DUNEDIN CLUB’S LOSS

Southland Times, Issue 24153, 15 June 1940, Page 8

DUNEDIN CLUB’S LOSS

Black Bard To Be Spelled BEAU VITE TO RACE IN AUSTRALIA Nominations for the Oamaru winter meeting close on Tuesday. Acceptances for the Ashburton County meeting are due on Tuesday. To Spell Black Bard is to be spelled for the remainder of the season. A Big Loss The winter meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club showed a loss of £1316. Wellington Steeplechase The Wellington Steeplechase is this year worth £lOOO and a gold cup valued at £75. Grand National Meeting Entries for the principal events at the Grand National meeting will be taken on June 28. For Ashburton Mr W. E. Hazlett will probably leave with his team for the Ashburton County meeting at the week-end. Waitoru Waitoru has been given a brief respite and he will probably be raced at later winter meetings. Named An aged mare by British Empire from Sparkling Eyes has been registered as Sparkling Empire. Promising Jumper The Garnish-Wrey Boa gelding which has been qualifying with the Birchwood Hounds has been named Southern Light. He has shaped well in the jumping he has done. Beau Vite

If all goes well Beau Vite will leave for Sydney about the middle of August, for a spring campaign in Australia. Sydney reports express doubts whether T. George will accompany him this time in view of his big team in New Zealand.

New Stand For Addington A new double-decked stand is to be erected in the outside enclosure at Addington. It will accommodate about 1500 people, and will cost nearly £20,000. It will take the place of the first stand built at Addington in 1899. It cost £2OOO, and provided seating for 600. Catalogue Resumes

Catalogue is an interesting entry for the Taipua Handicap, of seven furlongs, at Otaki. He has not raced since he dead-heated with De Friend for second place behind Royal Appellant in the Auckland Racing Club’s Handicap on New Year’s Day. A Generous Offer

For the duration of the war, the Randwick trainer, Jack King, has offered to the Government his private training establishment at Woodstock as an Air Training School. The property, which is 400 acres, is situated near Rooty Hill. As an alternative suggestion, King has promised the Woodstock homestead and property for the training of an emergency squad of 40 or 50 men between the ages of 40 and 55 in whatever capacity the military authorities think fit. The trainer has also offered to maintain the men free of charge for two months or give £5OO towards their upkeep. Special Force’s Dam

Love Parade, the dam of Special Force, did little racing but was returned a winner at a Central Otago meeting. Love Parade is a Rey de Oro mare. There are only a few Rey de Oro mares at present represented by progeny on the racetrack. Another of these is Rustic Maid, dam of Highland Scott, a brilliant two-year-old last season. Other winners this season who are out of Rey de Oro mares are Loyal Rey, Single Star and Flash Guy. Consistent

In her last five starts on the East Coast of the North Island, Vascones has gained three wins, a second and a third,’ and her success at Hastings on Saturday was gained in smart time. Vascones, who was bred by Mr T. H. Lowry, races in the interests of Messrs A. G. and W. R. Stead. The filly is a three-year-old daughter of Gascony from Talari, sister to Princess Doreen and Marjory Daw. It was intended that Vascones should be retired at the end of the season to take her place at the stud, but after her performance on Saturday at Hastings Mr W. R. Stead stated that the original plans may not be adhered to. Profits For War Funds

The decision of the Wellington Racing Club to devote all profits on race meetings to the war funds next season, and each subsequent season while the war lasts, is a gesture that will recommend itself to all sportsmen and give a lead to other clubs similarly situated, comments The Dominion, Wellington. In the past it has been found beneficial in time of war to interfere as little as possible with the recreation of the people, including racing, which is one of the country’s largest industries. It has been stated that at least 5000 people are directly engaged in all phases of racing in full-time employment. The number is greatly increased by indirect or temporary employment. To this must be added many more in the breeding industry in which also large sums of money have been sunk. A cessation of activities would result in an immediate increase to the ranks of the unemployed. Nobody should seek to profit by war conditions, and the lead given by Wellington will meet with the approval of all classes of opinion. Winter Cup Candidate

Kilrobe is to have a tilt at the Winter Cup at Riccarton in August. Her owner-trainer, H. Nurse, will not race her at Trentham but will give her a run or two at the hunt meetings leading up to the Grand National Carnival. Though Kilrobe has not raced Since winning the Lewis Pass Handicap at Reefton in January, she has done plenty of solid work and was ready to race when she had to be given a short let-up on account of striking herself. Kilrobe is a solid four-year-old mare by Robespierre from Kildee and her record this season, which includes five wins, is an excellent one. If she could be relied on at the barrier she would be one Of the early favourites for the Riccarton mile as she has a brilliant turn of speed at command and the distance will suit her.

The Starting Question The natural method of breaking a horse into a gallop comes from a walk, trot, or canter. The Rules of Racing make it compulsory for horses to break into top speed from a flat-foot start, and hence remarks are heard about “bad starts” when a field has actually

put in two or more strides or has spread out simply because no matter how much a horse may be educated at the barrier it will, with more or less frequency, get unbalanced when trying to jump into a gallop from an unnatural method of gathering speed, comments “Sentinel.” A field may be brought into a perfect line flat foot at the barrier, but in the first 50 yards will be spread over half a dozen lengths or more, simply because horses almost invariably begin all their fast work from a moving start and in direct contrast to what is required in a race. Hence we have not only an unnatural method of starting horses in a race, but trainers accentuating the trouble by sending horses out for fast work from a moving start. In 99 cases out of 100, a field will not come in and stand flatfooted. The horses invariably begin to twist and turn and so hold up the start. The length of delay may then, even in a large field, depend on the behaviour of one or two horses. A common mistake to allow a field to line up and come in when far too close to the barrier. This results in the first up being kept waiting for the last, and so leading to delays and fractiousness.

Brood Mare’s Death Stonyhurst Stud has lost one of its brood mare, as Ball Dress died recently. Ball Dress, who was only 12 years old, was a sister to Cricket Bat, by Winning Hit-Equipment, by Mar-tian-Tomorrow, by Bill of Portland. As a two-year-old she was placed several times and she won a number of races at three years, including the Douro Cup, a rich mile hack event at Trentham, followed by a nine-furlong race at Awapuni, in open company. She had several foals, the most successful being Night Dress (by Nightmarch), and she was in foal to Solicitor General when she died.