On and Off the Track

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLI, Issue 20441, 11 June 1936, Page 13

On and Off the Track

A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing: June 11, 13—Hawke’s Bay J.C. June 20. 23—Wanganui J.C. June 20, 23—Napier Park R.C. June 23—S.C. Polnt-to-Point. June 20, 23, 24—Dunedin J.C. • June 27—Oamaru J.C. Trotting: June 20, 23 or 24—Auckland T.C. The Hawke's Bay meeting will commence to-day. Blair Athol is lame, and is not likely to race again this season. Another attempt is to be made to train Vintage, who is being used as a hack on his owner's property at Dunsandel and appears to be sound again. Giggleswick, who developed lameness after racing badly over hurdles at the S.C.J.C. meeting has been sent home to the Coast for a long spell. Treasurer, a just taken i hand by H. Nurse on behalf of Mr G. Hall, is by Paper Money from Sweet Beauty, and is related to Polydora and Rebel Star.

Although Invictus was reported a few weeks ago as unlikely to be racing again this winter, he has been included in the nominations for the steeplechases at Wanganui.

A. Ridgway, who had been doing well in jumping races lately (Pahu was one of his mounts) had a leg broken at Riccarton on Tuesday when schooling Camilla Horn. The mare hit a hurdle and bumped Ridgway out of the saddle.

The Sapling Stakes record is 3.21 3-5 held by War Buoy. Southern Chief has shown ability to do 3.22 in a big field, and if the Ashburton track is as fast this week as it was last, new figures may be hoisted on Saturday.

The win-and-place system of betting has been discarded by the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club, and single pool will operate at the meeting this week. The decision was made after receiving a deputation from local owners

After the Auckland meeting it was reported that Clarion Call was likely to go to Melbourne, but L. G. Morris states this is incorrect. There is no such intention, Clarion Call will race next at Wanganui, where he has been entered for flat events.

It is estimated that the Aga Khan’s studs and horses in training are worth about £1,000,000. His income is set down at about £600,000 a year, and his investments run into millions. When he was single the Aga Khan used £BO per day in pocket money, but he does not gamble.

Rocks Ahead strolled in in the mile saddle race at the Canterbury Park meeting, but the Southlander is set a hard task in the Winter Handicap at Ashburton. He is 24 yards behind Great Author and Noble Prince, and will not have much chance if this pair leave the mark.

Enthusiasts at Wairio are very busy gathering in members for a new trotting club in that part of Southland. According to a letter, the club will have one of the biggest memberships of any club outside the metropolitan area. The mining community have made a big success of their racing club, and may do equally well in trotting if they can secure a permit. Mr L. G. Paul, of Wanganui, took Peter Jackson to Otaki, where the gelding was given a run in the Raukawa Cup, but was not started on the second day. The Nigger Minstrel is to race at Wanganui. He has been entered for the Caulfield Cup, the Moonee Valley Cup and the Melbourne Cup, but will have to improve tremendously to be worth another trip to Australia.

Mr Sol Green’s horses have been transferred from L. Robertson to another ex-New Zealander, D. J. Price. Alaric, Springbok, Bravest, and Stevenage were sent to Price’s stable at Caulfield last week, but five yearlings, owned by Mr Green, will remain for a while with B. Price, son of the Caulfield trainer, at Mordialloc. Robertson, who had a remarkable time with his horses during the spring carnivals in Melbourne last year, has trained horses for Mr Green for many years. The move has created a sensation in Victorian racing circles.

With the exception of the Opotiki Jockey Club’s meeting, to be held at Tauranga on the King’s Birthday, the flat racing season, as far as the Auckland province is concerned, finished on Saturday. The Auckland Racing Club during the season put through £491,117, compared with £419,241 last season, an increase of £71,876. The Avondale Jockey Club showed an increase of £21,468, and the Takapuna Jockey Club an increase of 211,431/10/0. The other clubs put through £568,783, as compared with £322,408. This makes a grand total of £1,251,785/10/0, compared with £076,333 for the Auckland racing district last season. Walpa had an extra day, and the Dargaville Racing Club held its meeting at Avondale this season.

Mr and Mrs S. L. Parsons, of Wanganui, intended leaving for Australia this month with Jonathan and Gallio, who are both in A. Cook’s stable. However, plans have been upset and it is unlikely that the trip will eventuate until after the early spring meeting. Mrs Parsons was anxious to run Gallio in the A.J.C. Derby, but now he must be regarded as a doubtful starter, and it is more than likely he will make his first appearance as a three-year-old at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting. In all probability both Gallio and Jonathan will be seen out at Wanganui in September and will not be taken to Australia until November. Unless anything unforeseen happens the pair will be taken to Australia to race during the summer and autumn.

Commenting on the starting at Ellerslie, a northern critic writes:—“The starter at times found it almost impossible to get his fields to line up and stand after fruitlessly endeavouring to make the horses walk up for a catch start. In the King George Handicap on the second day he had to

break the field up and send them back no less than five times in an endeavour to obtain a good dispatch. Then last Saturday the York Handicap field and the sprint fields were very bad. The Great Northern meeting was a definite recommendation for the standing start.” In the last race of his career (the King's Cup) Hall Mark carried £lOOO of his owner’s money, but Mr C. B. Kellow will not, however, worry over that loss on his “pet” horse. Chatting after his return from Adelaide, Mr Kellow said that he regretted not having taken horses to that city previously, as the S.A.J.C. committee did everything possible to make his stay happy. Even the bookmakers paid him a fine tribute. On the eve of the King’s Cup Mr Kellow was offered £lOOO to £5OO about Hall Mark. He refused it .thinking he would do better on the course. But he didn’t. Jack Holt was instructed to put £lOOO on, but he had to be satisfied with £2OO to £lOO, £7OO to £4OO, £6OO to £4OO, and £l5O to £lOO. It was an expensive send-off to the great little Melbourne Cup winner.

Allegretto, winner of both hack steeplechases at the recent Auckland Meeting, following up a success at the Waikato meeting a week previous, may be marked as the jumping “find” of the present winter. If it were not for a doubt about his soundness, Allegretto would have to be ranked as one of the most promising jumpers in the Dominion. Allegretto is an eight-year-old gelding, and brother to L’AUegro, the only conqueror of Silver Scorn in the Dominion. He is by Day Comet, and his dam is the Archiestown —Miss Lobelia mare Lady Faithful. A halfsister to Miss Lobelia was Lady Lobelia, dam of the dual Grand National winner Wiltshire (by Day Comet); and the dam of both these mares was Lobelia, who produced the gallant El Gallo, who holds the unequalled record of having won the Great Northern double in two successive years. Allegretto is owned and trained in partnership by Mr G. W. Vercoe, a former president of the Waikato Racing Club, and his son, Mr J. R. Vercoe. He was bred by Mr Vercoe, senr., and Mr T. Wilson (owner of Wiltshire at the time he won his Grand Nationals), and Mr Vercoe, junr., obtained his half-inter-est in the gelding from Mr Wilson, who sold his share for £lO down and £2O out of the first two wins. Mr Vercoe, junr., is now training the chestnut at Te Rapa.