RACING AND TROTTING

Southland Times, Issue 23307, 17 September 1937, Page 10

RACING AND TROTTING

News —Prospects—Results I

Racing September 18 —Ashburton County R.C. September 18, 20—Avondale J.C. September 23, 25 —Geraldine RC. September 25—Foxt-r R.C. September 25—Marton J.C. October 2—Otaki Maori R.C. October 2—Kurow J.C. October 2, 4—Taumarunui R.C. October 7, 9—Dunedin J.C. October 9—Hawke’s Bay J C. . October 9, 11—Auckland R.C. October 14. 16—South Canterbury J.C. October 14, 16—Masterton RC. October 16, 18—Avondale J.C. October 21, 23, 25, Wellington R.C. October 23, 25—Gore R C. October 25—North Canterbury R.C. October 25—Waverley R.C. October 25—Waipawa County R.C. October 25—Waikato Hunt Club. October 29, 30—Poverty Bay Turf Club. October 30—Banks Peninsula R.C. October 30—Rangitikei R.C. Trotting October 2—Methven T.C. October 9—New Brighton T.C. October 16—Waikato T.C. October 16, 18—Westport, T.C. October 23, 25—Auckland T.C. z October 23, 25—Greymouth T.C. October 25—Oamaru T.C. October 30—Wellington T.C. October 30—Invercargill T.C. October 30 —Thames T.C. (By THE CURRAGH) The Avondale, Ashburton and Foxton meetings will be held tomorrow. A final reminder is given that entries for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting close at 5 p.m. today. L. Abernethy has at present in work at Gore, Guywin, Capricorn, Gay Avon, Major Haidee and an Adioo Guy colt. The totalizator at Ashburton tomorrow will be worked on the win and place system. Charlie Chan impressed at Wellington as a pacer likely to be an early winner over a short distance. H. Cutts has returned to Riccarton with Haughty Winner and Great Memory.

D. Wilson has Nelson’s Fortune in strong work at Invercargill and is also working War King, a five-year-old gelding by Erin’s King-Miss Adonis.

The grey gelding .Vestern Song has gone lame again behind and R. E. McLellan has turned him out for a spell which will probably last for a month.

E. Baker, who is apprenticed to F. W. Ellis, is at present in hospital suffering fiom slight internal trouble. He is making good progress towards recovery.

N. J. Gatley, who has been training at Invercargill for some time, has removed his light harness team to Riverton, where he will reside in future.

Might and Free Gold returned to Trentham after racing at Wanganui, but Boomerang went on to Auckland x o contest the Avondale Cup.

After rain overnight the tracks at Invercargill yesterday were on the greasy side and strong pace work was the order. The steeplechase grass and inside plough tracks were in use.'

Riptide has made a reappearance on the tracks at Riccarton in charge of his owner-trainer, H. Kearns. He has just come in from a long spell necessitated by a mishap at Riccarton last year.

A Wellington writer remarks that Dark Hazard was a most promising pacer and it seems that to keep him going at the trotting gait would cost him golden opportunities at the other.

Royal Chief won the Wanganui Guineas so well that he seems certain to add to his earnings this season. To date he has won £2575, a nice return for the 160 guineas he cost Mr A. K. Firth.

Rain during the week has done the Wingatui track no harm, says “St. Clair.” Had the spell of fine weather continued much longer there was a danger of both the course proper and grass training tracks becoming too hard.

Burwood (T. Boyle) and Bonazel (J. Taylor) were schooled over two hurdles at Invercargill yesterday. With plenty of pace on the pair raced stride for stride and gave a good display of jumping. They have done well for Mr W. E. Hazlett. Burwood is engaged at the Geraldine meeting.

In his nine races since May 1 Pot Luck has been only twice out of a place and during the past four months he has won four times, registering also two seconds and a third for £1470 in stakes. He was bought about two years ago from Mr J. D. Smith by Mr H. Stafford, and is trained by M. Holmes.

Included in the team that F. D. Jones has in work at Riccarton at present are a trio of three-year-olds that may prove to be useful later on. Lady Leigh is by Paper Money from Arrowlet, a sister to Minerval and Lady Middleham is by Paper Money from Miss Victoria, by Greyspear from Lady Victoria, while the third is by Rabbi from Tapestry, by Acre from Arras.

Last year Mr G. R. Macdonald’s filly Guinea Fowl led Sir Charles Clifford’s Card Player by a length in the John Grigg Stakes. Both fillies were trained by H. and A. Cutts, and Card Player started an odds-on chance. In next Saturday’s race these two owners will again be represented, Sir Charles Clifford by Scuffle and Mr Macdonald by Gaoler.

As a result of her win at Wanganui, Cerne Abbas has been rehandicapped 61b for the Avondale Cup, making her weight 7.8. Cerne Abbas will now come into strong favour for the Avondale Cup. Her trainer considered she was still short of a gallop at Wanganui, but a slow run race enabled her to get within striking distance early and she finished strongly.

Though beaten on Saturday, neither Icing nor Haughty Winner were outclassed and both are likely to make substantial improvement with the advance of the season (says “The Watcher”). Haughty Winner cut out a great pace over the first half, and was still fighting it out at the right end, and Icing would have been harder to ' beat with a little better luck in the early running. Both these three-year-olds should win plenty of races during the season.

A colt who impressed with his finishing run in the Guineas was The Crooner, and he will be well worth watching for the future (writes “The Watcher.”). It was his first run since last season and he is bound to improve. As a two-year-old he stuck on well in his races and, with longer journeys shortly to be negotiated, he promises to provide solid opposition. He is a half-brother to the speedy Symcony but his sire, Nigger Minstrel, appears to have supplied the requisite dash of stamina and his dam is a half-sister to Catalani, the dam of Paleta, Catalogue and Hunting Cat

Knight of Australia has trained on in good style since he ran second to Valmint in the Jellicoe Handicap, and as he is not overburdened in the Avondale Cup his prospects cannot be overlooked. This horse has previously raced well on the suburban course, and as he is a good stayer the extra distance he will have to cover next Saturday week will be in his favour. Last season Knight of Australia earned £892 in stake money, and he should have no difficulty in paying his way during the present term.

The veteran jumper High Commissioner has done plenty of work at Te Rapa since he accounted for the Harris Memorial Hurdle Race at the Pakuranga meeting. He is entered for the Grey Lynn Hurdles on the concluding day of the Avondale meeting, but is a doubtful starter. He will probably contest the Hunt Cup at the Waikato Hunt on Labour Day and should be nearly at his best by the time that fixture is held. This gelding was eight years old before he raced and owing to unsoundness the best has not been seen of him.

Jack Potts has been at the stud a comparatively short time, but he has already established himself as a sire of early speed. Up to the present his classic winners include Frisco Lady (Sapling Stakes), Two’s Loose (Timaru Nursery Stakes and Sapling Stakes), Gamble (Nev Zealand Derby), and Frisco Boy (All-Age Stakes), and Horsepower (N.I. Challenge Cup). During last season, the progeny of Jack Potts won 54 races and £10,825, the principal contributors being Pot Luck £1645, Lucky Jack £1492, Red Flush £903, Two’s Loose £9OO and Frisco Boy £765.

The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club has revised the sectional times in the New Zealand Trotting Cup. Under fine conditions, the first horse passing the winning post the first time round must complete that part of the journey in 1.8 or faster to earn the lap prize of £lOO, and the first horse passing the winning post the second time round must register 2,46 or faster to gain the lap prize of £l5O. Should the track be slow these times will be adjusted. Owing to insufficient trotters being available for a 4.37 class, the limit of the Dominion Handicap has been extended to 4.39;

The success of Lough Neagh in the Tramway Handicap at Randwick on Saturday was made more meritorius by his breaking the existing Australian and New Zealand record for seven furlongs. This was previously held by Turbine, who ran the distance at Randwick in 1.23 J, and Lough Neagh recorded 1.23. The New Zealand record is held by Finora, whose time, 1.24, was the best in both Australia and New Zealand until Turbine beat it. It has not often happened that a nine-year-old gelding has shattered records, and Lough Neagh’s remarkable figures are certain to stand for a long time.

Enwood is not in work this season and it is likely that she will be retired to the stud. At present she is with her breeder, Mr A. Chisholm, of Otautau, and will be mated with the imported Salmagundi. Enwood did most of her racing from J. A. Rowland’s stable, but last season was trained by R. E. McLellan. She w3&lairly\successful on the turf and should do well as a brood mare as she is beautifully bred, being from imported parents on both sides. Her sire is Woodend and her dam Sabor, who was bred in England and brought here by Mr A. Chisholm. Sabor is by Fowlingpiece from Sheen, by Melba 11, by Bendigo. Fowlingpiece was by Carbine.

The arrival of a Phaleron Bay filly at the Grange Stud, Westmere, last week, has interesting associations, for this youngster is well related. His dam is owned by Mr F. Armstrong, whose colt, Francis Drake, is a member of the team F. Davis has taken to Sydney for the spring racing campaign. Cherry Pie is a brown mare by Elysian from Cherry Blossom (a Winter Cup winner) by San Fran. She has already given the turf those good performers Chief Cook, Cherry Queen, Cherry King and Jack Horner, and her two-year-old progeny has been named Cherrypicker. Two of the latest mares to arrive on a visit to Phaleron Bay are Civility (Elysian-Civilization) and Degage (Kilbroney-Miss de Vai), the dam of Gladium and Liane. RICCARTON TRACK DRESSING OF LIME The course proper at Riccarton for about 40 feet from the rails has been top-dressed with lime this year. The surface of this track is still in its ori ginal state, and the only treatment that has been necessary to keep the sole of grass in order has been top-dressing every few years (says The Press, Christchurch). It is probable that the Riccarton course is the only one in New Zealand that has not had its native pasture disturbed, and this accounts for the wonderful condition of the ground even in the worst of seasons. Another work that has recently been undertaken is the addition of a frame to the jockeys’ semaphone opposite the main stands. This has been done to permit of the riders of two races being displayed at the one time. NOBLE PRINCE SOLD CONSISTENT PERFORMER Noble Prince, an aged gelding by Wrack-Princess Zoe, has been acquired by an Auckland owner, and is expected to arrive early next week. Noble Prince, who was owned by Messrs Archer and Macfarlane, Christchurch, has raced consistently, and last term, without winning, he gained six placings, recording smart times at a mile and a-half. The Wrack gelding showed recently that he was again in form by being third at Addington in the mile saddle to Rocks Ahead and Southern Smile, going 29 4-5. Noble Prince will find suitable the classes of the main events at Epsom next month. RACING AT SUVA D. V. CRADDOCK’S SUCCESS The former Auckland jockey, D. V. Craddock, is doing exceptionally well in Suva,' he having piloted seven winners, and four seconds out of 12 races in the two days of a recent meeting. Several of the competitors were Auckland-bred horses, and among the winners were Springtime (2), Maureen (sister to Versant), Lapis Lazuli and Patricia. A feature of each day’s _ racing in Suva is a dipping competition, and on one day Mr W. H. Withrow selected the winners of all six races. Members of the crew of H.M.S. Achilles were given a special event over seven furlongs, the horses being ridden bareback. Two riders came to grief.