RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23671, 1 December 1938, Page 15

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel FIXTURES December 3.—Otaki Maori R.C. December 10.—Hororata R.C December 10, 12.—Woodville District J.C December 17.—Waipa R,C December 24, 26, 27.—Manawatu R.C. December 26. -Waipukurau J.C. December 26 27.—Dunedln J.C. December 26 27.—Taranaki J.C. December 26, 28.—Auckland R.C. December 28.—Westland R.C. December 31.—Wairarapa R.C. December 31.—Greymouth J.C. December 31.—Hawke's Bay J.C, 1939. Janu-.ry z, 3.—AucKlano R.C. January 2.—Wairarapa R.C. Janary 2.—Greymouth J.C. January 2.—Hawke's Bay J.C. January 2.—Waikoualtl R.C. January 2.—Wyndham R.C. January 2. 3.—Stratford R.C. January 2, 3.—Marton J.C * January 3. —Oamaru J.C. January 3 I.—Southland R.C. January 4, 7.—Reefton J.C. January 13, 14.—Vincent J.C. January 14— Cllfdeir R.C. January 19. 21, 23.—Wellington R.C. January 21—Wairio J.C January 21, 23.—Thames J.C. January 23.—Ashhurst-Pohanjjina R.C. January 27. 28.—Pahiatua R.C. Silver Stick Silver Stick, who shaped well at Feilding, was got by Beau Fere from Silver Rule by Chief Ruler—Silver Link. Varimond Varimond, who won on the second day at Feilding, was got by Limond from Variable by Pombal—Motley by Absurd—Pennon. Padishah Padishah may be taken over to run in the Australian Hurdle Race, decided over three miles and a-quarter. Time Limit There is a time limit attached to the West Australian Derby and if exceeded the stake is cut by .25 per cent No Favourite So far a favourite has not been found for either the Auckland Cup or Railway Handicap. More interest will be aroused after the declaration of acceptances. "Trophies" Christmas hams will be presented to the trainers of winners at the Menangle Park (New South Wales) races to be held on December 6. Entries for the fixture will close at 4 p.m. next Monday. Wild Chase Wild Chase was second to Cerne Abbas in the New Zealand Cup of 1937 when giving 171 b. They are handicapped at a difference of 131 b in the Auckland Cup. Catalogue The Melbourne Cup winner Catalogue will probably make his next appearance in the Wellington Cup. Last year Padishah 7.9 beat Catalogue 8.3 by a length and a-half in 2mm 31sec. galamundi The Southland stallion Salamundi had a winning representative at Kensington Park in Lady Warramar, who started favourite. Theory, the dam of Lady Warrama.was got by Tressady— Formula by Multiform. Rapid Betting A new totalisator being completed at Wembley, the leading dog racing stadium in England, will cost about £ 100,000. When working at full pressure it will be capable of registering 27.000 bets in 2s units every minute. Mlltiades The race won at Kensington Park by Mr R. B. Greenslade'B colt Miltiades wa3 worth £63 to the winner. The Auckland Cup Arctic King, who won the New Zealand Cup with 8.1, has received a lift of 91b in the weights for the Auckland Cup. He beat The Buzzer a head in the New Zealand Cup, and the latter comes in on 31b better terms. Quadroon Quadroon's win at the Wellington spring meeting has not been overlooked as he has been sent up 81b on the 7.10 allotted in the New Zealand Cup. Arctic King 91b, The Buzzer 81b, and Quadroon 81b have received the most substantial increases on the weights for the New Zealand Cup. Poundage When Padishah won the Metropolitan Handicap he outclassed the field at the weights, and apparently the further he went the more decisive the win. In the Auckland Cup Padishah meets The Buzzer on 61b and Willie Win on 81b worse terms. Sly. Fox Sly Fox, who took charge of his rider in the New Zealand Cup, and led intS the straight, and repeated the offence in the Fendalton Handicap, is in the Auckland Cup at 7.3, or 31b more than he carried in his ifirst start at Riccarton. Sly Fox was handicapped at 8.6 in the Metropolitan Handicap. Gold Trail The Auckland Cup winner Gold Trail has produced a colt to Tiderace. She missed twice to Pantheon. Tiderace is an imported horse by Fairway from Panic by Hurry On—Volcanic, by Corcyra. A Recovery A recent winner at Kensington Park, Sydney, was a mare named Welcome, who 15 months ago broke a sesamoid bone in her near foreleg. She received veterinary treatment, and was given a long spell and then put in training again, with successful results. Nightcalm broke a sesamiod bone when racing on the last day of the New Zealand Cup meeting, and it is to be hoped that he will become sound again. The case of Welcome in Sydney creates hope for the New Zealand horse. A Punter These days, the recognised meaning of the word " punter" is a man who bets in a rather big way, but compare this with the folowing definition taken from an English publication of 50 years ago:—"A 'punter' means a person who speculates for small amounts. At baccarat or on the turf he operates generally for shillings, half-crowns, or crowns, or the smallest amount the banker or Do'okmaker will accept. In this way he is distinguished from the 'plunger.' who operates for large amounts."

New Zealand Bred One of the best of the early two-year-olds in Western Australia this season is Saint Warden, a bay colt by Lord Warden from the Silverado-r-Starmist mare Halo. Saint Warden was sold at the January sales at Trentham for 325gns, his purchasers being Messrs; S. J. and N V. Mills, the owners of Footmark. At the recent W.A.T..C. meeting in Perth he was sent out second favourite for the Hamelin Handicap, five furlongs in which he carried top weight, and he beat the favourite, a filly named Apt, to whom he was conceding 31b. At Woodville Nominations for the two principal events on the first day of the Woodville Jockey Club's summer meeting have been received as follows: Bolton Handicap, of £2OO. One mile and a-quarter.—Entail, Helen Ford, Cricket, Hunting Cat, Royal Minstrel, Wotan. Curie, The Buzzer, The Bigot, Jazz Boy. Arctic King. Linguist, Glenthawn. Charade, Big Dook, Pladie. Corroboree, Skyway. Granvale. Happy Landing, Tidewaiter. Oete Handicap, of £l6O. Six furlongs.—Taurangi, Smoke Screen. Icing. Lucullus Lad. Red Sand, Lifeguard, Joviality. Courtcraft, Padishah, Fossicker, Black Thread. Gay Son, Quadroon. Export. Lady Montana. Armed! Punters What must have been a remarkable race meeting was that held at Landi Kotal, in the Khyber region, on a hot Sunday in September. Three of the chief races were run over two miles and a-half, while the Khyber Metropolitan Stakes was for heavyweight mules, which ran two furlongs and a-half. According to advices received by the Horse and Hound: "There was a tremendous concourse of natives—of the male sex only—and many of them brought their best friends with them, in the shape of a rifle and belts of ammunition. Yet the utmost good fellowship reigned, and the Royal Corps of Signals announced everything through loudspeakers in three languages—English, Urdu, and Pushtu. There was also a tote' .for 4-anna tickets only, paying out for wins and places—altogether an amazing, yet typically English, scene." Remedy Required It is anything but a compliment to the control of racing in Victoria when the Sydney Referee representative states that "the ranks of present-day Victorian apprentices include some of the poorest riders seen for many a year, and few, judging, on their recent efforts, look like going far in their profession. Their woeful efforts in the Altona Trial at Williamstown paled into insignificance, as compared with their showing in the Ormond Handicap at Caulfield. The majority of the youngsters had no idea what to do when making the home turn, and concentrated on keeping their seat. One stipendiary steward said to me, 'They made the turn like corkscrews.' Aptly put. Blame for the poor quality of apprentice can be attached to the fact that there are too many owner-trainer permits. An owner-trainer need have no previous knowledge of racing (in the true sense). How then can they instruct youngsters when they do not know the first thing about it themselves? 'Bootmaker stick to his last' is trite, but true." The Time Test Famous trainer, Charles Morton, had no illusions on the subject of the timetest for determining the relative merit of horses of different periods. In his book, "My Sixty Years Of the Turf" (Hutchnison and Co.), he refers to the difference made in times by the introduction of the " crouch" seat. He claims that this method of riding was used by Fred Archer's great rival, George Fordham, before Tod Sloan and Reiff came over from America, "but English trainers were slow to make their apprentices adopt such a method before the Americans showed them beyond all shadow of doubt that it was of immense assistance to a horse. " Nobody who has seen or remembered the great horses of the last 50 years would dream of saying that the average classic winners of to-day are in the same class as such horses as Ormonde. Isinglass, and Flying Fox,' adds Morton. "Yet it is an indisputable fact that the St. Leger of to-day is run anything from 10 to 15 seconds faster than when the mighty Ormonde won it in 1886. Mr Joel's horse, Black jester, for instance, won the race in 1914 in 3min 2-ssec. It took Ormonde 3min 21 2-ssec. Fond as I am of Black Jester, having trained the horse myself. I could not be so optimistic as to imagine him to be anything like Ormonde. Yet, according to the difference in times. Black Jester would have beaten the Duke of Westminsters champion by about two furlongs.'