On and Off the Track

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21103, 1 August 1938, Page 10

On and Off the Track

\ BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWIFIXTURES Racing: August 6—Poverty Bay Hunt Club. August 9, 11, 13—Canterbury J.C. Trotting August 6. 10. 12—New Zealand Metropolitan T.C. August 27—Auckland T.C. September 3—New Brighton T.C. A new racing season opens to-day. Acceptances for the first day of the Grand National meeting are due on Thursday. During the last eight seasons horses owned by Sir Charles Clifford have won over £40,000 in stakes, an average of over £5OOO per year. N. C. Trillo met with a slight accident last week, and had to miss the rides on Bryce Street and Kilberis. He will be all right again by National day. Ballybrit did not get far in the Lawford Steeplechase on Saturday. The Balboa gelding is not built to carry weight, and it may be hard to place him at the Grand National fixture. Snowy Dawn showed no disposition to shirk her fences in her race at Riccarton on Saturday and if she is in the humour the Morven mare is almost certain to pay expenses during National Week. No winner of the Homeby Steeplechase during the last ten years has succeeded in the Grand National. Toxeuma (1930) is the only Brabazon winner to score in the Winter Cup during the same period. Hanover (Little England-Spalpeen mare), who won the Rangitikei Hunt Cup, scored again at Awapunl on Saturday, is trained by L. Knapp, a pastmaster with jumpers, and looks a likely sort for more Important races next season. • • • • The richest season experienced by New Zealand owners was 1921-22, when 134 won £lOOO or more. Of these 55 collected over £2OOO, 40 more than £3OOO, and 15 more than £4OOO. Topping the list were G. D. Greenwood £15,150, Sir G. Clifford £11,347, A. B. Williams £11,055, and W. R. Kemball £lO,BOO. Mr R. D. Westenra, who steered Bonnie Rollox in the Homeby Steeplechase at Riccarton on Saturday, will probably be on the Australian gelding in the Grand National. Two years ago, Mr Westenra competed against the professionals by riding Burglar in the Otago Hunt Cup.

Astaire failed to see the journey out with 9.6 in heavy going at the South Canterbury Hunt meeting, but under a lighter scale of weights he scored at Riccarton on Saturday and rewarded his supporters with a nice dividend. The Valkyrian four-year-old has won four times and been placed three times in his only nine starts, and is one of the most promising hacks in sight.

At the annual meeting of the Kurow Jockey Club, Mr A. S. Cambridge was re-elected president and Mr L. Pavlevitch vice-president. A programme for the race meeting in October was drawn up, the stakes being fixed at £740 (Kurow Cup £140). The balance sheet showed that after providing for depreciation amounting to £2l, a loss of £65 was made on last season’s operations. Gold Wren, who won the Lawford Steeplechase at Riccarton, is by Songbird from Goldfire, and is trained at Riverton by J. Thistleton. He showed high ability as a fencer when making his first appearance on his own course at Easter, and has gradually improved in condition. He has been in a place five times in his only six starts, and his proficiency as a jumper should earn him more money next week.

The Canterbury Owners, Breeders and Trainers’ Association has decided to provide opportunities for the public to sign a petition praying the Government to amend the Gaming Act to legalise the use of a double totalisator, publication of dividends ..nd transmission by telegraph of money for investment on the totalisator. The petition will be open for signature during National Week.

“The Grand National Steeplechase was Instituted in 1876, but it was not until 1879 that the race was established with Riccarton as the convincing ground,” quite Incorrectly states a northern paper. The Grand National was instituted in 1875 in Timaru, and

was run at Willowbridge. It was not until 1882 that the race was taken over by the C.J.C. and permanently domiciled at Riccarton.

Apart from her win at Waimate. Alma’s success in the Brabazon Handicap was her first since the Stewards last November. This performance will bring her into increased favour for the Winter Cup, but apart from the hoodoo on the Brabazon winner, the Paper Money mare has not yet succeeded over a longer distance than seven furlongs. Alma’s stable-mate Araboa was last away on Saturday and was never sighted.

The Homeby Steeplechase appears to rule out Bonnie Rollox. Dunmure and High Speed as National prospects. Al! were beaten off at the end of 21 miles, and none looks in form to stay another eight furlongs. Even at his best Bonnie Rollox would be a doubtful National proposition, as his smart form in Victoria was shown in races shorter than 21 miles.

The field in the Lawford Steeplechase at the Christchurch Hunt meeting was quickly reduced to three. Bright Red and Gayfire refused early in the contest, Ballybrit and Conception fell and Chile broke a blood vessel and was pulled up. With a round to go Snowy Dawn and Gold Wren were a long way ahead of Culverden (who did not race up to Washdyke form), and the Riverton gelding beat Snowy Dawn after drawing away from her half a mile from home.

Adopting the same tactics as at Washdyke, Windward’s rider got to the front as soon as possible in the Kennels Handicap at Riccarton, but the extra weight pulled him up a good way from home. Glenacre, another who was prominent early, also faded out. Wagner, who was always well placed, battled on under pressure to win from Happy Night and Drinkup, who deadheated for second. Wagner is a very capable galloper, but is not always as generous as was the case on Saturday.

At Riccarton on Saturday, El Caballo had the services of Mr L. Jones, who won the Amateur Cup at Waimate on Last Post. The change of riders, and favourable treatment in the weights, enabled El Caballo to make amends for his blunder at Washdyke, and the Invercargill hunter led throughout to win by 80 yards from Macalpein. The giant Tomcat cut Harkaway out of third money. Red Sceptre was in second place until he bumped his rider out of the saddle after going about a mile.

It must be countless years since the Cutts’ stable went through a season with only one win by a two-year-old, and that in a maiden plate taken by Scuffle. Last season the stable had eight two-year-old winners who accounted for twelve races. Last year the Chokebore Lodge winnings totalled £10,700; this year the aggregate is £4BOB. Paper Slipper has won £lOBO, Trench Fight £940 and Wild Chase £5BO. Twelve months earlier their season’s returns were £1720, £1215 and £3210 respectively. Until Padishah started in the Longbeach Hurdles on Saturday, all his racing during the last two years had been done on the flat, but, Hastings people say that probably no horse in the country had jumped more fences during that period. Some reports credited the Wellington Cup winner with being a brilliant jumper, but Iddo outclassed him in a school just before he left home. He did not get far on Saturday,, crashing early in the race when a long way behind the rest of the field.

In view of the state of the race track, application was made to the Minister of Internal Affairs, by the Poverty Bay Turf Club, for permission to postpone its meeting to Saturday and Monday, but a reply was received that, in view of the racing year ending on Saturday, the application to hold portion of the meeting next week could not be granted. The club was advised that the meeting set down 'for the current racing year must not extend into the new season, and that if any days were unused during the current period, which closes on Saturday, they must be sacrificed. Clarion Call fulfilled expectations by winning the Homeby Steeplechase on Saturday, but it is likely to be a different story with an extra mile to go in the Grand National. The Hunting Song horse was in charge before a mile had been covered and gave a fine exhibition of Jumping, and it was this that enabled him to beat Bryce Street, whose performance was more in line with his Auckland form. Another horse who appears to be picking up is Nocturnus, whose National chance appears much brighter than it did a week or two ago.