RACING & TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 29 December 1926, Page 6

RACING & TROTTING

On and Off the Track. Racing. Dec. 29, Jan. 1, 3 —Auckland R.C. Dec. 31, Jan. 1, 4—Greymouth J.C. Jan. I—Wailrouaiti R.C. Jan. I—-VYyndliam R.C. J Rn - 1, 3—Hawke’s Bay J.C. v'afi. 1, 3—Stratford R.C. Jan. 1, 3 —Marton J.C. Jan. 1, 3 —Wairarapa R.C. Jan. 3, 4—Southland R.C. .Tan. 7, B—Reefton8 —Reefton J.C. Jan. 8 or 15—Waipapakauri R.C. Jan. 8, 10 —Vincent J.C. Jan. 15 —Ashburton County R.C. Jan. 15 —Wairio J.C. Jan. 18, 20 —Wairoa R.C. Jan. 20, 22, 24—Wellington R.C. Jan. 21, 22 —Foxton R.C. . Jan. 22 —Bay of Islands R.C. Jan. 26, 27—Pahiatua R.C. Jan. 29, 31 —Takapuna R.C. Feb. 2 —Papanui R.C. Feb. 2, 3—Egmont R.C. Feb. 3, s—Gisborne5 —Gisborne R.C. Feb. 5, 7—Te Kuiti R.C. Feb. 10, 12—Dunedin J.C. Feb. 10, 12—Taranaki J.C. Fob. 10, 12—Poverty Bay Turf Club Feb. 12, 14—Rotorua R.C. Feb. 16—Clifden R.C. Feb. 17 —Tologa Bay J.C. Feb. 17, 19—Wanganui J.C. Feb. 19—Canterbury J.C. Feb. 23, 24 —Gore R.C. Mar. 17—Waimate R.C.

Trotting. Dec. 30, 31—Auckland T.C. Dec. 30 —Winton T.C. Jan. 1, 3 —Canterbury Park T.C. Jan. 3 —Westland T.C. Jan. 6, 6 —Greymouth T.C. Jan. B—Northland T.C. Jan. 22 —Te Aroha T.C. Jan. 22—Hawke’s Bay T.C. Jan. 27, 29 —Forbury Park T.C. Feb. 6-—Cheviot T.C. Feb. 12—N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. Feb. 19, 23 —Otahuhu T.C. Feb. 25 or Mar. 11 — T.C, Feb. 26, Mar. 2 —Wellington T.C. Mar. 4 —Marlborough T.C. Mar. 4, s—lnvercargill T.C. Mar. 6, 7 —Waikato T.C. Mar. 9—Manawatu T.C. Mar. 12—Taranaki T.C. Mar. 12 —Timaru T.C.

Listening Post is in work again at Invercargill. Auckland Racing Club’s meeting resumes to-day. Great Northern Derby on Saturday. Manawatu meeting ends to-mor-row. Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting will be continued to-morrow, and concluded on Friday. Symons, whose name figures in the entries at southern meetings, is a brother to Kapuna, and consequently half-brother to Reval and Jack Symons. In the Otago Handicap, 11 miles, Mr Lusk put Roseday lllbs above Overdrawn. In the Wyndliam Cup, Mr Pierce asks Overdrawn to concede 21bs. Roseday will run at Wyndliam. Backers are awaiting the next appearance of the two-year-old Silvermine, who appears to have inherited much of the speed of his dam, Silver Link.

Concliff, a Sydney pacer, who is credited with having a mile and a half record of 3.21, has joined W. J. Tomkinson’s string. Concliff is by a brother to the Ribbonwood horse Realm.

The weather had a bad effect on the Auckland Cup, Rapine, Star Stranger, Mandane, Footfall, Piuthair, and Lord Star being withdrawn from the race, in addition to Diogenes who was unable to travel north.

Master Peter, who has been recuperating in the Kurow district, has joined J. B. Pearson’s team at Riccarton, and will be got ready for autumn steeplechase events in the south.

O. Cullum, who was associated for a time with R. C. Keeper’s stable, and had done well over fences since he came to the South Island, has gone to South Australia, and made a good start in the Wheat State by steering his first mount to victory. The Melbourne “Globe” reports that B. Rosen, the' Australian jockey who spent a couple of years in the Dominion, has turned up in Adelaide, and rode Steel Bronze into second place on December 11th. Rosen could not retain his license in New Zealand, but apparently has managed to get through with it in South Australia.

On Saturday (New Year’s Day) there ■will be racing at Ellerslie, Wyndham, Waikouaiti, Greymouth, Hastings, Stratford, Marton and Wairarapa; and trotting at Addington. On Monday, race meetings are scheduled for Ellerslie, Invercargill, Hastings, Stratford, Marton and Wairarapa; and trotting for Addington. When Count Cavour failed on.one or two occasions earlier in • his career, the plea was offered on his behalf that he did not act well on a heavy track. One or two of his wins, however, were registered in soft going, and the Count’s fine effort in carrying 9.5 into second place in the Aucklnnd Cup indicates that he is not greatly affected by such conditions.

Rapine (Martian-Pineta), Star Stranger (Martian-Star Lady), Count Cavour (Solferino-Bon Bord), Te Monanui (Potoa-Unity), and Te Kara (General Latour-March), the quintette allotted nine stone or over in the Auckland Cup, all trace back to Musket. Pineta is out of a daughter of Spearmint, son of Carbine; Bon Bord is by Boniform, grandson of Hotchkiss; Star Lady goes back to Hilda, a daughter of Musket; Potoa is a grandson of Hotchkiss; and March is out of Lady Musket, a granddaughter of Musket. Sir Rupert Clarke, whose death was reported by cable yesterday, at one time was one of the principal owners and breeders in the Commonwealth. He was the eldest brother of Mr E. E. D. Clarke (breeder of Gloaming), who recently made his annual fishing excursion to Tenuika. Sir Rupert Clarke won the V.R.C. Derby with P.J.A., who defeated the same owner’s Sweet Nell, who was favourite. Ills horses were trained at Dowling Forest, Ballarat, by J. Scobie, and R. Lewis was retained as rider.

Form was knocked out of shape on Boxing Day by the winter conditions which ruled over Christmastide, the tracks being of the nature expected in June rather than in midsummer. Still there were tens of thousands of stay-at-home speculators who had the temerity to pit their knowledge—or try their luck —- against the elements, and the starting price operators.

Racing in the back o’ beyond this season has slipped badly, says the Sydney "Sportsman.” At a recent Brewarina shuffle there were only ten horses to contest half a dozen events on each day, and eight of them scored a win. At Coonamble recently the public showed its appreciation of the club’s efforts by staying away, and at last week’s Mudgee Cup meeting there were only 13 horses present. If the odds merchants and the visitors were left out, the Mudgee public would be represented by about 100 all told. And there was a time when 2000 would not have been reckoned a large attendance at Mudgee.

Count Cavour has finished second in the last two Auckland Cups. Credit displayed a lot of speed in one of the maiden events at Washdyke, and has only to repeat that form to be very dangerous in the

Trial at Wyndham. Front Rank did not go to Dunedin for this week’s meeting. The filly was kicked by a hack at Riccarton, and the trip had to be cancelled so far as she was concerned. Princess Mafalda continues to run consistently without quite managing to win. She gallops well on the track, and if she once acquires the knack of winning, might register more than one success.

Sweet Melody got a flying sta,rt, in the Otokia Handicap at Dunedin on Monday, and this smart beginner soon had a break of six lengths on the field, but she collapsed in the run home, and was only sixth at the judge’s box. The track was made to order for "Guncase at Wingatui on Monday, and Humphris had a nice ride on the Washdyke-trained gelding. Adjutor challenged the winner at the six furlongs post, but Guncase’s rider kept the pace solid, and made the poundage tell on the topweight. When it became known that W. J. Jennings was going to the Coast, some shrewd operators got wind of the fact that Emerson was to ride Booster in the Stewards’ Handicap at Dunedin, and immediately cleaned up the double market by coupling Booster with Centrepiece and Set Sail.

■ Apparently Solrose’s races at .Metliven and Washdyke, in which she gave indifferent displays, did her an immense amount of good. The Oamaru-trained mare failed to stay at the two places mentioned, but won a a mile and then at a mile and a, quarter at Wingatui, which is a more arduous course.

Most of the Auckland Cup winners’ best efforts have been registered when the sting was out of the ground. Roseworthy, sire of Tanadees, has produced more sprinters than stayers in Australia, but Burletta, dam of the Cup winner, w'as responsible for Radnor, a St. Leger victor, and it is probable from the maternal side that Tanadees inherits hi 3 stamina.

Jackie Audubon,' winner of the opening event at Ashburton on Monday, is owned and trained at Pleasant Point, and his success was not unexpected in that township. He led all the way, and the manner in which he did his work suggested that Mr Allington will be credited with another win before lohg. Jackie Audubon was driven by J. Wallis, who piloted the same owner’s trotter Mickey Audubon into third, place in the next race on the card. It is reported that the Government —or the Department of Internal Affairs—has refused the application of /the Christchurch Royal Visit Committee for a totallsator permit for a meeting at Riccarton in connection with the DukS of York’s tour. It will be interesting to see what happens when Wellington makes a similar application. In the past there has always been a permit available when an extra day’s racing is mooted for Trentlxam.

Set Sail, who had not won at a greater distance than six furlongs, showed at Washdyke that she was capable of running a mile and a quarter with a light weight, and won at her second essay over the distance. A 1 though she had been campaigned previously as a sprinter, Set Sail should stay if breeding counts for anything. Solferino’s stock are good over middle distances, and Strathpeffer, Set Sail’s dam, is by Birkenhead, from Ideal, who dead-heated with Fulmen in a New Zealand Cup. The state of the track at Ellerslie on Monday militated against a true test, of the merits of the two-year-olds engaged in the Great Northern Foal Stakes. If the race were to be run again on firm going, the result might be altogether different. It proved, however, that in Gascony, Mr T. H. Lowry has found another very promising youngster, and an impression prevails in the North that the Okawa estate will be strongly represented during the next couple of seasons.

Agrion seems to be coming back to form, and it will not be surprising if lie gives a good account of himself in the Royal Stakes. An attack of influenza prevented him from showing his real ability at Randwick, and he was not unduly taxed in his races at Riccarton, where his stable-mate Eulalie proved his superior. Agrion, however, is the better stayer of the pair, and may yet prove the best of the season’s juveniles.

Although Booster is owned on the West Coast, and her trainer hails from over the Alps, the Solferino gelding was bred in Otago by Mr A. B. Armour. Booster has shown a lot of speed in his races, but has not had the best of riding, his trainer having been in the saddle in most of his races this season. Booster finished fifth in the Flying Handicap at Washdyke this month, but with the same horseman as he had at Wingatui on Monday, his number might have gone up on top of the frame. It has been widely broadcasted that Corn Money lost the South Canterbury Handicap through getting caught in the tapes, and probably many backers in the south will support him on that account. Corn Money has so much speed, and is so much at home in any going, that he is liable to win at any time, but anything he lost in the mile at Washdyke was due to his .unruliness. It was Front Rank who caught the tape, and only for an exhibition of over-confidence, she -would have defeated Corn Money more decisively. Unless a juvenile is a real champion, it is unusual nowadays for one to be top l dog at both ends of the season. Usually the Welcome Stakes winner is one of the precocious sort, and enthusiasts have come to look for prospective Derby winners at the late summer and autumn fixtures. Cimabue, who outclassed the opposition in the spring, was a ready-made galloper, gifted with early speed and perfect manners, and it was not expected that he would be defeated until the autumn. Possibly his narrow defeat in the Foal Stakes was due to the track conditions, but little surprise will be evinced if two or three of his competitors prove his master in April. A considerable amount of money is reported to have gone into the wallets of South Island bookmakers over Rapier’s defeat in the Manawatu Cup. Even many people who do not hold the exalted opinion of the Greyspear horse that some Riccartonians subscribe to, took it for granted that the bad weather which was pretty general, would reach Awapuni, and put the track in a condition to enhance Rapier’s chances. After the finish of the Metropolitan Handicap at Rtccartou, when Tanadees just failed to reach Piuthair when conceding her 151bs, one of the best judges of form in the Dominion remarked: "What a certainty Tanadees would have been in the New Zealand Cup,” for which race the horse’s connections missed the acceptance. The Auckland Cup result went a long way towards supporting this contention. The Roseworthy gelding was fast catching the mare at the end of the mile and a half at Riccarton, and would apparently have defeated her decisively at two miles.