RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25797, 19 March 1945, Page 7

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

Night Pal had 10.12 at Oamaru and under his burden made a good effort to finish third. The distances attached to the hack events at Oamaru were much too far for the majority of the runners in them. Bridgehead raced through the field in the Oamaru Cup between the seven-fur-long post and the home turn, but then stopped. St. Nattar won all the way In the Parkside Hack Handicap and gave a display of improved stamina to win in lmin 26 4-ssec.

The Irish Lancer gelding Lance Wing won the Oamaru Cup by staying on and finished as if extra ground would not stop him. Courtdress was well back at the far turn in the Hlgh-welght Handicap at Oamaru, but when called on put up a good finish to win. Good Cast appeared to suffer a check at the home turn In the Oamaru Cup when Bridgehead dropped back. He came on again and cut The Raker out of second place. Mr C. Gieseler got the fields away from a fair lino at Oamaru. Fractiousness and inexperienced riding were responsible for some horses being left. Olga’s Choice is a four-year-old gelding by Irish Lancer —High Tor, by Royal Stag—High Heels, by Rokeby—Reel, by Medallion—Pibroch, by Lochiel.

Cinderella, the winner of the Trial Stakes at Oamaru, is a three-year-old filly by Paper Slipper from High Rank, by Day Comet—Sailor's Hope, by Treadmill. " Some of the fields were on the big side at Oamaru and horses who did not get away well failed to reach the money. In the Trial Stakes Joy Rosa started favourite, but failed to get clear and did not get amongst the money. Lost Art. who finished second In his race at Oamaru, is a five-year-old gelding by Colossus from Nectar, by Black Ronald —Constantia, by Lucullus. Lost Art was fourth in the last of his four previous races this season. Sumra was a strong favourite for the Novice Hack Handicap at Oamaru. She was well placed throughout and her promising young pilot, R. Cochrane, came through on the rails and kept his mount busy until safely past the post. Sumra is a four-year-old filly by Siegfried— Tatarepo, by Solferino—Hineamaru, by Poseidon, a winner of the Melbourne Cup, the Victoria Derby, the A.J.C. Derby the A.J.C. St. Leger, and two Caulfield Cups.

An interesting sidelight on the controversy aroused by the sweeping condemnation of New Zealand bloodstock by Mr Sol Green following his recent brief visit to New Zealand, is provided by the complete returns for the 1945 national yearling sales, which show that Mr Green's countrymen do not generally share his opinion. Commissioners for Australian buyers purchased 30 lots at auction at an aggregate of more than 25,000gn5. This is the highest number of yearlings purchased by Australians in any year since the commencement of the sales 19 years ago and the aggregate is also a record figure for any year. Many people on this side of the Tasman were perturbed when Mr S. Green expressed the opinion on his return to Australia that the thoroughbreds of (lie Dominion had deteriorated. Now, Mr Cliff Sheath, who lias been spending a holidayin (he Bay of Islands, and is well known to New Zealanders as the owner of Ammon Ra, winner of £25,831 during his racing career, has supported Mr Green in his contention. When asked in Auckland for his opinion of Mr Green’s criticism. Mr Sheath replied: "I am definitely of the opinion there has been a marked deterioration of the standard of the Dominion racehorse, and also in the riding ability of jockeys. It appears to me that racing clubs in the Dominion are sacrificing everything to achieve bigger and bigger totalisator returns, completely neglecting the horse, jockey, and public. This idea is all wrong, and really amounts to a case of the tail wigging the dog. The result is that the sport is rapidly going down hill and nothing is being done about it.” Mr Sheath expressed the opinion that the “ set-up " of racing in the Dominion was uneconomic and should be scrapped and replaced by a new and better system, one that, incidentally, would involve the appointment of three stipendiary stewards at every meeting.