RACING AND TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21184, 3 November 1938, Page 12

RACING AND TROTTING

ON AND OFF THE TRACK ; 1 A Budget of News And w 1 Views FIXTURES Racing Nov. 4, s—Whangarei R.C. Nov. s—Napier Park R.C. ; Nov. 5,7, 9, 12—Canterbury J.C. Nov. 12—Napier Park R.C. , Nov. 12, 14—Avondale J.C. Nov. 19—Levin R.C. Nov. 19—Southland R.C. Nov. 19, 21—Waikato R.C. | Nov. 26—Ashburton County R.C. ; Nov. 26, 28—Auckland R.C. , Nov. 26, 28—Feilding R.C. Trotting Nov. s—Thames T.C. ; Nov. 8. 10, 11—N.Z. Metropolitan T.C Nov. 19 —Wellington T.C. Nov. 24, 26—Forbury Park T.C. Dec. 3—Waikato T.C. It is understood that the Gore spring , meeting resulted in a profit o£ about ; £lBOO. R. B. Berry will drive Parisienne in the Trotting Cup. while D. C. Watts will steer Lucky Jack. Harold Logan has arrived at New Brighton to attempt to win a third Trotting Cup. Further riding engagements for the New Zealand Cup are A. E. Bennett for Boomerang and A. Messervy for Rousseau. P. Atkins will have the mount on Beau Livre in the Welcome Stakes, and Nora Gregor will be ridden by B. H, Morris. The Cup meeting at Flemington will be continued to-day. The feature events are the Linlithgow Plate (one mile) and the Oaks. A. E. Didham will ride Kinnoull in the Stewards' Handicap. He will also be on the Washdyke colt Gold Salute in the Welcome Stakes. Under the new Gaming Act in New South Wales, it is illegal to publish pirate race-cards. As a result of the ban, sales of official books have increased by 50 per cent or more. The non-acceptance of Grand Mogul has left Mr G. J. Barton without a representative in the Trotting Cup. The only assignment of Indianapolis at the meeting is in the Free-for-All. In the Williamstown Cup, to be run on Saturday week, Ajax has been weighted at lib above Royal Chief. The distance is 11 miles. Royal Chief will leave for home after the Williamstown meeting. • . • • It is unlikely that Catalogue carried as much money in the Melbourne Cup as Wotan did two years ago, but he started at about a quarter of the odds. Australian bookmakers now showing an unwholesome respect for “those New Zealanders.” New Zealand winner of the Melbourne Cup are Martini-Henry, Carbine, Apologue, Sasanof, Nightmarch, Phar Lap, Wotan and Catalogue. The number of other winners with New Zealand blood in their veins has been even greater.

Nothing was heard at this year’s Melbourne Cup of Shadow King, who started in the race six times—third in 1930, second 1931, third 1932, second 1933, fourth 1935 and unplaced 1936. Last year he was again on the course, as a policeman’s hack. F. J. Smith’s team for Addington, including King’s Warrior, Ironside and Nervie’s Last, is en route to the south but the trainer has remained behind to drive Van Derby, who will be a hot favourite in the chief event at Thames on Saturday. Smith will follow by air liner on Sunday. The Melbourne Cup was not always run by the Victoria Racing Club, but in 1861, 1862 and 1863 was promoted by an organisation styled the Victroia Turf Club. Owners provided most of the stake in the early years, seventeen starters paying £2O each in the inaugural races, for which the Club gave only £2OO. Ortelle’s Star, who carried a Moonee Valley penalty into third place in the Melbourne Cup, seems to owe her stamina more to Musket blood inherited from her dam than to her sire. She is by Great Star (a Sunstar horse) from Lady Ortelle (by Wallace Isinglass). This horse is by Wallace, Carbine's best Australian son. The transfer from Sydney to Melbourne of Lynch Law does not seem to have worked any improvement in the Limond horse. Exceptionally brilliant in his two-year-old year, Lynch Law promised to develop into a high-grade performer but he had to be spelled owing to unsoundness, and since he resumed racing he has never shown signs of a comeback. Mrs A. Jamieson, in whose colours Catalogue won the Melbourne Cup, is a daughter of Mr R. Reay, an old-time Canterbury jockey and trainer. R. Reay won the first of five New Zealand Derbies on Defamation in 1871, and the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap (now New Zealand Cup) in 1870. He was on the Waimate horse also when he won the Canterbury Cup in 1868.

Bourbon, runner-up in the Melbourne Cup, is by Tippler, a sire of speed, but his dam is Spearfoot, by Spearhead out of Battle Scene (a Martian mare with which S. Trilford won a Great Easter for Mr G. Fulton). In addition to his Martian blood, Bourbon has three strains of Musket in his pedigree. Although Tippler had not previously produced a stayer, he was got by Polymelus ’ from a Swynford mare.

As a result of their smart sprint at Riccarton on Tuesday, Counterblast and Paper Slipper have come into increased favour for the Stewards’ Handicap, and the bracket will undoubtedly be No. 1 selection. Counterblast, had she been nominated as a three-year-old, would have had more weight than she has received this year, and Paper Slipper, only a five-year horse, is weighted nearly a stone below his form of a year ago.

Three years ago Wotan, who was in the hack class in New Zealand, won the Melbourne Cup. Last year Willie Win was second, and probably would have won but for a check in his preparation. Neither of these horses has done much good since its return home. This year Catalogue, a middle-distance performer, has triumphed over Australia’s stayers. It seems that we have been entertaining exaggerated ideas of the class of horse required to win the Cup.

No three-year-old has been placed in any of the last five Melbourne Cups. The Derby winner Hua was eighth last year, and Nuffield did not do even that well. Apparently Nuffie'.d is only the best of a moderate lot, and not the champion he was proclaimed to be. In the Derby he was flat out to beat Tempest, who just previously had scraped home against a poor field at Caulfield. Tempest had eight successive wins to his credit prior to the Derby, but seven were gained in South Australia, and the one in Victoria did not enhance his reputation.

Lawn Derby has made a good impression at Addington, but that is no more than was to be expected. The Australian crack is set a stiff task in the Cup, not so much in the limit as in the number of horses in front, though this applies in equal measure to Parisienne, Lucky Jack and Pot Luck. Lawn Derby is usually a reliable though not fast beginner, but in in his races in Australia he is always a long way behind his opponents and has no disturbing factors to contend with. An unhoppled pacer will not be so well placed in a congested field.

Zonda, who by her successes in the Debutante Stakes at Caulfield and the Mimosa Stakes at Flemington has proved herself Victoria’s best two-year-old filly, is raced by ex-New Zealander A. Robertson and trained by his brother Lou. Zonda is by Manitoba, and is one of that sire’s first crop of foals. The Robertsons were originally trotting men, and settled in Victoria in charge of the Allandale Stock Farm, but for years now thye have been associated with the galloping sport. Andrew on the breeding side and Lou as trainer. L. Robertson won the Melbourne Cup with Marabou, and is one of the leaders in his calling.

Horses bred in New Zealand have been responsible for a remarkable record in the Melbourne Cup over the last ten years. In 1928, Nightmarch, Paquito and Phar Lap filled all the places. In 1929, Phar Lap was first and Second Wind second. In 1930 Concentrate finished third, but had the race in hand when he broke down in the last furlong. Gaine Carrington was third in the next Cup; Wotan won in 1936, Willie Win was second in 1937, and Catalogue prevailed this year. Four wins, four seconds and two thirds in ten years is an extraordinary performance, and with a pinch of luck the number of victories might have been six.

Members of the Bryce and Holmes families can claim wonderful records where the New Zealand Trotting Cup is concerned. J. Bryce senr. drove Cathedral Chimes to victory in 1916, and he was behind Ahuriri when the son of Cathedral Chimes won in 1925 and again in 1926. His fourth success came per medium of Red Shadow in 1933. Two of his sons have carried off the honours with horses trained by their father. J. Bryce junr. winning with Great Hope in 1923, and A. Bryce with Kohara in 1927. The first success credited to the Holmes family came in 1919 when F. Holmes piloted Trix Pointer, and two sons have steered winners in the big contest. M. Holmes scoring with Wrackler in 1930, and A. Holmes with Harold Logan two years later. A third member of the family, F. G. Holmes, drove Sherwood to victory in the 1921 contest, but lost the race on a protest.