RACING AND TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20532, 25 September 1936, Page 10

RACING AND TROTTING

On and Off the Track A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing: Sept. 26 —Geraldine R.C. Sept. 26 —Marton J.C. Sept. 26—Napier Park R.C. Oct. 3—Kurow J.C. Trotting. Oct. 3—Methven T.C. Oct. 16—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—Oamaru T.C. Oct. 26— Manawatu T.C. Acceptances for the second day of the Geraldine meeting will close at noon to-day. Havering, who was pulled up three furlongs from home in the hurdle race at Orari, was very lame afterwards, and to avoid a complete breakdown he is to go out for a spell. W. McDonald, who was actively assisting at Orari yesterday, won t..e Geraldine Cup on Snapshot in 1886. J. J. Lewis, owner-trainer of The Surgeon, has had even longer association with the Geraldine Club’s meetings. The three-year-old Zincali promises to take high rank when he learns to begin correctly. He lost considerable ground Just after the start of the Geraldine Trot, and put up a fine performance to finish within a neck of the winner. Now 11 years old, the trotter Go Nap, who is engaged at Waikato on Saturday, has yet to race. Go Nap is by St. Kevin, and his registration discloses the fact that, like the great trotter Trampfast, he has sight in only one eye. Punctuality was a feature of the running of the first day of the Geraldine meeting. At one stage of the proceedings, there was a slight lag, but the last race was started right on time, with the result that many Timaru visitors were back in town shortly after 5.30. Wexford Bridge had a life at the second fence in the First Hurdles at Orari, but made up his ground again fairly smartly, and he was going best of the field at the finish. Wexford Bridge has something to learn about Jumping, but he looks a good prospect for this branch of racing. When he returned to scale after winning the Avondale Cup Velocipede was very lame, and it appeared as if he had gone amiss. However, he was walking without any sign of lameness when seen on the course on Monday, and evidently the trouble is not as serious as it seemed. Desirable usually displays brilliant speed in the early part of her races but collapses in the straight. Different tactics were adopted in the Ohapi Handicap at Orari, L. J. Ellis keeping her in behind until the run home. Desirable finished very fast and snatched third money in a very close contest. Prior to the opening of racing yesterday, the Jockeys at Orari were assembled by the stipendiary steward and were warned that strict compliance with the rule regarding careless or unfair riding would be insisted upon by the Club’s committee. The warning appeared to be productive of good results. The Brisbane trainer H. Duke announced that Pamelus will not start in the Epsom and Metropolitan Handicaps. It is believed that the Caulfield Cup, three weeks later, is being concentrated upon. Pamelus is reported to be working well and looking in great order in himself, in spite of reports to the contrary. His trouble has been a rawness i: ider the arms, caused by the spraying for tick disease when crossing the Queensland border. It is understood that a charity trotting meeting is to be held at Addington on Thursday, October 15, and that a permit has been promised. The fixture is sponsored by the Canterbury Owners’ and Trainers’ Association. It was proposed to apply for permission to race on October 17, but on it being pointed out that this would clash with the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s spring gathering, a change to Thursday was decided on. Trotting trainers show increasing interest in the galloping sport. J. S. Shaw has a big team of flat racers, and M. B. Edwards won two big events at the Grand National meeting with Wino and Ponty. Arrownilla, winner of the Ohapi Handicap at Orari, is trained by J. Bryce. The veteran Scot was associated with another winner yesterday, driving Elite Rey to victory in the first harness event on the card. That something more than a pull in the weights is necessary to make a horse a winner was Illustrated by Vitaphone’s defeat in the hurdle race

at Orari. With a stone less than he carried to victory on his last appearance in public, he could not do better than finish third in a five-horse contest. Vitaphone was at a disadvantage in not having had a run for over eleven months and he should benefit by the experience.

A recent addition to the team of A. Holmes is the Catmint gelding Catoma, a useful performer in Auckland. He is being used as a back, but it is probable he will be given another preparation for racing. Among the half-dozen who lost their chance at the start of the Raukapuka Handicap at Orari was the Nightmarch colt Stolen March. This was unfortunate, as the race was expected to throw ‘ some light on his prospects in the three-year-old classics this season. Paragraphs have been appearing in the papers stating that over 180 horses are in work on the Riverton tracks at present. Probably Riccarton was meant. There are only 15 horses in work at Riverton at present and i'le number rarely exceeds 20. Wino made a bold showing until well into the straight in the Geraldine Cup, but his 9.0 pulled him up completely over the last furlong, and apparently a mile and a quarter is just beyond his compass. He will be better served by the shorter trip if he runs in the President’s Handicap to-morrow. Epris ran one of his best races in the Belfield Handicap at Orari, and was decidedly unlucky to lose. He was chopped out in the jump off, and after making up his leeway he was obliged to run wide at the turn into the straight. These occurrences cost him some lengths, and it was only by a head that he lost to Queen Dorothy, who came home by a shorter route. A. S. Ellis has two new horses in his team, the pair having arrived from Hawke’s Bay, where they were trati.nl by the late R. Alexander. Forum, owned by the Hons. P. C. Webb and G. R. Hunter, is a four-year-old gelding by Cockpit from Eunea The other, a three-year-old gelding by Mullaboden from Rachel, the dam of Rabbi, is the property of Mr F. Flipp. J. S. Shaw has taken in hand a three-year-old filly by Iliad from Lava, the dam of Greek Vase. Until recently Mr J. M. Samson had her running out on a farm in Marlborough, so that she will not be ready to race for some time. Shaw has also recommissioned a five-year-old brother to McHeath, after a long spell. The southern tracks have been very he.-.vy lately, and the Riverton-trained horses Wild Career and Bay Duke will probably remain at Orari until they are required to race at Wingatui next month. It was feared that they might be short of work for their Geraldine engagements, but they registered the two most decisive victories of the day. Rona Bay, who won the Ashburton Handicap last Saturday, staged a complete reversal of form in the Geraldine Cup. She was one of the last two at the end of a furlong, and never afterwards had more than one horse behind her. Tout le Monde bore her company in the rear for the first half of the trip, but while he ran into a good position soon afterwards and finished a good fourth, Rona Bay never improved her prospects. • • « • The Chief Rulers have had a rather remarkable run of success in the Avondale Stakes. The first of his winners was Supremacy in 1928, me of Chief Ruler’s second crop, and then came a sequence with Princess Doreen, Whenuakura and Galilee in 1932, 1933, and 1934 respectively. Last year’s '..inner, Stretto, though by Hunting Song, was out of a Chief Ruler mare, The Begum, who is a full sister to Supremacy; and this year Aiwa! has given .he sire his fifth success in the ten years in which his stock were available to contest the race. • • • • F. Voight, who made the trip from Invercargill to ride Wild Career at Orari, won two Geraldine Cups on Set Sail and another on Full Swing. He showed that he had not forgotten the course by tucking Wild Career in behind the leaders round the top and taking advantage of the opening presented when they swung out at the turn into the straight. The little Riverton gelding has not always been well served in this direction, but he was one of the best ridden horses in yesterday's race. It was mainly Westland money that went on Monipere in the Geraldine Cup, and kept the dividend within reasonable limits. The Arrowsmith gelding ran a stout race to finish third in the Redcliffs Handicap on the final day of the Grand National meeting, but that was a hack event. At that meeting he was rated a stone and a half below Queen Dorothy. The North Otago mare was weighted only 31b above the minimum in the Geraldine Cup, and Monipere (who was low in the weights in the Raukapuka Hack) apparently gave away about a stone to run. On figures he was entitled to pay a thumping dividend, but his backers received less than double figures. West Coasters are very loyal supporters of their own horses.