On and Off the Track

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20536, 30 September 1936, Page 13

On and Off the Track

A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing: Oct. 3—Kurow J.C. Oct. 3—Otaki Maori R.C. Oct. 3, s—Taumhranui R.C. Oct. 8, 10—Dunedin J.C. Oct. 10, 12—Auckland R.C. Oct. 15, 17—Masterton R.C. Oct. 17 —South Canterbury J.C. Trotting. 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—Greyjnouth T.C. Oct. 26 Oamaru T.C. Oct. 26 —Manawatu T.C. The first race at Kurow on Saturday will start at 12.30. An acceptance for the New Zealand Cup is due on Friday.

It is reported that the Waikouaiti Racing Club will increase its stakes this year by at least £l5O. All the West Soast horses that raced at Orari on Saturday returned home after the meeting.

Mr J. Faulks, of Pembroke, has passed the stallion Paper Money on to Mr W. Kennedy, of Otautau.

Happy Landing, who was allotted 121 b above the minimum in the Melbourne Cup, is on the lowest line in the New Zealand Cup weights.

The VJI.C. handicapper placed 121 b between Silver Ring and Queen of Song in the Melbourne Cup. In the New Zealand Cup. Silver Ring is called upon to concede 181 b.

The New Zealand Cup candidate Tauramai is reported to be doing well at Riverton. He has had only one race in over a year, but he is one of the real stayers in the Cup, and will be fancied if he survives a preparation.

King’s Guide, who won the principal event at the Waikato meeting, had no two mile performance prior to that race, but he had a faster record over a mile and a half than any of the horses set to concede hiin a start. • • « « The Lord Warden four-year-old Vik‘ng, which has not raced since he won at the Southland New Ye rr meeting, is working in good style a, Wingatul, and will be tried over slightly longer than sprint distances it the Dunedin, meeting.

Horses for courses: Royal King won a hurdle race at Marton on January 2nd at first essay. He won again in April, and on Saturday he was winner for the third time in three attempts in toe Hack Hurdles.

Mr Voitre, of Palmerston North, has received a cable from his son, Keith Voitre, who sustained a broken leg at Moonee Valley on Saturday, stating that he was cheerful and well, and that the break is a clean one below the left knee.

The Marton Club considerably curtailed the issue of complimentary tickets for its meeting last week, but in spite of a midwinter blast the attendance was satisfactory, the totalisator investments increasing by £3680 and the gate receipts by over £lOO.

Mazir appears to be all the better for his racing at Avondale. But for the slight setback he experienced at Ellerslie he might have accounted for the Avondale Cup. In the ordinary course of affairs he is expected to be a contestant in the Taumarunui Cup on Saturday.

Prior to competing at Avondale, Mungacre had only been in commission a few weeks, and in the circumstances and the weight carried he ran very commendably. In the Flying Handicap at Paeroa—a course he has previously won on—he is nicely treated With 7.11.

Sighing for other worlds to conquer. F. J. Smith, the well-known trotting mentor, has made application to the New Zealand Racing Conference for a trainer’s license, and the King Lu three-year-old filly Queen Brierly will receive a preparation for racing under his guidance. Smith took two pacers to the Waikato meeting, and won a double with each of them—Spessiva and King’s Guide.

Two races for two-year-olds were run in the North Island last Saturday. That at Napier Park was won by Screen Star (Siegfried Painted Screen), a half-brother to Movie Star, trained by J. H. Jeflerd; and that at Marton by Greenwich (Chief RulerSummertime), a sister to Cricket, trained by A. E. Neale at Awapuni. Greenwich cost 325gns at the last Trenthain sales.

Erebus, who won a hack race at Marton, is described as one of the most peculiar horses in appearance in commission. He is a red roan, with light patches over his back and quarters, and in size he looks more like a cavalry charger than a racehorse. Nevertheless he can muster up a lot of pace over short courses. A five-year-old, he is a son of Diacquenod and the Hallowmas—Vivandel mare Vivarinl, a granddaughter of the grey mare Vivandiere.

In the two-year-old trials held at Caulfield a fortnight ago, in which eighty-two juveniles competed in fourteen heats, two of Mr W. R. Kemball’s youngsters were heat winners. Lady Quex, a filly by Lord Quex from the Boniform mare Miss Wayward, dam of Shirley Dene, made fastest time in any heat in beating five opponents over half a mile in 5Us. The other heat winner was Sunnymorn, a colt by Siegfried from the Cape Horn— Ennea mare Enmity, and whose time was 5215. Both youngsters are trained by G. Jones. The former was bred by Mr Kemball. and the latter, from a mare by Mr Kemball’s sire, Cape Horn, was secured by him at the last Trenthain sales for HOgns.

T. r. Pankhurst, who had been at Orari since the Grand National, has returned to Invercargill with Fog Peak and Triple Cone. Darien was left at Orari on account of an injury he . ceived on the first day.

The Wingatui contingent was out of luck at Orari last week, a third to Golden King being the only reward for the six horses from that centre.

In Gold Rod’s favour is the manner in which he settles down early in a race. M. McCarten has said he could ride the colt with a thread, and that he will always settle down when and where he wants him.

Included in the colts’ division of the Caulfield Debutant Stakes, to be run on October 10, are Colonel Dazzle and Cygnus Light, owned by Mr W. T. Hazlett, and Sir Ken and Silver Bond, owned by Mr G. J. Barton.

When Air Flow reared prior to the start of the Addington Handicap at the Metropolitan Trotting Club’.: August meeting she Injured herse'f, and despite veterinary treatment she will not be able to race at the November meeting at Addington.

For many years race books for the Geraldine meeting could not be obtained in Timaru, but that trouble has been remedied, (says the Dunedin “Star”), an don Friday last race cards for the second day were on sale on the streets less than four hours after the closing of acceptances.

Greek Shepherd was the biggest winner among the Dominion's three-year-olds last season, but in the New Zealand Cup he has received only 8.5, 91b below weightfor-age. Silver Ring, has 51b more than the scale weight, and apparently Mr Henrys ranks Greek Shepherd as a non-stayer.

The A.J.C. spring carnival will begin at Randwick on Saturday. The card includes the Derby, Epsom Handicap, and Spring Stakes. The main attraction in Victoria is the October meeting at Flemington, with the Manifold Stakes for three-year-old fillies, Maribynong Trial Stakes for two-year-olds, and Flemington Stakes.

Silver Ring’s 9.12 is the highest weight allotted to a New Zealand Cup candidate for a very long time, but it has to be remembered that for some seasons a maximum of 9.6 was imposed by the conditions of the race, and it is not improbable that Nightmarch would have received a good deal more if the handicapper had been given a free hand.

No nominations from the North Island were received for this year’s Geraldine meeting, but horses came from most parts of the South Island. Riverton supplied two winners, the West Coast two. Oamaru two, Washdyke two, Rjccarton three and Hornby one. The honours in the harness races were divided between New Brighton, Templeton, Tinwald and Kerrytown.

The amount put through the totalisator at Orari on Saturday was some thousands short of the record for the course, but it is safe to say that the number of tickets sold was in excess of all previous figures. The existing totalisator building appears to be too small for present requirements, particularly on the pay-out end, and no doubt this question will be considered by the committee before next meeting.

Entries are smaller than usual for the open handicaps at the Dunedin meeting. For the Electric, Mosgiel and October Handicaps only 21 horses are in sight, and fields will not be large. For the October Handicap, eight nominations were received, but of these one horse will not be at the meeting, and four are in another race, so that there is a possibility of a one-dividend field.

On revealed form, One Whetu appeared to be the best-treated horse in the Caulfield Cup when weights were declared, but every year many horses improve sufficiently to come into favour by the time the race is run. In this class are two New Zealanders. Golden Promise and Desert Chief, who finished first and second in the Tuliamarine Handicap at Moonee Valley. Desert Chief is in the Caulfield Cup with 7.10. 21b above One Whetu.

Silver Ring is engaged in the Melbourne Cup and other big races in Victoria, but if he should be lucky enough to win the A.J.C. Metropolitan it is probable that he will return to New Zealand. A win in the Metropolitan would entail a substantia) penalty in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups but none in the New Zealand Cup. One of the conditions of the last-named race is that no horse shall be rehandicapped to carry more than weight-for-age. and Silver Ring already has 5 lb above that weight.