RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25300, 10 August 1943, Page 5

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

Black Musk got out of his paddock after racing on Saturday and was not recovered until yesterday morning. It has been definitely decided that Treasurer will start in the Grand National Hurdles. Kronos has been suffering from an abscess on the jaw and hence his absence from the Winter Cup field. ■ He is making a recovery. Paladeo was prominent in the Winter. Cup up to the home turn, but then faded out and did not finish in the. first eight at the post. Included in L. George’s team at Hawera are Fort Royal, Meermint. and the two-year-old Killarney Boy. Fort Royal and Meermint are two maiden gallopers who should do well in their three-year-old careers. Piastre, the Auckland Cup winner of 1941, is doing impressive track work, and in all probability the Salmagundi gelding will have a special preparation for the New Zealand Cup. Dark Olga caught the tapes in the Winter Cup and did very well to finish close to the placed lot in such a big field. She is, however, inclined to dwell at the rise of the barrier. Sing Sing also caught the tapes and she is another who is inclined to dwell at the start. Colonel Rouge stripped his near foreleg when running in the Sydenham Hurdles, but fortunately without injuring the tendons. It is likely to be some time before he races again. The mishap was very bad luck, as the gelding had a good chance of winning at Riccarton. Donnybrook Fair appears to have dropped the bad habit of boring out when coming round the home turn, and was close to the rails at that stage in the Winter Cup. He finished on well, but failed to reach Bashful Lady. Amorlad failed to show up near the leaders during the Winter Cup, but the inevitable crowding in such a big field would not help the top-weight to get a clear run.Boloyna ran his best race up to date in the Winter Cup since being recommissioned. He pulled up apparently quite sound and will probably be improved by the race.

Coalition won the Great Northern Steeplechase with 12.5, the Wellington Steeplechase with 12.11, and the Grand National with 12.7. Beau Cavalier won the same treble, but carried only 9.7, 10.7, and 11.7. Valpeen and Billy Boy also won all three races, but not in the one year. The average cost of running the totalisator at Washdyke last season was slightly less than II per cent. The three clubs concerned saved a total of more than £IOOO on the percentage formerly paid under the contract system. Unfortunately the time taken to balance investments does not compare so favourably. The draw for the positions in the Winter Cup was: Amorlad 9, Boloyna 19, Bashful Lady 7. Kevin 12, Arctic Dawn 15, Iceland Spar 2, Fiddler’s Green 10, Dark Olga 6, Minority 5. Scottish Dale 18, Sing Sing 20, Town Survey 14, Palfrey 8, Lenardo 16, Paladeo 3, Silver Sox 4, Fairy Bard 13, Donnybrook Fair 17. Greenbank 11. and Foxbrae 1. Noko, the runner-up in the Grand National Steeples, is not a big horse, but he has displayed ability to carry weight. He is very stoutly bred, his sire, Sir Simper, being half-brother to Affectation, Gold Light, Razzle Dazzle, and other winners. Noko’s dam. Dark Marie, is by Tractor from Directorate, who produced successful jumpers in Frenchman, Apache, and Turamoa. Noko has frequently displayed ability in heavy going. In the long history of the Grand National Steeplechase only two amateur horsemen have been associated with the winner. In 1876 aMr Martelli, of Timaru, won on Royalty, and it was not till 1939 that the feat was equalled by Mr G. G. Beatson, of Hawke’s Bay, on Padishah. Mr Beatson was, however, not in the saddle when the Chief Ruler gelding completed the double by adding the Grand National Hurdles: A. E. Ellis, who had taken the event on Padishah twelve months earlier, was the rider. There have been several long-priced winners of the Winter Cup. and when King Star won in 1917 he ranked twentyfifth in the betting in a field of 27. On that occasion the Martian gelding beat the favourite, Parisian Diamond, by half a length, but whereas the latter went on to build up a good record King Star had no win again till two years later, as a hurdler. Solferite, the 1927 Cup, winner, ranked seventeenth favourite; Mount Boa was 16/13 in 1933, and Princess Doreen 22/24 in the following August.