On and Off the Track

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20891, 22 November 1937, Page 7

On and Off the Track

A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing Nov. 22—Waikato R.C. Nov. 27—Ashburton C.R.C. Nov. 27. 29—Takapuna J.C. Nov. 27. 30—Feilding J.C. Dec. 4—Otaki Maori R.C. Dec. 11—Hororata R.C. Dec. 11. 13—Woodville D.J.C. Dec. 18—Waipa R.C. Dec. 27—Walpukurau J.C. Dec. 27—Westland R.C. Dec. 27. 28—Dunedin J.C. Dec. 27, 28—Taranaki R.C. Dec. 27 28, 30— Manawatu R.C. Dec. 27, 29. Jan. 1, 3—Auckland R.C. Jan. I—Walkouaiti J.C. Jan. I—Wyndham J.C. Jan. 3—Oamaru J. C. Jan. 3, 4—Southland R.C. Trotting Nov 25. ’7--Forbury Park T.C Dec. 4—New Brighton T.C. Dec. 4—Waikato T.C. Dec. 4— Walrlo T.C. Dec. 11—Reelton T.C. Dec. 27—Ashburton T.C. Dec. 27—Gore T.C. Dec. 27—Wairarapa T.C. Dec. 27, 28—Westport T.C. Dec. 28, 30, 31—Auckland T.C. Dec. 29—Winton T.C. Jan. 1, J—Canterbury Park T.C.

Acceptances for the Ashburton meeting are due to-morrow at 8 p.m. The stakes for the Winton Jockey Club’s annual gathering in February have been raised to £2lOO. The meeting is again to be held a week before the Gore autumn races.

Voloma, a sister to Southern Smile, was a starter at Invercargill on Saturday. She is a neat little pacer, but looks as if she might get under the pony standard.

The three-year-old Seaham (Lack-ham-Seastar), who won recently at Waverley, recently sustained internal injuries and had to be destroyed. His dam was a half-sister to Seatown, and a high opinion was held of him.

King Rey, who finished third in the Waikato Cup, has raced with wonderful consistency on the Te Rapa course. In ten outings there his score reads four wins, two seconds, three thirds and one fourth. Patagonia scored his third successive win on Saturday, at Te Rapa. At Trcntham he established a record of 3.74 for IS miles, and at the Rangitikei meeting he easily disposed of the opposition when carrying 10.13. The Cape Horn gelding looks as if he might win again.

Fortunate (Wrack-Fortune Maid), who was taken to the races for the first time at Invercargill on Saturday, is closely related to Waitemata, who made a sensational debut at Gore last month. She was well backed, but had her chance extinguished through interference at the start. Aqua Bond (coupled with Iron Duke) was made a better favourite than New Ideal and Fortunate for the Waverley Trot at Invercargill. She went to the front at fiagfall, and gradually increasing her lead won by sixty or seventy yards from Drumbunnif, who, by good relnsmanship, beat Anna's Voyage and Jesse Owens in a close contest for the minor places.

Following heavy showers in the morning, the weather cleared by midday for the Southland races on Saturday, and the course had absorbed the rain by the time racing commenced. The attendance was good, the gate receipts being nearly £5O better than last year, and in spite of some big dividends the totalisator turnover showed an increase of £531. What threatened to be a bad day for the Club ended in a substantial profit.

The high-weight handicaps which are popular in the south frequently provide fine contests from unpromising material. At Invercargill on Saturday Pink Robe had placed a little daylight between herself and the rest of the field at the finish, but Just behind her were five horses which it was not easy to separate. All twelve acceptors paraded, but most of the money was entrusted to Pink Robe 263-221, Smoko 252-284, Counterflight 145-206 and Wonderful 107-156. Gipsy Fair soon ran to the front and opened a gap of five lengths from Smoko and Coat of Arms, and three furlongs from home she was still three lengths clear of Pink Robe, Smoko and Coat of Arms. Pink Robe caught her half way up the straight, and under pressure forged ahead to win by a length and a quarter from Bow Street, who beat Gipsy Fair by a head, with Burwood, Wonderful and Bonazel almost in line with the third horse. Smoko, who carried most money in the aggregate, stopped in the run home.

For the open six at Invercargill backers concentrated on Ballad 475-383, Grand Finale 427-355, and Rodeur 254302. Viking led out from Ballad, and at the top he was still in command from All Humbug, Ballad and Grand Finale. In the run home All Humbug wore Viking down to win by a head, with Ballad (unable to get through) half a length away and Grand Finale next. McHeath was unable to pace it with the others in the early stages and lost so much ground that his chance became hopeless.

Among the nineteen runners in the Trial Handicap at Invercargill, backers selected the four top-weights— Vanity Queen 454-374, Mona's Song 354-387, Auctor 328-357, and Adina 204-362. Three of the four gave their supporters a great run, but the winner turned up in Aspire (a three-year-old Ally racing in the colours of J. A. Rowland), who paid a win dividend of over a century. Auctor was first to show out, with Vanity Queen handy, but at the far turn he dropped back, Silkwood, Aspire and Sea Lady going on from Adina and Auctor. Two furlongs from home Aspire, Silkwood and Adina appeared to be in line, with Auctor