On and Off the Track

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20929, 7 January 1938, Page 12

On and Off the Track

A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES: Racing Jan. 7. B—Reefton,8 —Reefton, J.C. Jan. 14, 15—Vincent J.C. Jan. 18, 20, 22—Wellington R.C. Jan. 22—Ashhurst R.C. Jan. 22—Walrio J.C. Jan. 22, 24—Thames J.C. Jan. 28, 29—Pahiatua R.C. Trotting Jan. 6—Greymouth T.C. Jan. 15 —Cambridge T.C. Jan. 15—Timaru T.C. Jan. 27, 29—Forbury Park T.C. Jan. 29, 31—Nelson T.C. Feb. 3, s—Wellington T.C. Feb. 12—Canterbury Park T.C. Feb. 12, 16—Auckland T.C. Feb. 19—New Brighton T.C. Feb. 26—Kaikoura T.C. Feb. 26—Wairarapa T.C. Mar. s—lnvercargill T.C. Mar. s—Wellington T.C. The Reefton Jockey Club's meeting will open to-day. Handicaps for the Timaru Trotting Club's meeting should appear on Saturday.

Doris Derby, who was in the care of E. N. Kennerley for a time, has returned to O. E. Hooper’s stable.

The declaration of handicaps for the inter-dominion "championships” has been deferred until January 17.

The steeplechaser Don Erma broke down when running in the hurdle race at New Plymouth on New Year’s Day.

Straightdown, who appeared in the entries for the Spottes Handicap at the Vincent meeting, should have been Straightdell, whose weight will be 9.2. Mata Hari, who dropped dead when leading by five lengths in a race at Hastings, was carrying 1387 tickets, the biggest Investment on any horse at a Hawke’s Bay meeting for many years.

The Taranaki champion Taitoru has now joined H. Gray’s stable at New Plymouth. Previously he had been prepared by his owner, Mr E. G. Baylis, of Opunake. Lady Kyra (Lord Warden—Blonde) won during the holidays over a mile and a quarter and six furlongs. This mare was sold as a yearling for a few guineas, and has proved a sale ring bargain.

Courtcraft has an unbeaten record in five starts in the Dominion—two at two years, and three during the current season. In addition, he won one race in Australia, where his form disappointed his party. It is probable that he will be given another chance in the Commonwealth in the autumn.

Footmark followed up his success in the Guineas at Perth by winning the Westrallan Derby. Footmark is by the Hurry On sire Defoe from Bachelor’s Picture, and apparently is an improvement on Elgindale and Bachelor’s Idol, two offsprings of Bachelor’s Picture well known in this territory. The black pacer Plutus has developed class and stamina to an unusual degree this season, having won nine races in less than three months, and collected over £2OOO in stakes. Four of his wins have been gained over two miles, a distance formerly considered beyond him, and he looks a certainty to qualify for next year’s Cup.

In handling a totalisator turnover of £298,061 10s, the Auckland Racing Club had the best total of investments at a summer meeting since 1929-30, when the amount invested for the four days was £352,436. Three years later, the total had dropped to £181,199, which was the lowest point reached during the depression.

The English stallion Gynerium (3), by Phalaris—Figbastra, purchased recently by Mr A. F. Symes, of Hawke’s Bay, arrived in Auckland by the steamer Cornwell a few days ago and has been sent to his new home at Hastings. Gynerium is from the same branch of the No. 3 family which has produced Beau Pere, Lord Warden, Colossus and Defoe.

There was not much to warrant the ugly demonstration against Janet Gaynor at Invercargill. On the first day she carried 843 tickets, and on the second 322, and there was evidence to show that her connections supported her solidly when she was beaten. Actually she was no more inconsistent than Surge, 1359 tickets on the first day, and 370 on the second, who tricked her trainer just as Janet Gaynor had done.

Amiable, who has come into the limelight in Victoria by winning the Standish Handicap with a record weight for a filly, was bred in New Zealand and owned by Mr W. R. Kemball. She is by Lord Quex from Agreeable, a mare by Psychology from Woodhen, by Sunstar. Agreeable ran twice unplaced at three years for her breeder, Mt T. H. Lowry, and was then sold to Mr Kemball and retired to the stud.

The Rules of Racing are quite definite on the point that in the event of horses being started in front of the starting post or on a wrong course, or before the appointed time, the race shall be void and shall be run again at Auckland the Queen’s Plate was started four minutes before time, and had actually finished before, the totalisator closed. The Auckland Racing Club appears to have overlooked the rule by allowing the result to stand.

A member of Cabinet recently expressed approval of a suggestion that Government assistance should be afforded to non-totallsator meetings. If it affirms this principle, the Government should take steps to tighten the control of some of these fixtures. The permit for any sports meeting at which horse events are run is issued on the understanding that illegal betting will not be allowed, but the attitude of some non-totalisator clubs is Indicated by the fact that bookmakers are canvassed for subscriptions to the prizefund. .

Davolo 1.~.s been nominated for the Telegraph Handicap as well as the Wellington Cup.

Rebel Lad, who was galloped on at Wingatui, could not race in North Otago, and will miss the Wellington meeting also. Klnnoull will probably make his next appearance at the summer meeting at Rlccarton.

The most successful trainer at the Auckland Racing Club’s meeting was F. Smith (Takanini), who won with Round Up (2), Hot Box (2), Valmito and Inner. F. Smith is not connected with the trotting mentor F. J. Smith, who also is located at Takanini.

The Sydney trotting trainer W. J. O’Shea has expressed the opinion that the New Zealand handicapping system does not encourage public interest in the sport. That may be correct, but the imperfections of the system do not seem to have driven the public away, and its advocates are apt to retort that the Australian method does not seem to have benefitted owners. The best horses race on metropolitan courses there for stakes that at provincial meetings in New Zealand would be scorned even by owners of improvers.

G. Jones, who recently purchased the Cape Hom jumper Patagonia for a Victorian patron, has since selected another horse by that sire. This is Maritime (Cape Hom —Kakawai), bred by Mr W. R. Kemball, and a halfbrother to Lady Ina, Ladyfingers and Sir Wai. He is nine years old, but has seldom raced. Some years back he was in a stable fire and was severely burned, and the wounds have taken a long time to heal. He was put back into work in the spring, and though he has not been started he has given promise.

Seven Derbies have been run in New Zealand and Australia this season, and each has provided a different winner. These were: —A.J.C. Derby, Avenger; V.R.C. Derby, Hua; New Zealand Derby, Royal Chief; Great Northern Derby, Courtcraft, Queensland Derby, Spear Chiaf; Western Australian Derby, Footmark; South Australian Derby, Golden Hill. The yearling costs of these colts were:—Courtcraft, 1200gns; Avenger, 850gns; Hua, 750gns; Spear Chief, 430gns, Royal Chief, 165gns, Golden Hill, 50gns; Footmark was sold privately.

Willow Wave was O. E. Hooper’s first Auckland Trotting Cup winner, but the stable had finished second in earlier years with Linden, Audacious, and Nelson’s Victory. When raced in Southland, Willow Wave was something of an outlaw, and Hooper is entitled to a lot of credit for his reformation. The horse runs In the name of Mr D. Windle, of Gore, but is half owned by Mr W. McDonald, of Edendale, who previously had Satin King in the Hooper stable. Willow Wave was presented to Mr McDonald by Mr Stevenson of Riversdale, on the Stevenson— McMath partnership being dissolved.

Nominations for the principal events at Wellington Racing Club’s summer meeting are:—

WELLINGTON CUP, of £1250; li miles. —Ceme Abbas, Sunee, Padishah, Queen of Song, Lowenberg, Round Up, Wild Chase, Trench Flight, Tiger Gain, Kelly, The Buzzer, The Bigot, Wotan, Argentic, Linguist, Catalogue, Davolo, Lucullus Lad, Siegmund.

TELEGRAPH HANDICAP, of £500; 6 furlongs.—Grey Honour, Lady Ina, Ben Braggie, Top Row, Inver, Paper Slipper, Laughing Lass, Oratory, Suleiman, Pakanui, Davolo, Alunga, Omarere, Triune, High Tea. DOURO CUP, of £400; 1 mile.— Mishna Studley Royal, Relative, Rockingham, Silver Ri”er, Aureaus, Malibu, Good Sun, Top Coat, Noisy Night, rouble Gift, Lickem, Cricket, Lazybones, Night Dress, Dark Red, Salient Knight, Balmenter, Wagner, Quadroon, Tail Light, Lady Montana, Chat, Galteemore, Privy Seal, Agog, Lustral, Sam’s Choice, Le Toquet.