RACING & TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18545, 16 April 1930, Page 6

RACING & TROTTING

On and Off the Track. A BUDGET OP NEWS AND VIEWS. FIXTURES. Racing: April 19—Tuapeka County J.C. April 19, 21—Wairarapa R.C. April 19, 21—Feilding J.C. April 19, 21—Auckland R.C. April 19, 21, 22—Riverton R.C. April 21 —Beaumont R.C. April 21—Waipukurau J.C. April 21 —Kumara R.C. April 21, 22—Canterbury J.C. April 23, 24—Westland R.C. April 26, 28—Greymouth J.C. April 30 —Reefton J.C. May 3—Amberley R.C. May 8. 10 —Egmont R.C. May 9, 10—Nelson J.C. May 14, 15—Southland R.C. May 15, 17—Wanganui J.C. May 10, 17—Marlborough R.C. May 24—Ashburton County R.C. May 24—Taumarunui R.C. May 31, June 3, 4—Dunedin J.C. June 3, 4—Otaki-Maori R.C. June 3,5, 7 —Auckland R.C. June 13, 14—Napier Park R.C. June 14—Oamaru J.C. June 19, 21 —South Canterbury J.C. Trotting: April 19, 23—Metropolitan T.C. April 19. 21—Hawera T.C. April 26—Ashburton T.C. April 26—Taranaki T.C. May 3—Cambridge T.C. May 8, 10—Forbury Park T.C. May 17—Oamaru T.C. May 31, June 3—Canterbury Park T.C. June 7—Ashburton T.C. June 21, 23—Auckland T.C. F. Voight has handed in his jockey’s license. C. Emerson is to ride Gesture in the Champagne Stakes. A nice Easter gift. It is reported that the Auckland Racing Club has decided upon a change of starters, and that a well-known Ellerslie trainer is likely to be appointed. After riding Pink Note in the Riverton Gold Cup, B. Brodie has agreed to go to Riccarton to ride Meadow Lark and Stealth if required. Some winners of the Great Autumn have been small horses, but possibly the smallest of the lot was Bulawayo, who was able to go under the pony standard. Cimabue and Shirley 1.24 3-5, share the time record for the Great Easter Handicap. The fastest run in the Great Autumn was Bonnie Winkie’s 2.31. L. Woolford’s win on Solgele at Hororata was his seventh this season. He won 11 races last season, and two more will deprive him of his 31b apprentice allowance. The steeplechaser Lord Ranald, is being worked on his owner’s farm at Westerfield. and so far Mr Fechney has made no announcement concerning the future of the Masterpiece gelding. The Oamaru Jockey Club has decided to hold a one-day meeting on June 14th, and to include a steeplechase as well as a hurdle race on the programme. A. Eastwood, the Riccarton flyweight, has been nominated as coxswain of the New Zealand eight for the Empire Games in Canada. He has steered the ship for New Zealand on previous occasions. A. Eastwood will be at Riverton on Saturday to pilot the members of C. Gieseler’s team, who will be there under H. Anderton, but will return to Christchurch in time for the C.J.C. meeting on Monday and Tuesday. Sasanof with 9.13, holds the weightcarrying record for the Great Autumn. Kilboy won as a three-year-old with 8.10. The biggest weight carried by a winner of Derby age was 9.1, by Merrie England, but this horse occupied 2.39 4-5, against Kilboy’s 2.33 2-5. Eulalie’s 1.10 is the time-record for the Champagne Stakes, and is the New Zealand and Australian best for six furlongs for a two-year-old. Prior to the Absurd filly’s flying effort, The Hawk’s 1.10 1-5 was the two-year-old record. C. Gieseler is dividing his team for the Easter meetings. Camisader and Sailing Home are to race at Riverton, while Money Mine and Stealth are booked to run at Riccarton. Pink Paper also will be in charge of Gieseler at Riccarton. Although the A.J.C. declines to allow H. Gray to ride on New South Wales courses, New Zealand owners are keen to secure the crack horseman’s services. It is rumoured that the Lorigan stable and a strong Hawke's Bay establishment have offered him retainers. Nystad is the only horse with two Great Easter's to his credit, and his wins were gained in successive years. No horse has won the Great Autumn more than once except Longlands. who scored away back in 1878 and 1879, when it took 2.42 or 2.43 to run the mile and a half.

There is some talk going round of ‘‘padding” the acceptance lists (says “Sentinel.” and the subject was under discussion at Wingatui recently. It is a rather unfair practice, because an owner may pay up on the off-chance of meeting a weak field, ancl may be greatly misled when “dummy” acceptances are posted. Machine Gun 10.4 and Boreas 9.12, have been the heaviest-weighted winners of the Great Easter Handicap, but perhaps the most striking effort in a winning connection was that of Cruciform. who, as a three-year-old, carried 9.9. When Machine Gun, one of the best weight-carriers we have seen, won, he took 1.29 4-5, time which would be regarded as very slow nowadays. So far as can be remembered only three of the stock of Australian Sun raced in New Zealand this season—ln the Shade, Glare and St. Melba. Glare has been sold to a Melbourne owner for somewhere between three and four thousand guineas, and St. Melba to Messrs Spry and O’Neill at 1000 guineas. All three were picked up by New Zealand buyers at hack prices at the Sydney yearling sales. The maximum impost that can be -arned in the C.J.C. Challenge Stakes is 9.11 and this was carried by Gloamin when he scored his second, third and fourth wins. His greatest gallop in the Challenge, however, was that in 1924, when ho was a neck behind Razzle Dazzle in the race record of 1.24 2-5, "iter losing several lengths at the barker. Trenton w-as the first winner of he Challenge, and set a standard for ater warmers, which included Carbine. Multiform (three times), Cruciform twice), Achilles (twice), Martian, Auumnus (twice). Desert Gold, Biplane, Tloaming (four times), Amythas and imerick. Last year Silver Paper reuced the Challenge record to 1.24. Many really high-class horses have 'rolled their names among the winers of the C.J.C. Champagne Stakes, ’ronton, Maxim, Carbine. Medallion, Multiform. Screw Gun. Cruciform. OrTreadmill, Munjeet, Provocation, \utumnus, Winning Hit, Commendation, Eulalie ancl Pink Coat are some of he top-liners. Sir George Clifford has had sixteen winnin f representatives, nd has won it with some moderate erf owners, among them being Stronghold. Good Hope, Heathercote and Tickles. The late G. G. Stead also won he Champagne sixteen times, and at ne period claimed ten successive winers. Sir G. Clifford, too, had a remarkable run at one stage with nine wins in ten seasons.

Author Jinks, who was on the easy list for several weeks, is in work again, and has been paid up for in two events at Addington on Saturday. L. Woolford may be on Arikiwai at Riccarton next week, though it has been reported that he is engaged for Money Mine. Kapuna is booked to run in the Great Western Steeplechase at Riverton on Saturday, and will be steered by W. Cooper. The A.J.C. autumn carnival is due to begin on Saturday, and will continue on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday of next week. Last season Sir G. Clifford’s team won less than half a dozen races, but in the first nine months of the current racing year horses from Chokebore have won 14 events. Meadow Lark has won eight races this season, and is followed by Hunting Cry, Gesture and Pompeius with seven each. Hunting Cry’s seven have been worth £4985, and Pompeius’s only £1825. P. T. Hogan started Double Soult in the Otautau Steeplechase, and the Washdyke-trained novice was made a good second favourite. Double Soult did not get far, as he dodged off at the third fence. When the Easter fixtures have been disposed of the Mosgiel owner-trainer, R. McDonald, contemplates a trip to Australia, taking with him the two-year-old Master Anomaly and probably another of his team. The second section of the Turf Register has been issued at an opportune time, on the eve of the Easter meetings. It contains detailed results of racing and trotting meetings from December 1 to March 31, with index, and an interesting collection of statistics. Gesture, who is likely to be a torrid favourite for the Champagne Stakes, opened the season inauspiciously by missing a place in the Debutant Stakes at Wanganui. Since then the Chief Ruler filly has won seven times on end, and looks like making it eight on Monday. Largely due to Concentrate, who has collected £3875 this season. Mr R. J. Murphy (Wellington) is at the head of the winning owners’ list at the end of nine months. Mr A. B. Williams, whose total has been more evenly distributed over his team, is only £67 away. J. Ross is having a good season, and to date has turned out 14 winners, the best record for an Oamaru trainer since R. McKay had a big innings with Radial and others. Meadow Lark alone has won eight times this season, and has accounted for about £2300 in stakes. Taboo has won on five occasions, and seven other places bring his earnings for the nine months to £1450. The entries for the Autumn Stakes, of £2500, 11 miles, to be run at Rand-' wick on Saturday, were: Star God Nightmarch. Chide, Tidal, Concentrate. | Amounis, Kidaides, Donald. Paddi Eve, John Buchan, Crucis, Inducement, Leadlight, Royal Smile, Potent and Loquacious. Phar Lap, who is engaged in the St. Leger, was not nominated. Hunting Cry £4985 is at the head of the list of winning horses in New Zealand this season, but he is not likely to race again this year, and may be overtaken. Eaglet with £3490 is the next three-year-old on the list, and is the only one of that age with much prospect of supplanting Hunting Cry. Gesture £2435 heads the two-year-olds, and after the Champagne Stakes is pretty certain to retain her place. The principal events to be run at Rand wick on Saturday are the St. Leger, which looks like providing appearance money for Phar Lap; the Autumn Stakes, l* miles, in which Night- i march, Amounis and Chide are the stellar members of the cast; and the Doncaster Handicap, a rich mile handicap, which is one of the heavy wagering races of the season. The Sydney Cup, of £6OOO, 2 miles, is to come up for decision on Monday. There was an unusual cause of delay of a start at Otautau. The trainer of Battle Flag claimed a 51b apprentice allowance in the Waikoura Handicap (7.7 minimum), but was ruled out of order. Later the legality of the claim was recognised, and the mare was recalled and the rider weighed out again. The allowance may be claimed in any handicap, whatever the minimum, provided that no horse may carry less than seven stone.

The Easter racing carnival will open on Saturday when there will be meetings at Auckland, Riverton, Feilding, Wairarapa and Lawrence; and trotting fixtures at Addington and Hawera. On Monday, the C.J.C. meeting will commence. Other gatherings on Easter Monday will be Auckland, Feilding, Riverton, Wairarapa, Beaumont, Waipukurau and Kumara. The Hawera trotting meeting will conclude on that day. Complications continue to arise in connection with the trotting handicap system. The latest is reported to be provided by a handicapper who acts for some of the smaller clubs. His method of inducing owners of backmarkers in loose classes to run, is said to be to let them up a couple of seconds or so. The result is that a horse with a 3.36 rating in Canterbury may go abroad, win off 3.40 in very fast time, and still be eligible for a 3.36 mark in its home territory. The retirement is announced of that good stayer Rapier, who will probably be put to the stud next season. The Greyspear horse has been difficult to train this season, and it has been decided to end his racing career rather than risk a breakdown. Rapier established a record by winning the Wellington Cup, New Zealand Cup 7.12, and Auckland Cup 8.10, in one year, and was the first horse to win the New Zealand Cup and the Auckland Cup in one season. He won a Trentham Gold Cup also, and holds the distinction in New Zealand of winning three big races races over two miles. He is one of the few horses to win open handicaps from six furlongs to two miles. “When the field was led back to the birdcage on Saturday by the winner of the Otautau Cup, with the placed performers in attendance, there was a demonstration from a section of the onlookers against the defeated favourite, Latin Quarter, who finished on close up under pressure in third place. To experienced racegoers, amateur and professional, in attendance, the demonstration was uncalled for” (says the “Southland Times.”) “As far as the general public are concerned, there is no reason why they should not extend the glad cheer or raise a loud hoot as fancy dictates when their fancied candidates perform, as long as they do not throw stones or empty bottles at anybody, but it ill becomes persons who profess to be professional racing men, when they demonstrate as was the case on Saturday.”

The apprentice allowance appears to be a trap for many racing men. It is quite a common thing to read that a certain horse has beaten another at a difference of, say, 71b, and that in a subsequent race the winner comes in at a difference of say, 51b, the inference being that the beaten horse has received a concession of only 21b. Often, however, the winner has had an apprentice allowance, and the real difference in the first set of weights was 121 b. It is on the last-mentioned figure that the next set of handicaps must be based, and it is misleading to make comparisons without taking the allowance into account. If a horse’s weight is to be taken as the weight carried, it would be reasonable to claim that, if unplaced with an apprentice, it should next time be allotted that poundage. Under such a system a horse would need to run only three byes with apprentice riders to run off 151 b.

The Timaru-owned gelding Coupling, who was formerly trained at Wingatui, is now in T. Hobbs’s charge at Waimate. Roi l’Or is now enjoying a run in the paddock, and is not likely to be asked to race before the National Cup meeting in August. Lucky Light made a reappearance in the Waikoura Handicap at Otautau. Starting a pronounced favourite, the erratic mare was holding a winning chance when she swerved nearly off the course at the home turn. Courtesy, winner of the Nursery Handicap at Hastings, is a sister to Honour. She is to race at Riccarton next week along with Great Charter and Chrysology. R. Alexander is now preparing Mr T. H. Lowry’s horses. The Nelson Bingen-Irish Whisper juvenile, owned by Mr T. Twomey, Waimate, is growing into a classy pacer, OJaM, but

, when he is old enough to go to the , races. Apparently Mr Henrys considers Carinthia would have been dangerous i had he started in the hurdle race on : the second day of the S.C.J.C. meeting.' • In that race Carinthia had 10.9 and Antrim Boy 10.5. In the hurdle race! . at Riccarton their weights are Carin-1 , thia 10.3, Antrim Boy 10.1. Troilus,! 1 who finished third at Washdyke with l ; 10.4, has 9.5 at Riccarton, and meets. | Carinthia 71b better. There are two extra furlongs at Riccarton, and it;; looks as if Mr Henrys rates Troilus as' a non-stayer. Quite obviously he holds'; a similar opinion concerning Antrim ■ Boy. At Washdyke Aberfeldy 11.6, and 1 Lancer 11.1 did not start, while Antrim Boy 10.5 won. At Riccarton the re- 1 spective weights are 11.3, 10.10. and 10.1, ( so that Antrim Boy will not have to 1 pay a penalty, through the two horses, J

The result of the Chipping Norton I Stakes leaves Phar Lap as the reign--1 ing champion of Australia, and in the meantime Nightmarch is rather dis- . credited. It is not the first time that i the four-year-old has been defeated in . a weight-for-age race, in fact Nighti march has rather a habit of sandwiching a third in between his best deeds. ' In the spring he was only third in a I w.f.a. event at Rosehill—the publisher of a Sydney tipster’s journal declared I that he pulled himself into third place | —and next time out he won the Epsom. 1 It was the same in Melbourne, when he ran a moderate third on the eve of the Melbourne Cup. Now he has finished third in the Chipping Norton Stakes, it will be quite consistent for him to lead the field home in the Autumn Stakes cn Saturday. He will not be able to meet Phar Lap again until the All-Aged Stakes is run next Wednesday.