RACING & TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19806, 23 May 1934, Page 11

RACING & TROTTING

On and Off the Track A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing: May 26—South Canterbury J.C. June 2,4, s—Dunedin J.C. June 2,4, 6—Auckland R.C. 'June 2, 4 —Otaki Maori R.C. June 16 —South Canterbury J.C. June 23—Ashburton R.C. June 30—Oamaru J.C. Trotting: June 2, 4—Canterbury Park T.C. June 2, 4—Hawke’s Bay T.C. June 9—Ashburton T.C. June 20, 23—Auckland T.C. July 7—Marlborough T.C. (at New Brighton). The first race at Washdyke on Saturday is timed to start at noon. A trip to Australia in the spring is contemplated for Silver Streak. F. Shaw is likely to nominate three of his team for the centenary Melbourne Cup. The South Canterbury meeting is the only totalisator fixture to be held in the Dominion this week. Black Duke and Meadow Lark have been nominated for hurdle races at Dunedin. Ventrac is in a class by himself in the entries for the mile and a-quarter races at Dunedin. Palantua is an interesting entrant* for the open sprint on the second day of the Dunedin meeting. Impromptu’s recent improvement in form is attributed to his having outgrown foot trouble. Betting well be transacted at the South Canterbury meeting on Saturday on the 75-25 principle. Trains will leave Timaru for Washdyke course on Saturday at 11.7, 11.33, 12.5, and 12,40. The return train is timed to leave the course at 4.45. Harold Logan has no immediate engagements, and after his strenuous autumn campaign he is to be treated to a holiday for a month or two. S. G. Ware intends once more to winter his team at Washdyke, and will probably bring them north after tho Dunedin meeting. L. J. Ellis steered one winner at Ashburton, but K. Voitre scored two points during the two days at Te Kuiti, reducing the South Islander’s lead to five. Indianapolis is now assessed at 4.27, and as he looks a good thing for a race at Addington net month he should finish up the winter among the eligibles for the next Trotting Cup. Walla Walla’s exhibition when raced free-legged at Hutt Park provided another illustration of the difficulties of unhoppled horses in these days challenging the strapped pacers. It is feared that Nelson’s Victory will not stand another preparation. He was one of the best of many good pacers produced in Southland, and only unsoundness prevented him from taking very high rank.

It is intended to lay out a grass exercise track at Washdyke, on the ground formerly leased by the Polo Club. A circuit of over five furlongs will be available, and this should be appreciated by trainers during wet weather.

A published statement that “Speakeasy has a unique record as a steeplechaser, as he has never been beaten in a race that he has finished in” would be correct if it had been applied to the current jumping season. Speakeasy scored two seconds in three starts last season.

Only nine horses, including the ’chasers, Hcclefechan and Dunmure, have been nominated for the Otago Hurdles, but Washdyke supplies its quota in Rasonli, Adult, and Sunward. Mem bo is not in any of the hurdle races, but has been nominated for the Steeplechase on each day.

The Otago Steeplechase this year promises to be a Southland race. Of twelve horses nominated, eight—Quinopal, West Dome, Ecclefechan, Dunmure, French Fleet, Calham, Cultivator, and Membo—hail from the Southland province. Valves and Peterette are South Canterbury horses, and only Umtali and Graball are Otago representatives. Advocates of win and place betting will find ammunition in a decrease of £2,240 in the turnover at Ashburton, but the attendance was moderate, and investments were affected by a dividend of over a score in the opening race tying up a fair amount of money. Racegoers had spent so much time and money pursuing the Walla Walla meetings that many of them gave racing a miss in baulk last week.

In the accommodation provided for horses the Ashburton course is one of the best-equipped in the Dominion, but the inadequacy of shelter for racegoers, particularly at Trotting has been obvious for years. A proposal is now under consideration for the erection of a commodious grandstand to replace the present structure. It is hoped that the new stand will be completed in time for the December meetings.

A southern paper states that Silver Streak having given 81b. and a beating to Hurlinghair, at Oamaru, and having since been off the scene, will meet Hurlingham at level weights at the South Canterbury meeting. It has been overlooked that since Oamaru Hurlingham won (with Silver Streak unplaced) at Washdyke at a difference of only 61b. A Christchurch paper trips in statiig that at Ashburton Martian Chief and Royal Amphora were handicapped 171 b. below Hurlingham, and at Washdyke were placed within 81b. of the Arrowsmith gelding. The position Is just the opposite, as Hurlingham his to concede lib. more at Washdyke. Arithmetic of this kind might affect the acceptances for a meeting.

A party whieh included officials of the Amberley facing Club visited the home of Mr and Mrs G. N. McLean at Glasnevin, to make presentations to them prior to their removal to Timaru. Mr F. A. Courage referred to Mr McLean’s long association with the Amberley Club, including ten years as president, and presented Mr McLean with a pair of field-glasses and Mrs McLean with a silver tea service. Mr McLean expressed the regret felt by Mrs McLean and himself in leaving their many Amoerley friends, but said his position as stipendiary steward involved frequent travelling in the south, and Timaru would be a more central position from which to work his territory. Mr md Mrs McLean will probably take uj residence here within the next month