RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25384, 16 November 1943, Page 2

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

Handicaps for the minor events on the New Zealand Cup card are due on Friday. Acceptances for the Southland Racing Club's spring meeting are due to-day. Invulnerable has been training on satisfactorily for his engagement in the New Zealand Derby. The six-year-old gelding Ever England broke his back last week through rearing up and over-balancing. The Riverton-trained filly Royal Flight is reported to be going on the right way in her preparation. Close on half a hundred two-year-olds have been nominated for the Pioneer Handicap, to be run on the second day of the New Zealand Cup meeting. Amorlad, who dropped out of the New Zealand Cup. has been nominated for the Riccarton Handicap. He was not considered forward enough to run over two miles. A final payment of £2O is due for the New Zealand Cup on Monday, and one of £9 for the Stewards' Handicap. Acceptances for the minor events on the first day’s card also fall due on the same day. The national yearling sales will be spread over two days in January, when 252 youngsters will comprise the catalogue. The sales will take place on January 15 and 22, the Friday prior to each day’s racing at Trentham. Wingatui horses nominated for the minor events on the New Zealand Cup programme include Invincible, Lady Don, Boolamskee, Nightcalm, Kohara. Young Bob Silver Mask, Cerne Minster, First In. Riding Home. Pajadeo. Night Lancer, and Prince Leighon. On different occasions The Joker has proved himself a good stayer. He was well up in the field for the first part of the Melbourne Cup. and the fact augured well for his chance, but his name escaped mention after rounding the turn into the back stretch, a mile from home. The Flemington course is egg-shaped, and possibly The Joker struck trouble when the Held was making the sharp turn. With anything like favourable track conditions The Joker would not have experienced any great trouble in staying two miles in 3min 23Jsec if he had undergone a satisfactory preparation. He had to race in the Melbourne Cup under difficulties. The voyage to Melbourne was made under conditions which gave him a setback in his preparation, and a horse has to be thoroughly fit and well to race successfully against a big field in the Melbourne Cup. Carbine made history tn more ways than one during his turf career in Australia. After an unbeaten record as a two-year-old his defeat in the Victoria Derby by Ensign proved a very costly experience for his New Zealand admirers. Various stories were in circulation as to how and why Carbine suffered defeat in the Victoria Derby Some attributed it to the colt being short of a gallop because his owner wished to keep his merit as much a secret as possible. Dan O'Brien and a “ tout ” had a tussle one morning in an effort to prevent the latter from timing a gallop. Another story goes that R. Derrett was caught napping by an electric run by T. Hales on Ensign. The most probable reason for Carbine’s defeat was that be was hit with the on a tender part of his anatomy and naturally flinched under the pain. It led to dropping the old-time lengthy whip and the introduction of the “ short stick," which has been in general use in subsequent years. Ensign fell when running in the Melbourne Cup through, breaking a leg. It was found that the leg bore signs of an old fracture.

All the minor events on the New Zealand Cup programme have attracted very large fields, most of them, in fact, running to an unwieldy size. Sixty-four have been .nominated for the Apprentices’ Handicap and 71 for the Seymour Handicap. The ballot will have to be brought into use, and the club’s rule on the point reads as follows: ‘‘ln the eVent of the safety number being exceeded, the following procedure will be adopted: In open handicaps (other than handicaps for two-year-olds) those to be eliminated will be horses eligible for hack flat races; horses handicapped on the minimum, and horses handicapped within 71b of the minimum. In hack handicaps and handicaps for two-year-olds only the races will be run in divisions when the safety number is exceeded.”