RACING & TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18555, 30 April 1930, Page 13

RACING & TROTTING

On and Off the Track. A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES. Racing: April 30 —Reef ton 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. t May 15, 17—Wanganui J.C. May 16, 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: 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.

Reefton races to-day. Amberley meeting on Saturday. The price paid for Carmel was reported to be about £7OO. Author Jinks put up the fastest twomile run at the Metropolitan meeting. Sir Charles Clifford may make his entry into the ranks of owners at the Amberley meeting. There were 23 acceptors and 16 starters in the Flying Handicap at Addington. It is obvious that 2.45 mileraces are too cumbersome, and a trimming of the classes is overdue. It requires a smart pacer to warrant backing in a mile saddle race at Addington nowadays. The pony Krina registered 2.10 2-5 on the second day of the Easter meeting, and then was five lengths away from the easing-up winner Kid Logan. Kid Logan stood on the mark for a couple of seconds on the first day of the Metropolitan meeting, but she shot away like an arrow from a bow on the second day, and hung up 2.8 2-5 in saddle, a winning record for New Zealand or Australia.

Scotty Bingen, who travelled all the way from Lauder, Central Otago,, to take part in the Welcome Handicap at Addington, was a trifle green, but she will be a tough proposition for a slow class race in the country. She has a 3.38 3-5 record for a mile and a half. O. Murray-Aynsley secured Footfall last week for 70gns. The son of Autumnus and War step is only eight years old, and while he has seen his best days as a flat-racer, he might stand up to a preparation for hurdle racing. 'Travis Axworthy is making good as a sire, but so far his reputation in this department rests on his fillies —Dilworth, Erin’s Pointer and Belle Axworthy. Erin’s Pointer’s name is apt to give an impression that she is by Logan Pointer, but there are no three-year-olds by that horse. Author Jinks had probably done a lighter preparation than any horse which raced at Addington, but he and Carmel were the busiest horses at the fixture, contesting a two-mile race and a mile and a quarter event on each day. Author Jinks travelled further on the track than any horse which raced at the meeting.

Kid Logan, who established a mile saddle winning record when she won in 2.8 2-5 at Addington, is a half-brother to Waitaki Girl. Their dam, Stanley’s Child, was a smart pacer in her day, and could run a good mile with the weight on top. One of the last races she won was a mile saddle at Addington.

Inevitable’s Riverton trip was a profitable one, the Orari three-year-old notching a second and two wins in three starts. He has run out his hack qualification, but looks quite good enough to pay h*s way in open company next season. Inevitable has won six races, and has been out of a place only twice in fifteen starts. His winnings now exceed £IOOO. The Otago Central pacer Logan Hanlon was not judiciously ridden on the first day of the Addington meeting. His trainer is a fine saddle sitter, but is not always patient enough. He could not be faulted in this respect on the second day, when he got his horse home in well under 2.10, but a 2.6 gait would have been required to touch Kid Logan. When a horse races Inconspicuously on one day of a meeting, and later comes out to register a win, an inquiry is usually held, particularly if the improvement is foreshadowed by the betting. It is an almost unique occurrence, however, for an explanation to be asked for if the livened-up animal finishes second. Sometimes there is only a head between victory and defeat, or to put it in another way, a head between an inquiry and no inquiry. Mr T. Seaton was a buyer at the Dalgety sale, and secured what may turn out to be a bargain in the Tea Tray-Stardancer two-year-old The Geisha. This filly should go fast. Her dam, Stardancer, was a brilliant sprinter, and has left Starland (Auckland Cup, Takapuna Cup), Limelight (Great Autumn, Metropolitan, Jockey Club and Members), Paperchase (Telegraph Handicap), and Starmist (Oaks). The Geisha was given a couple of races in the spring, and was then eased up to give her time to mature.

Owners and trainers of placed horses at Ashburton on Saturday would appreciate the protection of the handicapping system, as in six of the eight races on the card, handicap times were cut to ribbons. The place-getters in the opening event sej; a main by cutting 18 or 19 seconds off the limit, and the first three in the succeeding trotters’ race clipped off 10 or 11 seconds. Handicapped on 3.30 in the Harvest Handicap, Editor won in 3.24 4-5, and Regal Voyage carried on the good work in the slow class two-miler by finishing in 4.34 3-5, off 4.49. Scuttle started off 4.53 in the Utility Handicap, and trotted home in 4.44 4-5, and in the mile saddle Teremoa off a 2.19 limit, cracked 2.12.

The removal of the disqualification imposed by the Invercargill Trotting Club on Guy Bingen was received with general approval in trotting circles. Had'it been confirmed by the Association, the principle would have been laid down that inconsistency could be alleged between harness and saddle performances, or vice versa. In Guy Bingen’s case the only sinister feature was the totalisator betting, but there has never been anything in the trotting history of the gelding’s owner to indicate that he is a heavy investor. Guy Bingen made his debut at Waikouaiti on New Year’s Day, when he spreadeagled the field in a mile saddle, winning easily on a heavy track in about 2.27. His next outing was in harness at Invercargill, where he finished third in a mile and a half race in 3.35. Later in the day he won a mile saddle event in 2.18 3-5, starting favourite, and was disqualified for alleged inconsistency. A mile and a half in 3.35, would mean a mile in about 2.21 or a shade better, so that on the time rating the difference was not sufficient to justify the action of the stewards, even had both races been in harness. »

The Otago horseman W. Cooper had 17 mounts, five in steeplechases, at the Riverton meeting. Phar Lap has won about £26,000 this season, a record for Australasia for one horse in any one year. Lady Antrim was unlucky at Ashburton, but she has only to leave the mark with her customary celerity to collect a mile saddle stake.

Dr. M. G. Louisson is reported to have paid about 600gns. for Gay Crest. He has since been offered about five times that amount.

Amounis now has won stakes totalling over £40,500, and is less than £3OOO behind Gloaming’s record figures of £43,100.

The Sydney Cup winner Gwilliam G was sold as a yearling for 65gns. She was bred by Mr A. P. Wade, the unlucky sportsman who parted with Nightraid and Amounis. Charmaine outstayed Spoon at six furlongs in the Champagne Stakes, but Spoon effected a surprise by lasting longer than the Riverton filly over seven furlongs in the Challenge. Pink Sugar answered the two-mile question asked of her at Ashburton by going 4.34 off 4.48. She cannot be put further back than 4.45 till she wins, an event which should not be long delayed.

Loch Guy showed a good turn of speed for a mile and a quarter at Ashburton, and the three-year-old halfbrother, to Dillon Gold is a trotter of more than average promise. Enigma lost second money and dividend at Ashburton by leaving her feet fifty yards from home. A win for the Nelson Bingen mare should be not far away. Enigma is inclined to pace at times.

D. Taehen took Denver’s Doll to Ashburton, but did not bring the Tin-wald-owned mare back. A bad break by the black mare in the Harvest Handicap made things rather awkward for one or two of the horses near her.

Loch Guy, the half-brother to Dillon Gold and Victor Bingen, did not look as if he had done a great deal of work when he made his debut at Ashburton, but he trotted a fine race for a green youngster. He will be very unlucky if he fails to win a race next season.

Nightmarch apparently was started in the A.J.C. Plate with the object of collecting the substantial second prize. Had he been started with the object of challenging Phar Lap, his rider would not have allowed the Seadown-bred colt to get a furlong away. Phar Lap and Nightmarch were not the only New Zealanders to .win at Randwick. Sir Roy, formerly owned by Nightmarch’s trainer, Gesto, and Goshawk owned by J. M. Cameron, were successful at the fixture. Goshawk was bred in Australia, but was reared and developed in the Dominion.

Enigma was inclined to pace in her preliminary for the Allenton Handicap at Ashburton, but she trotted soundly in the race until less than fifty yards from the post. A break then cost her second place. Enigma cannot be tried in hopples, as she declines to wear them.

Phar Lap, having defeated all comers at distances from ten to eighteen furlongs, now ranks as the best horse in the Commonwealth. If he goes on winning, our Australian friends will adopt him and forget that he was bred in New Zealand—at Seadown, to be precise. G. Humphreys, who won the Great Autumn on Gay Crest, met with an accident some years ago, and never recovered until he went into the Invercargill Hospital for about twelve months. He was discharged in January and returned to the employment of F. D. Jones, who secured him the mount on Gay Crest.

F. Holmes is one of the wonders of the trotting sport. It is 36 years since he won the Grand National Hurdles on Liberator, and he was not a child at that time. Yet there are few cooler reinsmen in the trotting sport, and if the veteran suffers from nerves in the tight places which every good driver finds himself in in big races, he displays no sign of it. King’s Voyage, -who, notched a win and a second at Ashburton, is a halfbrother to Kingcraft. Kingcraft, who is a pacer, was sired by the trotter Quincey. King’s Voyage, a trotter, is by Happy Voyage, who was known in New Zealand as a hoppled performer. Happy Voyage, however, commenced his racing career as a straight-out trotter.

Red Shadow, a colt by Travis Axworthy from J. Bryce’s old mare Our Aggie, made the best showing of the four Sapling Stakes candidates wliich were seen in action at Ashburton. He was one of the leaders for a mile and a quarter, and while not capable of carrying on at the 3.26 gait set by the winner, he arrived home in better than 3.30, a smart Sapling Stakes trial. Phar Lap now stands out indisputably as the best horse in Australasia, and over all- distances. Nightmarch ranks as second best. The two cracks have won something like £44,000 this season in Australia, and have placed Nightraid in an unassailable position at the head of the list of winning sires. Nightraid was imported from England to Australia, but was not highly thought of there, and was bought by Mr A. F. Roberts for a few hundreds. Like many other politicians, Mr W. J. Poison displace ' gross ignorance of racing matters when he advocated an increase of totalisator taxation from 5 to 7 per cent. Already the Government share of the tax is 7i per cent. Possibly he will, like many politicians, now attempt to find a way out by alleging that he meant an increase of the special dividend tax, but any attempt to add to this levy would merely result in more money being diverted from the totalisator to the bookmaker. The Trotting Association has directed clubs to cut out fractions in limits of classes when framing their programmes. This decision was arrived at on receipt of a complaint from the owner of the Auckland pacer Warplane. The Association expressed regret to the owner that the incident had occurred, and issued the ultimatum referred to. The controlling body must be given credit for its endeavours to ensure that the system is treated equitably by everybody concerned. The backmarkers in most of the races at Ashburton were set tremendous tasks by the speed at which the winners travelled. In the Autumn Handicap, Lydia was attempting to give ssec to Regal Voyage, and would have had to break 4.30 to catch him. Lydia was handicapped on 4.44. The backmarkers in the mile saddle were on 2.17, but 2.10 would not have won the race for them. In the Improvers’ Handicap, Mary Locanda. with a 3.41 rating, would have had to break 3.22 to get the money. Scuttle started off 3.38 in the Allenton Handicap, but she would have had to trot 3.27 or better to reach the winner.

Reinsmanship plays an increasingly prominent part in the decision of races with the tightening of classes and the consequent confining of fields to smaller compass. Many good horses are at a disadvantage owing to the fact that they are less skilfully and less daringly driven than some of their competitors. There are perhaps ten drivers who can be classed as top-notch reinsmen, and the horses they sit behind have a big pull over those driven by trainers who either ask their charges to win all the way or who scout on the edge of the bunch and compel their horses to cover a lot more than the prescribed distance. Unless a man has the nerve to sit in the tight and make the most of every opening that presents itself he has not much chance of winning many events at Addington.

P. T. Hogan brought back from Southland the Thurnham gelding Calham, owned by Mr R. H. Bisset. Red Sea, who won two of the principal events at Riverton, is a daughter of the Waimate-owned sire Valkyrian. There are only six entries for the Southland Steeplechase, including Overhaul and Taramoa, who have yet to race over country. Fabriano and Double Soult have been nominated for the Egmont and Wanganui meetings, and another South Islander engaged is Overhaul. It is stated that Mr G. Gould has tired of Honeycomb, and has given the imported gelding away to Mr J: McDonald, of North Canterbury. H. Gray’s three wins at Avondale on Saturday brought his’ total for the season to 58, and he is now leading for the jockeys’ premiership. Phar Lap’s 3.49£ in the A.J.C. Plate, replaces as a 2* miles record Spearfelt’s 3.51 L The New Zealand record for the distance is 3.52, held by Gold Light and Gasbag. The following are the c.:tries for the Wanganui Steeplechase, of 500 sovs; about three miles:—Kawini, Matu, Brigadier Bill, Ponjola, Maunga, Airtight, Odin, Nukumai, Democratic, Birkbeck, Red Fuchsia, Kowhatu, Double Soult, Fabriano. Soultoria, the dam of the Sydney Cup winner, was bred in New Zealand, being by Soult from Pretoria, by Cuirassier, by Musket. As Gwilliam G’s sire is ColUffo, a son of The Welkin, it is fair to assume that her ability to stay was inherited from the Musket line. Neirene, the dam of The Doctor’s Orders, winner of the Champagne Stakes at Randwick, is a daughter of Martian, and was trained in New Zealand by G. Price. Veilmond, who finished second, is by Limond-Veil, and was bred at Wanganui. The two-year-old Tom Pinch, who raced with marked success at the A.J.C. meeting at Randwick, is by the English stallion The Wooden Horse, by Hurry On-Helen of Troy, by Desmond - Roslin, and thus his sire was got by the same horse as Hunting Song. There is very little Hurry On blood in Australia, but his son, Hunting Song, has done well in this country, and Mr G. A. Kain has introduced another of his descendants to the Dominion in the shape of Lord Warden, whose dam is a grand-daughter of Carbine.