On and Off the Track

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20785, 21 July 1937, Page 11

On and Off the Track

A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing: July 17—Hawke’s Bay Hunt. July 24—Rangitikei Hunt. July 24—South Canterbury Hunt July 31—Christchurch Hunt Trotting: Aug. 7, 11, 14—Metropolitan T.C. The annual meeting of the South Canterbury Jockey Club will be held next Monday night. Uncle Jim gave L. H. Pratt his first success as a trainer when he won the Walmate Hunt Cup. Black Banner, Shillalegh Wood and Night Parade, who were nominated for the two principal steeplechases at the Hunt meeting, have all accepted for the Teschemaker Cup. Elgindale, who carried a lot of overweight, struck himself during the race for the Walmate Hunt Cup, and lias dropped out of the Teschemaker Steeplechase. The Ashburton Racing Club will distribute £l3OO at its spring meeting, an increase of £220 on last year’s figures. This Is the largest amount offered at this fixture for a great many years. There has been so much wet weather In the Christchurch area lately that it is probable that a good many horses will be backward when the August meeting opens at Addington. As only the members who retire by rotation were nominated there will be no change in the committees of the South Canterbury Jockey Club or the Thnaru Trotting Club next season. The correct spelling of the name of the Royal Mac gelding, which is carrying Mr A. N. Grigg’s colours at the Hunt meetings is MacAllpein (pronounced McAlpine). .... Lord Reading Is feeling the effects of ills race at Waimate, and Arlta has broken down and both will be absentees from the Pareora Steeplechase. Le Chicot also has been allowed to drop out of this event. Hit Tea pulled up lame after the Waimate Hunt Cup, but that was not exactly a new thing for him. The Tea Tray gelding’s courage was doubted when he was sprinting years ago, but he battles on gamely as long as his wind lasts in Jumping events. When Cuddle returned from her trip to Australia in the autumn, her futu:: programme was in doublt, and there was some talk of her early retirement to the stud. She has done S' well during her spell that she may pay another visit to Australia in the spring.

Sunny Comet, who gained his first success for Mr A. Austin at Waimate, is by Day Comet, who has again come into prominence as a sire of junipers. His dam Granuale is a half-sister to Rapier, the only horse to win the New Zealand, Auckland and Wellington Cups. 1

At present W. J. O'Shea, the trainer of Lawn Derby, is undecided as to whether lie will make Addington or Auckland his headquarters, and a lot will depend on the classes on the programmes of the clubs In both places. Lawn Derby's best winning times in Australia are 2.47 for a mile and a quarter, 3.2 for a mile and three furlongs, and 3.24 for a mile and a half, but he will be handicapped faster than that.

Apart from Wotan, whose Melbourne Cup win was worth £7OOO, the biggest winner of the season among Taranaki’s big team was Taltoru, who finished the term with £1970 to his credit as the result of nine wins and seven seconds in 26 starts. Until the present season he had won only twice In 40 attempts, and £375 in prize money was an inadequate return for four years' racing and travelling. He was then turned out, but fortunately for Mr E. G. Baylis, who bought him for £B, it was decided to give him another chance and in a few months Taitoru collected nearly £2OOO.

‘'Although the Rules of Racing have been altered, retrospectively from August 1, the Pakuranga Hunt Club, which holds Its meeting at Ellerslie on August 21, cannot alter the conditions of the hack races, as ILs programme has already been passed by the district committee," says the Auckland "Herald.” The Canterbury Jockey Club has altered the condition of its hack races, and according to advice given by the Conference office there is no difficulty likely to arise, the ruling being that horses which will be hacks at time of starting are eligible for entry. The Whangarei Club is said to be the only club in the Dominion that puts on a special train for the carriage of horses to its meetings, a distance from Auckland of 130 miles each way. It is by doing so that the club has been able to survive. The cost of this "horse special” for the two meetings this term has been £421, but it has bean pointed out that this charge has been borne by owners whose horses have earned prize-money at the meetings, whereas owners whose horses have not earned place-money had their horses carried free. The £421 so expended might otherwise have been added to the stake-money.

A few weeks ago Streamline and Sky Pilot were discussed as likely National winners, but neither may go to the post. Then the centre of interest was transferred to two other South Islanders, Santoft and Burglar. A jumper which has not had much of the limelight is Nocturnus, whose progress during recent months is in danger of being overlooked. Since he won a minor steeplechase at Riverton this Nightraid gelding has made consistent Improvement, and he has only to maintain the same rate to merit consideration for any cross-coun-try contest. He is built to carry weight, has a fair amount of pace, and has progressed out of knowledge as a jumper.