On The Turf And Off

Southland Times, Issue 23181, 23 April 1937, Page 10

On The Turf And Off

TIMARU CUP OLD HANDICAP EVENT (By Sir Modred) Stolen March has yet to display the best .form of which he is capable, and it is on the cards that he will race to advantage at the Timaru or Oamaru fixtures. „ x . „ The novice steeplechaser punting Go was noted to be slightly sore yesterday morning, probably as the result of over-reaching, but it is not considered serious. . The very disappointing gelding Southdown is due to appear in the Tekapo Hurdles at Washdyke tomorrow. A course of jumping may give him confidence to race across the flat. P. T. Hogan’s Superex has not exhibited his excellent early form for some time past, but reports from the north are that he has been moving in encouraging shape of late. The string of F. W. Ellis has been strengthened by the addition of a second chestnut yearling colt by Nigger Minstrel. The youngster is favoured with an excellent set of limbs built on attractive flat bone, and he is deep barrelled, powerfully cast behind the saddle, and looks out from a sensible head. A suspicion of carrying a Roman nose cannot be held against him, as many noted gallopers have been distinguishable in this connection. Bred the right way by Mr P. Price he is by Nigger Minstrel from Pretty Maiden (a mare who went amiss at the Riverton Racing Club’s Easter meeting of the 1933-34 season), by Robespierre (imp.) from Tokarahi (a Canterbury-owned mare). The other chestnut yearling under the care _ of the Southland trainer F. W. Ellis is a very nice colt by Nigger Minstrel from the well-known Southland mare Queen Balboa. A very unconcerned youngster, who has been in hand for some time, the descendant of the Balboa matron moves nicely and promises to furnish .into a performer well up to weight some day in his future career. It was evident during the progress of the Riverton Racing Club’s recent fixture that the Paladin—Kerb mare Trivet was making progress in racing condition and in the circumstances she cannot be labelled as overburdened in the Timaru Cup tomorrow under 7.9. Mr D. P. Wilson’s mare is getting up in years as a racer at six years, but she can see out ten furlongs stoutly when at her best. So far the daughter of Paladin has been an unfortunate runner in middle distance events, as she has been narrowly defeated on several occasions in coveted events. With the Birchwood Hunt annual racing fixture at Invercargill looming up in the near future it is needless to say that qualifying runs to be held at the Winton race-course will be welcomed by many owners. The meets will take place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 28, 29 and 30, and quite a number of jumping novices have already been named as likely to come under the eye of the Master of the Hunt. In two recent runs down the Southland Racing Club’s straight from the home turn the brown Balboa—Sabor (imp.) filly and a gelding by Balboa from Linwood have demonstrated the fact that they can move evenly and with some speed at command. The Sabor filly is a sturdy representative of her English dam and is built on lines suggesting that she will carry weight to advantage when raced on to promotion from minimum poundage ranks. This promising pair are inmates of R. E. McLellan’s stable.

A South Canterbury Race

Established away back in 1875 the Timaru Cup to be run on Saturday, is one of the oldest handicap events in New Zealand and probably the event of its class with the most fluctuating range of distances in the records. For the first two years it was decided over two miles and a-half; from 1877 to 1879, at two miles and a-quarter; 1880 to 1886, one mile and three-quarters; 1887 to 1893, one mile and a-half; from 1894 to 1916, one mile and a-quarter; in 1917, reduced to one mile, and in 1919 to seven furlongs; in 1920 the distance was one mile, and in 1921 it was increased to one mile and a-quarter where it stands today. Many noted gallopers have accounted for the leading event of South Canterbury since Castaway won the first contest for the owner-trainer, R. Ray, in 1875, to be followed on the list the succeeding season by Tommy Dodd ’whose namesake many years later turned up in a well-known Invercargill-owned galloper. The 1877 winner, Cloth of Gold was subsequently at the service of breeders in Southland. Mata (1879) was a useful winner, and a similar remark applies to Betrayer (1880). The 1881 winner Sir Modred was a brilliant racehorse in New Zealand and Australia, and afterwards left his mark as a successful sire in Australia and America. Tasman, a consistent racer, won for Mr D. O’Brien in 1883 and 1884. Skipping years when horses like Captain Webster (raced in Southland) prevailed, the 1890 winner may be mentioned as a noted contestant iu that he later on enrolled his name on the scroll of fame attached to the N.Z. Grand National Steeplechase. In following years Crackshot, Liberator (winner of the Great Northern Hurdles and Steeplechase), Saracen, Castashore (an early “iron horse”) Jupiter and Fulmen were known in their respective terms as performers of more than average merit. Then in 1903 Lady Lillian carried 9.12 to the front. This mare and her dam, Lady Zetland, both South Canterbury representatives, hold a unique record. Lady Zetland won the C.J.C. Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicap in 1894, and her daughter (Lady Lillian) followed suit in 1903. A good mare in Tikitere nearly won twice, as she scored in 1909, and in the following season ran a dead heat with Oiyoi (owned by G. M. Evans, at one time a successful trainer and rider in Southland). The imported mare First Glance, who won in 1914, was a very fine galloper. Marsa, by Martian —Nantes, by Stepniak, was the 1917 winner and when relegated to the stud left Nightmarch, Full Swing, Brightling, and Solmar, all well known upon the turf. Th-> 1923 winner, Loughrea, was a very fine performer, and the scorer in 1929 will be recognized as the Southlander King Balboa. It can thus be gathered from the necessarily abbreviated list of horses mentioned that the Timaru Cup has been won by many fine handicap racehorses, the majority of whom carried the colours of enthusiasts whose names rank high in turf annals.

It is interesting to recall the names of a number of the horsemen who piloted Timaru Cup winners and the names of their respective mounts may revive ancient memories, as follows:— R. Derrett won twice on Tasman, also on Crackshot and Liberator; W. Pine cn Outpost; J. MeCombe on Jupiter, Fulmen, and Convoy; S. Smith, on Lady Lillian; J. Olsen, on Tirole; F. Yarr, on Lapland and Oiyoi (dead heat); L. King, on Gold Coin; B. Deeley, on Thrax; J. Campbell, on First Glance; C. Emerson, on Marc Anthony and Battle Colours; R. Ray, jun., afterwards prominent in the light harness game, on Ahua; A. H. Wilson, on Marsa and Kilbowne; Roy Reed, on Almoner; A. E. Ellis, on Loughrea and Arikiwai; L. J. Ellis, on King Balboa; T. Green, on Mount Boa; and A. Messervy, on Assurance and Quietly. R. Ray scored

on Tommy Dodd in 1876, and R. Ray, jun., on Ahua, in 1890. Many other knights of the pigskin gained turf honours in the Washdyke event. Southland jockeys returned as winning riders include: S. Smith, J. Olsen, A. E. Ellis, L. J. Ellis and T. Green.