RACING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3881, 31 July 1928, Page 56

RACING.

FIXTURES. j August 4. —Christchurch Hunt Meeting. August 4.—Poverty Bay- Hunt Meeting. i August 14, 16, 18.—Grand National Meeting. ] August 25.—Hawke’s Bay Hunt Meeting, ' September I.—Otago Hunt Meeting. September 5.— L Martori Meeting. ‘ ! September 13, 15.—Wanganui Meeting. September 19.—Manakwatu Hunt Meeting. September 22 .r —Ashburton Meeting. September 22.—Napier Park 1 Meeting. September 22, 24.—Avondale Meeting. September 27, 28.—Geraldine Meeting. September 29.—Pakarangi Hunt Meeting. September 29.—Hawke’s Bay Meeting. < October 6.—Kurow Meeting. October 6, B.—Auckland Meeting. October 11, 13.—Dunedin Spring Meeting. TALK OF THE DAY. By Sentinel. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. * Winton ” asks if a horse named -Knight, which is registered, has won a flag steeple, and wishes to. know how many races or how much money over fences. —There is no record at registered meetings. THE NATIONAL MEETING. It was once remarked that when the clang of the bell announced the start for the first race at the Grand National meeting the -winter ends. It will.be heard in a couple of weeks, after an unprecedentedly mild witrtir, which has enabled trainers to get their horses much more forward than usual for early engagements. This means that some of the races in the near future will be harder to win than usual, as at this time of the year the result is frequently based on condition rather than merit. This year’s Grand National steeplechase field does not represent particularly strong form. The fact ’ that it is not a strong field naturally assists the chance of Beau Cavalier, but even so it is feared that such a big jumper will be apt to tire at the. end of the journey. He won last year with 11.7, but the writer does not subscribe to the. opinion that the Chesterfield gelding will win with a lot in hand. Beau Cavalier has been phenomenally successful, and seems to have improved in stamina during the past year. He jumped just as big ■as ever when racing at the Trentham winter meeting, .and one is tempted to discard him for Riccarton on that account, Jis the unnecessary expenditure of power drains a horse’s stamina. It may not, however, stop him from winning. This year’s field contains Tuki and Maunga, who finished behind Beau Cavalier last year. Tuki meets Beau Cavalier on 171 b and Maunga on 191 b better terms. Both are good stayers; although lacking .in brilliancy. The margins in their favour should, however, greatly assist them to be in the picture at the finish. Tuki won with 9.4 J in 1925 in 7min 21sec, or 20sec slower than Beau Cavalier put up last year.' The best re- . cords for the race stand at 6min 55sec, put up by Oakleigh on a particularly fast track, and the 6min 53|see put by by Peter Maxwell in 1926. Tile local candidates, Pamplona and Dubious, are both going on as well as can.be expected. ■ Dubious was recently responsible' for a pleasipg school over 14 fences, and Pamplona seems to have got through a fair amount of steady work since the Dunedin winter meeting. Tuki would, no doubt, 3 have a brief spell after racing at Wellington to freshen him up for another battle, so that Dunedin promises, to have a very fair representation in the . race. The Southland-owned Greenstone looked well enough to the eye when produced at Timaru, 'where he rah a disappointing race. His chance can be better estimated by the fact that he was going well when he slipped up on the flat when racing on the last day of the Dunedin winter meeting.

Dunedin owners are well represented in the Winter Cup with Town Bank, Overdrawn, Wayward, Rotor, " Miss Winkie, Antrim Boy, and Royal Saxon. It is a difficult race to win, as a horse in such a big field must be able to begin well and hold his position from start to finish. Otherwise there is a good chance of being “ snowed in.” None of : the locally-owned horses seem to be overweighted, as they are at or near the maximum, but even so some have their full share. For instance Nincompoop gave Wayward 131 b in the Waimate Cup, and now there is only 41b between them. Antrim Boy holds a good chance of beating Town Bank on their Timaru running, but they look a bit close to Overdrawn. At the Oamaru spring meeting Overdrawn gave Royal Saxon 231 b over seven furlongs, and now the. latter has to come in on 171 b worse terms. Royal Saxon appears to be an improved horse, but the handicap demands that such must be the case. Fairy Herald just beat . Rotor when giving him lib in the Winter Handicap. At Timaru Fairy Herald gave Town Bank 41b and. Antrim Boy 91b. Rotor thus looks well , treated in getting weight from Town. Bank,’ as on Wingatui form he should be giving him weight, whilst if the Tractor gelding is within 21b af Fairy Herald, and the latter is

161 b better than Antrim Boy, >it is impossible, to give the latter a chance solong as Rotor is alive and well. Miss Winkie and Royal Saxon will have to gather a better chance of winning than they have on paper, but it would not be surprising to find the latter.. bne of the hardest to beat in the race. Dunedin has three representatives in the Grand National Hurdles in Scion. Heather Lad, and Craigmore. j Scion and Heather Lad both stay . well, and that js soniething in their favour. Craigmore made a brilliant debut over hurdles at the Dunedin winter meeting,, and if he has trained he would be entitled to a good chance. Craigmore has always presented a lean and light appearance in condition, and may be strong enough to see out a long distance of over two miles and a-nalt. He, however, appears to have built up since the Dunedin winter meeting, bach of the local trio are entitled to a rough chance, but a better idea in that direction will be obtained if they are stepped out on the first day in the Trial Hurdles. CHANCING DISTANCE. There seems to be a fairly strong opinion in favour of curtailing the distauce attached to the M‘Lean Stakes, but at the same time there may be sufficient opposition to compel the club to hold tne race over the advertised distance. A club has not power to alter the distance of a race after it has been advertised and nominations received. It is just as well that such is the case, because it would oe most unsatisfactory if clubs had power to chop and change about in that respect. Weather and climatic conditions are a great factor in the luck of getting youngsters ready for early racing, afid tne conditions generally on hand in that re spect in the South Island suggests that four furlongs is quite far enough, for a race in the early part of October. They “open the ball” much earlier in the North, where the Avondale Stakes are run in September. On general principles many people are opposed to . early two-year-old racing, as it is held to be detrimental to the thoroughbred’s welfare. There is no doubt about early racing being anything but favourable to the general welfare of the thoroughbred, but in good competent hands a two-year-old can be trained and raced without incurring any damage. Gladsome was raced 15 times as a two-year-old, and after winning the Wellington Cup as a three-year-old with 8.5, went over to Australia to win in the best of company during the following two or three seasons. A par--1 ticularly noticeable case can be quoted where two-year-old racing did not hurt a youngster, and it is supplied by the cast-steel Whakawatea. who was raced all over New Zealand in his first season, and continued to race off and on for another 20 seasons. As a rule big two-year-olds are generally allowed plenty of time to strengthen their frame. The biggest two-year-old that has ever won the M'Lean Stakes was the massive Masterpiece, who subsequently won the Derby and as a four-year-old was only defeated by a narrow margin in the New Zealand Cup. Some of the - winners of the M'Lean Stakes proved to be subsequent failures, and amongst them were Lisp and Meteorite. Others again, such as • Warstep and Count Cavour, trained on to • become some of the best performers ever seen in the country. In fact, the list of early races supports the contention that ’ if the youngsters are competently handled 1 early racing does not bring deteriorating > results in its train. It is’, however, wise ’ to wait, as a search for early speed ’ not infrequently shortens a horse’s racing r career;

THE CHRISTCHURCH HUNT MEETING.

There will no doubt be some interesting racing at Riccarton on Saturday next, when the Christchurch Hunt Club will hold its annual meeting. The fixture supplies an excellent oportunity to make a horse acquainted or improve acquaintance with the Riccarton track. At the time of writing acceptances have not fallen due, but there is an excellent prospect of good fields . being seen out . during the day. At the present time the. writer regards Dubious as most likely to start favourite for the Homeby Steeplechase, with Brigadier Bill as -his most dangerous opponent. It appears as if Dubious lost the Otago Steeples only through his rider taking too literally instructions not to hustle his mount in the early-stages; He in consequence lost such a lot of ground that his = chance became hopeless. Even then he finished third.' He won the Forbury Steeples in good style, and altogether shaped very creditably for a novice over big fences. There is not much doubt that a horse capable of getting the country at Wingatui will do so at Riccarton. A repetition of the. form displayed by Nine of Spades at Timaru would find him strongly supported for the Longbeach Hurdles, and, others that should race well are Heather Lad and Chickwheat, who were both running on at Timaru, and will have an extra furlong in their favour at. Riccarton. Pink Rosa and Rangi Sirto mav be selected' as the best, in tne Kennels Hurdles, and Ranui and Faldose for the Lawford Steeples. First

Sight is galloping well, and looks suio'-tb: start favourite for the Brabazon Handicap, and Poacher will only require to improve on recent form at .Timaru-to be the popular pick for the Hunters’ Plate. Meadow Light shaped well enough at Trentham to suggest‘that he will find favour for the Flying Hack Handicap. . . 1 - NORTHERN WINNERS. Reports frotn the north state that the Wanganui owner arid breeder Mr G . ML Currie wiU head the list of winning owners for' the present season. The sum .of l £7480 has beeli' won by his horses, and his principal winners have been Episode (£2585), Mask (£3025), and Damaris (£1190). Mr Currie was third on the list last season with £6907, and second in the previous season with £9415. Mr C. G. Macindoe has considerably improved his position, moving from seventeenth place with £3885 last season to second this season. His representatives have credited hint with £6BOO. Prince Humphrey was his best stake-earner, winning £2375, while Ti Tree won £1230. Eden Hall £1385, and Le Choucas £l3OO. ’ Mr A. B. Williams, who topped the list two years ago with £14,505, is third this season with £6540. Star Stranger won him £4630, and Joy. King £1635. Mr Williams has Dishonoured racing at Gisborne this month, and his total may be increased before the season closes. Other owners well forward in the list this season are:; Mr G. Paul, £6070 (Aussie £3310, Awarere .£2010); Mr J. M. Samson. £5305 (Wayward £1065, Tuki, £1200); Mr W. R. Kemball £5184 (Hynanna £2717) ; Sir George Clifford, £4962 (Childsplay £1860); Mr G. D. Greenwood, £4580 (Agrion £1700,' Goblin Market £lOBO. Eulalie 41070) : Mr R. B. Hines, £4202 (Queen Arch £1240, King Lu £l7OO/; Mr G. G. Holmes, £4687 (Rapier £4138)'.

A STUD ITEM. At this time of the year owners of brood mares are generally making a final selection in stallions. They should always breed to winning blood .and to the best possible sire available, and owners of brood mares should not be influenced - by fees or any ; other consideration if they wish to breed a high-class horse. It would be very foolish to go to the trouble and expense of keeping brood mares when the cold facts of common-sense knowledge of breeding suggests that a third or sccohd rater , is more likely'to be produced than a.champion. An interesting item of news comes ■ from the north, and states that Eulalie.; Adour, and Sungleam have been sent on a visit to Limond, who is a tail male descendant of St. Simon on a Sunshine taproot, and hence likely to <£et stayers. Limerick is a case in point. Eulalie was a very speedy two-year-old, but did not, in common with the rest of her breed, train on to a stayer. She ranks as a sister to Humbug, Fulsome, Epitaph, and Homage, and is also a half-sister to Commendation. Homage is the dam of the 2300gns yearling Honour, whose colouj ; and markings suggest that he has thrown I to the dam’s side of his pedigree. Mating i Eulalie with Limond would produce a foal ! ranking as a full relation in blood to the! highest priced yearling ever sold in New I Zealand.

The Cicero mare Eulogy has proved her-1 self, a great fountain of speed, and the l production of ■ Commendation shows that 1 the line can produce something with claims-, to stamina when mated with a sire bred on , staying lines. Sungleam is the dam of; Golden Armour, and Was got by Sutala; from Sunglow, by Multiform from Otterden, the dam of Martian and Boniform. Sunglow is the dam of Many Kittle, but l has nevertheless been a patchy producer, of good, bad, and indifferent stock. Hertaproot suggests that Sungleam should ■ breed well, and something good should ; result from her mating with Limond.; Adour has produced Soliform. Ophir, and, Shalimar. She was got bv Danube (sou' of Martian)* from Perle d’Or.by Multi-' form from Aura, the darn, of Auraria andArum. Mating .Adour with Limond will link up two strains of the Sunshine -tap- 1 root, and so will mating Sungleam with I the same sire. This result should, provide something out of the ordinary, as the tap-i root has produced some of the best stayers ever seen in New Zealand or Australia; ■

A PROMISING FAMILY.

It is somewhat rare to find a trainer; with a team of . five rising two-year-olds all got by the' same sire. J. Feilder has] that number by Paper Money. One is a big gelding from Bo Peep by Bezonian! from Shepherdess,' and so belongs to the;' same family as the Melbourne Cup winner; Windbag, one of the best in Australia. Bezonian brings in the speedy Paraffin strain, and as Paper Money can sire speed this fellow should go fast when trimmed for business. A sturdy filly represents Paper Mfiney—Michacla. The dam could go very fast, and has produced a winner in Don Jose. There are not many Rokeby mares in the Stud Book, and as was easily the best of them on the turf; she also pay prove her superiority ,at the stud. The others’ are geldings from; Bebehead, Fair Fight, and .Glen Helen.! Bebehead was got by Birkenhead : from, Bebe, by Bezonian, and is a half-sister to 1

Cupidon. Birkenhead mares , have beengood producers,• and this fact should not be surprising wlicriMt’’ij‘ remembered: that he was got "by' ;i ,Ot i irie, the sire of' Flying Fox, who got Gfoariiing’s sire, and : is .one of the best Sfoekivell lines in existence. This chap' is bred 7 on similar lines; to the Bo Peep geklifig. ‘ Fair Fight was got by Martian, who . sired -the dam of Paperchase, a good Paper Money filly. The- Fair Fight gelding goes back to Set Sail’s taproot. Glen Helen -was got by Treadmill, so her gelding is inbred to St,. Simon on to a Trenton taproot. THE TOTALISATOR IN ENGLAND. The House of Lords passed the second reading of the Totalisator Bill without division. In an amusing supporting speech Lord Desborough alluded to the “ raucous bookmakers and their litter.” He said he had often listened in bygone days to the blandishments of the bookmakers, boasting that they had dined the night before with Baron Rothschild, who on those occasions must have had a noisy party. They professed'that he had confided in them regarding the winner. If it came off sometimes these bookmakers were missing. We were passing from greyhound racing to terriers chasing rats Next we would have Pomeranians chasing white mice. . Lord Derby gave a startling comparison of the costs of racing ,in England and France, based on his own experience. Every racehorse engaged in England, he said, had to earn £6so' in stakes within a year before the year’s expenses were cleared, whereas in France only £lBO was needed. The difference in cost to the breeder and -owner -was entirely attribut-' able to the lower entrance fees in France, which the totalisator made possible. The' totalisator also enabled the French Government to place well-bred stallions at the disposal of breeders country-wide-He instanced his own good luck in purchasing a horse, in partnership with Mr Ogden Mills, which won the Grand Prix. That horse was sired by a Government, stallion, for which either no fee or a nominal amount only was paid. WHY HE IS GREY. Prior to the recent English Derby, 2515 horses had started in' that race since D iomed won in 1780. Of these only 36 I colts and one filly were - greys, arid the two winners of that colour were Gustavus (1821) and Tagalie (1912). Gustavus was ; a £25 yearling. In the recent Derby there was a grey runner, Royal Minstrel, and in discussing this colt’s pedigree Adair Dighton wrote as follows in the London Sporting Life: — “ All the grey horses of the present day trace back, through either a grey sire or a grey dam —no grey horse was ever born without one of his parents being a grey — to either the Brownlow Turk or Alcock’s Arabian, or a joint line from both. “ From these two the greyness comes ; down without a break, as can be seen i if the greys in Royal Minstrel’s pedigree j are tabulated:— ■ ' Royal Minstrel (grey). ! 1917—His sire, Tetratema, grey.

1911—His sire, The Tetrarch, grey. 1904 —His sire, Roi Herode, grey. 1895 —His sire, Le Samarltain, grey. 1884—His sire, Le Sandy, grey. 1873—His dam. Gem 6Y Ghms, grey. - 1863—Her sire, Strathconan, grey. 1856—His dam. Souvenir, grey. 1843 —Her sire. Chanticleer, grey. 1832—His dam, Whim,' grey. ' 7 1823—Her sire, "Drone; grey. 1817—His sire,' Master Robert, grey. 1797—Her dam, Sir Reter mare, grey. 1787—Her dam, Bab; grey.r 1778—Her dam, Speranza, grey, and her sire, Bordeaux ’(.1774), grey. “ From here the. greyness goes back from Speranza through, three dams and a sire. Crab, to Alcock’s Arabian, and from Bordeaux, in a longer course of six generations, to the Brownlow Turk. i “ This is a remarkable fact, as it shows that in 23 generations, in which there are over two million names, Royal Minstrel has inherited his colour through a continuous line of—at most—-30 horses, and that it has come down, irrespective of sex, from one to the other without a break.” A TEST CASE. In England the idea continues to grow that the death .of the nominator should not void . The subject cropped up at the London Press Chib Derby luncheon, arid Sir Laurence Phillips, owner of; Flamingo, delivered hiniself as follows:— ; - “I am quite surq.the question of the, death of an owner preventing a horse; ".running could be got!over> It is wrong! that a horse like Call Boy should not meet Book Law in the St. Leger. I suggest that if a new owner offered to pay all forfeits and a big fine, a horse should be allowed to run.” Lord Ellesmere, in replying to Sir Laurence Phillips, said that if the matter could be arranged he was sure the Jockey Club would be only too pleased to know that a horse should not be penalised by anything in the natttre of void nominaAidns thtough death? ! i; j’I', 1 ',' 1 " . 'Mr Edgar WallaCe;, chairman of the .Press Club, said tha,t'hiih ! ert<i the Jockey Club had contended that forfeits incurred Iby’ a man or his executors were not re-

coverable if the Gaming'Act wli.r nicrdAl. “I have contended,’’ continued; My-. Wallace, 9 that such forfeits Can be'recovered, and, to prove it, I have refused to" pay a 3um o,f. £4 which I incurred ..as . a forfeit over one of my horses. Instead "Of puffing me on the forfeit list, the Jockey.. Club, a bold. just, arid honest ' authority, has issued a writ—Lord Ellesmere v. Edgar Wallace. “ It will be a 'Very- big case, and will probably go to the House of Lords. It will be the biggest case ever fought over horses within living memory. I am glad and proud to be the victim. I hope that when it is definitely settled the question of void nominations will no longer arise. If the Jockey Club proves that they can recover forfeits from the living, then thej' can recover from the executors of the dead, and there will be no longer any necessity to void nominations.” IMPORTED STALLIONS. At different times Australia has b*- h the dumping ground for a Dumber of inferior English thoroughbreds, but that does not justify the inference of Mr F. Becker, a noted foreign, .authority on breeding, that most of our best horses are the progeny of second and third-rate sires. In many cases (says “ Pilot ” in the Sydney Referee) the imported horses most successful at the stud in Australia were untried in that respect prior to their- departure from England;. Others had only done one or two seasons, . Mr F. Becker, who resides in Germany, but contributes a weekly page to the Lexington Thoroughbred Review is an undoubted authority on breeding, but occasionally allows his anti-British feelings to get the better of him. He is now adopting an aqti-Australian attitude, and recently wrote . as -follows:— “In no other country imported second and third-rate sires have gained such successes as ‘ Down South.’ They have ousted the best of the ‘natives/ who, according to some Australian writers, would have made hacks of England's and France’s best if only a chance had been given them to take their measure of them. This is an ‘if’ as big as that of the poor investor and of that wouldbe operator who feels certain to be able to corner Rockefeller if only he had the means to do so.” Further on he says: 1 Should Australian breeders choose to send mares to Valais, Spearhead, St. Anton, Rossendale, Comedy King, etc., out of imported mares to England, I will warrant the offspring won’t prove good enough to win selling plates.” 'Both statements are somewhat far- . fetched. Mr Becker apparently overlooks, the fact that some of the horses he classes as second and third-rate" sires were not tried at the stud before they left England, and it is therefore impossible to say how they would have fared if they had-remained there and received fair opportunities. Admittedly, . the chances were against them, with .so many better credentialled stallions available; but some that were expected to make good in England were failures, while others from lowly beginnings rapidly advanced. 'Emblematic is at the stud in Australia, and if by any chance his brother, Abbot’s Trace, had been bought for Australia without being tried in England, it is reasonable to suppose Mr Becker would have classed him' a second or third rater. However, Abbot’s Trace has done so well since going to the stud in England five years ago that his fee has advanced from £4B to 250gns, and is likely to go higher; while others which started at a much higher fee a few years earlier are now down the list.

Last season Valais, Magpie, and Spearhead headed the winning sires’ list in Australia in that order. Of these, only Valais was at the stud-in England, and he-did one season, siring four winners. ■When a well-bred horse is sent from England untried (or nearly so) as a * sire, he cannot fairly be classed as a second or third-rater. Rossendale, though tried, seemingly did not stand high in the opinion of English breeders, else he might not have come to Australia; but a .change of environment and climate may improve a sire, just as it will a. racehorse. I do not flatter, myself to the extent of setting my knowledge of breeding against that of Mr Becker, but as there is nothing amiss with the breeding of ; the stallions mentioned by him, it is assuming a lot to say 1 that, their daughters '•ffrohi imported mareS. would be stud failures if sent to England. Different conditions change the characteristics ‘of horses as well as humans; arid weaknesses 'associated with certain lines in-England may be missing from the same families (retired in Australia. • : 1 v .

IN A NUTSHELL.

Staghunter is reported to have wintered well. Cimabue is galloping well in his work at Trentham. Comic Song lool<s particularly: bright and healthy at present.’ , , 1 Gaze has done well since he r,aced at the. Wellington meetipg. . Battlement continues .to • get. through Useful 'work at Wingatui. >•

The Marton Jockey Club has decided t 0.,, abandon the 10s totalisator. Mask and Episode are striding along well in their work at Wanganui. Lysander is to be placed in training again within the next week or two. Nominations for the Otago Hunt Club's race , meeting are due on August 6. , . Magpie is amongst the Australian; statlioris with -a full list for next season, , are •? ,diie:„r on /fd-nidrrow (y\ eduesdjiy.) “(or.me< tmg _ 1 \ ’ Craigntorei lias 'built up a bit:since he scored; hiif.runaway wrb. at the Dunedin wintecjrfeeting,. — « A. Reed rode a winner'ion the two concluding days of the V.R.C. Grand National meeting. ± S°lfeiino gelding Jn J. Ruttledge’s 1 stable is shedding a splint wfiich he sprung some time back.

I 1 irst Sight put up good gallop .last week, and is regarded as on the danger list for the Winter Cup. Pamplona got through long and steady work at Wingatui on Saturday, and appears to be fairly sound. :■ Overdrawn meets "Black Mint' on 151 b better terms, in the Winter Cup than he did in .the Birthday Handicap. Tembroney and the Thumham gelding trained by J . J. Cotter are both, gradually building up - into condition. A final, payment for the Grand National Steeples, Grand National Hurdles, and V\ inter Cup falls due on August 9. The Acre gelding Broadfields is one of the most promising young horses at Wingatui. He is out of a Mahaki mare. Handicaps for the minor events to be decided on the first day of the Grand National meeting are due on August 6, and acceptances on August 9. S. G. Ware has shifted the balance of his team to Timaru. and will train there . until, .returning for the Dunedin spring meeting. An Auckland' writer ventures the opinion that Town Bank may be hard to beat if back to his best northern form. The. best line: to a horse’s chance in the Winter Cup is. not when he won, but what he might have accomplished on other occasions. - Even the rich have occasionally to curtail their* expenses. The Auckland Rating Club has reduced stakes by a cut of 2000sovs on th,e present season. '"‘tj The Solferino gelding Solferite put up a good gallop last week.. He is always at-his best when the sting is out of the ground. ;- ■ -

Diimblane has wintered particularly well, and should make a good return next season for the patience and care bestowed on him.

Lochella is being pottered about in easy exercise, and seems to be sound again, and may remain so until subject to hard tasks. ■ ■

Black Duke has filled out very pleasingly during his spell. He now . looks in,fine, robust condition for another preparation. . ... 77.

Fourteen rising two-year-olds were: exercised in company at Trentham last week with colours up. They were allowed , to work on the course proper. ■■ ' It is said that some, of the owners, interested object to the curtailment! of the distance attached to the M’Lean > Stakes. , i

The Solferino gelding Standard -is doing good work at Trentham. He was recently on the market at a cheap figure.

A two-year-old parade will be held at Riccarton on Saturday next in connection with the Christchurch Hunt meeting-

Both Kaiti and Royal Lineage are reported to be in good order for their engagements at the Grand NatibTal meeting.

The Avondale Jockey Club will give£l2,soo forfour days’racing next season. The club is one of the few. maintaining ..the past season’s stake value. , Royal Lineage, who won in most' "impressive style at the last Grand National < meeting, is amongst those engaged at'Riccarton.' : ■'* s. .:

G. Feilder has a sturdy-looking Balboa gelding in his stable. The geldmg is a chestnut with, blaze and white, stockings right up to knees and hocks. 7,‘. r - It is reported-that an extraordinarily mild winter has been experienced? at Trentham. , In anticipation of the usual track conditions some of the Trentham trainers shifted-, to Wanganui. One of the unluckiest horses that ever ran in the Grand National Steeplechase was -Waimai, who slipped and fell after landing over the last fence when he had tha race won.

Dunedin owners are represented in the Winter Cup by Town Bank, Overdrawn, Wayward, Rotor, Miss Winkie, Antrim Boy,', and'■ Royal Saxon—quite a good show. ' ; 7-

Some of the members of the Dunedin; _Jockey Club have ■ been. frequently heard: to declare that new; blood is wanted -on, |ie, committee. -.A. majority of votes,does! ■hot support that opinion. • *

The Trentham.-tracks, are in. excellent' order at ; the present time, and since (the; winter meeting local trainers have been; granted the privilege . :of r working their; horses on the course - proper.

Although the Auckland Racing Club has decided bn a curtailment of stakes, the Auckland- Cup, of 3000sovs, and' the Great Northern Steeplechase, of 2000sovs, will retain their former value.

At the annual, meeting of the Southland Racing Club it was stated that the profit of £9l was made over the season’s operations. The Government Taxation .«• amounted to £5680. ' r ‘ -7 ;

' WhCh the first ofPapyrus’syeayliqge. were sold at auction in England last yOar, they: „took.-the. fancy of. buyers to .fluch, an extent that the mine disposed. of-made 28,990gn5. "

( A common error, made by riders in the Grand Nation:-.! Steeplechase is to cut over to the insid' fails after landing over the last fence. The shortest way home is to come down the outside rail. One subjects of the day in connection racing i s the privilege of .<bSfcadcasting.-. Strange to, say, it was mentioned at the annual meeting of -Jockey ..Club. < Loughreg shaped well in a school over, hurdliS-icgJWingatui on Saturday morning, will probably prov.e very dangerous in the hunters’ hurdle events the Grand National meeting. > The; stewards of areliib have not the' ; -power to alter the /distance of an adverf’?®d race, ugid heiibe the M'Lean Stakes "will be run Aver five"’furlongs "unless the Owners interested are unanimously in favour of a fotir-s-furlong course. r/ r i lle memlj ership of the Dunedin Jockey Club totals 381, and the number seems mpiall for the.pig.trpppl.itan club, of Otagq. It was suggested at the annual meeting ' that each member should strive to obtain an increase of at least one. Royal Saxon jbears a much improved and piore robust appearance than formerly, and has apparently improved with age. He is also going oil well in his work. It is understood....that,; q. substantial price has been refused fpr tfie gelding. - .

Panther has been doing good work since the Wellington winter meeting, and if he starts in the Winter Cup will have B. H. Morris in the saddle.' When seen at Trentham Panther looked a bit round in condition, and should be an improved horse when stripped at Riccarton.

Nincompoop occasionally puts up a good gallop on the track, and did so last week. He meets Solferite on 101 b better terms than when he ran him to half a length in the Winter Cup. Nincompoop would be sure to beat Solferite if he ran up to form.

Wingatui horses with engagements next month all look, well forward in condition, thanks to the comparatively mild winter experienced up to date. Royal Saxon, Dubious, . Loughrea, Craigmore, Overdrawn, and Scion all fill the eye as ready to race.. ", Dunedin has supplied two winners of the Grand National Hurdles in Stormont and General Advance. Away back in the dark ages Mr R. Kildare ” won the' first race with Ixion in 1890. “R. Kildare ” was the nom-de-course of the late Mr Ronald M'Master.

In England it. is .considered advisable to give stallions and horses in training a chailge of climate. A change for horses in training certainly helps to break the monotony of their existence, which sometimes consists'iii. the.same work and exercise on the same plape all the year round. Wingatui winners -of the Winter Cup have been far and ..far between. In 1903 two Wingatui .horses in Vladimir and Pampero acted as winner and runner-up, ■ and Killowen’s-.-success in 1920 completes the list.: This year Overdrawn, Miss Winkie,. and Royal Saxon are amongst th e possibilities;

It was stated lit the annual meeting of the Dunedin - Jockey Club that private parking stalls at Riccarton cost £3O per year. The matter' cropped up during a discussion on the cost of parking at Wingatui,. and. the habit of parking on a public road.; .

The Paper-Money—P-eronilla youngster First Money will probably be sent over to Sydney to run.in ,the Breeders’ Plate. During the ? Wellington winter .meeting his owner:-spoke, to the writer in high terms of the "youngster, who seems to have done well in the meantime.

The mild winter experienced up to date has supplied Wingatui trainers with an unusual opportunity, to get horses well forward for early spring meetings. The grass tracks are unprecedentedly firm for the time of the year, and if bad weather does come along trainers should have their horses sufficiently forward to pro.vide for a few days’ compulsory idleness.

The annual meeting of the members of the Dunfedin Jockey Club took place last, week, .and over without anything unusual occurring. The new aspirants for seats On the committee were defeated, but Mr H. Divers would have held a much better chance if the candidature of ;Mr -Phillips had been withheld in order not-.to split up the votes.

Only two Dunedin- owners have succeeded in winning: the Grand National Steeplechase. Mr D. Christie won with Katerfelto in TBB2 and Mr R. ActonAdams with Lochella in 1919. Otago can claim another in Phaetontes, who won for the late .Mr, St. . John Buckley in 1906. This ..year Dunedin supplies three horses out of the .13 acceptors.

Alan M'Donald has had a bad spin 'in jumping events'vthis year, and since the W’anganui held in May last, he has had no few-er'than 15 falls. M'Donald will be riding at the Grand National fixture next month, and his mounts will include Red - Fuchsia, -who is a popular pick for the Grand National Hurdle Race.. ' " . .

The new training tracks laid down at Takanini in order " relieve the congestion at Ellerslie have been in use fori over a year, and 38 horses ,are now training there. It' has been- found ■by ex-1 perience that .Indian Dodhb is the best! grass for a tjfack7.as it; stands wear, and makes a It is greatly, favoured in Australia,' where Randwick; and other; with it.

The Horse AndtHoUnd 'ELondon) states; that Mr Henry “Cliolmondeley eontem-i plates resigning the management of the Sledmere Stud. He went to Sledmere in 1892 to assist his uncle, the late Sir Tatton. Sykes, and between': 1893 and 1927 (inclusive) the Sledmere yearlings sold at auction brought a little over £BOO,OOO.

. Mr L. K, . S'. Mackinnon, always , ,a. game buyer, gave, .a ihigh price for Th,es- ; pian’s brother,; Farrago (Absurd—Leta),t. and may yet; .get the. reward he 'deserves; (says an. Australian writer). Farrqgp,! now a three-year-old/was beaten a . 'neck! by Lady • Beth . jn ilie- Lawn Flemington on July 14, and lost ground

by cutting across. the course a furlong from home. Commenting upon the non-appearance of Clan Robert in the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase, “Pilot” said in maximum weight is 12.7, Clan Robert’s chance might have ’ good onej but, "Faulkner pkej to bet. whep fiq of his hordes, the totalisator as a/: medium of ma y'’not hav^T'appealed to \ ■ goodwood d&Z.A;);' rac6s on JW 14 the Hurdle R<cej twd miles, was WOOtby Constellation, - ail aged chestnut Sliding by Tangiwai. 'i e 4/i ae a outsider, b'uCswon by four lengths. Kilreid finished tfiftd in the Goodwood Handicap, one mile and aquarter, and included in the “also starteds_ during the day were Letter of Credit, Propeller, and Girribillie. A number of racehorses were killed in a railway -accident. An owner and his trainer rushed to the scene to identify x? e l r -> horse. ‘ Thaf ' isn’t 'him. Nor that, they said, pointing to two horses. They wandered on and espied more animals. That s not him, either. But there he is. pointing to" a fourth horse. -.Same in death "hs in life, not even in the first three!

The Bayerstock Belding Amorist, recently sold by J. M'Combe to Mr H Dampier-Crossley, is regarded as a rather promising hurdler. He shapes very well in hi s schooling, and--is' bred on lines suggesting both stamina and ability to jump. Baverstoek wds ..got by Malster from the great. Trenton -mare Wakeful. an^i dam of Amorist, was got by Grafton, who, linked with Trenton, represents two great producing lines for hurdling and fencing. ~Gn the eve of the Derby a writer in the London Sporting Life, referring to the feminine interest in racing, says: ’ " a i is quite capable of giving you at least as good. ‘ information * as y? u are to get from your friend at the club, or from the charlady\whose cousin twiee removed on the distaff side once took in for the family whose elder onc ? a ? ked for a Kiatch by the stable-boy who had been seen talking to the groom who once worked for. the trainer who might have had charge of the differently-’’' the WOrld had been P

ma E e B J“ e Ji* (Wildflower— Petit Bleu), who died in England last •R?, a , r i’ Ay A B ? goldmine for the Sledmere Stud. During her racing career she won one small race, and, at four years, she ?R°nn S ht c? ri I ate ! y by 7 Mr Cholmondeley for £6OO. She bred 13 foals, and of these 10 were sold as yearlings for £46,725. The highest-priced of her progeny were Blue Ensign (by The Tetrareh), 14.500gn5; Westward Ho (by Swynford). ll,soogns: and Teresina (by The Tetrarch), 7700gns As a performer, Teresina was the best of the trio, winning £10,944 in stakes.

The following table shows the winnings (approximately) of'this season’s leading sires compared with their winnings last se <i son z—

If George Price’s colt, King Conrad develops into as good a., galloper as his appearance indicates, his owner-trainer will not regret having paid 425gns for him. And the chances are that King Conrad will. Having his first .start in the T C ® n v dl ni l >° n rr Of / he Menangle Park TuoAear-Old Handicap last week, he gathered up Mur no ng inside the last furlong, and won well. It was. a good performance to win down the Menangle straight at his first appearance, and it should not be long before he follows up the' victory (says the Sydney Sun). By Nassau from the Kilbroney mare Killala, it will not be surprising if King Conrad shows to advantage over a bit of distance.

-i A sportsman in Sydney recently became engaged to be married, and among .tho many congratulations he.;received was .a telegram from a .racing .friend. It read:. Congratulations; send pedigree and track performances- of filly.” There had peen considerable speculation in the district as .to which of-two swains would win the girl, and when the . engagement was announced the defeated, a tall, sad, dejected, and rejected suitor, said to his rival, You.ve taken- my girl.” “Well ;John,” replied the happy one, “there .are as good fish in the sea-as ever came OU -i . hl , s astonishment came the reply,, Well,.what- about, throwing yours evon’in good to quick-witted .even m defeat.

J. Scobie, who is regarded as a master ot his craft, was criticised in Melbourne for not having given Clan Robert a run over the jumps before the Grand National steeplechase m which he finished fourth ■with the load of 12.12 on his back. The veteran is apparently of the opinion that a trainer does not 'know his business if be . W *IL -jumping races without ? üb J t r a,s 1 -. He. he “had landed five big events at" Flemington with maiden horses. In the bld dej’s we could ■ rely implicitly on .track gallops, and schooling. lessons..’ James -Scobie- has-been associated with some of the greatest of :Austra lian jumpers—among them Ruby, -.Gorythus,., and Blue Mountain—as rider and trainer. x , tbe exception of the fillies’ races, tlie Gimcrack Stakes and Adrian Knox Stakes, there was a falling off -in. the entries, which closed last month, for A. j.C. races for two and thrqe-year-olds. The following are the total entries made last June and this:—

Th- decrease is not serious (says a Sydney paper), and, as usual, there will not be 20 three-year-olds reckoned good enough to run in the Derby.

Grosvenor’s winners continue to crop o? rP At Manchester on . May 31 his three-year-old son, Talpa, who is OUt Ghaucer mare, Mole',Heap, won the Mark Price Handicap in 1.39 2-5 for the milq. He carried 8.6, and was a vni tO in a field of' seven. When Grogvqnor was at Messrs Chilholm; and at Randwick he imi' Pressed.(says “Pilot”) as a Strong,-' plain-looking customer, more likely, to get hurdlers' than anything else. However his recor<L in England proved he' could sire smart.;gallopers on the .flat, and he* has; done well in himself since going w;iGV ra ® is ex Pected hb a V b b re . ! P onsible for better horses in than he sired in the Old CounWhiJe the;7question of curtailing the distance of early two-year-old races is t l o lld rV- 1 C !P“fn' atl r on ? t ? ,ay be of interest t° rectal! the fact that the greatest authority on training, the late Mr William Day, held that youngsters should never be tried over less than six furlongs. The great mistake present-day trainers f sprintlng you ns ster s over three furlongs for races over five furlongs. Day’s practice was to work them'at a solid pace finT tb ® dlstan « e of a race, and be satison® u t f lal ’ gall °p- Now we tHnR f h f° rses being s ¥ b jected to several trials before a meeting. The mighty Ormonde never had a trial gallop i/his life. He was trained and got readv to and In s trainer knew he had a good horse without looking at the watch except to see the time of dav except

When, as often happens, the fields for weight-for-age races at Ellerslie are disappointing, remarks are heard that those events should be curtailed—indeed it s , e ? loU J ly su l?S es ted that they should be altogether eliminated. It must be said (remarks “Phaeton”) when m>tebfJn hy "ii°7 eS aet ? ally at the meeting have been withdrawal from, these events in view of impending handicaps, there is some reason to seriously consider whether they’ should be retained. The committee of the Auckland Racing Club has, however it is pleasing to note, decided to allow matters to stand as formerly in framing the programmes for the coming season and it is to be hoped that its action will m future be supported by owners in a manner serving to strengthen rather than imperil the retention of races for the weight-for-age class.

When Jeddah, at 100 to 1. won the English Derby, Richard Marsh, then in charge of Egerton House stable, had a much more fancied candidate, in Dieudonne, who, however, was unplaced. The Sporting Life refers as follows to the incident: —Jeddah was thought a great deal of at one time, and but for two rathef moderate performances in the Guineas and Newmarket Stakes would have attracted more attention. As it was, he was overshadowed by his stable companion, Didudonne, and his victory came as a surprise to the general public. Marsh, however, had not lost all hope, though, like the majority, he was far more sanguine about Dieudonne. Madden, who had the mount on the winner, was probably the least astonished of all, as the jockey had never lost faith in Mr Larnaeh’s colt. With the, trainer it was a case of “mixed feelings.” As Lord Rosebery observed in offering him his congratulations: “ I expect that you are laughing on one side of your face and crying on the other.” Which about summed up the position. Thbre was a rush for Amplifier soon after betting commenced on the second division. of the Juvenile Handicap at Moorefield, on July 14 (says the Referee). However, he drifted a little in the betand finished fifth. According to _ Pilot "’ he is a. good sort of gelding by Leighton, but on this occasion did not display marked galloping ability. Tea Miss, another Donovan brought over, was bought at a. figure scarcely warranted by her New Zealand performances, and the way our handicappers are treating her. Still, she showed pace at Rosehill, and -as her lew owner is a big better, e win or two will make her profitable. First Acre is not as . good , as many racing men believed after. his. two Canterbury Park wins. The failures of those mentioned may benefit other New Zealanders. Some horses from the Dominion have done particularly , well over here, but it seems to me. that the. indifferent division is often penalised for the deeds of those of better class.

It is --not the policy of the Government to interfere with the administration of racing by the New Zealand Rasing Conference, and there does not appear to be any reason to do so in the cases referred to by the honourable member.” This was the answer the Acting Minister of Internal Affairs■ (Hon. Sir Maui Pomare) gave ip .the House of Representatives last week to, Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland ; East), who had asked whether the Mini-' ster had -noticed the penalties inflicted, upon some of those who ivere guilty of corrupt practices at a recent meeting at Rotorua,-and whether he agreed that it was desirable that the instruments 1 only should be punished while many of the real offenders were permitted to escape. The, Minister was further asked whether, haying regard to the public interest and

the totalisator concessions granted to clubs, the Government should not have an independent means of protecting the pubi y appointment of officials responSlb e .the State, and not responsible to the Racing Conference..

1327-28 1926-27 Lucullus Solferino Quin Abbey Limond Paper Money Day Comet Martian Catmint Absurd Kilbroney Greyspear Acre . . . . Bisogne •< 177480 15,200 14,653 14,130 13,000 12,060 10,430 10,420 10,180 . 9.480 - 8,746 8,580 '8,380. £ 13,532 17,409 16,798 13,421 14,561 9,434 9,168 12,527 23,309 14,132 5.605 7,194 9,537

(Breeders’ Plate ... . 1923 ...... 174 1927 194 'Gimcrack Stakes 172 143 December Stakes ’’?. ' ‘.‘C' . .;’?377 ‘ 389 J Btres‘ Produce StakesT’f 447 490 Champagne Stakes. '.V * 560 608 rA;J.C. Derby, o ? ' .'*£ . :.'"59S ~ 614 ; AdrtanKnox Stakes 210 St. Leger (1930) .. 548 570