RACING AND TROTTING

Southland Times, Issue 24597, 20 November 1941, Page 9

RACING AND TROTTING

GOOD FIELDS FOR SATURDAY The fields for the Southland Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday are better than those paid up for at the same meeting last season, and if the weather breaks favourably there should be plenty of interesting competition. Even if the weather clears today the track is almost certain to be heavy, and while that state of affairs is not a welcome one it will help those horses who have not yet had a chance to become seasoned. Many fresh candidates are among those who have been accepted for, and the meeting should be a good pipeopener for horses racing at the holiday meetings in the near future. Also in the fields are several winners this season. They include Merry Simon, who is now topweight in the Highweight Handicap, Rosaleen Dhu, the big dividend payer at the Gore meeting on Labour Day, Fleet Street, Phalanx, Boswell, Strip, Royal Chorus, Dark Colleen, Sing Sing, Lady Don and Islay Downs. Heidelberg

Heidelberg, who was second to Night Pal in the Spring Handicap on the second day of the Gore meeting, has gone on the right way since, and as he appears to be nicely placed in the Southland Cup on Saturday he is certain to Lavr a good following. Heidelberg is not partial to heavy going, however, and unless the weather clears his chances may be limited. At Oamaru last season he floundered badly in the heavy going. Lie will be ridden on Saturday by W. F. Ellis. Music Hall

Music Hall, a surprise winner at the Southland winter meeting last season (Lis only success in five starts), will make his first appearance this season in the Highweight Handicap on Saturday. A smart sprinter at his best, the Nigger Minstrel gelding has been hard to keep sound. Whethei’ he can carry weight remains to be decided. He will be ridden by H. Preston. Unlikely Starter Southern Sail, who has been paid up for in the Tradesman’s Handicap on Saturday, is not likely to be started. The Iliad mare cannot act in the heavy going.

Smart Sprinters Two sprinters who displayed speed above the ordinary in races last season, Boaform and Sea Lady, are expected to clash in the Flying Handicap at Invercargill on Saturday. Sea Lady had two starts at Gore last month, but she raced c.s if she needed the gallops. On the second day she ran into fourth place, and since she has trained on well she may be ready to produce a winning bracket on Saturday. Boaform has not raced since the June meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club. If at her best she would be a possibility in heavy going. Spanish Lad Spanish Lad is another of the best southern sprinters to make his first appearance on Saturday. He will race in the colours of Mr H. Mason, wellknown owner of some good gallopers. Win-and-Place The selling of win-and-place tickets at the same window and a similar method in the payout of dividends will be put into operation at the Southland meeting on Saturday. Aspire

Aspire, the seven-year-old Weathervane mare in J. A. Rowland’s stable, has been brought in again after a spell of six months and she will be got ready for holiday racing. She was started ?1 times last season for a win and five placings, her only success being gained at the Southland New Year meeting. Riders For Saturday Following are some of the riding engagements at the Southland meeting on Saturday:— W. F. Ellis.—Heidelberg, Minton, Spanish Lad, Filibeg. K. E. Wilson.—Dark Colleen, Bow Street, Fidelis, Trueform or Top Spin. H. Preston. —Music Hall, Royal Brief. E. Baker.—Anglo-French, Fairy Bard. Baker Girl Baker Girl, the dam of Foremost Junior, has a filly foal at foot by Nelson Pointer.

Siegform Siegform is the name claimed for a yearling half-brother by Sigfried to Boaform, by Balboa-Someform. Rawhamai

Rawhamai is back in work, in the team of A. S. Ellis, after enjoying a spell for more than five months. He has done a little exercise lately, having been hacked about the roads for a few weeks, but he will not be ready to show his best form till after Christmas. When he is right, Rawhamai is a very good galloper. Bascule Lame The Foxbridge three-year-old Bascule will not be fit to race again for a few months. He was very lame after the Canterbury Cup, as a result of wrenching his off hind fetlock, and, though he is mending quickly, he has lost a lot of condition. Provided he goes on all right, he should be a good autumn prospect. There is no doubt that he can stay. Well-known Jockey Killed R. W. McTavish, who was killed in a bad smash at the entrance to the straight at Hamilton on Monday, was one of the best-known jockeys in the North Island. He first came into prominence when he won the Grand National Steeplechase on Peter Maxwell in 1926, but shortly afterwards confined his riding to flat races. He lived in Auckland and could go to the scales at 7.12. Included in the good races he won were: Route March and Staghunter in the Great Northern Foal and Auckland Royal Stakes, Martarma and Red Heckle in the Great Northern Derby, Miss Egypt and Hot Box in the Great Northern Guineas, Laughing Prince in the A.R.C. Welcome Stakes, Jonathan in the A.R.C. Easter Handicap, Lady Pam in the Great Northern Oaks and New Zealand St. Leger, Kelly in the Great Northern St. Leger, Lovaals in the Avondale Stakes, King’s Knave in the Avondale Cup, and Paganelli in the Wellington Stakes. Records

New Zealanders are prone to claim world records for their pacers on rather slender authority. Josedale Grattan’s 4min 15sec has been described as a world race record, and Gold Bar’s 2min 3 3-ssec as a world race record in saddle. It ii assumed that all American races are run from flying starts and that there is no handicap racing there. That assumption was proved false not so long ago when a world record was claimed for Fine Art over a mile and a-half, states The Timaru Herald. There was in the American turf register a performance by Little Pat, which was slightly slower than the New Zealander’s, but inquiry made in U.S.A, revealed that Little Pat’s figures were established in a handicap, from, a barrier start from 60 behind. The time recorded was gross, and on the New Zealand system the American pacer stepped 2min 6 3-ssec. Dominate

By his success in the Spring Nursery and Pioneer Handicaps Dominate stood out as the best two-year-old of the season. He was not engaged in the Welcome Stakes, the stable relying on

Indian Sign, who is also owned by Mr Ralph Stewart, of Beau Vite fame. Indian Sign was beaten by a length and a-half in the Welcome Stakes in 61sec, and in the Pioneer Handicap on the following Saturday Dominate carried 9.5, and ran the distance in 58 4-ssec, giving Indian Sign 61b. Dominate is a fine, upstanding brown colt by Phaleron Bay from Martial Lady, by Lord Quex from Dominant, by Martian from Lovelorn, by Melton from Hebrew Maid (imp.) by Orian. Martian Lady is a half-sister to Beau Vite, and her dam, Dominant, a sister to Menelaus, winner of the New Zealand Cup, was also to Left, the dam of a Melbourne Cup winner in Wotan. Hebrew Maid is the ancestress of winners of over £lOO,OOO. Dominate was purchased by Mr Stewart at the national yearling sales last January at 600gns. Successful Jockeys

The Wanganui apprentice, H. P. Stewart, rode four winners during the New Zealand Cup meeting, and headed the list of winning riders. W. Connor (Wingatui) won three races, A. Sagar, A. Messervy, S. Green, A. E. Ellis, L. W. Hare, A. Midwood, and C. T. Wilson two, and N. Vaughan, C. N. Fox, P. Spratt, B. H. Morris, R. Howell, D. R. Mackie, C. G. Humphries, A. Jenkins, L. J. Ellis, A. J. Stokes, and D. Redstone one each.