RACING AND TROTTING

Southland Times, Issue 23140, 5 March 1937, Page 10

RACING AND TROTTING

News —Prospects—Results

Racing March 4. 6—Napier Park R.C March 6—Banks Peninsula R.C. March 6—Franklin R.C. March 6—Rangitikei R.C. March 12. 13—Cromwell J.C March 11. 13—Wellington R.C. March 13—Birchwood Hunt Club. March 13, 17—Ohlnemuri J.C. . March 19. 20—Pahiatua R.C. March 20—Stratford R.C. s March 20—Otautau R.C. March 20. 22—Westport J.C. March 20, 22—Bay of Plenty J.C. March 27—Greymouth J.C. March 27—Tuapega County J.C. March 27, 29—Auckland R.C. March 27, 29—Feilding J.C. Marell 27. 29—Wairarapa R.C. March 27. 29, 30—Riverton R.C. March 29—Beaumont R.C. March 29—Waipukurau J.C March 29—Kumara R.C. March 29. 30—Canterbury J.C. Trotting March 5, 6—lnvercargill T.C. March 6—Wellington T.C. March 13—Wanganui T.C. March 13—Timaru T.C. March 17—Wyndham T.C. March 20—Cheviot T.C. March 20—Wanganui T.C. March 27, 29—Hawera T.C. March 27. 31—N.Z. Metropolitan T.C

(By The Curragh)

The Wellington Trotting Club’s meeting will be held tomorrow.

Moko Child has come into favour for today’s Invercargill Trotting Cup.

The Invercargill Trotting Club’s meeting opens at 12.45 p.m. today. The final event is timed for 5.25 p.m.

Handicaps for the Wyndham Trotting Club’s meeting appear on Monday.

Weights for the first day of the Riverton Racing Club’s meeting are due on Wednesday next.

Acceptances for the Birchwood Hunt Club’s meeting close on Monday.

The Napier Park, Banks Peninsula, Franklin and Rangitikei Racing Clubs will hold their meetings tomorrow.

The King’s Cup this year is to be run at Perth, on April 3. The race will be more or less a Westralian affair, as it has not attracted the nomination of any good performers from the eastern States.

A year ago S. Cleaver produced Kaola for a win at each of the New Plymouth, Hawera and Opunake meetings, and this season, with Don Erma, he has taken two firsts and three seconds in five starts.

The Riverton-trained Barley Almond was nominated for the Wellington meeting, to be held next week, but evidently the weight allotted her was not acceptable, and she will not make the trip.

To the keen observer there were one or two instances during the two days’ racing at Gore of performers with that bad habit of “putting off till tomorrow what they could have done today.”— Mataura Ensign.

After winning the Pataki Hurdles at Opunake on Saturday, Bazaine was produced in the Flying Handicap, a couple of races later, and secured second money behind the topweight, Lady Kyra, who had a length and a-half advantage at the post.

It seems to be generally assumed that Francis Drake will race at Riccarton at Easter, but it is probable that a decision on this point will be t reserved until after he has encountered Haughty Winner at Trentham.

Sir Hugh has rejoined C. Emerson’s stable at Riccarton, after having had a spell since the spring. Streamline, looking well after his spell, is another recently recommissioned, and Aggravate and Greek Gold are recent arrivals back at headquarters.

Trench Fight, who has caused his trainers some concern lately on account of a recurrence of his knee trouble, is to be spelled, and he will not be brought in again until he is required for spring racing.

R. Beale will be riding at Motukarara on Saturday, when his mount in the hightweight event will be Dropped Catch. Beale will then come south again to carry out engagements at the Birchwood Hunt fixture. He will be on the Riccarton jumper Nocturnus at the first of the southern fixtures.

With the exception of Rebel Chief, visiting horses from north of Dunedin had a bad spin at the Gore meeting, and must have proved costly to their connections. Of the 12 galloping events decided, five went to Otago-trained horses, five to Southland, and two to Canterbury.

There was an impression abroad that Sir Charles Clifford might send Top Notch to Auckland this month for the Great Northern Oaks and St. Leger, possibly with a two-year-old as a mate. Any such idea has been dropped, and all the members of Cutts’s team will remain home at Easter.

Master Brierly staged one of his characteristically brilliant late runs to win the Herries Memorial Cup at Te Aroha on Saturday by a head. It was a performance right up to his best form as until the last furlong he appeared to be out of the picture. Sinking Fund (second) was unlucky that the winner showed such marked improvement on his form at Te Rapa.

Among the two-year-olds racing at Napier Park is Star Lad, by Martarma from Star Lady, dam of that good performer, Star Stranger. Consequently, Star Lad, who is the property of Mr W. Henderson, of Waipukurau, is more than a half-brother to Star Stranger, as he was got by Martian —Star Lady, and Martarma was also sired by Martian.

Some riding engagements made for the Banks Peninsula meeting on Saturday are as follows: —C. T. Wilson, Volana; G. M. Watson, Royal Limond, Monastic and Lady Epsom filly; H. W. Hibberd, Mount Vai, Comus, La France, Dictate (Forsyth Handicap); A. Messervy, Happy Knight, Willie Win; G. Elliott, Solpit; A. S. Ellis, Nocturnus; M. W. Caddy, Owlsgleam; A. E. Ellis, Joyous.

Included in the nominations for the Riverton meeting are several Riccarton horses. D. O’Connor has the largest team engaged and present intentions are for him to take south Gresham, Grey Boy, The Grasper and Royal Limond. A. S. Ellis has Nocturnus, Forum and Nolana entered, while J. S. Shaw has Dollar Bill and Pahu to represent the stable. J. H. Prosser has entered Great Star for the Riverton Cup.

Monastic (R. K. Smith) was sent twice over the two brush hurdles at Riccarton on Tuesday morning (says The Press, Christchurch). He gave a satisfactory exhibition. Fairway (J. Murfitt) was to have taken a lead from Monastic, but he baulked more than once at the first hurdle, and after

several unsuccessful attempts he was not persevered with. As a preliminary he had been given a few turns in the ring, where after a little persuasion he had shaped satisfactorily.

Concliff, a speedy but not very solid Australian-bred horse, who won several races in New Zealand for the late W. J. Tomkinson, is siring winners in Tasmania. One of his progeny, Old Home, won a double at the North Eastern Trotting Club’s meeting, recording very smart times for the track.

Taro, who won at Te Aroha on Saturday, is a four-year-old gelding by Cockpit, who is located at Yaldhurst, from Huirau, by King Mark from Te Aupaki, and is therefore related to that good performer Toxeuma. Taro is owned by Mr F. Ormond, for whom he is trained by W. McKinnon. Taro is also a half-brother to Werohia.

Tout le Monde made a good impression on his first appearance as a hurdler, and is being discussed as a possibility for big jumping events. Luck was with J. Fryer when he selected the Limond gelding. Deputed to look around for a likely jumper, the Hawera trainer purchased _ Tout le Monde, only to have his choice turned down by his client. Nothing daunted he decided to retain Tout le Monde, with happy results. The horse had had a little schooling and showed great aptitude and he now looks a prospect for Great Northern or Grand National hurdle .honours, for he is the right age, is sound, and is stoutly bred.

In 1928 the New Zealand sportsman, Mr J. S. McLeod, sent to Australia a three-year-old colt, Raasay, a halfbrother to the New Zealand Derby winner, Runnymede. “Mr Constable paid a big price for him, but Raasay did not even gain a places for that owner, and after racing until a five-year-old, disappeared. His existence was recalled at Canterbury Park, Sydney, recently, when Raasay’s son, Killaloe, practically his only representative on the turf, won the Maiden Handicap nicely, and beat into third place the favourite, Holbein, who runs in the interests of a partnership of which “Mr Constable” is a member.

The Australian-bred gelding, New Ideal, has been in trouble ever since he was purchased by Mr G. J. Barton. He began the series by falling while travelling at a 2min lOsec clip, and this shook his confidence. A few weeks later he got mixed up in a wire fence and cut the inside of his hock rather badly. Treatment had almost restored the injured part when he threw himself on the ground and caused the wound to reopen. He is again on sick leave, but his trainer expects to give him gentle exercise within the next few days. New Ideal came to New Zealand last November with New Derby, and shaped as if he would develop into a useful performer.

Our Peggy, a double-winner at the last Auckland meeting, will be assured of solid support in the Wainui Handicap at Wellington on Saturday, and she will again have the services of R. B. Berry in the sulky. Our Peggy, on her latest running, may be regarded as a good solid pacer, and will stay the full mile and a half journey. Auckland running, however, may not prove altogether a good guide and Canterbury backers will stick solidly to the Tas-manian-bred pacer, Icevus, whose New Brighton running was convincing. Diversion, Player, and Dark Hazard are others deserving of support. Although Icevus and Our Peggy appear to be the best the race will not be won without a hard struggle.

The Elderslie Stud Ltd. (Oamaru) has a dozen yearlings entered for the yearling sales, to be held by Messrs Wm. Inglis and Son in Sydney at Easter time, and four will be offered each day. They are a brown colt by Iliad from Dancing Doll (imported), bay colt by Night Raid from Graciosa (imported), brown filly by Iliad from Refinement, chestnut filly by Iliad from Lady Violet, chestnut colt by Iliad from Quadrilateral (imported), chestnut colt by Riad from Ebba (imported), chestnut colt by Iliad from Sweet Charity (imported), chestnut colt by Iliad from Lytup, chestnut colt by Iliad from Anne Shakespeare (imported), brown filly by Iliad from Pan Money, chestnut filly by Iliad from Gobble, and bay filly by Iliad from Princess Argosy.

Conditions were mild for training operations at Riccarton on Tuesday morning when there were some interesting gallops by candidates engaged at Motukarara on Saturday and at Trentham next week (says The Press, Christchurch). The plough and No. 7 grass tracks were open. Work on the plough was carried out as follows:— Wild Chase was restricted to a steady mile, and his stablemates, Haughty Winner, and Nightdress, were companions over six furlongs, which took Imin 18 2-ssec, the first three furlongs in 38sec. Haughty Winner was five lengths in front at the post, the Nightmarch colt being unable to hold him over the concluding three furlongs. Nightdress will not race at Trentham. Lazybones and Mulatto could not be separated at the end of five furlongs, run in Imin 2 4-ssec. Both youngsters were doing their best over the concluding stages. This five was not improved on during the morning.

Mr J. F. MacKenney, the owner, declares that Lawn Derby is the best pacer in Australia from a mile and a half to two miles, says The Sydney Referee. For a few days there were hopes that the owner of Wrinkle would accept a, challenge to race the Sydney horse to contest the title—owner of the latter had £5OO to stake —but his idea was not a match race, rather a contest in a race with other competitors, when Mr Messenger would be prepared to start Wrinkle off the same mark as Lawn Derby. It has ended up in mere words, and the best South Australians were to see of Lawn Derby was his attempt to lower his own mile record at Wayville, with the assistance of a galloper and a couple of pacers from the same stable—probably Great Royal and Bright Walla. Meantime, Wrinkle will be given a spell, and there is just a chance that he will be sent to New Zealand to race.

A move that is made with the best of intentions occasionally does not have the result anticipated (says “Rangitira,’ in The Evening Post). It would seem as if this may have happened with the Wellington Racing Club in increasing its minor prizes to the highest minimum in the Dominion. The nominations received for the hack and novice events at the summer meeting last month did not show the improvement that might have been expected numerically and in quality; and now the nominations that have been secured for the minor events at the autumn meeting, excepting only the two-year-old races, are even more disappointing. The relatively poor response that was received this week may have been pure accident. But the club should at least give thought to the consideration, before issuing _ future programmes, whether it is in its own best interests to keep the minor prizes at so high a level as it has recently been aiming to do. Concentration on the feature items instead might bring fuller results.

South Australians are still intrigued over the mysterious movements connected with the pacer Marble Bath, says a Sydney writer. The latest is that police assistance may be invoked by the trotting people to elucidate it all. Marble Bath is still in Adelaide. Everybody seems curious to know what influenced the connections in withdrawing him from the championships practically at the eleventh hour, more especially as he appeared to have such an excellent chance.

D. O’Connor has a novice . jumper who shows considerable promise as a steeplechaser in Grey Boy (says The Press, Christchurch). He has done some recent schooling over the inside steeplechase fences and has acquitted himself in splendid style. Grey Boy has shown a little form in hurdle country. Nightbound, in the same stable, was ridden by C. Dawson over four hurdles on Wednesday. He looks as if he will make a good hurdler. . A good display of slow but safe jumping was given by Nocturnus (R. Jennings) and Sky Pilot (R. K. Smith) over a round of the steeplechase fences. Chaste, who is making rapid improvement as a hurdler, shaped well over two brush hurdles. She was ridden by G. Linton, who has been recommended for a licence to ride in jumping races.

To have ridden the winner of a race in six consecutive years, and to have been on winners of another event at an interval of 26 years are two most noteworthy achievements in the career of R. Derrett. He piloted the winner of the New Zealand Oaks from 1890 to 1895, inclusive, his mounts being Diadem, Florrie, Dora, Ich Dien, Bluefire, and Bellicent. The next best run of successes in a classic race is that of F. E. Jones, who rode the winner of the Dunedin Champagne Stakes from 1914 to 1918 inclusive. From 1908 to the latter year he was successful in this race on all but two occasions, being third in 1910 and second in 1913. For 11 consecutive years, therefore, Jones was in the money in the race, and that also is a feat unique in records of the New Zealand turf. It is the more remarkable when it is considered that all his winning mounts carried the colours of the late Sir George Clifford; and in 1913, when he was beaten, it was by the Clifford candidate, ridden by C. Emerson.

Big Author is already a warm favourite for the R. A. Armstrong Memorial at Wellington and New Brighton running certainly entitles him to preference over the horses he met there (says The Press, Christchurch). Guy Junior has not shown form that justifies support in a race of this class, and although Queen Author has been consistent, and Recess is gradually returning to her best, Big Author must have a better chance. Grace McElwyn has gone back 24yds because of her New Brighton win, but, a genuine race mare, she will only need to have the race run to suit her to have a great chance. Llewellyn’s Pride may find the battle too hard, but on their last showing at Wellington, Bonny Azure and King’s Warrior may trouble the horses farther out in the handicap. In heavy going the latter will prove himself up to the best class, and Bonny Azure will only need a bit of luck in the running to be handy at the finish. This is likely to result in a very hard race and the chances of Big Author and King’s Warrior will possibly be most fancied.