BROUGHTON IN FRONT

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1935, Page 10

BROUGHTON IN FRONT

JOCKEYS’ PREMIERSHIP FAIRFAX’S TARANAKI PROSPECTS. KAOLA RECORDS GOOD GALLOP. (By “Hurry On.”) W. Broughton is beginning to forge ahead of L. J. Ellis in the jockeys’ championship contest and has now ridden 71 winners to his rival’s 67. Broughton has been doing a great deal of travelling lately. He was at Dargaville last Saturday and Monday and at Pahiatua on Tuesday and yesterday, and he will be back at Whangarei by the end of the Week. Ellis on the other hand appears to be taking things fairly easily, but he is not obtaining his usual success in the southern meetings. He will ride at the West Coast meetings and in the small fields there he should not be long in saluting the judge.

Winner at Awapunl. The first of the visiting horses to arrive at New Plymouth was Kaola, who put in an appearance last Saturday in charge of his Waverley owner-trainer, S. Cleaver. The son of Valkyrian, who won his first race at Awapuni last month, is looking bright and well and galloped a good seven furlongs in company with Davistock and Aussie Ra on Tuesday morning. He will start in the Pukekura Hack on Saturday, when he will be ridden by the capable Hawkes Bay lightweight, R. Marsh. Likes Soft Tracks.

Orapai has been doing all. that J. O’Neill has asked of him since recommencing work. The easy state of the tracks is materially assisting in his preparation, and so far he has shown no signs of the soreness that has troubled him in the. past. Though he may not be ready to show his best on Saturday, he might make a bold showing should the track be soft. , . ..-> Should be Prominent.

The Limond-Joanfax filly Fairfax will have her Groat Northern Champagne Stakes trial in. the Koru Juvenile Handicap at New Plymouth on Saturday. She won’ on the first day at Hawera in February like a high class youngster but failed badly on the second day after having every chance. However, though this was not her true form, she will require to run prominently on Saturday if she is to have any chance against Gay Sheik and company at Ellerslie.

A Strong Team. After the Easter racing-Pomp and Rust will probably go out to Koatanui, but their trainer (W. Rayner) will bring in to replace them the stallion Spiral and three rising two-year-olds owned by Mr. G. M. Currie. The youngsters are three fillies, Moquette (Limond —Motley), Impossible (Posterity—lmpetuous), and Ithaca (Lysander—Leta), and they are all well related, Moquette being a half-sister to Legatee and Ithaca a half-sister to Thespian. Thus Rayner will have a strong team to commence the campaign for next season. Conditions Not Suited.

Some time ago the executive committee of the New Zealand Racing Conference gave preliminary consideration to the question of licensing such officials as handicappers, judges and starters, but at the last meeting of the committee it was wisely decided that conditions in the Dominion were totally unsuited to any such system, and no further steps will now be taken in this direction.

A licensing scheme for officials operates in England, but in England the yearly racing calendar is well established and mapped out by general custom, and the dates of meetings may be estimated for almost any number of years ahead. Moreover, there is no such plethora of widely scattered holiday meetings as in the Dominion, and few are the days in the English racing year when more than three meetings at most are being held. Any licensing scheme for the Dominion would require to be a much bigger undertaking than in England. It is difficult to conceive how any such a system could be evolved without giving cause for much inconvenience to clubs and the general public.

Town Gives Support. The decision of the New Plymouth retailers to close at noon on Saturday has caused much satisfaction in racing circles, as it indicates that business people are prepared to help the sport. The New Plymouth townspeople support the New Plymouth meetings well. It was this that influenced the combined hunts to hold their gatherings at New Plymouth.

Visiting Horses Arriving. A contingent of visiting horses for the Taranaki Jockey Club’s meeting on Saturday will arrive to-day. Among trainers and horses expected are A. E. Neale with Diatomqus and Chalice, and L. Knapp with Tudor. G. Paul with Trisna and Kurapai will arrive to-morrow. The hurdlers Bun Tuck and Pahu will also come to-morrow.