RACING AND TROTTING

Southland Times, Issue 24547, 23 September 1941, Page 9

RACING AND TROTTING

DEFINITION OF TONGUE STRAP It has been stated that the point involved in the April Direct case concerns the definition of “gear.” It appears that the Forbury Park Club acted on the assumption that a tongue strap was an article of gear, and that the New Zealand Trotting Association and the conferences judges ruled that it was not. Dunedin Nominations Nominations for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s spring meeting on October 11 and 13 will close today at 5 p.m. Three Meetings This Week Meetings will be held at Geraldine (Thursday and Saturday), Levin (Foxton meeting) and Paeroa (Ohinemuri) this week.

Man’s Pal Filly A smart-looking filly by Man’s PalDoretta showed up prominently in a four-furlong sprint at a matinee meeting promoted by the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. Not Out Training Well Not Out, who won four races last season, including the Craven Plate and the Banks Peninsula Cup, is reported to be training on satisfactorily. Catalpa

Catalpa’s win at Ashburton was his third in succession, the Methven pacer having been successful in the last two races in which he started last season. The Jack Potts gelding is in at Geraldine and on present form he looks certain to win again soon.

Happy Locanda Happy Locanda, winner of the Wilford Memorial Handicap at Hutt Park on Saturday, raced very consistently last season, winning one race and being placed in six others. Last month he began the new season well by running a second and a third at Addington. He cut out the mile, when he ran second, in 2.8 2-5. Night Pal Among several horses trained at Wingatui who are getting through useful tasks is Night Pal, five-year-old son of two New Zealand Cup winners, Nightmarch and Palantua. Night Pal races best when fresh. Last season his only success was gained in the October Handicap at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s spring meeting. He ran second to Boswell in the Army Handicap on the second day of the meeting, but later he did not reproduce his best form and the best he could do was a second and a third in eigth starts. He is a likely sort when right. Donnybrook Fair

Donnybrook Fair, a good-looking three-year-old who put up smart time at Riccarton on Saturday morning, is a half-brother by Foxbridge to Wild Talk, being from The Ace mare Babel, a halfsister to Trench Fight. He is a member of Cutts Brothers’ team.

Bing Crosby Sprints Well Further proof of Bing Crosby’s ability to sprint successfully was forthcoming at Hutt Park on Saturday -when he beat a smart field in the Wellington Handicap. Bing Crosby did not race last season, but he began the present season well by running a first and a second, both over a mile, at New Brighton. Grand Dame

Grand Dame, who . was second to Happy Locanda in the Wilford Memorial at Wellington on Saturday, contested five races last season for two wins, one at Thames and the other at Auckland. She is one of M. Stewart’s team. Her best time for two miles is 4min 31 3-ssec. Rakanui

Rakanui was not returned to Hastings after his Avondale Cup win. He has been kept at Ellerslie with a view to contesting the Mitchelson Cup, a mile and a-half event at the Auckland spring meeting next month. First Edition

First Edition, winner of the Maiden Handicap at the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s meeting yesterday, is a member of D. J. Burgess’s team. By Kincardine from Sunny Sky, the gelding is well related. His dam is a daughter of Merry Roe whose produce included such good performers as Merry Damon, Merry Mint, Merry Melody, Merry Peel, Joviality and others. Foreign Coin’s Mission Foreign Coin, the Lackham three-year-old who made a name for- J. Bromby, formerly of Invercargill, when he won the Wanganui Guineas, will not contest the Great Northern Guineas as originally intended. He will be kept for the Wellington Guineas. He is in great heart at present. Taurangi

Taurangi is picking up from the cracked heel which kept her idle recently and she is to make her debut for the current season among the sprinters at the Foxton meeting at Levin on Saturday. Classform

The Inflation mare Classform, who proved herself a good handicap stayer as a three -year- old, is back in work at Awapuni preparing for late sprint meetings. It is 18 months since she last raced.

Betting Shop Business Official figures show that last (year £3,000,000 was invested on South Australian racecourses and betting shops on races run outside that State. In the betting shops, 53 per cent, of the turnover was registered on inter-state meetings. Sixteen million bets of this kind were recorded in the betting shops, the average wager being 3/4.