IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 53

IN A NUTSHELL.

Acceptances for the Waimate meeting are due to-day. The Oamaru owner, Mr 0. R. Wise, has his smart three-year-old engaged in hack sprint events at Trentham. Charlatan has thrown off the effects of his big injuries, and is now one of the regular workers at Riccarton. Hard Prince is coming on nicely, and a hurdle race over a mile and a-half journey should not be beyond him this season. Loyal Irish must be the champion of Samoa, for at the Apia Turf Club’s meeting he won two races, carrying 12st in each. Hynanna is reported to be striding out well in his work, and he should be at the top of his form for the Trentham meeting. Fairy Herald has been shaping well in his work, but will be a.l the better for a race or two. He should be ready for the Easter meetings. Gold Brick was just touched off at the Canterbury summer meeting, and his form there suggests that he will run well at Waimate next week. The Solferino gelding Booster looks as though he has been doing plenty of work, and is striding out well in the tasks being allotted to him. Miss Pat, a winner at Woodville and Gisborne, is a five-year-old fillv by Acre from Sartorina, by Sarto from Mist. Sh e has won five races this season. Nincompoop is again a regular track worker, and is showing the benefits of his brief let-up. Present intentions are to start him in the Waimate Cup. The Merry Moment gelding Happy Days is in steady work again, and will be started in hurdle races during the winter if he stands up to a preparation. Bonatic won on the flat in the Mailborough meeting, and apparently is in good condition for the jumping season ahead. He looks nicely weighted at Waimate.

Mr Sol Green, the owner of the Caul field Futurity Stakes winner. Gothic, had won the race on three previous occasions, twice with Gladsome and once with Comedy King. The Archery filly Cupid's Dart, who raced well at the Gore meeting on a light preparation, has gone on the right way since, and should be properly ready for the Easter meetings. Heather Lad is a better horse now than what he was when saddled up at the recent Wingatui meeting, and J. Ross may not be. long in placing the Gay Lad gelding for a win.

Among the entries for the Trial Plate at Waimate is Star Stranger 11. This is the Quin £ bbey horse brought back from Vancouver, where he was raced by the ex-New Zealander, Mr Beban.

The imported horse Gothic, winner of the Caulfield Futurity Stakes, is by Tracery, and therefore related to Pantheon and also to Mr T. 11. Lowry’s imported horse Psychology. Lucy Locket came through her racing at Gore well, and the Boniform inare seems to be improving with age. A win for her over seven furlongs on a firm track will not come as a surprise. Appellant has so far won a couple of hack races, but his connections must have a good opinion of him, for he has been nominated for the Thompson Handicap and the Railway Handicap at the Trenthain meeting. Mr A. K. Macomber’s horse Forseti, winner of the 1925 Cesarcwitch in England, is now racing over hurdles in France. At Nice last month he won the Prix du Con sell General, a hurdle race run at two miles one furlong and a half. Royal Land, who has been a disappointment on the flat, has been shaping well in his work over hurdles, and, with so few good hurdlers in commission, it should not be difficult to place him for a- win.

Siaosi is to go across to Australia in a few months’ time, in charge of his ownertrainer, H. L.” Russell, and it is to be hoped that on this occasion the combination will be more successful than on their last visit.

Discourse continues to show winning form, and her performance in winning the Tahoraite Handicap, seven furlongs, carrying 9.3 in 1.29 .2-5 at the Dannevirke meeting, wag a good one. That put her out of the hack class, as it brought her winnings up to 520sova.

Aston, who won a double at the Woodville meeting, is an Irish-bred gelding by Landgrave from Bridle Way. He was imported to the Dominion by Mr H. R. Campbell, and it was under the Hawke’e Bay sportsman’s colours that he scored’ his wins.

Red Fuchsia, the winner of the Highweight Handicap at Dannevirke, has been a useful performer this season, both on the flat and over hurdles. He is a five-year-old gelding by All Red from Nedra being trained by Miss G. Maher, of Hastings.

King’s Jester, who carried silk for the first time in the Juvenile Handicap at Motukarara on Saturday and finished third, is a three-year-old gelding by Clarenceux from the ex-Stonyhurst mare Sweet Smile, by San Francisco from Winning Way. , Jester was fancied for his race at Motukarara ou Saturday, both on the course and further afield, but he finished just outside a place. The confidence shown by Ins supporters would seem to indicate that J. M’Combc has the Comedy King gelding ready to win.

Hynanna is among those engaged in the Thompson Handicap at Trentham this month. This horse has come on wonderfully well during the last few weeks, and it started, will be in demand. At the recent Wellington meeting he won the Consolation Handicap, and subsequently annexed the Egmont and Taranaki Cups. Gesto, who finished second in the Maiden Handicap at Dannevirke. is engaged in two-year-old events at the approaching Wellington meeting. Gesto ran unplaced in the Nursery Handicap at the Hawke s Bay summer meeting, and will need to improve on that form to have any chance at Trentham.

It is understood that Mr W. H. Gaßford has purchased stables at Palmerston North and that Commendation will in future be trained at Awapuni. Mr Gaisford stated recently that Commendation was doing we.l. The gelding had been used bv nis owner as a hack, and had proved quite useful and reliable. Most lovers of a horse would like to have sueh a hack. Only two horses have won the Newmarket Handicap twice —Gothic, who won last season and again on Saturday, and Aspen, who won in 18S0 and 1881. Fortunatus tan second in the Newmarket of 1832 and won the following year. North Head, a well known Sydney performer, was second for two successive seasons. Playaway ran third iu 1904 and won the following season. The Gladstone Handicap, the Beaconsfield Handicap, and the Autumn Handicap will appear on the programme of the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting in April as one mile 35yds. It has been discovered that when the new mile barrier was erected some seasons ago to give a straight run to the first turn the distance was increased by 35yds. The North Island Challenge Stakes should be one of the most interesting events at the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting. Twenty-two horses still stand their ground, and although several of them have probably been left in through an oversight such horses as Reremoana, Kiosk, Gascony. Lysander. Eulalie, Prince Humphrey and Concentrate should provide a great race. The merits of Trivalve and Limerick have been discussed over and over again, and although Sydney racegoers are eagerly awaiting a meeting between these two great racehorses at Randwick, it is unlikely that they will measure strides unless they meet in the King’s Cup. and at present it is by no means certain that Limerick will be a runner in that event.

English-bred horses have quite an attractive record in connection with the Caulfield Futurity Stakes, with nine wins to their credit. The horses who first saw the light in England and who made the sea voyage to Australia to win the big seven-furlong event at Caulfield are Sir Foote, Playaway. Antonio, Comedy King, Eudorus, Flash of Steel, Lucknow, Top Gallant, and Gothic. At the present time the Trentham Gold Cup is being spoken of as a match between Star Stranger and Rapier. There is at least one man in New Zealand who has other ideas, and that is T. J. Daly, who trains Hynanna. The chestnut is iu capital condition, according to his trainer, who makes no secret of the fact that Star Stranger and Rapier will not have it all their own way when it comes to the finish of the weight-for-age race.

The St. Leger this year has no outstanding three-year-old engaged. Agrion and Martarma, who represent the Dominion’s beet, have unfortunately gone wrong, and in their absence the rest of the field are not a particularly good lot. In consequence it will most likely be a better race with the good ones missing. Satrap has shown staying qualities, but Great Charter, who is a late foal, should be a dangerous opponent.

In England last year Irishman (Desmond—Calumet) had more jumping winners than any other sire. Fifteen of his progeny won 24 races, but though Ai-doon (St. Frusqin—Multrue) and Drinmore (General Symons—Marcella II.) did not have as many different winners, they had 28 wins each. The- Carbine horse Fowling Piece was represented by nine .winners of 18 races. Four of Rossendale’s get won five jumping races, and while Grosvenor had a similar number of winners, they totalled eight races.

The apparent refusal of the Victorian Racing Club to recognise disqualifications imposed by the trotting authorities has occasioned much comment in Australian sporting circles. It appears that John James, who was disqualified by the New South Wales Trotting Club for 12 months for careless driving, has been granted a trainer’s license by the Victorian Racing Club on condition that lie confines_ his attention to gallopers. The Australian Jockey Club recognises suspensions by trotting clubs.

spirit of the rule, regarding highw eight handicaps is to give those jockeys who ride over fences a chance of earning something towards their keep when jumping races are not on the programme. At the Dannevirke meeting A. E. Ellis was engaged to ride Braeman, but the jumping jockeys challenged his claim, and asked whether he was prepared to ride hurdles or fences at the present time. It was eventually ruled that Ellis was not- eligible to take the mount, and a similar decision-was come to jn respect to Mr Standfield, the owner of Revel.

Unless anything unforeseen happens during the month, Limerick’s programme will be as follows:—March 24, Rawson Stakes at Rosehill; March 31, Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm; April

7, Autumn Stakes at Randwick; April 11, All Aged Stakes and Cumberland Stakes at Randwick; April 14, King’s Cup at Randwick. He will be nominated for both the All Aged Stakes and Cumbetland Stakes, which conic un for dpcision on April 2. but more than likely he will compete iu the Ail Aged Stakes run over a mile. ’

Australians and New Zealanders would be pleased if Black Watch (the son of the Cooltrim mare Punka III) were to yin the next English Derby, but, according to Rapier \in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, that is unlikely to W 6 "-, **e recently wrote as follows:— If Black Watch should take classic honours tins year I shall be proved wromr in my present ideas. He took far too long to beat a moderate colt for the Gimcrack Stakes. I remember Gordon Richards had some excuse for him, but when all is said he ought to have easily polished off that opposition.” Mr Clem Hill, of cricket fame, who has • en l a rtl o t ’> Penc l iary stewa ’’l in Adelaide since 1913 has been appointed handicapper Australian Jockey Club and the Adelaide Racing Club. A handicapper’s billet is not exactly a bed of roses, but it is preferable to that of a stipendiary steward. A handicapper will always oftend a few, but stipendiary stewards rarely please anyone. If they take action they are, according to many of their critics, persecuting somebody or other, and “ r ,e >", .refrain they are blind. Of all racing billets the least euviable is that of a stipendiary steward.

As was the case last year, two-year-old form is complicated. Early in the season Childsplay stood right out from others of her age, but the Antagonist taint seems to have dimmed her brilliancy, and a cold may prevent her from being’ raced again this season. After his victory in the Foal Stakes Staghunter was hailed as juvenile champion, but he did not wear the crown long, and at present another Australianbred youngster in Prince Humphrey is ranked as the hest of his age. His showing against older horses, however, is not suggestive of the highest class, and the Derby winner may come from the unknown division.

The Paris correspondent of the Horse an Hound (London) states that the total amount given in 1927 iu stakes, place money, and breeders’ premiums at Loni”champ, Chantilly, and Deauville, the three courses controlled by the Societe d’Encouragement. came to, in round figures, 15,500,090 francs, or about £103,000. There were in all 304 races decided, 603 sums given in place money, and.26l premiums to breeders. Naturally, the bulk of the money was competed for at Longchamp, viz., about two-thirds of the total sum. In addition to the “ added ” money there was the 2,870,060 francs contributed by owners in entrance fees, making a grand total of 16,367,500 francs divided in all in prizet and premiums, or over £130,000. Long-distance racing is not favoured in America. It is mentioned by an exchange that in the New York circuit there are only two weight-for-age races in which a four-year-old can start at distances in excess of a mile and a-half—-the Saratoga Cup and the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and they are not of particular value. It adds that there are two other cup races run for in America, the Pimlico and Latonia Cups, and one in Mexico, the Tijuana Cup, the first two at tw-o miles and a-quarter and the latter at two miles. If a four-year-old won the Saratoga, Jockey Club, Latonia, and Pimlico Cups his total earnings would be far less than those of the winner of the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes.

Arising out of the Welter Handicap run. at the Queensland Turf Club’s February meeting, the stewards held an inquiry regarding interference at the start of the « race. Despite the fact that 14 jockevs who rodo in the race were questioned, tho stewards were unable to substantiate any of the statements that had been made outside of the inquiry room as to who was responsible for so much of the scrimmaging that took place. This seeming collusion among the jockeys to cover up the real offender was responsible for an outburst from the chairman of stewards, who said: ■’ You boys come in and squeal to us after races about one and another causing interference, and yet, when w* try to get to the bottom of it, none of you help us. Not one of you has given us any assistance ; n this instance.’

There is a record entry of 112 for the English - Grapd National Steeplechase (run at the end of this month) or 20 more than the previous biggest number six years ago. Of the eight horses which completed the course in last year’s race, the first seven are again engaged, inclusive of the winner. Sprig, the sqyond, Bovril 111, and the third, Bright’s Boy, who occupied the same position behind Jack Horner in 1926. .Tack Horner is again in the entry. Although five-year-olds have won ou several occasions, the last being the French horse Lutteur 111, in 1909. not one of that age has been nominated, but there are nine six-year-olds in the entry, the senior of the party being the 15-year-old Daydawn Drakle, from Couthwaite’s stable, who started favourite last year, and has recently been winning hurdle races (to give him confidence) is again nominated. Many well-performed Australian mares have been stud failures (says “Pilot”), and very few of the best have thrown anything equalling their own racing standard. Of recent years these have included that rattling good mare Carlita. In England Sceptre was a notable disappointment, and only two of her progeny, Maid of the Mist and Grosvenor (now at the stud in New South Wales), distinguished themselves to the extent of winning a race of the value of £lOOO. However, ’ Maid of the Mist and her daughter, Hamoaze, have kept Sceptre’s name much in evidence. Lord Astor gave 4500gns for the two, and they have had a lot to do with his success on the turf. Although Derby and Oaks double winners in Signorinetta and Fifinella did not do nearly (as much racing as Sceptre, both were stud failures. Signorinetta, who died recently, had a poor stud record in more ways than one. She was barren three times, once had a dead foal, and on another occasion dead twins. If the long-sufferng punters had a res ferendum there would be an overwhelming majority in favour of bracketing horses from the one stable engaged in tho same race (says a writer in the Anck-

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and Sun). It is a question of safety first with them. For instance, is it fair th-t they should be treated as they were undoubtedly at a recent meeting held not a hundred miles from this city? On this occasion, on one day a stable had two horses running, both ridden by good horsemen; one was backed to the extent of three times as much as the other, and the fancied one gets into a dividend place, with the other down the course. On thennext appearance these two horses were once again in the same race, and this time the second horse carried more money than his companion, who had beaten him pointless a few days previously. On the surface there was nothing to account for the volte face as displayed by the totalisator. Both were unplaced; in fact, they finished alongside of each other. Were these horses bracketed it would have saved the trainer concerned some criticism.

An Argentine owner, Mr Martinez de Hoz, headed the winning owners’ list in France last year, his total being approximately £22,500. The other owners who did well were Mr Moulines, with a total of £21,400, and Baron Ed de Rothschild, £19,000. No other owner got as high as £lO,OOO. Baron Rothschild, who bred all his own winners, received £I3OC in breeders’ premiums. The most successful trainer was J. Barker, jun., with 49 wins, followed by F. Carter, with 45; while C. H. Samblat, with 93 wins, led the jockeys, though he beat Esling by only one win. The West - Australian jockey W. Sibbritt, who did not ride quite half the season in France, had 25 wins, so he did well. Sibbrett has been retained by Mr Boussac for this season. Sardanaple’s stock won £16.700, and that gave him first place among the winning stallions. He was succeeded by Craig an Eran, with approximately £13,400, and then Clarissimuo (sire of Claro) with £11,300. Some French breeders growl that too many races in their country are open to foreign horses, and that in consequence their market suffers. Others, however, take a broader view, and reckon that foreign horses should be eligible for all races. Even our richest Australian owners would baulk at the conditions of some of England’s most valuable races (says “ Pilot ”). The Sandown Park Eclipse Stakes, for instance, carries only £l5OO added money, and yet I read in a recent issue of an English sporting paper that first money this year would be £12,981, and, in addition, £soo.went to the breeder of the winner. If the other conditions are the same as last year, there is also £9OO for second horse, £l5O for third, £2OO for the breeder of the second, and £lOO for the- breeder of third, whicn means that the total value of the stake will be £14,831. And, as previously mentioned, the Saudown executive finds only £l5OO of that amount. The race is for three-year-olds, and there was a first forfeit of £34 in March of last year, when the horses were two years old, and very few had started. There were other heavy forfeits at various intervals, and. though the race is not run until July, the final one was in January. It cost another £oo to come out after that. Many Australian clubs would not mind putting on big races if they thought they could <*et to supply nearly nine-tenths °of the stake, but one can imagine the consternation there would be if they attempted anything of the kind

In discussing the remarkable riding form of R. Lewis at 49 years of age, the London Sporting Life mentioned the deeds of some English veterans. John Osborne was 53 when he won the Two thousand Guineas on the Duke of Portlands Ayrshire while, five years ago, Mr Harry Beasley, then 71 years of won a steeplechase at Baldoyle on his own horse, Mint. It goes on to say that one or the most remarkable “ comebacks ” associated with English racing was that of Harry-Covey. He won the Royal Hunt Cup on Ripponden in 1872, and then gradually dropned out of notice. In consequence he was unknown to the general public when, at Epsom in 1895 (an interval of 23 years), his name went up as the rider of Sir James Duke’s Cornrniffa Great Metropolitan, two a ' quarter - c fs he was riding notin *J’ b ’ man ? - of V le onk -<ers, not noting hi S grey hair, thought he was an apprentice. Covey had been riding Cornat Ur l Io S Uh ; an< l the S at a loss to find a boy at the weight nrn ab i e j°i ' 01ng justice to the horse Ipproached him and asked him if he would I 1 baVe t£le mount - Covey protested that he was too old, but his englgemmff face Fl± PPy tl l at he Vmi the