RACING AND TROTTING

Southland Times, Issue 23227, 16 June 1937, Page 10

RACING AND TROTTING

iiadns June 17. 19—Hawke’s Bay J.C. June 19—Greymouth J.C. June 19—Opotlki J.C. June 26—Ashburton County Kt June 26— Dannevlrke Hunt Club. July 3—Manawatu R-C July 3—Oamaru J.C . July 6. 8. 10—Wellington R.C. July 17—Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club. July 17—Walmt.te Hunt Club July 24—Rangitlkl Hunt dub. July 24—South Canterbury Hunt Club. July 29. 31—Poverty Bay T-C. July 3.l—Christchurch Hunt Club.

June 19. 23—Auckland, T.C.

(By THE CURRAGH) F. Langford went on to Washdyke yesterday with his team.

The Wingatui trainer, W. E. Hancock, leaves today for Washdyke with his team.

Nominations for the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting close on Monday.

Dark Hazard and Stirling Lady are booked to race at the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting.

Messrs J. S. and W. E. Hazlett headed the list of winning owners last week at Wingatui with £360.

When Miss Winston fell in the steeplechase at Wingatui on Saturday, her rider, W. Kitto, had a shoulder injured.

A half-sister to Peony Rose by Te Monanui has joined A. McKay’s team at Riverton. She is reported to be wellgrown and a promising sort.

Stirling Lady has been penalized 24yds in the Adams Memorial Cup, to be run on the first day of the Auckland Trotting Club’s winter meeting.

Graham Direct was considered unlucky. in not adding to his Ashburton win another at Addington. He received a check that cost him a good chance of winning.

D. O’Connor’s pupil Grey Boy was travelling well when he came to grief at the sod wall at Wingatui on Saturday. He became entangled with the fallen Shillelagh Wood. The son of Rosenor is a likely sort.

Travenna was in the firing line all the way in the King George Handicap at Wingatui on Saturday, but he struck a bad patch half-way up the straight and fell. He, however, appeared to be beaten at the time.

Surge was the outsider of the field in the King George Handicap on Saturday. She led all the way until a furlong from home, when she tired to eventually finish fifth. It was an excellent showing by the Tractor mare.

The Great Northern Steeplechase winner Irish Comet is 13 years old, and the oldest horse by two years ever to win the race. Previously the age record was held by Dick and Billy Boy, who won at 11 years.

Mercedes, the dam of Two’s Loose, appears to have escaped inclusion in the Stud Book. She is an imported mare by Peter Chenault, and finished second to Manhattan in the Forbury Park Sires’ Produce Stakes in 1928.

Amelita came from a long way back to get third in the King George Handicap on Saturday and her display was a big improvement on her showing on Wednesday. She, however, had no chance with the first and second horses.

Too much use was made of High Glee in the Aidworth Handicap on Saturday. He had 9.13 and was out forcing the pace with Illora for most of the journey. It was little wonder he had enough when the straight was reached.

Giggleswick raced consistently at the Dunedin meeting and was placed on each day. He did not jump well on any of the days, but can be excused on the score of track conditions. Trained by S. Barr at Riccarton, he should not be long in being returned a winner.

A. E. Ellis rode a masterly race on Queen Dorothy in the King George Handicap at Wingatui on Saturday and timed his run to a nicety to win by a head from Queen Dorothy’s stablemate, Royal Gallant J. McFarlane rode Royal Gallant well, but Ellis was just too good for him.

Full Throttle, trained by A. S. Ellis at Riccarton, was made second favourite for the Tainui Handicap on Saturday, but after being handily placed all the way to the straight, could not coine on and eventually finished in seventh place. It was a disappointing showing, but he is likely to do much better on a firmer track.

A. E. Ellis was the most successful rider at Wingatui, with two wins and a dead-heat. V. Langford, R. J. Mackie, T. J. Boyle, A. Stove, L. J. Ellis, M. Caddy, and W. Cooper each rode two winners; C. T. Wilson rode one winner and a dead-heat; and E. A. Jones, W. T. Kitto, W. E. Shand, H. Phillips, A. E. Didham, and H. J. Powell one each.

Nightform had two hard races on the opening days at Wingatui and should have won both of them. He was well backed again on Saturday, but could never get near the leaders, his exertions on the previous days apparently having got to the bottom of him. It was little wonder. P. T. Hogan’s pupil, however, is at his best and further successes should come his way.

Possum was a long way behind the field when C. Low pulled him up in the Dunedin Steeplechase on Saturday. He was bleeding freely, but when Low realized he had a chance of getting third, he sent the gelding on and, finishing four minutes behind the winner, was just in time to get the money. It was a plucky effort by the Balboa gelding and he well deserved the ovation lie received.

The Oamaru trainer, T. Hobbs, was the most successful at Wingatui, turning out three winners. W. E. Hazlett, F. Shaw, A. S. Ellis, F. Langford, and J. A. White each produced two winners, and P. T. Hogan, E. J. Ellis, A. S. McKay, M. Corkery, D. O’Connor, T. G. Pollock, A. E. Didham, J. Ross, and D. J. McDonald one each. J. C. Bain and R. E. McLellan turned out the deadheaters.

Mr R. C. B. Greenslade has decided co send his Iliad—Black Cat colt over to Sydney to join F. Dalton’s stable (writes “Sentinel.”) The colt has been broken in and ridden at Elderslie by Mr Ken Austin, and is ready to go into training. Black Cat is the dam of Silk Paper and was got by Absurd from Mascot, by Martian—Mary of Argyle, by Grafton, who topped the list of sires in Australia for several seasons. Mascot won the Auckland Cup and Canterbury Cup, and is a sister to Ardenvhor, who won the New Zealand Cup.

News —Prospects —Results

Some idea of the state of the going at Wingatui each day can be obtained from the times taken to run a mile in each of the principal handicaps. On Wednesday afternoon the last mile m the Birthday Handicap took L 59, on Thursday the last mile in the Provincial Handicap 2.1 4-5, and on Saturday it took 1.58 1-5 to run the King George Handicap. The record for a mile at ■Wingatui is 1.38 2-5.

If C. Thomson was unfortunate when Clarion Call blundered at the last hurdle in the 1936 Great Northern Hurdles, it was by mere luck that he was on Sandy Dix this year. When R S. Bagby decided to start both Lord Vai and Black Marlin, F. Baker elected to ride Black Marlin, and Thomson was engaged for Lord Vai. On Black Marlin being withdrawn, Baker transferred to Lord Vai and Thomson secured the mount on Sandy Dix.

Balmenter, the only horse to score twice at last week’s meeting at Wingatui, is owned by Mr Harry Orbell, of Oamaru, and was bred by Mr P. F. O’Neill, but, owing to a recent death in the family, raced in his trainer’s nomination. Balmenter is by Balboa from Commentator, by Tractor from Commentery, by Blackstone from Cockleshell, by Clanranald from Nautilus Shell, by Chainshot from Nautilus, by Traducer from that great mare Waterwitch, the dam of Natator, Aquarius, and other good ones. Balmenter thus comes from an excellent tap root, and looks like making a good middle distance horse.

During the Dunedin meeting Mr J H. Grigg purchased a roan five-year-old mare by Shambles from Yellowhammer, dam of Grey Boy, whose owner, Mr D. McLaren bred both at Ranftirly. Yellowhammer was formerly owned by Mr Grigg, who was so much impressed with Grey Boy’s jumping on the first day of last weeks meeting that he closed on the offer of the half-sister. Another from Yellowhammer, a rising three-year-old by Straightcourse, is booked later to join Grey Boy in D. O’Connor’s stable at Riccarton. Yellowhammer was got by Mira from Yellowbird, by Hilad—Missstead. Mira was got by Soult—Tauhei —by Castor—Vivandiere, by Musket.

An unusual incident occurred when Battleground fell at the first of the double in a steeplechase at Winganui. He turned a somersault when he struck the fence and rolled underneath the course rails. He attempted to rise and in doing so became wedged underneath the heavy railing. The incident occurred directly in front of the main stand, and the maority of the public were so interested that they did not watch the race for the time being. Even the radio announcer had his attention distracted and it was mainly through his advice per medium of the microphone, for the jockey to sit on the horse’s head that Battleground was finally extricated.

Tractor mares were in evidence again at last week’s meeting at Wingatui. Balmenter’s dam, Commentor, is by Tractor from Commentary, by Blackstone. Half Note’s dam, Pink Terrace, is by Tractor from All Pink, by All Red, and Dissemble’s dam, Dismantle, is by Tractor from Take Down, by Downshire. Tractor introduced a very valuable strain of blood into the Stud Book, and in addition gave size and substance to the progeny of many of the mares he was mated with. In addition to the three mares already mentioned, the following are some by him that have also left good winners:—Compression, Differential, Hobson’s Choice, Lady Ruth, Lady Lizzie, Larkaway, Louise, and Windshield.

Mr J. B. MacGregor, well known as the owner of the New Zealand Cup winner Steeton and also Ardchoille has decided to take up his profession in Christchurch and left for the north by yesterday morning’s express. Before his departure he and Mrs MacGregor were the guests of honour at a farewell social. There was a good representation of the racing fraternity and many tributes were paid to Mr MacGregor and his wife, the speakers paying tribute to the popularity and esteem in which they were held. Mr J. A. Rowland presented Mrs MacGregor with a reading lamp which was handed over by Mrs F. Pankhurst. Mr and Mrs MacGregor replied and a card evening was then held.

A cheque for £5B 15/- was recently received by the Whangarei Racing Club from a man who considered he had been overpaid after backing a winner at the club’s recent autumn meeting. “When checking over my dividend on Prince Acre on the first day,” the man wrote, “I discovered I had been overpaid to the extent of £5B 15/-, for which sum I enclose my cheque.” The writer—a resident of Frankton—added a postscript to the effect that he would be watching the newspapers “to see if any of the Whangarei committee men had died of fright.” The stirprise which the receipt of this communication caused among members of the racing club executive can well be imagined. Full inquiries were instituted, and a complete recheck showed that the amount invested on Prince Acre, the winner of the Stewards’ Handicap, and the dividend paid out to ticket-holders on that horse balanced exactly. The system in operation at the totalizator-house makes it possible to ascertain with certainty if all the tickets issued are returned, and, if a discrepancy occurs, in the dividend paid in any race. Other investigations made by the committee proved that the totalizator figures for the meeting tallied in every way. The only possible manner in which an over-payment might have occurred, it was considered, was for the cashier at the pay-out window to have detected a mistake in balancing after the race and made good the difference out of his own pocket. The magnitude of the sum involved, however, discounted this theory. The honest punter has now been informed that a recheck has failed to reveal any shortage in the totalizator returns for the race, and that apparently he made an error in computing his own dividend. In returning the cheque duly cancelled the committee expressed appreciation of the man’s action. One member of the executive suggested that the cheque should be framed and hung in the racing club office.

CAMERA DISAGREES WITH JUDGE

PLACINGS IN RACE AT FLEMINGTON (Received June 15, 9.40 p.m.) MELBOURNE, June 15. Criticism of the judge’s placings in the second division of the Marlborough Trial Handicap at Flemington yesterday led to the Victorian Racing Club deciding to review the matter next Friday. The judge (Mr J. Henry) placed Tongio King first, Koolvilee second and Amanore third, but Press photographs disclose that Pensive was third. Backers of Pensive on the totalizator and in place wagers who lost their winnings are extremely wrathful. J. Skidmore, the rider, is certain that Pensive was third.