RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Volume 25205, Issue 25205, 20 April 1943, Page 4

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

Two novices in Gundagai and Saldowa have been doing good work in their preparation for the Riverton meeting. Mr Clem Hill, who has been handicapper for the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, recently resigned owing to ill-health. The acceptances for the Beaumont meeting leave the fields well up to their original strength, and the card should provide interesting racing. In 1922 the locally-owned and trained Bonnie Winkie put up a race record of 2min 31sec in the Great Autumn Handicap. and it still stands. Only a select few have succeeded in winning the Easter and Autumn double. Lady Zetland (1894), Lady Lillian (1903), and Grand Knight (1926) complete the list. This year the Great Northern Steeples will carry a stake of £2500 and the Great Northern Hurdles one of £2OOO. The stakes for two days will total £11,030. The steeplechase has been increased by £SOO and the hurdles by £250. Tea for Two has been causing her trainer anxiety owing to unsoundness, and hence her absence from the Riverton acceptances. She was, however, among those worked at Riverton on Saturday. Three-year-olds are generally at their best in the autumn and sometimes reach their highest form at that stage of their career. Since 1893 20 three-year-olds have won the Great Easter, and since 1874 22 have won the Great Autumn. In connection with the three months’ suspension imposed on S. Green for alleged interference, the Waimate Racing Club was ordered to refund the £5 deposit and pay all expenses in connection with Green’s appeal. Green rode Sister Sal in the Stewards’ Hack Handicap and finished with a slipped saddle. It has been obvious for many years that stewards of a club seem to be very loath to alter a judge’s decision on. the ground of interference. This has cropped up again in connection with the Taranaki meeting. The stipendiary steward, Mr B. N. Sandilands, said he considered that Flying Ace was seriously interfered with by Embroider in the Timaru Hack Handicap and consequently lost by a head. The Judicial Committee of the club, and subsequently the District Committee, disagreed with the opinion of Mr Sandilands, whose appeal in the matter was disallowed. Ashburton County Racing Club: Nominations, for Autumn Meeting, to be held at Ashburton, close on Wednesday, April 21, at 8 p.m. Phone 61.—Advt.