Sporting ARM BANDS NOT IN FAVOUR

Southland Times, Issue 25478, 26 September 1944, Page 7

Sporting ARM BANDS NOT IN FAVOUR

Breeders’ Agitation Supported

The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club has decided to support the Canterbury Owners’ and Breeders’ Association in its agitation for the abolition of arm bands.

Riding Engagements C. T. Wilson will ride Royal Chorus and Royal Brief in their engagements at the Otago Hunt meeting on Saturday. J. A. Rowland and F. W. Ellis will take their horses to Wingatui on Thursday.

Trueway Trueway (Nightmarch-Praise), winner of the Belfield Hack Handicap at Geraldine, is a brother to Serenata, 1940 New Zealand Cup winner. The finish of the Belfield Handicap is said to have been the best seen on the course, the apprentice on the winner getting his mount home by half a head. First In First In was last away and first in in the Squatters’ Handicap at Geraldine on Saturday. Royal Flight won the event last year.

Odds-on Findon, winner of the Geraldine Cup, was at odds-on in the betting. His performance justified the support. Authentic

Authentic, big dividend payer at Geraldine on Saturday, was overdue for a win. Last season in 10 starts he was three times second. By Night Raid from Seventh Heaven (Claren-ceux-Chakwana) Authentic is a four-year-old gelding owned by Mr W. Payne and trained by A. Stove. His win dividend on Saturday was close to £5O, and for a place he paid double figures.

Form Arustra beat the others in the Geraldine Cup just as easily as she was beaten by Findon. She showed that she was ready to race well by a good trial at Riccarton last week when she ran away from Arctic Dawn over a mile. Arustra won the Lyttelton Plate as a two-year-old, and last season she won the Camp Handicap at Wellington. She has developed into a solid mare and good things may be expected of her this season. Swordstick Swordstick, an entry at the Otago Hunt meeting, has not raced for more than three years.

Tatting . Tatting was unable to take his place in the hurdles race at Geraldine because of an injury to a stifle received at Ashburton the previous week.

Missing _ Neither Blue Horizon nor Will Cary has been nominated for events at the New Brighton meeting at Addington next month. Fell .... x • Iceland Spar, having his first start m a hurdles race on Saturday (at Geraldine), fell at the third hurdle. Not Favoured The hand-manipulated indicator is in anything but favour with punters, comments a northern writer. One has been installed at Geraldine, but it cannot be regarded as an improved method of showing the figures. £7OO For 5/The biggest dividend ever returned in Australia was credited to Solstar, in the V.A.T.C. Stanley Plate at Flemington last year. Holders of 5/- tickets received close on £7OO. Reorapa A special bit was used on Reorapa when he won a double at Wanganui. It did not altogether prevent him from boring out, but certainly minimized the trouble.

All-Aged Stakes The only horse affected by the conditions in the All Aged Trotting Stakes providing for an extra penalty of 24yds is Royal Worthy, who will be on 96yds. Those eligible for the limit of this race include Casbianca, Sure Gift, and David Dryden, and the 12yds division may be confined to Blue Horizon, Fantom, Desmond’s Pride, Believe Me, Teddy Gregg, and Forewarned. Among those whose marks would be 72yds are Range Finder, Douglas McElwyn, and Margin. Peculiar

It is a peculiar but established fact that payers of big dividends have accomplished very little of note after their surprise successes. Ephialtes and Karamu were comparative failures, the latter going for three years before he won another race. Sibella and Nightglass at no stage raced up to their earlier form. Stavros was in rather a different class—he met with an untimely end shortly after his unexpected win. The record-holder, Wairoa Belle, did not win again. Night Robe, a winner at Ashburton, failed at Geraldine on Saturday.

DIVIDEND WILL MISS DUNEDIN MEETING

Spell Because Of Lameness

(Special) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 25.

There will be a big team from Riccarton stables to race at the Dunedin meeting. Most of the horses will go south this week and will first compete at the Otago Hunt meeting. Dividend will have to miss the engagement made for him at Wingatui. He will be spelled while he recovers from the lameness which has been traced to a ligament. R. Register has sent Tatting home to his owner in South Canterbury, where he will spell before taking on hurdle racing again. Norse, another of Register’s jumping team, will go to the North Island and, after resting, he may join a Trentham stable.

L. J. Ellis will go to Hastings this week to ride some of Mr E. N. Fitzgerald’s horses on Saturday. When he comes back he may bring two of them, Kindergarten and his three-year-old half-brother, Golden Souvenir. These two may be trained here by Ellis.