STEEPLECHASE THRILLS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18087, 7 August 1936, Page 8

STEEPLECHASE THRILLS

REMINISCENCE OF 1905 STRAYBIRD’S SOLO RUN Discussion ot' the unusual cireum sliuiees connected with the running o the steeplechase event on the serum day of the Poverty Bay Turf Club’; recent meeting pronipkd an old pat rot of the sport of racing to reminiscence in conversation with a pressman. lit recalled various races in which flit conditions were out of the' ordinary and mentioned particularly the success ,of St ray bird in the Gisborne Cuj Steeplechase of 15)05, in which event the winner was the only one to complete the course, and collected both first and second prizes. In the Herald report of the race, taken from the tile of duly 7, 1005. the purse is stated at £IOO, and the field comprised Mr. W. O’Sullivan’s Straybird and another starter named Hylas. The description of the race wu.as under:—

“The pair moved off at; a slow pace and Hylas stuck at the first jump Straybird, after a series of baulks a the water jump, completed the course. Hylas followed Straybird over the obstacles, but when left to complete the course, baulked again at the watei jump, and finally at the first brash fence near the grandstand. Ross (hen withdreiv his mount. Straybird'-, time was 12min 50see, and as this was with in the limit of 20min, took first money “Under the Rules of Racing, Stray bird’s owner secured both first and second money, as a. tesult of 1 Ivins' withdrawal after the commencement of the race.’’ ORIGIN OF NAME TITLE OF PENNYCOMEQUICK

Mow that the Hunting Song - lilly Pennycoinequick lias come into the limelight, curiosity has been evinced as to where she derived her quaint name. It is the same as that of a filly who won the Oaks for Lord Astor in 1929. and no doubt the naming of the New Zealand filly was suggested by that of the English classic winner. In the latter ease, the name was that of a down close to Plymouth, the city Lord Astor represented in the House of Commons before lie succeeded to the peerage, and which Lady Astor lias since represented.

A broken pastern bone in tlie near foreleg ended the career of the, wellknown racehorse l’efer Jackson at Wanganui oil Tuesday. The gelding stumbled while doing three-quarter pace work on the course proper. A decision to work on the principle of having no stake under .£3OO this season has been made by the committee of the Auckland Racing Club. It is proposed to increase the stakes for the season by £1925, and this will be allocated as follows: —Spring meeting, £400; summer, £1026; autumn, £225; and winter, £275. The stake of the Auckland Oup lias been fixed at £1750, an increase of £250. The Clifford Plate, weight-for-age, lias been raised from £350 to £4OO. Where any open event was worth £3OO the stake will be raised to £350.