RACING & TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19860, 25 July 1934, Page 6

RACING & TROTTING

On and Off the Track BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing: July 25—Rangitikei Hunt. July 26—Waimate Hunt July 26, 28—Poverty Bay T.C. July 28—South Canterbury Hunt. •July 28— Manawatu R.C July 28—Rotorua and Pay of Plenty. Aug. 4—Christchurch 1 amt Aug. 14, 16, 18—Grand National meeting. Trotting: July 26, 28—Greymouth T.C. Aug. 11, 15 17—Metropolitan T.C.

Rangitikei Hunt races to-day. Waimate Hunt meeting to-morrow. First race at 12 o'clock. The first race at Waimate to-morrow will start at 12 o’clock.

Ror l’Or has been let out one second over two miles in the assessments for next season.

Brian Boru, who was in E. J. Ellis's stable, has been sold by Mr P. C. Webb, M.P., to Potter Brothers, of Kelso.

Verden’s failures at Trentham were attributed to his being a bad traveller, and as a result he was not paid up for at Washdyke.

The Polazel-Sweet Beauty gelding- in 11. Nurse’s stable, who has an engagement in the Hadlow Hurdles, has been named Potingham.

Weatherley, who is to make his debut as a hurdler at the Hunt meeting at Washdyke, is now in F. C. Pratt’s stable at Orari.

High Speed, never a generous galloper, has not been giving satisfaction in his work, and has been sent back to the country. He may not be asked to race again.

Palantua, whose doubtful leg gave way at Trentham, will visit Nightmarch next season. In the circumstances, it seems unlikely that F. Shaw will take Chhota to Australia.

Eaton Hall ,who has not shown any remarkable aptitude in schooling tasks over hurdles, has been reserved for the Hunters’ Plates at Waimate and Washdyke. He has shown fair form on the flat at West Coast meetings.

A southern writer notes that Coll, who is in the hurdle races at the Hunt meeting, gave 161 b. and a beating to Silver Sight at Reefton last season. It is not stated how much weight Coll would require from Silver Sight now.

Aro Arc, a four-year-old Arrowsmith mare in D. P. Wilson’s stable, may go to Victoria in the spring to run in pony races there. She has a good deal of speed, and finished second to Vocale at Wingatui last month.

The New Zealander Prostration, after his win at Caulfield earlier in the month, did not get the stake until his trainer had been called upon to explain the improvement since the horse failed at another meeting ten days earlier.

John Noble has been granted a concession of twelve yards over sprint distances for next season, but his twomile rating is unchanged. John will no doubt be thankful for small mercies, but it is over two miles that he is most in need of relief.

Had it been realised that there would be a tightening up of the limit in maiden classes, there would have been bigger fields in the trots at this week's Hunt meetings. After August 1, all horses now on 3.45 will be assessed at 3.43, whether they have won or not.

The committee of the Methven Trotting Club has decided to adopt the three-dividend system on the basis of 70, 20 and 10 per cent, instead of the win and place system. It also decided to apply for a special permit to race on April 27 next.—Press Association.

The gentlemen riders in the Pareora Steeplechase on Saturday will probably be as follows:—Waikuri, C. C. Douglas; Witui, H. H. Elworthy; Wykemist, C. P. Goulding; Cappy Ricks, J. Lysaght; Parasang, J. S. Hazlett; Waiting Maid, W. D, Orbell; Haldon, W. Westenra.

Membo now has the critics puzzled. Following his win at Ashburton, he was a Wellington Steeplechase boom despite the fact that he was badly handicapped and that he could not have been nearly at his best. Now he has been dropped by most of his admirers, while the rest have decided that the brown gelding requires more experience.

The acceptances for the South Canterbury Hunt Meeting total 103, compared with 96 last year and 87 In 1932. For the Waimate Hunt Meeting, the acceptors are 72, the same as last year. Only seven horses nominated for Waimate this season in the galloping events were not included in the acceptance lists. Considering the small stakes the Club is able to offer, owners have supported it in a very sporting way.

In all probability, the stake and conditions for the next New Zealand Trotting Cup will be the same as those that governed last year’s big event. That is, the stake will oe 1,500 sovs. and a gold cup of the value of 100 sovs. First horse to receive 1.000 sovs. and cup, second 250 sovs., third 150 sovs. and fourth horse 100 sovs. The race will be for horses assessed to do 4min. 26sec. or better.

There is a difference in the penalty conditions for the Waimate and South Canterbury Hunt fixtures. For the South Canterbury meeting, winners are subject to rehandicapping, but at Waimate they are liable to a fixed penalty of 71b. However, the only race at Waimate in which the winner will be liable is the Waihao Hack, if it is engaged in the Waimate Hack. The horses in both races are Imperial Spear, Nightform, Dorian, Dracula, and Eupator.

Most of the criticism of the Winter Cup handicap has been levelled at the weighing of Southdown. The Australian three-year-old must have been the biggest problem for the handicapper. ~ In February he finished last in the Dunedin Cup witn 7.3, and in the Hazlett Cup was a long way behind Chhota, another three-year-old, when giving her 31b. On that form, Southdown would no doubt have been on the minimum in the Waimate Cup, but in his only two subsequent starts he appeared to much greater advantage. On Easter Monday he won the Courtenay Handicay at Riccarton, and on the second day accounted for the Yaldhurst Handicap, giving 81b. to Some Shamble and 121 b. to Davolo. It is obviously that performance that has sent him to third top weight in the Winter Cup.