RACING & TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 2 June 1926, Page 4

RACING & TROTTING

On and Off the Track. A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS. FIXTURES. RACING. June 3, s—Dunedin J.C. June 3, s—Otaki Maori lt.C. Juno 3,. 5, 7—Auckland R C. June 12 —S.C. Hunt Point-to-Point. June 18, 19 —Napier Park lt.C. June 23—Hawke's Bay Hunt Club. Juno 25. 26 —Hawke’s Bay J.C. July 6,8, 10— Wellington lt.C. July 22 —Waiinate District Hunt Club. July 22, 24.—Gisborne lt.C. July 24. —South Canterbury Hunt Club TROTTING. Juno 3 —Hawke’s Bay T.C. Juno 3, s—Canterbury Park T.C. June 12—Ashburton T.C. June HI, 23 —Auckland T.C.

Dunedin meeting Thursday and Saturday. The Utaki-Maori Club will race tomorrow and Saturday. .

Canterbury Park trots Thursday and Saturday. The world’s, most famous horse race —the Derby—is to bo . run at Epsom to-day, ' S’. Donogkue, who has six successes to his credit in the Derby, is likely to ride Captain Blood in to-day’s classic. The Great Northern Hurdles is set ‘down for decision to-morrow, and the Steeplechase is to be run:on Saturday. The veteran ’chaser Luke, who is now: 13 years old, is being _ qualified with the Hawke’s Bay Hunt. J. MeCombe has, decided on another trip to Sydney, where he intends to race Forgery at the pony meetings. It is reported that Happy Days has been sold, and will follow his stablecompanion, Los Ambus, to Australia. Llewellyn, who seems to have receded in favour for the Great Northerns, will probably bo steered by A. McDonald.

Sherlock, who is well known in South Canterbury and North Otago, is now an inmate of J. B. Pearson’s'stable at Riccarton.

It is understood that First Line’s non-acceptance for the Otago Steeplechase was due to lameness. All preparations had been made to send the wonderful old jumper south, and E. Shaw had been engaged to ride him. The Waimato filly Pretty Pointer paced a sound race in the Advance Handicap at Oamaru, and should not have to run many more times to notch a win.

Tennessee’s Child, when produced at Oamaru last week, seemed to have lightened up a good deal since he made such as auspicious debut at the Jockey Club’s meeting in the autumn. Lazarus is being put into work again by T. Wallis, at Waslidyke. An injury received in the paddock early in the spring sent this lino trotter into retirement for several months.

Downcast was reported to bo suffering from a poisoned heel last week, but it could not have been very serious, as the Southlander paced an excellent race from beginning to end of the President’s Handicap. The committees of the Oamaru Jockey Club and Oamaru Trotting Club have arrived at a basis of amalgamat'on in connecting with courses, and all that is necessary is confirmation of the arrangement by general meetings of (he chibs.

Harold Bunvood made no impression on the field in the big race at Oamaru, and the trotter Audominiou was always struggling along near the rear. Bing Boy lost enough ground in the early stages to prejudice his chanco of success.

The President’s Handicap at Oamnru was a particularly genuine contest. It was. no secret, that five of the runners carried the coin of their connections, and unless appearances were deceptive, as many more were commissioned to attempt to provide winter eats for the stable.

J). Bennett, who ivns disqualified for two real's, as a result of his association with the 'Willie Lincoln affair, had a few months of the penalty remitted by tho Trot tin}? Association, and was riding and driving at Oamaru Inst Saturday. : Fetor Bingen was hacked for tho chief, event at Oainnru, and when he took charge at the end of ha.’f a mile, it looked to ho a ease of collect. He collapsed a long way from home, however, and it seems certain that two •'miles is too far for him at. present. Jf he cannot negotiate the trip at Oainnru, ho has not much chance of doing so on bigger tracks.

Daytime, a maiden from the Prince Pointer stable, took a private reputation to Oamaru, and ran an excellent race into third place. His prospects were not improved by part of his gear working loose in the race, but it is not certain that this altogether accounted for his defeat, as tne winner, Stockade ihmlor, looks a prettv useful sort.

Both the .sloop'eeliuses at Dunedin ostorday were won by South Canterbury hunters. Night Raid, who annoxe ! the' big stake, is trained b.v ill. C. 1 Keeper at Orari for Mr.A. CL .Mwedoi.ald (president of the Geraldine Racing Club)., and Happy Mac, who scored in die hack crosscountry event, is prithc hack cross-country event, is trained in Wuiinate hv .1. R. Cochrane.

Escapade was reported to have done a great trial before leaving for Oam- • ru, and she displayed a great turn of speed in the big race on the North iitago track. The course was not a ood one, however, for a trotter to oppose the pacers, and in being checked

.c the corners the brilliant liiaro two or thice times mixed her gait and.spoiled her chance. The first time she steps out on a bigger track, Escapade is likely to register a smart performance.

Stockade Junior has had a reputation for some time, and ho did net Lr-iic it at Oamaru-. Some of his backers were a bit afraid that the small track might inconvenience him, but he began smartly on the corner and held the polo practically all through. A. Hendr.ksen drove him nicely, keeping him. swing.ng along just fast enough to prevent anything actually heading him off, and covering Jess ground than anything else in the race. ’Wharepiu.na was a trifle unlucky at the start of the big race at Oamaru. She was lined up behind Sea Pearl, and when the last-named dwelt on the mark ’Wharepfiuia was stopped and lost her place. Ultimately she finished right behind the placed horses. Cardinal. Logan was* another who did not get a. good inM, being' compelled to cover a. good deal of ground to hold his position; and he did not disgrace himself by running into fourth place. Master Peter, who was entrusted with a, few half-sovereigns by South Canterbury men who were former admirers of the ’chaser of the same name, returned a, nice doub'e-figurcj dividend, hut it, was only by the proverbial nostril that fie saved 1 it Ironi being reduced by two-thirds. When he put in some long .strides at the turn for home Master Peter opened up a big gap and appeared to be winning easily, when Bun Logan, one of the limit division, eamo with a surprising run and just failed to steal the race. One stride [>a.st the post lie had his nose in front, and it is probable that there was no more surprised man on the course than the rider of the winner.

The free-legged pacer Silk Thread gave an impressive display in the big race at Oamaru. Always well p'aced, the American stallion handled the cuius much better than was generally anticipated, anti never looked like faulting. Mis winning margin was barely a length, bid D. Withers did not look in the slightest degree perturbed when Downcast. Ken Pearl and Cardinal Logan c'osed on him again at tile end, and probnblv Silk Thread had something up his sjee-.e. When thoroughly ."eeliniatised, lie imported lit.rso may deieiup into a high class performer.

Entiles for the South Canterbury Hunt point-to-point meeting are duo t by 5 p.m. on Tuesday next. Tenders are being invited for the erection of an '‘outside” stand at the .Waslulyke racecourse. I.Tlie building is designed to seat between 400 and 500 persons, and will include refreshment rooms and conveniences. It is reported that .Mr H. E. Nicoll’s Sapling Stakes candidate, Haydock, was lame after racing at flic .Ashburton meeting, and has bad to be spelled. This will prejudice her chance in the two-year-old classic next week. Simtblamlers were very sanguine that Full Swing would win the Timaru Cup, and their faith in her was-not altogether shaken bv her failure at Wa.sbdyko. Their judgment' was 'vindicated yesterday when she won utlie Birthday at Wingatui. '. The Otago ' Steeplechase, " which lias always been started from the I,(-mile barrierj was this year started further back, near.the water jump. It has always been • considered a long,'three miles, and this year would bo'three’and a-quartor. Schoolmate changed hands before the Oamaru meeting, where he raced in,, the Irish-Whispers colours. It wits riff ported that the Harold Dillon geldiiig showed a .smart trial before the salewas ''effected, hut the change of coloprs ; did'not induce him to mend his wayshit, the post, and after causing some,delay; he failed to go off in time to -have good chances of success. • . Frisco Mail showed so much dash in

the Ashburton Cup that his success' in the Jumpers’ Flat at Dunedin was freely anticipated, and it will bo matter, for surprise if the Waslidyke . gelding does not get some uufro money before the week is out. v ' - •’

Pink Note, who had won four races!, in addition to finishing' in' a. place-',in practically every other start this season, was looked upon 'as the pick of ••the, handicap for the Winter Wel tor, find the Paper Money three-year-old started

a, good' favourite. ■ The Hinds enthusiast,. W. T. Lowe, who trains and drives his own horses, had an uncomfortable drive behind. Tim Wood, and was not able to do the trotter full justice. Earlier in the day Mr Lowe received a nasty blow on the ankle from a sulky which was capsized in the birdcage by a rearing horse,

and suffered considerable pain for the rest of the day.

South Canterbury horses, have had a good jnnings in the Otago Steeplechase recently. Golden Prince scored in 1921

and 1925, Master Hamilton (who received his education over country in this district) was first homo in 1922, and Night Raid won yesterday’s race. The first contest, in. 1909, saw Mr A. S. Elworthy’s hunter Wanganui in winning vein.

'The leading Southland reinsman J. Walsh handled a couple of winners-at Oamaru, and his form made it easy to understand the success ho has attained in his homo province. His victory behind Moor Chimes appeared to be an easy one, hut the fact that the mare was hooded 1 suggests that she takes handling, and on Jazalock Walsli was equal to heading off a finished horseman like J. McLennan in the last few strides.

Kilris continues to run well but unluckily, and it seems to be lier fate just to be beaten. At Timaru she dead-heated over six furlongs with Buoyant, finishing the better of the pair. With throe pounds the better of the handicap and more ground to cover .she looked certain to beat the Otago gelding yesterday, but bad to be content with second place. A stoppage, in her work may have been a good deal responsible for this result. . - j : Nelson Ata. was resjioftsiblfli {Rfi'/a’l? attractive performance at the’Oani'aru meeting, and is one of the most promising young trotters of the season. When his owner gave him the “Get up, it’ll soon be dark” hail before six furlongs had been traversed, be went to the front, .and trotting faultlessly, was never handl'd, although challenged several times by Young Tom and Tim W<'nd. Ho is a half-brother to . the. well-known unhoppled performer Proud Ata. J. Deyell, who trains the pair himself, haml’ed the ribbons with more skill than usual, his customary roll in the sulky being discarded. The veteran appears to have profited by the official advice offered him at Forbury. There being no more money to race for in Southland Ibis season, southern owners patronised the Oamaru meeting, freely, and met with a fair amount of. success. Moor Chimes and Jazalock were posted as winners, and Downcast and Colehil l each returned a useful second dividend. In the Stewards’ Handicap Lingfiold finished third, so that all the stake went to Southland.

Tho three placed horses in the Electric Handicap at Oamaru were about tho best-ridden trio in the race. The ridoi-s of Glenfarg and Rosie Nut appeared to be in too much of a hurry even for a mile contest, and were beaten by opponents who acre left with something to finish on. F. E. Jones rode one of his best races on Mawlmriti, and it was good horsemanship on McLennnn’s part that la ml cel Bismurate in second p'ner. fllcnfarg, who was favourite, finished well after making a. skip leaving the straight, but it is extremely unlikely that the Georgetown gelding .'could . have beaten Mawluiriti. The easiest, win at Oamaru last week vis that achiev'd hv Moor Chimes in th • Sleivard,".’ Handicap. The little

■southland mare raced in a hood, and this, coupled with her 72 yards behind, prompted most backers to eliminate' her as a winning possibility. Moor Chimes was running about the niidd'o. of the field half a mile from home, and her sombre jacket was not easily distinguished in the dull light. When sent along at the bend she left her field standing, and had her driver boon disposed, her winning margin could have been considerably increased. As it was she ‘uiV'-od over a dozen lengths ahead of tlio third horse. fortune favoured the. Oamaru Trotting Club last week, the weather making ample amends for its misbehaviour on the previous Saturday.. The track was good for the season of the year, fields were large, and the racing left little to he desired. Considering. the cramped conditions under which it has to work, The Club has made a wonderful success of its meetings, and when, the transfer to the racecourse is- eomp’eted, and a bigger and wider track attracts better class horses and more elobw room is provided for the public, even bettor results may he anticipated. The fusion scheira eouteniplutisl at Oamaru will not entail the scrapping of all the existing buildings on the two courses. A new and commodious public stand is contemplated, hut many of the present appointments will he removed to the new site, and will be brought into line with requirements. The Trotting Club’s property, comprising approximately o() acres, will probably bo sold, and should be .worth not much short of £.'looo, but it will he u wise, precaution to reserve a strip sufficiently wide to carry a. railway siding and a passenger and loading embankment abutting cm the North Road. Railway facilities of this kind would remove one or the greatest disabilities which tile Jockey (Tub has had to face in the ■last. ‘ ’

’file colour qucsCon obtruded itself pretty frequently at Qaiuarii, In one race, two sets of coheirs, though quite diflorently described, had nothing except a pair of cull's to distinguish them, the caps and jackets being practically idipitieal. In the last race, which was run in somi-darkiies.';, so urn of Van Director’s backers were cheering him on when Ilosie Nut dashed to the front at the hark. Both riders wore dark blue jackets and red cups, the only dist liguishing marks being one red and e.ne white band—both very narrow — I”v on the. waist of -Van Director's A gold jacket- described as brown, divergent shades of emerald, brown classed as blue, white or cream called light blue, wore among the confusing colours supp’ird by owners for inclusion in the racoonrd. H: is uudov-s-Vr'd that the Trotting Conference intends to revise th l - list of registered, col-ui-s in the near future, and it is to lie hoped that a thorough overhaul will be made of them.