RACING

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 92, 9 July 1927, Page 6

RACING

Wellington Meeting The winter meeting of tlite Wellington Racing Club opens at Trentham on Tuesday next. No less that 26 horses from the Auckland Province will be seen out on the opennig day. Imported Gelding When W. Ryan first took Importer in hand the English bred gelding was very big in condition and had had an easy time for several months. During the past three weeks Importer has received sufficient work to fine him down and is fast getting into racing trim. Looks the Part Bahama is a gelding who never carried much condition in the past, but it is doubtful if he has ever been so robust as at the present time. When next seen out Bahama should strip very well. In Excellent Order Now that things are slack on the training tracks Mr. A. Hill, manager of Ellerslie Racecourse, is not losing time in pushing the repair work along. He has already got most of the topdressing done. The gardens have been given a general overhaul and things are looking spic and span. Team for Sydney As previously stated in THE SUN, Mr. W. Scholium’s horses would not be sent to Sydney unless that owner , could accompany them. In conversation with Mr. Scholium yesterday it was learned that he anticipated getting away in a week or two with True . Blood, Royal Blood, Golden Autumn and White Wings, but nothing definite would be known for a few days. For the Winter Cup There is every prospect of Whenuanui being taken South for the Winter Cup and other events at the Grand National meeting. If the trip is decided upon, Whenuanui will probably be seen out at the Christchurch Hunt Club meeting on the 30th inst. Insult to Injury An English trainer, W. Larkin, had hoped that his run of bad luck had come to an end when, after a sequence of misfortunes, he was kicked by one of his own charges and had his jaw fractured. He expected Impatient Boy to win the Holyport Selling Handicap at Windsor a few weeks ago, and win the gelding did—only to be disqualified. No one who watched the race questioned the justice of the stewards’ ruling, for the four-year-old proved all too big a handful for his tiny pilot and swerved across Star Saint so badly that H. Graves, the rider of the latter, had his foot knocked out of the iron. The officials were prompt to sustain the objection after layers had freely ottered three “ponies” against the winner keeping the race. The Last Straw In connection with the English Grand National a friend of a London correspondent, long resident in Capetown, had a curious, an exasperating, experience. It was in Father O'Flynn's year. The friend had backed Father O’Flynn to w n him £IOO, the biggest bet he had ever had. and was overjoyed when the Irish horse sailed home, a gallant winner. He did not intend having another bet at Liverpool, but alas, a race on the flat on the day was reduced to a match and a grey horse looked to so outclass his opponent in every respect that it looked like picking up £3 to lay 100 to 3 on, which he did. The grey was many lengths in front, going easily, when about a furlong from he crossed his legs and came The odds were, of course, A sadder and a wiser man ft Aintree while the shades of night falling.

Entered for Gisborne Only three Auckland horses have been accorded nominations for the Gisborne meeting—Rahepoto, Lady Arch, and Hoariri. Cross-Country Event The Victorian Grand National Steeplechase is to be decided at Flemington this afternoon. The Hawk Stays HomeThe trip of J. M. Cameron to Sydney with The Hawk, Goshawk and Egyptian Flower has been cancelled. Mayhap its cause may be the fact that Egyptian Flower, after working on Wednesday, gave signs that all was not well with her. Takapuna Club The annual meeting of members of the Takapuna Jockey Club is convened to be held on Monday, August 8, at 2.15 p.m. Nominations for three members of committee in place of those retiring, and who are eligible for reelection, close with the secretary, Mr. R. Wynyard, on Saturday, July 16, at 12 noon.

New Handicapper Mr. J. E. Henrys, the well-known handicapper, has been granted six months’ leave of absence by the Canterbury Jockey Club, and he left by the Aorangi for a trip to Canada and Great Britain. He is accompanied on his trip by Mrs. Henrys, to whom he was married on Monday. In the absence of Mr. Henrys, Mr. W. P. Russell will do the handicapping for the C.J.C. Grand National and spring meetings.

Hastings Horses in West Australia Crown Top (Crown Imperial 11. Rouge), who first saw the break o’ day at Hastings, did his supporters a really good turn when he annexed the Welter Handicap at the West Australian meeting at Belmont Park last month. That he was not at all well fancied can be gathered from the fact that each of the holders of his 10s tickets collected a wonderful dividend. Crown Top is a half-brother to Lipsol, who was seen out in pursuit of the stake money at Hastings last month, and who is now one of the students at R. Gooseman’s seminary at Hastings. Another halfbrother to Crown Top in Warpath, by Martian, was also a winner some time back in the some locality as was identified with the success of Crown Top.

Memsahib Appeal Case Messrs. O. S. Watkins (Wellington), J. H. Perrett (Wanganui) and H. A. Russell (Hawke’s Bay) will sit in Wellington next week to hear the appeal by the Te Aroha jockey, W. Reid,

who was disqualified for 12 months in connection with his handling of the Cambridge-owned horse Memsahib in the Hunt Club Cup Steeplechase at Ellerslie on June 4.

Accident to Lucullent The Tauwhare owner, Mr. R. Werner, has experienced a stroke of ill-luck with his jumper Lucullent. Trainer McLean had the Lucullus gelding well forward in view of engagements at Wellington, but trouble which had been developing as a result of a knock sustained while racing at Te Rapa reached its climax early in the week. Veterinary attention was sought, and it was decided not to go on with Trentham engagements. This was bad luck, as Lucullent has always shown a penchant for the Trentham course, where he has been returned a winner of the Winter Hurdles. Lucullent has been nominated for the Grand National meeting, and if his wound cleans up in time it may be possible to have him ready for the August carnival at Riccarton. Caught in the Act There is a man in Sydney to-day who had an unpleasant memory revived when he read the other day of how the clerk of the Pokoblin course reported to the stipendiary steward that he had found an electric battery inside the jacket of a lad who had been injured in a race. The old case occurred a few years ago at a registered meeting in Western Australia. A race had almost finished when a horse threw its rider in the straight. That would not have troubled the boy very much if he had been able to pick himself up. but he was knocked unconscious, and bystanders rushed to his assistance. When he was examined a battery was found to be concealed in his clothing. Caught in the act, all explanation failed, and he was disqualified for life. Although the use of a battery has often been suspected, it is seldom that the wrongdoer is bowled out. A case, however, occurred in Adelaide toward the end of last season when one of the stewards saw a jockey from West Australia throw away a battery on his way back to scale. That boy, who steadfastly declined to implicate anyone else, was sent out for life. A year or two ago it was freely suspected that batteries were in use on some of the Northern Rivers courses, but none of the jockeys could be discovered using them.