RACING AND TROTTING

Southland Times, Issue 25746, 9 August 1945, Page 9

RACING AND TROTTING

By

HAMPTON

PLANS FOR GULF STREAM Nominated For Race In Australia ■ * ■ RECORD ATTENDANCE AT RICCARTON (Special) CHRISTCHURCH, August 8. Gulf Stream has been nominated for the Epsom Handicap and may race in Australia in the spring. Not Genuine When Whiphand won a double at Wingatui last month he looked like making a name for himself as a jumper. His subsequent form has been of. a poor standard and he did not survive the first fence in the Enfield Steeplechase.

Likely Youngster F. J. Boyle has had with him on his northern trip a fine type of colt by Nightly from Grey Vixen. He has been named Regular, and will, make his first appearance in public in the two-year-old parade at Riccarton on Saturday. His experience will be to his advantage, as he is down to contest the McLean Stakes at Wingatui in October.

Riders Engaged The two favourites for the open sprint, the August Handicap, on Saturday will probably be Da Vinci and Reorapa. Da Vinci will be ridden by W. J. Broughton and Reorapa by L. J. Ellis. Both stripped well at Riccarton this morning and whether the going is good or bad it will not trouble Da Vinci.

Strip’s Condition Strip’s case has been puzzling his trainer, A. E. Didham. He was worked at Riccarton yesterday morning and he appears to have made a good recovery from the bleeding trouble which affected him last week. Strip has won 21 races, and if he takes his place among the hurdlers on Saturday it ■will probably be his last appearance in public. Khurja Doubtful Khurja was x-rayed during the week, and it was found that he had cracked a sesamoid bone, but the ligaments were still intact. His leg is to be put in plaster for a few weeks and hopes are held that he will race again, but he is a cot case at the moment and his chances of racing again do not appear bright. Sodden Tracks

As a result of heavy rain in Christchurch during the week the tracks at both Riccarton and Addington are in a sodden state. Trotting trainers are very concerned, as the majority of horses to race at Addington later in the month have not appeared for many weeks. The majority of the trainers are usually cheerful about the manner in which the Riccarton track dries, but it has rained for practically three days now without a let up. Training work at Riccarton was an impossibility yesterday and today. Master Robin

Among several newcomers to Saturday’s fields is the Trentham winner, Master- Robin, who is engaged in the Woolston Handicap at Trentham. He beat Arco and Lady Chips over six furlongs in extremely bad going, and in this week’s race he now meets Arco on 51b and Lady Chips on 211 b worse terms, Lady Chips meets Arco on 141 b better terms and if Trentham form is of any value at all, and it usually is, there is good reason to give Lady Chips a royal chance on Saturday. Lord Darnley Lord Darnley is one of the early favourites for the Islington Handicap. Tire Siegfried gelding failed to show up among the sprinters on Saturday, but his best form has been over middle distances and his second to Flying Tor in the Parliamentary Handicap at Trentham will entitle him to a large following. He will not be troubled by the heavy track and the fact that he has won twice and been three times placed in his last six starts suggests that he is more reliable than most.

Francolin’s Next The Paper Money mare Francolin is to be sent to the North Island next week to be mated with the imported horse Nizami. Francolin has already produced a yearling filly by Nizami, and she was mated with the same horse again last season, but has failed to prove in foal to him. Francolin, which cost Mr D. M. Tweedie, of Riverton, 40gns when carrying Ortyx, has been represented by the winners, of almost £13,000 in stakes.

Ganges Well Suited Although he will be opposed to a good class field, Ganges is entitled to be one of the favourites for the Islington Handicap. He has yet to appear at the meeting, but the North Islander has some excellent recent form to his credit. He was a winner over a mile each day at Trentham last month, carrying 8.2 the first day and 8.13 on the second. In the Claremont Handicap at Washdyke he finished second to Royal Flight, with the unplaced division including Gulf Stream, which beat the majority of those engaged in the Islington Handicap. In the Winter Cup Ganges has already demonstrated that bad going does not worry him. Record Attendance

A record crowd of 22,000 people attended the Grand National meeting at Riccarton on Saturday. It was a record attendance for any meeting held at Riccarton. Actually 19,606 people passed through the turnstiles, and it is estimated that there were more than 2000 service personnel present, for whom no admission was charged. Although the totalizator handled £137,611 which was a record total for Riccarton, this figure would have been considerably increased had the selling windows been able to cope with the investments offering. During the sale of tickets before the Winter. Cup several windows had to close because they had run out of tickets. There were large queues all day and in practically every case hundreds of investors were shut out. The beer supply and the supply of race books gave out before the end of the day, and as has been the experience at Trentham and Ellerslie at recent meetings, it was impossible to cater fully for the large attendance present. On a Tight Mark Ned Worthy, winner of the 1940 Auckland Trotting Cup, has been nominated for the Winter Handicap at Addington, where he is handicapped on the 24 yards mark. As he has not raced since October 1941, he would appear to be at a disadvantage. Ned Worthy is now trained by W. R. Butt for Mr D. McCosker, of Ashburton.

Patient Treatment Western Front promises to be one of the best three-year-olds in the South Island. He is a well-grown chestnut colt by Coronach from All Quiet, a sister to Brunhild, and cost Mr G. J. Barton, his present owner, 900 guineas as a yearling. Western Front has not been hurried, and more will be heard of him in the spring. ' A- Bright Future Grand Forest, winner of the Paparua Handicap, carries the same colours as borne to victory in the Grand National Steeplechase last year by As Required. He has plenty of size, and may be found winning big handicap events this season. His dam, Minnikin, is by Grand Knight from Minsk (dam of Carinthia,

winner of the Grand National Hurdle Race in 1930), by Martian from Stephanie, by Stepniak.

Long Spell , . . ■< Positive, which has been nominated in the Heathcote Handicap, has not raced since the 1941-42 season, when he started in two races for two second placings. He is by Quite Sure from Sun Deoch, the dam of winners in Toorak, Sagacity, Jack Bond, and Gleam, and was educated for his early races by P. P. Gallagher, of Washdyke.

First Placings Knight. Crusader, runner-up to the speedy Bruce, is a three-year-old colt by Medieval Knight from Vidi Vici, by Acre from Erinagh, a half-sister to Erination, and was purchased as a yearling at Trentham by his present owner, Mr A. N. Smith, of Dunedin, for 320 guineas. Deep Harmony, runner-up to Collegiate, is a half-brother by Phaleron Bay to Piccolo, and is in the same stable. He was purchased as a yearling by his present owner, Mr C. Whitford, of Lyttelton, and this was his first glimpse of form.

Strong Bracket ’ With Sir Raymond, Frances Easton, and Windermere engaged in the Islington Handicap, R. J. Humphreys will have a strong bracket. Frances Easton won the Camp Handicap at Wellington at her last start, and Windermere has won at her last two starts. At her last appearance she won the Beaconsfield Trot at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting on May 26. Sir Raymond’s three wins at his last three starts are recent history, and to followers of winning form this trio must appeal. Doubtful Proposition Casabianca’s legs are causing his owner-trainer, S. Webster a lot of worry since his arrival at Addington, and unless he improves a lot it is doubtful if this promising young trotter will race at the meeting. Casabianca did not run a bad race last season, and was placed in each of his starts.;

PLANS FOR ROYAL FLIGHT AUSTRALIAN TRIP LIKELY

(Special) CHRISTCHURCH, August 9. An Australian trip for Royal Flight is under consideration by her owner, Mr D. M. Tweedie, and trainer, A. E. Didham. There are several factors which have to be taken into account, one being the fact that Royal Flight is liable to a penalty—the maximum being 101 b—in the Caulfield Cup for her Winter Cup success. She was given 8.7 in the Caulfield Cup run over a mile and a-half, and providing she is not too harshly re-handicapped there is every possibility that she will make the trip. Another consideration is the question of fodder and the prospect of securing shipping space to take sufficient for the trip. There will be good. opportunities to place Royal Flight to advantage in Australia and in her present form there is little doubt that she would more than hold her own. In New Zealand her opportunities are going to be considerably restricted from now on, in spite of the fact that she has won less than £5OOO in stakes. Her Winter Cup win with 10.1 will promote her to a place in tire handicaps which will give her an impossible task in handicap events and racing is likely to be confined to weight-for-age events, such as the James Hazlett Gold Cup, the Canterbury Cup and the Harcourt Stakes. There are few good weight-for-age horses in sight at the moment, the recent retirement of Kindergarten causing a notable gap in these ranks. Royal Flight took no harm from her hard race in the Winter Cup, and until a decision is made about her Australian engagements her programme is in doubt. If she does make the trip A. E. Didham will do the riding, but another trainer will have to be taken, as trainer-riders are not permitted in Australia. “JUST AS HARD TO WIN” TROTTING RACES IN • • AUSTRALIA (Special) CHRISTCHURCH, August 8. “They’re just as hard to win over there as they are here,” said R. B. Berry last evening, when discussing trotting races he had seen on his trip to Australia. “In the main they are not as good a class of horse as we have here, but all the races are keenly contested and the meetings are exceptionally well run, states The Press Christchurch.

“I attended meetings at Harold Park and at Tomora, and at the latter meeting saw two promising pacers, Van Eyre and Patty’s Pride, win. The latter is' by Springfield Globe, and she has won three races at country meetings. Van Eyre is by Van Derby, which was trained for some time by F. J. Smith, and he is certainly impressive. We tried to buy Johnny Lawn, the winner of the Sydney Derby, but his owner refused to put a price on him. I would have been able to secure a stallion by Robert Derby, but the rail restrictions prevented my bringing him to Sydney and the deal was called off. As in this country, promising horses bring big money; but I have arranged for a full sister to a good performer in Peak Hill to be sent over as soon as arrangements can be made. She is a nice type, but will not be ready to race for some time. Mr H. R. Bryan also bought a filly by Lawn Derby, and she should arrive shortly. TWO FURLONG TRACK “W. J. O’Shea, who brought Lawn Derby to New Zealand, conducts tire trotting events for the Boys’ Town carnivals which are held at the Sydney Showgrounds on Sunday afternoons, and that is certainly a great place to educate young horses. Crowds of up to 20,000 attend, and races are held on the two-furlong track. The young horses soon get used to the noise. Cycle races are held for men and women, wood-chopping events and usually special features, such as match races between leading jockeys, made these afternoons among the most pleasant I spent on the trip. I was greatly impressed by Maurice McCarten’s daughter, who competed in the events for women riders, and I would not hesitate to say that she is as good as any man I have seen in the saddle.

“One particular feature impressed me regarding conditions for trotting events in Australia, and that is that horses which win at country meetings are still regarded as maidens when they -race at Harold Park. It is interesting to note that Royal’s Hope, for which £lOOO was paid, won eight races before being taken to Sydney, and at his first start was beaten by Springfield Girl, a filly by Springfield Globe which had never been to the races before. In New Zealand a horse which has won eight races at country meetings is heading towards the best company,” commented Berry.

“While in Sydney I made arrangements for Springfield Globe to be returned next season, and he will go to the stud over there. I feel better for the trip and now have to settle down to prepare for the National meeting, where I have First Globe, Globe Direct, Bronze Eagle, Khamsin, and Lucky Meg engaged; but if this weather doesn’t improve perhaps only two or three of them will start.”