SPORTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20852, 7 October 1937, Page 9

SPORTING

On and Off the Track A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing Oct. 7, 9—Dunedin J.C. Oct. 9—Hawke’s Bay J.C. Oct. 9. 11—Auckland R.C. Oct. 14. 16—South Canterbury J.C. Oct. 14. 16—Masterton RC, Oct. 16. 18—Avondale J.C. Oct. 21, 23, 25—Wellington R.C Oct. 23. 25—Gore R.C. Oct. 25—North Canterbury R.C. Oct. 25—Waverley R.C. Oct. 25-Waipawa County R.C, C't. 25—Waikato Hunt Club. Oct 29. 30—Poverty Bay Turf Club. Oct 30-1 Bangs Peninsula R.C. Oct. 30—Rangltlkei R.C. \ Irolling October 9—New Brighton T.C Cctcbe. 16—Waikato T.C. October 16. 18-Westport T.O. October 23 25-Auckland T.O. Octobei 23 25—Grevmouti. T.O. Qctnbei 2-5-On morn T.C October 30- Wellington T.O . October 30—Invercargill T.C. October 30—Thames T.C. Dunedin races to-day. Handicaps for the first day of the South Canterbury meeting should appear on Friday. » » • • On his showing in the open handicap at Otaki Old Surrey Is unlikely to be favoured beyond a mile again, until at least hr does something to merit, support. • • • • As a result of a poll of members, the Forbury Park Trotting Club decided to revert to the single pool 75-25 system cl betting. The weather promises to be fine for the first day at Dunedin, and the track should be in fair order, having dried very considerably during the week. W. Rayner left Wanganui On Monday for Auckland with Entail. Minga and Fabric. Unfortunately the Guineas candidate Icing is still showing signa of lameness and was not taken north. • e • * Icing was scratched at 2.40 p.m. for all engagements at Ellerslie. Auto Sweep should be Included in the Great Northern Guineas. The Crooner did not accept. K Voltre rode Willie Win at Flemington on Saturday. To finish last in his first race in Australia was a poor effort on the part of the New Zealander but that was not his real form. » • • • Mupgatoon must be conceded full credit for his win at Paeroa, and as one of the bottom-markers in the Mltchelson Cup weights he may repeat the victory, for he has already won over a mile and a half. • • • • King Rey was considered to be short of a race In the Taumarunei Cup, and his effort is claimed to have been an encouraging one, and suggests that he will be a hard horse to beat In the Mitchelson Cup in which he will be ridden by W. J. Broughton. Hands Up, the winner of the hurdle race at Randwick on Saturday, is a half-brother, by Night Raid, to Red Manfred. He was bred at Ellerslie, his dam Red Shank having Veen sent across from Victoria for a couple of seasons. • • • • The report in circulation that Cuddle is not working with her old dash at Trentham is one of those vague guesses that have missed the mark (says "The Watcher”). The mare is looking in splendid heart and is doing everything that is required of her. * * * * The Avondale Cup winner, Scotland, has been sold by Mr W. J. McLean to Mrs E. I. McDonald, owner of the wellknown tprlnter Maori Bong. The price is stated to be 600gns. Scotland will in future be traffic < by J. W. Cathro, Matamata, who also has charge of Maori Song. • • » » The Beau Fere colt Beau Frere, who is reported to have been unlucky in the colts’ division of the Maribymong Trial Stakes at Flemington on Saturday, is the one out of Chalaa, the dam of Limulus. The family has some firstclass performers in Australia, Chelae being a sister to the dam of Hall Mark, and closely related to Trivalve. There should be a strong field for the Caulfield Guineas on Saturday. The place-getters in the A.J.C. Derby— Avenger, Ajax, and Hua—have hurried back to Melbourne to run, and Lynch Law is there. In addition Nightguard, John Wilkes and other smart three-year-olds are available. Form points to Ajax, who will be more at home over a mile course than at the Derby distance. Mr Percy Miller, owner of the A.J.C. Derby ’ inner. Avenger, had his first success tn that race. Mr Miller, who owns the Kia Ora Stud, Scone, la one of the biggest patrons of racing in the Southern Hemisphere. He annually sends big batches of yearlings to the sales, and they are generally all sold without reserve, it Is not surprising that the best of them have not remained with him. Mr Miller bought Avenger back, and had the pleasure of being both owner and breeder of the winner. He also bred the dam Chatterbox. by Magpie.

Queen of Song was scratched yesterday morning for her first day engagements at Dunedin. • • • • When Gold Vaals led the field home in the Trial Handicap at Paeroa he w making his first appearance, and he returned his supporters the biggest dividend paid this season in the Auckland district. He is a four-year-old gelding by Vaals from Gold Dart, by Lucullus. Gold Vaals was bred by Mr P. J. Andrews, of Elstow. When in work last season under F. Keesing’s supervision he was so small that his owner disposed of him to Mr Alan McNickle. Recently Gold Vaals was leased to Mr F. Handley, of Paeroa, in whose colours he raced. • • • • The Metropolitan winner Sir Regent was raced last season in the joint ownership of Messrs W. R. Kemball and S. S. Crick. His dam, Irish Lyric, is an imported mare, by Desman from Harpalyce (by Harry of* Hereford). Desman, of course, is by Desmond. Sir Regent comes from the same family as Call Boy (Derby), Foxlaw (Ascot Gold Cup), and Comedy King (a sire of eminence In Australia). He was the first living foal of Irish Lyric, and was sold at the Trentham Sales to Mr Kemball for 55gns. A Hawke’s Bay man secured, a filly of the same breeding the following year for the same amount. • • • • The win and place system will be used at Wingatul to-day. The following may race well:— Spring Hurdles—Travenna, Fireguard, Redolent. Trial Handicap—Valantua, Great Memory, Valmarch. Maungatua Handicap—High Glee, Hanlon, Happy Knight. Electric Handicap—Haughty Winner, Gold Boa, Invoice. Mosgiel Handicap—Nightform, Silver Streak, Queen of Song. McLean Stakes—Ortyx, Dunstan, Great Baby. October Handicap—Lazybones, The Surgeon, Silver Lark. Taioma Handicap—Rebel Mate, Peony Rose, Petersham. • • • • The A.J.C. winner Avenger will not be three years old until October 29, which may account in some measure for his poor record as a two-year-old. Last season Avenger had six races, and his only placing was a second to John Wilkes, at Caulfield. Early this term he was second to Ajax, in the Chatsworth Plate, on Australian Steeplechase Day at Caulfield, and at his next start he was an easy winner of the Three-year-old Handicap at Williamstown. His only other outing prior to Saturday was in the Hill Stakes in which, after a slow early pace, he came home fast to beat everything except Talking. In some respects his record resembles that of Peter Pan, another Pantheon horse, but he will not have the opportunity of winning the Melbourne Cup, as he was not considered worth nominating.

Originally styled the Dunedin Stakes, the McLean Stakes has been in existence for just thirty years. From 1923 to 1929, when the minimum distance was raised by the Rules of tracing to five furlongs, the journey was five furlongs, but except for that period it has always been half a mile, quite far enough for early October. A good many winners of the race have failed to train on, Wealth, Control and Cardplayer being instances during the last halfdozen years, but that is not unusual in connection with two-year-olda, and the account is balanced by a number of really good ones. Horses such as Masterpiece, Autumnus, Warstep, Royal Stag and Count Cavour went on to achieve further classic distinction, and Marsa, Nones, Disdainful, and Top Score later made their mark as dams of good winners.

The five races for two-year-olds decided so far this season have revealed three youngsters apparently well ahead of the others that have raced. Surmount scored easily at Wanganui, but the Debutant Stakes winner has seldom been prominent later, Protecter, beaten by Surmount, went on to win a double at Avondale, and it is reasonable to suppose that he has improved a good deal since his first appearance. Undoubtedly the best of those which have faced in the South Island is Ortyx, and at this stage it is difficult to believe that either of the other pair could hold her over four furlongs. Whether the filly will long retain her preeminence remains to be seen. Rehearsal, a Wanganui colt which has not yet raced, has a high reputation, but no higher than that of Hr ally, who is to run in the Glmcrack Stakes at Randwick to-day.