On and Off the Track

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20282, 4 December 1935, Page 11

On and Off the Track

A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing: Dec. 2 —Takapuna J.C. Dec. 2—Feilding J.C. Dec. 7, 9—Dargaville R.C. Dec 6. 7—Woodvilie District J.C. Dec. 14—Waipa R.C. Dec. 14—Hororata R.C. Trotting: Dec. 7—Te Aroha T.C. Dec. 7—New Brighton T.C. Dec. 26—Ashburton T.C. Dec. 26—Gore T.C. Dec. 26, 28—Wairarapa T.C. Dec. 26, 27—Westport T.C. Dec. 27, 28, 31—Auckland T.C. Dec. 28—Winton T.C. Twenty-four of the 41 horses entered for the Auckland Cup have been weighted at 7.0, and 11 of the remaining 17 have been let off with 7.12 or less. The Woodville Club will race on Friday and Saturday, and the Dargaville Club on Saturday and Monday. The trotting fixtures this week are New Brighton and Te Aroha, both on Saturday. An unusual compliment has been paid to Jonathan by the Auckland handicapper, the Wanganui-owned gelding having been awarded topweight in both the Auckland Cup and the Railway Handicap. The topweights in the last seven Auckland Cups have been Chide 9.4, Nightmarch 9.13, Historic 9.2. Concentrate 9.3, Fast Passage 9.4, Nightly 9.5, and Jonathan 9.2. The Otaki trainer and owner, A. D. Webster, arrived at Bluff yesterday by the Marama from Melbourne. He was accompanied by .the horses Prostration, Martinborough, and First Spec. S. G. Ware returned by the same boat. F. Davis’s stable is reputed to house a smart maiden two-year-old in Black Friar, by Gascony from Orozino (dam of Grand Jury and Knollmere). Orozino is a daughter of d’Oro, a sister to Desert Gold. As was expected, the Auckland handicapper has ignored Kiltowyn’s poor form at Riccarton, and has given him 8.8 in the Auckland Cup, 91b in excess of the weight he carried at Riccarton. Apparently Knockfln is to do her holiday racing on the Coast, as she has been nominated for the Westland meeting, in races from six furlongs to a mile and a quarter. In the sprint events she will have to carry some big loads, but the tracks in the West will suit the little mare if she goes across. L. G. Morris provided four winners in succession —Middle, Gay Boy. Limulus, and Laughing Lass —at' Feilding on Monday. Gay Boy’s win in the principal event was not well received, as he had run badly on the first day when made favourite. It is almost certain that the Oaks winner. Lady Graceful, will make a trip to Auckland with a view to contesting the Great Northern Derby, in which she may meet Lowenberg, Greek Shepherd and Heritage, who filled the places in the New Zealand Derby. Laughing Lass, winner of the Nursery Handicap at Feilding on Monday, is one of the first of the stock of Laughing Prince to race. Laughing Prince was a smart galloper, and as he showed heaps of vitality he may de well at the stud. T. H. Qillett has not completed his plans for holiday racing. The three-year-old Greek Shepherd has done well since the Riccarton carnival, and it is pretty certain he will go north lor the Great Northern Derby. Whether Pelmet accompanies him will depend r on how she fares during the next week or two. The Royal stud includes many beau-tifully-bred mares and one can imagine the thought expended by those in charge and the efforts made to bring about the breeding of a horse up to the standard of Persimmon to carry the King's colours, but once again His Majesty failed to win more than a few minor races during the English season just closed. A London writer, in referring to Gordon Richards’ rise to fame as a jockey, says:—"When he left school Richards took a humble job in a commercial house, but he was racing mad, and, greatly against the wishes of his parents, he wrote to a trainer asking for a situation. He was fortunate in that he addressed the letter to Martin Hartigan, and, although rather older than is usual, he was taken on as an apprentice. He showed wonderful aptitude as a rider and in a comparatively short period he headed the list of winning jockeys. The fact that he can go to scale at 7st 61b has heiped Richards a great deal, but his judgment and the vigour he can bring to bear in handling horses is on all hands recognised.”’ The Beckingham stable controlled by F. Darling, has had first call on Gordon Richards for several years, and it is understood that the sum paid for the privilege is £4OOO a year, with 10 per cent, on stakes won, by the horses he rides. It is computed that Richards has annually earned over £15,000 and that he hopes to raise his banking account to £IOO,OOO. Jonathan Jonathan, topweight in the Auckland Cup, did not ryn at all last season, and: prior to that practically all his racing had been done in the top half of the North Island. He attracted some attention in this part of the world when he ran Silver Scorn to a neck,in the Great Northern St. Leger, but tt was generally concluded that themwas a fluke and that the crack filly must have been a long way below her best. In the following autumn, howeyer, Jonathan, who is by Thespian front. Joanfax, demonstrated that he was.-*bove the average by annexing the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie with 8.6 in 1.37 1-5, and on the second day whining over six furlongs with 9.4 in 1.11 3-5, time never bettered at Auckland. ‘He finished off the season by an easy win in the main event at Avondale, running the mile and a quarter in 2A.1-5 under 9.12. Last year he was given the post of honour with 9.2 in the New Zealand Cup. but went amiss and had to be turned out. In the Auckland Gup a year ago he was given 9.0, the same as Vintage, but of course did not qwn. Being by the Absurd horse Thriftp, Jonathan may not stay the Cup cqwse, but up to a mile and a quarter he is one of the three best adult horses in the Dominion His dam, the imported mare Joanfax. is by Juggernaut from Ethel H, by Picton. Auckland Cup Wfiqnryintage was scratched for the New, Zealand Cup it seemed to be generally'assumed that Cuddle would be top-weight in the Auckland Cup,

as after winning the New Zealand Cup with 7.13 she finished second in the Metropolitan with 9.4. The Metropolitan handicap, however, was framed on a higher scale than the Cup, and it was obyious from the weights that Jonathan had been receiving that the northern weight adjuster had a high opinion of the Thespian gelding. Jonathan has to be taken on trust as a two-miler, but he could not have been given less than 9.0, and as he was top weight for the New Zealand Cup a year ago with 9.2, and had 9.0 in the Auckland Cup, his 9.2 is just about what might have been expected. In the light of her Metropolitan form Cuddle cannot be regarded as harshly treated with 9.0, and she should finish in the money. Sporting Blood also has nothing to complain of with 8.10. but he is in Australia and need not be considered. On Riccarton form Kiltowyn has no chance with 8.8, as he comes in only 61b better through Cuttle, but he is a lot better horse on the right-handed tracks in the north. King Rey has gone up from 7.2 to 8.3, largely as a result of his Waikato Cup success, and seems to have his full share. Kelly on his best form is well in at 7.12, but his recent running has not been impressive. Argentic was third in the New Zealand Cup with 7.8 and third in the Metropolitan with 8.1. He is allowed only 21b for the three lengths that Cuddle beat him by in the Metropolitan, but he is on the up grade and looks more than a possibility. Gay Marigold has dropped 71b from her Riccarton weight, but she will not start. Senior comes down from 7.11 to 7.0, and Fersen from 7.7 to 7.0, and of the pair Fersen looks much more likely to stay, Tybalt has shown promising form in the north, and 7.4 should not worry him if he can manage the two miles, but the same applies to Davolo on 7.2. The Cup journey is probably beyond Davolo, but he should run a long way under such a luxurious weight. Monanui, Mungatoon and Baroscope have some form over shorter distances, but at this stage a good trio appear to be Cuddle, Argentic and Fersen. The weights of horses in the two Cups are given for purposes of comparison : Auck. N.Z Cuddle 9.0 7.13 Sporting Blood .. 8.10 8.13 Kiltowyn 6.8 7.13 King Rey 8.3 7.2 Kelly 7.12 7.11 Argentic 7.9 7.8 Caliente 7.2 7.5 Fersen 7.0 7.7 Senior 7.0 7.11