SPORTING NOTES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 76, Issue 6507, 28 April 1948, Page 7

SPORTING NOTES

ON RACING AND TROTTING . ' I BRIEF ITEMS ON AND OFF THE TRACK (By “Old Rowley”) Close Iq Form Although by no means a prospect in the Karam u Hurdles, Kilmanagh created interest among steeplechasing enthusiasts when she started at Hastings last Saturday. This aged Siegfried—Sun Gift mare began well, and jumped with all the confidence associated with her best form, and while she made no impression in the concluding stages of the race it was apparent that the outing was doing her good. She revelled in her task, and may be nearer to top form than many other equines which will be engaged in steeplechases in the coming few weeks. Last term Kilmanagh disappointed on occasions, but in nineteen starts she won five races, was third four times, and had five fourth placings. Fortune Smiles

The early experience of an apprentice to racing, especially in stables where meticulous care is taken about training, centres around the early rising for track work and other onerous duties which are lightened only by-the thought that one day the diminutive stropper may sport silk. Fortune seldom smiles very early upon the efforts of the young rider, and it is rare that he is given a mount that will run even prominently. However, last Saturday, C. Farr, apprenticed to Mrs F. M. Reilly, rode Rare Fox to victory in the second division of the Springdale Handicap at Te Aroha, this being his first ride at a totalisator meeting. On the same day J. W. Watson, apprentice to G. S. Rayner, also having his first mount, brought Exemplary home at long odds in the President’s Hack Handicap at Waverley. In both instances the boys had signed the articles of apprenticeship just over 12 months previous to riding their first winners.

End of Dark Morning After finishing a fair third in the Westholm Hurdles at Wanganui last Saturday Dark Morning collapsed and died when being unsaddled. By Baffles—Lady W’illonyx, and thus full brother to Mr George Pollard’s good * mare Lady Blandford, the defunct Dark Morning proved useful in his career, although last season he began to slip back a little. He had shown sufficient promise as a hurdler this term for hope to be held that he would earn an occasional stake if astutely placed. What is High-weight ?

Of some interest to Auckland racegoers was the news that Broiealice, previously trained by F. E. McManemin at Ellerslie, had been placed second in the first division of the Kohi High-weight at the Waverley Racing Club’s autumn meeting. To most followers of racing the term high-weight, is synonymous w’th a hurdlers’ flat race, wherein the minimum is 9.0, but it would seem these days that the aforesaid weight is more likely to be the maximum, and in several of these events it has been noticed that the majority of the gallopers engaged are weighted at 8.0 or a little more. Surely such an event is nothing but an ordinary hack race with what might be termed a winter-racing scale of weights. The fact of such a weight enabling likely hacks to compete without suffering unduly at the hands of the handicapper at once prejudices the chances of those equines for which such a race was originally proposed. The original idea of a high-weight handicap, or welter handicap, was to enable those horses which by virtue of their breeding or conformation were restricted in the main to hurdles and steeplechase events. On miany programmes, especially those of the Wellington Racing Club, there are several such races throughout the year, and it will be noticed that there is no easing of weight conditions in these events. Never in Doubt

Some local racing enthusiasts who attended the Te Aroha meeting last Saturday were very interested in the outcome of the protest centring about the minor place-getters in the Ngarua Handicap, and when they first learned that the protest had been dismissed were very surprised indeed, being quite sure that the connections of Bedivere were sure to succeed in their claims. However, when “ Old Rowley ” pointed out that interference by Bridge Watcher had been alleged, they immediately concurred with the finding of the stewards, saying that in their opinion Bridge Watcher did not at any time interfere with Bedivere. From the ensuing conversation it seems that there may have been a slip-up somewhere in the excitement of the moment, and had the protest been lodged against the offending horse there was a distinct possibility of its succeeding. Daphne Grattan Wins

Early in her career it was predicted that Daphne Grattan would become an outstanding pacer, but she failed to live un to her breeding and promising displays on the track. Throughout her career she has been a costly proposition to follow, and last Saturday, when she won the President’s Handicap it was her first success of any note for a considerable time. She was recently taken over by B. J. Norris, of Cambridge, and he seems to have settled her quite considerably.