RACING AND TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20514, 4 September 1936, Page 5

RACING AND TROTTING

On and Off the Track A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing Sept. s—Taranaki Hunt Club. Sept" s—Otago Hunt Club. Sept. 10, 12 —Wanganui J.C. Sept. 19—Ashburton County R.C. Sept. 19—Foxton R.C. Sept. 19, 21—Avondale J.C. Sept. 24, 26—Geraldine R.C. Sept. 26—Marton J.C. Sept. 26 —Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt Club. Sept. 26—Napier Park R.C. Oct. 3—Kurow J.C. Trotting Sept. s—New Brighton T.C. Sept 12—Wellington T.C. Oct. 3—Methven T.C. Oct. 10—New Brighton T.C. Oct. 17—Waikato T.C. Oct. 17, 19—Westport T.C. Oct. 24, 26—Auckland T.C. Oct. 24, 26—Greymouth T.C. Oct. 26— Manawatu T.C. Oct. 26—Oamaru T.C.

New Zealand Cup nominations are due by 5 p.m. to-day. • • • • The first race at New Brighton tomorrow is timed to start at 12.30. The St. Leger Stakes, the final classic of the season in England, will be run next Wednesday at Doncaster. • • • • The win and place system of betting will be used at Wlngatui and New Brighton to-morrow. ... * Mr R. D. Westenra, owner of Burglar, will ride that horse in the Otago Hunt Cup. Mr A. A. Wilson has been appointed secretary to the Wyndham Racing Club in succession to Mr Henderson Hunter, who recently resigned after several years’ service. W. H. Maria is the owner of Airam, a Brazon colt now showing promise on the Auckland tracks. There is not much originality in that method if selecting names. Royal Pal has three or four seconds to his credit, but so far has failed to win a hurdle race. At Wlngatui to-morrow he will have the assistance of V. Langford. The New Zealand Cup will not come within the scope of the 7.7 minimum, and this will give general satisfaction. In fact it would not be amiss if all handicaps of a mile and a half and over were exempted from this provision. „ • • • • Vintage is reported to have dc-.e well since his recent throat operation and his return to the stable may be expected during the next few weeks. He has had plenty of strong exercise for some time past, so he should not take long in coming to hand. The Tinwald trotter Discord is on 144 yards behind in the Spring Handicap at New Brighton, but even from that way-back mark she is capable of finishing close up if she goes without a mistake. Discord is practically a certainty the first time she trots evenly in a tight class. A Sydney report states that a little while back the owner of the Gascony colt Mala could have got a high price for him, if he had been anxious to sell. However, he was not, and it is doubtful whether the colt would now command as high a figure as would then have been offered. • • • • Gold Rod is not engaged in the Canterbury Guineas, but G. Price’s stable is represented by other New Zealanders in Ilium and Omarere. Also in the field are likely to be Custos and Stretto. The programme includes the Canterbury Stakes, run over six furlongs with allowances and penalties, and among the possible runners are Silver Streak, Cuddle and Stretto. According to one Sydney report, F. D. Jones did not expect Custos to do much better than he did by running fourth in the Hobartville Stakes. He realised it would be a fast race from barrier rise, and he gives Custos a better chance over a longer Journey with time to settle down. Another reports credits Jones with expressing disappointment at the colt’s finishing effort. But for breaking at the start, and then later in the race, the trotter Meadow King would probably have won the Royal Oak Handicap at Epsom. As it was, he finished five lengths away from the winner, Young Rodney. Meadow King showed gr ~.t speed when trotting, but he is apt to leave his feet. It should not be long before he atones for the defeat, as he looked a trifle big in condition. The value of the polo ponies used in the Westchester Cup matches between England and America in June was estimated at not less than £lOO,OOO. Each team had at its disposal about 50 ponies and the average value of the English animals (most of which were lent to the players) was assessed at £5OO each. The American ponies were nearly all the property of millionaires or millionaires’ sons, and it was stated that not one of them could have been bought for £lOOO. It is some years since two-year-olds have been so liberally catered for as will be the case at Riccarton in N vember. The Welcome Stakes of £6OO is supported by the Pioneer Handicap of £450 with a 9.7 maximum, and the Spring Nursery at £3OO and the Irwell Handicap of £250. The sprinters also have been offered much greater inducements. The Stewards’ is up to £7OO, the Members’ Handicap to £450, and the Avon Handicap to £3OO, all being six furlongs events. The middle-distance performers are even more liberally dealt with. In addition to £225 for the Cup, an increase of £l5O to £750 is provided for in the Metropolitan, £lOO in the Fendalton, and £lOO in the Otaio Plate. The Otaio Plate for hacks is now worth £4OO, compared with £l5O in 1932.

The stablemates Cuddle and Egmont were backed to win £lO,OOO for the Epsom-Metropolitan double, and the commissioners were prepared to go on with the work at a satisfactory price. The result was that Cuddle’s Epsom price shortened a couple of points, and she joined Pamelus in the first line of favouritism. Cuddle is an entrant for all the big spring handicaps in Sydney and Melbourne, and there has been a lot of doubt about her first mission. With 9.12 Cuddle is equal topweight with Pamelus in the Epsom, and if she wins she will have to be ranked with the best mares that have raced in Australia. It is 30 years since a mare has won the Epsom, the last being Maximize in 1906, and she carried only 7.7. The highest weight that mare has ever carried successfully in the race is DJin Djin’s 8.9 in 1899. • * • • It has come to be regarded as almost an accepted fact that no direct descendant of Herod can win the English Derby. The last one to succeed was Sir Bevys in 1879. The history of the A.J.C. and V.R.C. Derbies shows that Gold Rod is being asked to break . tradition of almost as hoary an antiquity as that associated with the great English classic. The last winner of the V.R.C. Derby tracing to Herod was The Admiral, by Richmond, who led the field home in 1890 Five years later the family supplied its last winner of the A.J.C. race in Bob Ray, by the New Zealand-bred Welcome Jack, a son of Traducer. It is therefore over 40 years since a representative of the Herod line has won either of the major Australian classics. Accordingly many breeding students do not look with favour on Gold Rod’s classic prospects. Pamelus, the reputed “wonder horse” of Queensland, and joint favourite with Cuddle for the Epsom, has had a romantic career. Just five years old, he was sold as a yearling for 25 guineas and at the end of his three-year-old career had won over £2OOO in stakes. He won the Armidale Cup, Toowoomba Weetwood Handicap and a Flying Handicap at Ascot with ease, and then followed a brilliant victory in the Doomben Newmarket Handicap in which he carried 8.13 and beat a field which included Regular Bachelor pointless, breaking 1.12 for the distance for the first time in the history of Queensland. Regular Bachelor later won the Newmarket at

Flemington. It was expected that Pamelus would win the King's Cup, and he was then to go south for the Epsom Handicap. However, in his first weight-for-age race, the Doomben Stakes, his running met with the displeasure of the stewards and he and his owner-trainer, H. Dukes, were disqualified for 12 months. Pamelus is hampered by bad legs and the enforced rest may have done him good. He is said to thrive on a light preparation, which would seem to be the case from his easy victory in his first start this season. He is to race in New South Wales and Victoria. Dukes has not yet stated whether the Epsom Handicap or Caulfield Cup is to be his objective, but the betting market tells its own story. Pamelus is by the Phalaris horse Bullhead from Tango Lass, by Redfern from imported Tango Lass, by Flotsam. • • • • New Zealand Cup Meeting. The following table shows the distribution of the additional £2400 in stakes allotted for this year’s New Zealand Cup meeting:— 1936 1935 Inc. £ £ £

Spring Hurdles .. . .. 300 225 15 Spring Plate , .. 300 225 75 Linwood .. 250 200 50 N.Z. Cup .. 1500 1275 225 Welcome Stakes .. .. 600 600 — Apprentices .. .. .. 250 200 50 Stewards .. 700 500 200 300 250 50 Second Day. Middleton 250 200 50 .. 250 200 50 Strowan Plate .. 250 200 50 N.Z. Derby .. 1000 1000 — Criterion .. .. •. .. 400 300 100 Fendalton .. .. .. 450 325 Randolph .. 250 200 50 Epsom .. 300 250 50 Third Day. Port Cooper Hurdles 275 225 50 Spring Nursery .. .. 300 200 100 N Z Oaks .. 500 500 — Jockey Club .. .. .. 500 400 100 Canterbury Cup .. 500 400 100 Ashley .. 250 200 50 Otaio Plate .. .. 400 300 Avon .. 300 250 50 Fourth Day Suburban .. 250 200 50 Sevmour .. 250 200 50 Cressy .. 300 250 50 Pioneer .. 450 350 100 Metropolitan .. .. .. 750 600 150 Haglev .. 300 200 100 Stonyhurst .. 300 250 50 Members 450 350 100 Totals .. .. .. . . 13,245 11,025 2400