ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21216, 10 December 1938, Page 18

ON AND OFF THE TRACK

A Budget of News And Views FIXTURES Racing Dec. 10—Hororata R.C. Dec. 10, 12—Woodville District J.C. Dec. 17—Waipa R.C. Dec. 24, 26, 27—Manawalu RC. Dee. 26—Waipukurau J.C. Dec. 26. 27—Dunedin J-C Dec. 26. 27—Taranaki J.C. Dec. 26. 28. Jan. 2, 3—Auckland RC Dec. 28—Westland R.C. Trotting Dec. 10—Waikato T.C. Dec. 26—Ashburton T.C. Dec. 26—Wairarapa T C. Dec. 26—Gore T.C Dec. 26, 27—Westport T.C. Dec. 27. 29. 31 —Auckland T.C. Dec. 29—Reefton T.C. Dec. 31—Winton T.C. Hororata races to-day. Gay Son, weighted at 8.9 in the Oete Handicap at Woodville, has been weighted at 9.1 in a much stronger field at the Waipa meeting.

A 10-day-old filly by Quite Sure from Biddy Parrish was sold by its breeder for £2oo—the purchaser being Mrs M. Baird, of Wallacetown, the owner of Blue Logan. Defaulter’s connection missed nominating him for the two weight-for-age races at Ellerslie, but the Derby colt has been entered for the Christmas Handicap, to be run on Boxing Day. Birthday Boy is being worked at Ellerslie as if the Auckland Cup was to be his mission. The Limond horse failed at the end of the Alison Cup. and on that form hardly looks likely to be Limond’s first two-mile winner. The New Zealand-owned and Sydney-trained and raced Miltiades is among those who survived forfeit for the Great Northern Derby, so apparently it is possible that he may come back to race in New Zealand during the holidays. On ratio of best time to handicap mark. Bexley Girl has a pronounced pul) over all the other acceptors for the main event at Claudelands to-day. Her 4.20 certainly was recorded on clay at Addington, but after allowance is made for that she looks as near a certainty as possible in pacing.

Judged by the manner in which he won the \ ening' event at Claudelands last week. Iron Man has a future as a trotter. This was his debut at the trotting gait, but he never made any mistake to win very comfortably, a fine performance seeing that it was a long time since he had had a race at

The Bulandshar filly Nora Gregor, who has registered two wins, a second and a third in her six starts to date, has been having an easy time since the New Zealand Cup meeting, but she is being kept going in light work and will not be allowed to go back in condition. Her next race will be at the Wellington summer meeting.

Sea Gift and Peggotty have been matched over a mile and a half, the contest to take place at Greymouth at New Year. Both trotters are nominated for the Winslow Handicap at Ashburton, and if Sea Gift happened to give the Hinds mare a start and beat her on Boxing Day. the match would lose some of its attraction.

One of the most interesting races at Ellerslie on Boxing Day i's certain to be the Great Northern Foal Stakes. Usually one or two youngsters stand out in this event, but this year there are several who can be rated as having excellent prospects, these including Winning Rival,, Beaulivre. Konneta, High Caste, Anopheles, Submission and Foxmond.

Bill B is tile only Canterbury-trained horse nominated for the Gore Trotting Cup. The favourite for this event is likely to be Gold Bank, who has won

three races in lhe south during the last two months. The Worthy Bond gelding has not yet essayed a twomile journey, but he has succeeded over twelve furlongs from a back mark in a manner which indicated ability to stay.

Silver Link, a daughter of Achilles and Secret Link, contested the Auckland Railway Handicap on four occasions. As a three-year-old, she ran third to Nanna and Gazique. The following year she was second to Tigritiya. At her third essay she was again second, the winner being Statuette, while in 1921, at her fourth attempt, she succeeded from Anomaly and The Hawk.

Backers at the Waikato Trotting Club’s meeting at Claudelands will have last Saturday’s form to guide them, but there will probably be over a score of fresh horses, and a nontotalisator attraction will be an exhibition of unhoppled pacing >y Lawn Derby and Nervie’s Last, who will attempt to break Lawn Derby's New Zealand grass record of 2.3 and Nervie’s Last’s 2.4 1-5 for Auckland province.

The big Paladin-Sweet Memory gelding Paladino, who was trained at Invercargill by R. E. McLellan for Mr G. Scott, of Central Otago, has had to be destroyed, owing to a fractured knee. When first trained at Wingatui. Paladino showed a lot of speed, and he won a novice event at Wyndham in runaway fashion. Unsoundness caused his retirement for a year or two, but last season he worked his way to near the top of the handicaps in open class in Southland, and he established a provincial record for a mile when he won at Winton in the r.utumn.