RACING & TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20107, 14 May 1935, Page 11

RACING & TROTTING

On And Off The Track \ BUDGET OP NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing': May 13—Nelson J.C. May 16, 18—Wanganui J.C. May 17, 18—Marlborough R.C. May 17, 18—Southland R.C. May 18—Ashburton County R.C. May 23, 25—Te Kuiti R.C. May 25—South Canterbury J.C. Trotting: May 13—Waikato T.C. May 16 —Marlborough T.C. June 1. 3—Canterbury Park T.C. June s—Forbury Park T.C. 1 June 10 —Ashburton T.C. Weights for the South Canterbury meeting are due on Friday. Acceptances for the Ashburton Racing Club’s fixture will be received until 8 p.m. to-day. The only trotting meeting on the calendar for this week is at Marlborough on Thursday. This week’s racing fixtures Include Wanganui on Thursday and Saturday: Southland and Marlborough on Friday and Saturday: and Ashburton on Saturday. Royal Lineage, who is top weight in the Great Northern Hurdles, ran so badly at Hastings recently that he may not be persevered with. It is hinted that he is aflected in the wind. It is understood that Mr R. W. A. Munro, of Kurow, has sold an unbroken full brother to Roi I’Or at a satisfactory price to a northern sportsman. High Speed finished a furlong behind the place-getters in the hurdle race at Amber ley. He does not like racing, and in temperament is just the opposite to his brother Valves, a horse which always gave of his best. * * 1 The name Snaffle has been registered for the two-year-old filly by Pink Coat from Flourish: and Spurs for a four-year-old mare by Royal Stag from Flourish, a sister Royal Buck and Velvet.

Scratchmere Scar was not long in giving his Sydney owner some return for the 750gns. paid for him. The Hunting Song gelding, provided he keeps sound, will win more races in Australia, as he was one of the few New Zealanders who was not started high in the weights over there.

The best sales at the dispersal of Mr W. R. Kemball’s racing stud were:— Lady Pam 375gns, to W. Inglis and Son (Sydney); Valeni, 160gns, \y. C. Gregory (Taihape); Lilock, 259cns, R. Holden (Hawke's Bay); Aryan Bteauty, 270 gns, W. Inglis and Son; Dovelike, 260 gns, J. J. McGrath (Wellington).

“If ever a race was thrown in the air, it was in the first division of the Welter Handicap at Mentone (Vic.), in which Chief Light was beaten by half a neck," says the Sydney “Referee.” “One glance round by jockey F. McKay cost the Chief Ruler gelding’s connections a small fortune as Taiyuan just got up on the post to win.” Comparison of the totalisator investments (£11,771) at Oamaru on Saturday with the 1934 total of £14,488 is not quite fair, as last year the invitation race between Harold Logan, Red Shadow, Walla Walla and Roi l’Or attracted a record crowd for a winter fixture. At the 1933 meeting the turnover was £12,839, and in 1932 (in unfavourable weather) it was £9626/10/0.

A ’chaser likely to do well this season is the six-year-old Birkdale gelding Riotous, who last year won at Ellerslie, the Egmont Steeplechase, the Wanganui Steeplechase, and the July

Steeplechase at Wellington. He is engaged at the Wanganui meeting this week, and as he has not been nominated for the Great Northern fixture it seems likely that he will do the Wellington and Grand National meetings. He came to Riccarton last August, but went amiss on the eve of the meeting.

Under one of the amendments to the handicapping system, the winner of the principal two-mile race at a trotting meeting incurs a penalty of 12 yards if it starts in the sprint event later in the day. This penalty is quashed if the horse does not start, but remains in force if it runs even though unplaced. Taxpayer was temporarily rehandicapped under this provision at Oamaru, but did not start and consequently will revert to his previous assessment.

At the Trentham yearling sales last year two colts, one by Chief Ruler and the other by Captain Bunsly, were bought on account of Mr J. P. O’Hara, of Perth. As the sires named were not nominated for the West Australian Sires’ Produce Stakes, Mr O’Hara paid the fees so that his youngsters could be eligible, and the pair, named First Consul and Modullus, ran first and second. In addition to first and second money. Mr O’Hara collected a £SO premium as nominator of the winning sire.

It was fortunate for the Club that neither Marie Potts nor Glen Lady won the Advance Handicap at Oamaru, as they carried only £4/10/0 and £4 respectively. There were some other long-priced starters, but they all ran as the betting forecasted. The nearest approach to a big dividend was made by the trotter Admiral Bingen, who finished third in the mile saddle when only £lB was invested on him. Generally backers were well on the spot, and this helped to keep the money in circulation.

A Perth newspaper notes that Mr G. Campbell, owner of the crack pacing three-year-old Donald Winwood, stated that the proposed match race with the Victorian champion, Tennessee Wood, would not take place. He said that he had turned out Donald Winwood for a spell. Many people have been under the impression that Donald Winwood’s connections issued a challenge to race Tennessee Wood, but that is not so. Mr Campbell first got the idea of a match from a paragraph published in an Eastern paper to the effect that the owner of Tennessee Wood would like to meet the Western Australian pacer. Exchanges were made and the match proposed. It was necessary to secure the approval of the trotting authorities before it could be arranged, and their permission was sought, but they evidently did not favour it, and negotiations were not proceeded with.

There are big possibilities about Ruaform, who scored in the Manawapou Hurdles at Hawera. Despite the fact that he looked above himself, he was responsible for the gamest possible finish. His chances appeared to have gone when Tareha ran past him to the front at the distance, but hard ridden Ruaform came again, and, Tareha stopping, he scored by a neck. It was a gruelling finish (says the “Taranaki News”), and Tareha was much more

forward than his opponent. Ruaform is a recruit from the hunting field, having made his debut in the Bracelet on the first day of the Combined Hunts meeting at New Plymouth last August. He gave his owner, Mr W. R. S. Brewer, a rare thrill on that occasion, as he held the only ticket on Ruaform on the straightout machine and was standing to collect over four centuries if his horse won. Transacts owner overlooked the date of nomination for the Great Northerns, but the Egmont winner will probably go to the meeting to run in the Greenlane Steeplechase and other events for which entries are taken later.

Tudor, who shot up rapidly In the weights last winter, did not fulfil nis engagements at the Egmont meeting. His trainer, L. Knapp, had not been able to give him quite the amount of work required after his fall at Auckland, so it was decided to keep him for Wanganui.

The race meetings which W. J. Broughton will have to miss as a result of his month’s suspension include the Nelson, Wanganui, Te Kuiti, Dannevirke (second day), either Auckland or Otaki and the Foxton fixtures. He will be able to ride at the Hawke’s Bay Meeting on June 13 and 15. As the result of his racing at the Auckland Easter meeting, Billy Boy has hardened up a good deal in condition and is putting more dash into his work than when he arrived here last month. He has not been schooled since he raced in the Autumn Steeplechase, but he has been doing a lot of solid work on the flat up to a mile and a half. He is engaged in both steeplechases at Te Rapa.

D. O’Connor left Riccarton last night with Royal Limond, who will compete in steeplechases at the Wanganui, Te Kuiti and Auckland meetings. The Limond gelding looked a difficult subject early in his education over country, but his schooling has improved a lot lately, while the racing he had at Riverton and Wingatui also proved beneficial. As a result he has reasonable prospects in the North Island campaign. His owner, Mr A. Syme, will go north to-morrow night to see his horse race at Wanganui.

Only one yearling offered at Randwick at Easter brought more than 1200 gns., but three others made lOOOgns. or more, and nearly 40 brought OOOgns. or over. The average for 436 youngsters sold was 183Sgns., compared with an average of 153 i gns, for 356 offered last year. In the aggregate the catalogue brought £BO,OOO, against £55,000 a year ago. This is the most satisfactory feature of the sales, and is more likely to be productive of lasting benefit to the sport than bidding such as was seen in boom times. Wealthy newcomers who pay many thousands for a yearling are apt to drop ’ out quickly if they draw a blank, and are more likely to be retained as owners if they get a horse for a reasonable figure with just as good a chance of securing a good one. It is noticeable that on the third day of the sale there was a sharp drop in prices, and bidders who waited until the spectacular operators had been satisfied probably obtained some bargains.