RACING NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23407, 14 January 1938, Page 10

RACING NOTES

KELLY THE CROW TO REAPPEAR PONIARD IS LIKELY IMPROVER The following are the riders for the three Riccarton horses who are expected to run in the Wellington Cup: Argentic, A. E. Ellis; Wild Chase, J. W. Jennings; Cerne Abbas, L. J. Elhs. Alma is engaged over a mile at Trentham, but had she been started among the sprinters she would have been at a very short price. It has been hinted that the Paper Money mare may be taken to Australia later. The following officials have been appointed for the Winton Jockey Club s fixture to be held next month. Judge, Mr W. F. Young; handicappers, Mr C. E. Hassall (gallops), and Mr H. Pierce (trots); starter, Mr F. Legat. Although it had been given out that Ortyx was to be spelled she is still in work at Wingatui and the Lord Warden filly will probably contest the Midsummer Handicap at the Dunedin meetmg. J. McFarlane, who has been at Riverton, is still troubled with the ankle injuries he suffered at Wyndham on New Year’s Day. It is understood that he will visit Australia in the near future.

The Auckland Cup weights came in for a good deal of criticism when it was believed by a number that Cerne Abbas had been “fired in.” On top of this it is surprising to note that the Wellington Cup handicaps are also coming under fire. The successes of Glenora Bay and Normal in Australia, Cerne Abbas, Viking, and Ortyx in the Dominion this season should bring the Lord Warden yearlings to be offered at next week’s national sales into prominence. Mr G. A. Kain has six, their dams being Paper Rose, March Brown, Halo, Anthem, El Boa, and ’Battleflag, and Messrs Kain and Fulton two from Knocklyn and Vennashar.

The fields for the Clifden meeting are not particularly good, although the Orawia Steeplechase has attracted a useful field of 10. There is sufficient material to provide a first-class race, while speculation is also likely to take a wide range.

The two-year-old Hot Box, who won two races at the Auckland meeting, is a product of Cape Hom and the Valkyrian mare Iceball, dam also of Snowball and Sastrugi. At the dispersal sale of Mr W. R. Kemball’s stud a couple of years ago Iceball was bought by Mrs I. C. Barnes, of Tauranga, for 45 guineas. The mare had been covered by Cape Horn, and Hot Box was the result. Last March, Hot Box was leased by Mrs M. F. Stone, another Auckland provincial sportswoman, and the juvenile carried her colours in his successful engagements. The lease does not expire till July 31, 1940. In the 1936 season Iceball, who is still owned by Mrs Barnes, produced a chestnut filly to Vaals. But she missed to Lysander last year, and she visited Rulanut this term.

Lochie River has been eased in his work since the holiday meetings. His form at Wingatui was good enough to suggest that he would soon graduate from the novice ranks.

Kelly the Crow is engaged to reappear at the Clifden meeting, and if he is anywhere near ready the Tractor gelding should keep this field busy. He is regarded as one of the most likely of the southern ’chasers and the fact that in three starts last season he won twice is an indication that he is above the average. When Poniard finished fourth in the highweight race at Wyndham it was his first outing for some months and he did well to finish so strongly. With another three weeks’ work and the benefit of this outing he may be expected to make a good showing against the open sprinters at Wairio, although the company will be much more difficult. The Greyspear gelding won four races last season and promises to hold his own among open fields. One of the best-looking yearlings offered at the yearling sales of 1934 was The Riff, who was sold to Mr E. E. Jolly, South Australia, for 600 guineas. In three seasons he won nine races for Mr Jolly, and was twice runner-up in the Port Adelaide Cup. Now he has been sold at his original purchase price to Mr G. W. Badman, who owns the Newmarket Handicap winner, Aurie’s Star. The Riff is a brother to Stalin. When the New Zealand-bred colt Miltiades, by Riad (imp.) from Black Cat, first appeared on the track at Randwick, soon after his arrival in Sydney, his appearance won favourable comment. Smart track gallops stamped him as brilliant, but in three races (says The Sydney Morning Herald), after holding substantial leads, he was well beaten. At Warwick Farm he gained his customary early lead and kept enough of it to win. When Miltiades sprinted through on the inside from the start and led clearly at the half-mile, there was no surprise, and the fact that the heavily-backed Vintage was “pulling double” behind him as the field ran to the straight pleased Vintage’s backers. It was generally expected that Miltiades would stop “to a walk.” But he was a different Miltiades. In the last two furlongs nothing had a chance with him, and he beat Vintage hy threequarters of a length, with the outsider Sparkle three lengths away third. Miltiades, in spite of his improvement is still a nervous colt, and when he returned to the enclosure he was restless. Miltiades started third favourite and won over five furlongs in lmin Isec.

The Horse and Hound (London) berates those sporting writers who go out of their way to praise a youngster after he has won a race or two. Audax writes as follows: “A thing that does considerable harm in England, and also leads to bitter disappointment when a boy fails to get on, and in consequence is given no chance to show even the small amount of ability that he may possess as a race rider, is the way certain reporters laud up a small boy who has, with the apprentice allowance to help him, won a few races, and shown some ability. The boy in consequence quickly becomes swollen headed and conceited, as I have noticed frequently. Then, when, because of having no real sense of jockeyship, he in consequence becomes once again a stable hand, and has to live as best he can, with no rides, he is sure to develop into a very discontented man. We all know that there are many hundreds of apprentices and stablemen to be found at Lamboum, Middleham, Newmarket and all over the country where racehorses are trained, and yet how few are capable enough riders to make good.”