ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21186, 5 November 1938, Page 18

ON AND OFF THE TRACK

A Budget of News And 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—Porbury Park T.C. Dec. 3—Waikato T.C. New Zealand Cup to-day. The V.R.C. spring meeting will be concluded at Flemington to-day. Of all the horses in the New Zealand Cup, none would benefit more from a soft track than Arctic King. Sly Fox. who threatens to be favourite for the New Zealand Cup, has not raced over a longer distance than ten furlongs, and only once over that journey. The biggest dividend in a Stewards’ Handicap was returned by Comic Song, whose backers collected over a century when the Dunedin-owned sprinter scored his first win.

For its annual race meeting, to be held on January 13 and 14, the Vincent Jockey Club has issued an attractive programme, giving £1,435 in stakes in addition to £4lO worth of trophies.

Warstep, who won the Stewards’ Handicap when a three-year-old in 1913, in the next season dead-heated with Indigo in the New Zealand Cup. No other horse has been returned a winner of these two races.

Time was when no New Zealand Cup candidate’s preparation was considered complete without two or three trials at racing speed over a mile and a half. Training methods have changed completely in this regard, and it is seldom that any Cup horse is ridden out over even ten furlongs.

Arrowsmith 9.13 established a weight record for a winner of the Stewards’ Handicap in 1920, and this has remained undisturbed for 18 years. It is worth noting that the 6.7 minimum was in operation when Arrowsmith won. The fastest time for the sprint is 1.10 2-5. made by Glentruin in 1922. and since equalled by Comic Song and Grand Sport.

Logan Derby, who is expected to play a leading part in the decision of the Trotting Cup, has travelled 26,000 miles in a little over three years’ campaigning, and altogether he has won thirty-nine races. He is by Globe Derby from Belle Logan, a New Zea-land-bred mare who was sold for stud purposes to a Tasmanian breeder. Logan Derby has only twice started in a two-mile race.

In to-day’s Cup field there are two horses that have won at two miles, and two that have-finished second over that distance; four that have succeeded over a mile and a half; and several others that have won over ten and eleven furlongs. The fact that a nine-year-old gelding, Argentic, headed the handicap, has been pointed to as proof of the assertion that the field is a weak one, but while there is no Sasanof or Nightmarch engaged the ' average is higher than in some recent years, and the race has seldom looked more open. The Oamaru mare Vanilla won the Stewards’ Handicap in 1895 and again in 1896, and since then Vladimir, Glentruin and Comic Song have registered two victories in the race. Glentriun and Comic Song scored in successive seasons, but there was a gap of two years between Vladimir’s victories. In 1902 he was owned by the Hon. G. McLean, but by 1904 he had passed into the possession of Messrs W. T. and C. L. Hazlett, who at that period were in partnership as owners. Ajax and Royal Chief will meet today over a mile and a half in the Fisher Plate at Flemington. Ajax has not tackled this distance since he was second to Hua in the V.R.C. Derby, and in the interval has had only one run at a mile and a quarter. At his best Royal Chief is probably superior to the Victorian over to-day’s journey, but he has had a strenuous time, while Ajax has been racing over short courses. Royal Chief does not seem to have fully recovered from the toll taken of him at Randwick.