is most Interesting. Sydney races carrying £32,512 will receive the attention of owners; while the aggregate prize money given by Victorian clubs for which entries vyill close is £59,850. In Sydney the A.J.C. plays a lone hand as far as big stakes are concerned. Only two suburban courses, apart from Warwick Farm, which is controlled by the A.J.C., stage important events in the spring. They are Canterbury and Rosehill, each of which stages a Guineas. The V.R.C., the principal club in Victoria, is well supported by the other suburban clubs m the spring. The V.A.TC. stages the Caulfield Cup of £6500, Toorak Handicap of £IOOO, Caulfield Guineas of £2600, and Debutant and Debutante Stakes each of £IOOO. Moonee Valley has a £2500 cup. and WilliamStown a £3OOO cup Owners had a large variety of races in which to enter their yearlings. In Sydney there are 13 races—nine at Randwick and two at Warwick Farm, and one each at Rosehill and Canterbury In Victoria there are 12. In addition, there are several in South Australia and Queensland. The 11 events to be run by the A.J.C. carry £20.100 in prize money. Entries are free, but it costs £1 to scratch at the first acceptance. Last year 3289 nominations were received for these events. It will be seen, therefore, that clubs do not fare too badly with these races Protecting the Punter

If the question of highly fancied horses being scratched after accepting for races was brought under the notice of the Victoria Racing Club from the place card angle, that body would say “We have no jurisdiction over ofl'-the course betting, which is illegal." From what I could glean at Williamstown (savs a Melbourne writer) dozens of people who had had a little place-card flutter before leaving home had their hopes shattered by the scratching of Bas Rhin. Sir Muslin, and, last, but not least. Black Mac. Whatever the reasons. the scratching of these horses undoubtedly did play into the hands of the place-card merchants. My idea is that the racing authorities should keep their customers satisfied Nothing will undermine the morale of racegoers more quickly than that they get it “ under their skin ” that the servants of the ruling body—by that I mean the owners, trainers and iockeys—are not doing the right thing. The place-card business has grown to such proportions that one often hears it said that such and such an owner received £IOO to accept with his horse and then scratch it on the course. An owner is. of course, entitled to run his horse in whichever events he pleases, but surely the connections of Black Mac couk have made an early morning decision as to whether Adelaide o - ; Williamstown was to be his mission. In fact, they could have made up their minds before acceptance day. Hundreds of punters, believing that the horse was going to run, coupled him in doubles with other runners and lost their money. The sooner owners, trainers and

jockeys, and also the administrators, realise that it is the public that keeps racing going, the less chance the sport in Victoria will have of getting to the low ebb it is in other States. "It Pays to Ad”ertise ” Barney Allen, the one-time Golden King of the Ring in Australia, was a great believer in publicity and that it pays to advertise. He bought Lochiel with the object of riding the great son of Prince Charlie in the Grand National Hurdles. Lochiel met with a mishap and could not start, and afterwards became as great a sire as he was a racehorse. Allen relates in his reminis cences. published in a Melbourne paper, that a mining man In Tasmania who liked a flutter on the turf was in the habit of doing business with me. On more than one occasion he too’ my advice and backed winners with other bookmakers. With the idea of reciprocating, he put me on to a mining investment that nearly put me among the millionaires. Without seeing the mine, I put up £IOO,OOO to finance the Mount Brookstead mine, from which lease gold, tin, and cooper was supposed to be oozing An English syndicate had the show undex oiler for £2,000.000. and actually had £50,000 up for an option: but the South African war suspended negotiations, which eventually fell through Anyhow. I got the optic n money As 1 lost close on £60.000 in that venture it can be said that my mining friend’s tip was not as good as those I gave him. Still, almost everyone in .Australia hoard of Barney Allen’s mining flutter and it was good advertising for me and my business. Another advertising investment ot mine that proved costly before I was finished with it was my Dartmouth stud. The property covered 1900 acres, and cost me over £IOO,OOO. It was situated near Muswellbrook (N.S.W.), with seven miles of frontage to the river. T had 500 acres of lucerne land, growing more than any other at the time £20,000 worth of machinery was on the property, with an elaborate pumping plant to water the flats. Mine was the largest individual irrigation plant in the Commonwealth at the time, and 500 cows were milked in the four spacious dairies. The property carried 2500 sheep, while sufficient millet and rape was grown to feed them. He refused an offer of £BO,OOO for Dartmouth, and afterwards sold it for much less.