RACING & TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18626, 23 July 1930, Page 12

RACING & TROTTING

On and Off the Track. A BUDGET OP NEWS AND VIEWS. FIXTURES. Racing: July 26—South Canterbury Hunt Cluo. July 31— Manawatu R.C. Aug. 2 —Christchurch Hunt Club. Aug. 2—Manawatu R.C. Aug. 2—Gisborne Hunt Club. Aug. 12, 14, 16—Canterbury J.C. (Grand Nationa.l) Trotting: Aug. 9, 13, 15—Metropolitan T.C. • Sept. 6 —New Brighton T.C. Hunt meeting at Washdyke on Saturday. The Egmont Racing Club lost over £BOO last year. Night Raid was sore after his Waimate run, and will not be a starter at Washdyke this week. Night Lad. who has been enjoying a holiday at Gladstone Park. Orari, has returned to P. T. Hogan’s stable. Rumour is persistent that a successful South Canterbury apprentice will not receive a renewal of his license to ride. F. W. Ellis has booked accommodation 'for three horses on the steamer, which is due to leave Bluff on Monday next. J. T. Humphris was present at Waimate though he did not ride. He expects to be in the saddle again this week. The Timaru Trotting Club made a profit of £136 during the season just closed, and increased its nest egg to just on £I7OO. It is probable that Lady Jinks, dam of Author Jinks, John Jinks and Lady Cello, will be mated next season with Great Bingen. It is understood that A. E. Ellis will ride Radiate and Barrington in steeplechase events on Saturday. The race for the jockeys’ premiership is very Valuator figured in the Waimate race book as trained by his owner. A. Trilford was for a time in charge of Mr T. Lister’s horses, but recently left Mr Lister’s employ. The annual meeting of the South Canterbury Jockey Club is advertised for Wednesday next. The Trotting Club’s meeting has been fixed for the following evening. Town Major went off his feed for a fortnight after he first arrived at Washdyke, but P. T. Hogan put him over a light hurdle a few times, and this treatment revived his appetite.

Many admiring glances were bestowed on the mount of the clerk of the course at Waimate. This gelding, a five-year-old by Buff Gauntlet, may not be a galloper, but he is a typical show ring hunter. There are seven nominations for five seats on the Committee of the Timaru Trotting Club. The candidates are:— Messrs F. Carter, J. Gilmore, A. P. Greenfield, T. H. Ivey, H. F. Morton . (retiring numbers), T. Harrison and* R. G. Kilgour. Derry Pointer has a winning record of 3.26, while John Noble’s best time for a mile and a half is 3.24 2-5. In the Washdyke Trot at the Hunt meeting, John Noble has to concede 144 yards (12sec) to Derry Pointer. That is a result of the system. Wharncliffe, who has received 9.8 in the Grand National Hurdles, won the race three years ago with 10.0. Nukumai, who won two years ago with 11.11, has dropped to 10.13 in this year’s list, but last year’s winner, Mangani, has gone up from 9.2 to 10.5. The Waimate Hunt meeting provided a really enjoyable day’s sport for the Club’s members and patrons. The hunters’ races drew big fields, and if one or two of the runners are not worth the price of an entry fee as racehorses, there were some quite useful performers for this type of race. Omeo’s weight in the Grand National was awaited with some interest. His owners scratched him for the Wellington Steeplechase as an expression of dissatisfaction with his handicap. In the Grand National, over a longer and much more trying course, the Waikato ’chaser has received 21b more than at Wellington. On Top was scratched on Monday for the Levels Hack Handicap at the Hunt meeting. It is understood that On Top is in R. Berry’s stable. Berry is in hospital just now, and has not a license to train gallopers, though it is understood he will receive one next, season. On Top has won three hack events in Auckland province. Tiny Bingen finished third at the Oamaru meeting off 3.41. and was handicapped on 3.38 at the Hunt meeting. This appeared to be a heavier penalty than is allowed by the system, which provides a maximum of 12 yards for a third horse in this class, but Tiny Bingen finished second (in harness) off 3.39 at Reefton earlier in the season. An Auckland paper, referring to the vacancy in the Trotting Association stipendiary stewards, reports that there will be a big field for the post, and concludes: ’’The writer has an idea that the president of a West Coast Club (South Island) who has been closely associated with the game for a considerable period, will be in the running.” The Oamaru Trotting Club's six-fur-long track is expected to be ready for the Labour Day meeting. During the year the Club expended about £7OO in providing motor accommodation on the north side of tha grounds, and £7OO in terracing and providing concrete steps to the grand stand. Since the reconstruction of the course the Trotting Club has paid about £6500 as its share of the cost. Each year the South Canterbury Hunt signifies its appreciation of the goodwill of farmers by posting complimentary tickets for its race meeting to owners of property, who give permission to the Hunt to cross their farms. These tickets have been posted for Saturday’s races, but any farmer i whose tickets have not reached their i destination, should communicate with j the secretary. I The Southland Racing Club lost £494 cn the season’s racing, compared with a loss of £534 in the previous season. The year's operations showed a deficit of £697, against a deficiency of /V 31 last year. In spite of the two bad seasons, the Club intends to proceed with a scheme of improvements which includes considerable additions to stand accommodation. The Club has arranged for a loan of £2OOO from the Invercargill Trotting Club, which increased its funds by £442 during tht year. The rate of interest on the loan will be 5 per cent. Town Major looked the best bet of the day at Waimate, despite a rehandicap of 221 b for his wins at Trentham. With his penalty he had 10.13. At Wellington he proved himself practically the equal of Taboo. In the Claremont Handicap (an open race) Taboo has been .awarded 10.13, and there is anything up to two stone difference in the class between open and hack company. Town Major was running for his trainer at Waimate. His owners had a very substantial win at Trentham, and showed their appreciation ifcy promising P. T. Hogan the stake if Town Major won at Waimate. W. Hogan received a very liberal bonus for Wellington rides.

Night Effort is now in T. Hobbs’s stable at Waimate. Erin’s Pointer and Morrison should be the popular picks in the four-year-old handicap at Addington. A two-year-old rejoicing in the name “Ye Olde Leather Bottel" was a runner at Epsom on Derby Day. Author Jinks is in work again at Pleasant Point, and is being got ready for a trip to Addington next month. It is expected that H. Gray will steer Town Major on Saturday, but if this comes about W. I-logan is not likely to be a loser by forgoing the ride. The Railway Department has agreed to load horses for the south at the racecourse platform on Saturday, and to bring them in by the passenger special to Timaru. Roi l’Or has been entered for the fast sprint races at the National meeting at Addington, but apparently will not be screwed up for a two-mile task before the Trotting Cup. The Southland ’chaser Snowfall was expected to arrive at Washdyke at the beginning of he week to contest the South Canterbury Steeplechase, but his name is missing from the acceptance lists. For five seats on the Committee of the South Canterbury Jockey Club, six members have been nominated: Messrs A. S. Elworthy, H. Lowry, C. L. Orbell, T. R. Rhodes, T. Seaton (retiring members) and M. H. Richards. It is reported that H. Gray will be at Washdyke on Saturday, in the hope of adding to his score in the jockeys’ premiership. A. E. Ellis crept up one on him on the second day at Gisborne, and is four points behind Gray with two days racing to go. Off 4.31. Harold Logan should be a hot favourite in the 4.35 class race on the first day of the Metropolitan Club’s August meeting. When he won the Adams Memorial at Auckland last month, he stepped some seconds faster than the winner of the big race of the day. The name of Peter Bingen appeared among the nominations for the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's August meeting, but his owner has sent a communication stating that the horse was not nominated by his authority and insisting on his withdrawal. It costs money to take a car or vehicle to Epsom on Derby Day. The prices of admission for cars or vehicles drawn by one or two horses are:— Lower enclosures —No. 1, £4; No. 2, £3/10/-; No. 3, £2. Upper enclosures £3; The Hill, £2; Tattenham Corner £l. For motor omnibuses and motor coaches the tariff was £7 for all enclosures. The only thing in the racing business which seems to be cheaper in England than in New Zealand is the race-card, which is sold at sixpence. Seven ten-shilling tickets represented the totalisator investments on Deportment at Waimate, and it is understood that two of them were held by members of the Trilford family, and another by a Washdyke horseman. Deportment made his debut in the hack steeplechase at the Jockey Club’s meeting in June. Ridden by J. Kerr at 61b overweight, he was given time at his fences and soon drifted to the rear. With F. Thompson up at Oamaru, Deportment gave an even worse display, talcing his obstacles ; a stand and showing no speed on the flat. Kerr was put up again at Waimate with instructions to punch Deportment along, the result being that he fenced well and unwound a fair turn of foot. Quite obviously he is a loafer who requires to be bustled from post to post. There will not be a big field in the South Canterbury Steeplechase. but the starters will all have some form to their credit. Radiate had a good record last season, and this winter he won at Washdyke and Ashburton, and was second twice at WingatuL Valves notched a second and a win at the S.C.J.C. winter meeting, and has done well since then. French Fleet was a winner at Invercargill in May. and has been in the money several times since then. Radiac with 9.13 up dead-heated with Top Gear 10.5 at Riverton at Easter. He hurt himself when he fell in the Otago Steeplechase, and was not ready when he failed at Washdyke last month. Diamond Jack won a hunters’ race at the Hunt meeting last season, and scored another win at Washdyke in June. Rangatahi. as was to be expected, has been paid up for also in the Teschemaker Cup, in which his task looked comparatively lighter. Altogether there is material for a nice race. The committee of the Timaru Trotting Club is able to submit a very satisfactory report to the members' annual meeting. The two race meetings conducted during the season were eminently successful, the racing being feood and the financial returns sattisfactory. The Club has substantial investments which should be sufficient to tide it over any lean period it may experience. Its accumulated funds are smaller by a few hundreds than they were about four years ago. but a large amount has been spent in constructing a special trotting track, and actually the position shows improvement. The Club will’not be faced with any such expenditure in future, and beyond offering inducements to owners, its principal endeavours will be in the direction of assisting the Jockey Club, out of tax rebates, to maintain the racecourse and appointments at a proper standard. The Trotting Clui can face the future with confidence. It has no liabilities, and under the admirable working arrangement with the Jockey Club and the Trustees, it can carry on under more favourable conditions than Clubs which are saddled with heavy overhead expenses entailed by the upkeep of separate courses. The outlook for the Club is distinctly bright. The Jockey Club is not in quite such a happy position as the sister club, as it has liabilities totalling just about the same as the Trotting Club’s cash assets. There is, however, no justification for despondency. The Club has come through a period of misfortune in regard to the weather; and on the law qf averages it is due for an improvement in this respect. Its indebtedness is small when compared with the fine buildings and appointments it has placed on the racecourse, and one or two good seasons are all that are required to place it in the enviable position of having a clean sheet and a ground containing everything that is necessary for the convenience of racegoers. There are very many Clubs in the Dominion which would consider themselves fortunate to be so well placed. In the matter of transport, appointments, tracks and racing, there is no Club in the South Island, outside the C.J.C. and the D.J.C., which has so much to offer to patrons, though it is possible that this fact is not fully appreciated by a section of the public whose acquaintance is limited to Riccarton and one or two Canterbury courses. While the present happy relations and co-operation continue between the three Clubs which race on the course, there is no need to take a gloomy view of the future. The position of the S.C.J.C. is quite sound, and is stronger than that of the majority of racing bodies. Its principal handicap is that it has not a holiday date.