RECOVERY BY SIR SIMPER

Southland Times, Issue 23388, 21 December 1937, Page 10

RECOVERY BY SIR SIMPER

POLLOCK’S LIKELY TEAM COROW A AND BALTRUIN SCHOOLED Acceptances for the Wyndham meeting on New Year’s Day close tomorrow evening at 5 o’clock. J. McFarlane, who is at present located at Riverton, will ride R. McNay’s team, including Wild Career, Ardmayle and Rodeur during the holidays. McFarlane has been in great demand riding track work at the seaside centre in recent weeks.

On returning from Melbourne on Sunday, Mr W. T. Hazlett stated that the report that Sir Simper had broken down and would be retired to the stud was premature. Sir Simper went lame and it was generally thought that it was an old leg trouble, but this was not so. Sir Simper had made a good recovery from the lameness and was to continue racing.

Although there were several showers over the week-end they did little to improve the tracks at the various training centres and trainers are very wary about galloping their horses on any circuit other than the plough. If the present dry weather continues any horses under suspicion for unsoundness are likely to be found out before the holiday meetings are over. Baitruin (T. Boyle) and Corowa (J. Taylor) jumped low-flight hurdles in the plumpton area three times yesterday morning, the latter being seen to better advantage than on a previous occasion last week. Subsequently Corowa was tested lone-handed at two flights of stiffer battens on the inside grass track. Hunted into his fences by Taylor, the gelding cleared the obstacles cleanly and made excellent getaways.

At Gore T. G. Pollock has a particularly strong team to represent . him during the holidays in Island Linnet, Ballad, Soliad, Beam and Verdure. The last-mentioned pair are additions to his team. Beam has proved herself a sprinter of some ability and Verdure appears capable of developing into a

useful winner. Island Linnet is one of the most consistent mares raced in recent sea'sons and has excellent credentials over middle distances. Soliad was supported to win at the recent Southland meeting and was not disgraced in being beaten by Sailing Lady.

It is not too much to say that the class of horse in work at Riverton this season is better than any other local training centre, and candidates from the seaside may be expected to win more than their quota of races during the holidays. Carbine’s name crops up in surprising places. Recently at. a civic reception tendered to the Ballarat Presbyterian clergymen at Buninybng by Mr W. S. Brown, president of. the Buninyong Shire—the occasion was the ninetieth anniversary of the foundation of the church at Buninyong—Mr J. Ogilvie said that Mr Donald Wallace, the owner of Carbine, was as a little boy educated by the Rev. Thomas Hastie at Buninyong. The Rev. Davidson, representing the Presbytery, in the course of his speech, said: “It does us good to hear of Donald Wallace and the famous horse Carbine. If all men on the turf today were of the character of Donald Wallace there would be no complaints. I knew him well.”

A. E. Didham, who had a narrow escape from injury in a motor smash a few days ago, suffered a bad kick on the leg from Counterflight. This will keep him out of the saddle for a few days, but he hopes to be able to' ride at the Wingatui meeting. C. G. Goulsbro has accepted a retainer to ride members of Mr T. IL Lowry’s team. Apparently this is in the nature of a second call, or may apply only to the Auckland meeting, for Goulsbro already is retained to ride A. Cook’s horses until the close of the current season.

A two-year-old filly by Irish Lancer from Flying Mist will race under the name of Erin’s Mist, while a yearling filly of the sane breeding has been registered as Morning Mist. Flying Mist is also the dam of Ardmayle. If all we hear could be believed, the appointment of a stipendiary steward to succeed Mr Norman McLean, who died recently, is as good as made, states New Zealand Sporting Life and Referee. Nothing, however,'has yet been done by the New Zealand Racing Conference executive. It is most likely that the position will be advertised soon and an appointment made by the executive committee of the conference at its January meeting. Meanwhile, deputy assistance is available. Among the reminiscences of Mr W. G. Nightingale, who is retiring from the secretaryship of the Waipukurau Jockey Club, is that of attending the first Dunedin Cup, which was won by Lurline, and the second Grand National Steeples race, won by Fakir. In 1881 he saw a feat which has never been repeated in the history of the steeplechase. On this occasion he saw Fred Hedge ride both first and second horses in the steeplechase. “There were three horses coming down the straight,” Mr Nightingale said, in recalling the incident. “They were The Agent, Sailor Boy and Clarence. The latter, ridden by F. Hedge, won the race, and the jockey weighed in right and went back and rode The Agent into third place. The Agent had thrown his jockey, and Sailor Boy, who had passed the post in second place was disqualified for running round a hurdle. They were the only three horses to finish.” He also saw the first New Zealand Cup, won by Tasman, which was trained and owned by Mr Dan O’Brien, the first man to handle the champion Carbine. Mr O’Brien was a close personal friend of Mr Nightingale. JOCKEY GRAVELY ILL SYDNEY, December 20. M. Papworth, one of the jockeys injured in the smash at Randwick on Saturday, was in a serious condition last night. He is suffering from internal injuries.