ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21574, 9 February 1940, Page 8

ON AND OFF THE TRACK

A Budget of News And Views . FIXTURES Rac>ng: Feb. 8, 10—Egmont. Feb. 10, 12—Poverty Bay. Feb. 10, 12—Gore. Feb. 10, 12—Rotorua. Feb. 16, 17—Winton. Feb. 17—Tolaga Bay. Feb. 17—Opunake. Feb. 17, 19—Waikato. Feb. 22, 24—Dunedin. Trotting: Feb. 10—Canterbury Park T.C. Feb. 10, 14—Auckland T.C. Feb. 17, 19— Manawatu T.C. Feb. 17—New Brighton T.C.

First race at Addington to-morrow at 12 o’clock.

Nelson Eddy will be a short-priced favourite in the Paparua Handicap at Addington, and backers will be betting on whether he begins correctly. Mr P. Miller, an Australian studmaster has purchased from the Aga Khan the Blenheim—La Doualriere horse Le Grand Due, a three-quarter brother to Blandford.

An unusual feature of the Newmarket Handicap (a £3OOO sprint to be run at Flemington next month) is that four previous winners—Regular Bachelor, Ajax. El Golea, and Aurle’s Star—are engaged.

Reading beat High Caste in both the A.J.C. and Victoria Derbies, but the New Zealand colt is reckoned the better sprinter, and is 51b. higher in the Newmarket weights. Beaulivre is on the same line as Reading.

The Takanini trainer F. Smith scored his 25th win for the season when Gold Money Song succeeded at Matamata. The stable's winnings to date since August 1 were increased to £8571/15/-.

Valamito, whose wind became affected last season, was operated on recently by Dr W. C. Ring, and Is back In training with F. Smith at Takanini. Valamito was a good stake-earner last season.

Milestone let his backers down at Washdyke in December, and he was unsuccessfull at Epsom, but he will be in strong demand for the opening event at Addington. His failure at the Timaru meeting was disappointing ,but at Auckland he was giving away a lot of time to start.

The C.J.C. has granted the Amberley Club permission to use the Rlccarton course for its meeting on May 4, and the approval of the Conference and the Minister is now being sought. There are likely to be applications of a similar nature In many places while the petrol restrictions remain in force.

The West Australian trotting authorities fixed a limit of 30 starteis for the inter-dominion series—three heats of 10 over each distance. As 18 outside horses were acceptors, that left 12 vacancies to be filled in the West. Among the 12 were Tempest. Cloudy Range and Golden Cross. Supertax and Grand Mogul were credited to New Zealand.

Siegmund runs so many indifferent races, and as a result drops so comparatively low in the weights at times, that one is apt to forget that he has been a big stake-earner. Up till the end of the Wanganui meeting he had started 99 times, and had won 15 races. Among his successful ventures were two Wanganui Cups, a Great Autumn, and Wellington Summer Handicap, and altogether he had collected £4895.

Among the entries for the Hazlett Cup, in which Defaulter is engaged, are Slamannan and Race Call. Slamannan is a maiden, who is weighted on the minimum in novice events; and Race Call’s form in the north would entitle him to receive three or four stone from Defaulter In a handicap.

There are few better-looking horses in the land now than Density. Since she raced in the spring the Pink Coat mare has thickened out Into a handsome individual, and she has a sound set of legs to carry her muscular top. Denise, dam of Density, after producing three fillies, has now a nice colt foal to Pink Coat.

When it was arranged that the Duke of Kent was to become GovernorGeneral of Australia he was presented with two English horses to race in the Commonwealth. The horses were sent out to Melbourne before the war brought about cancellation of the appointment. They have now been sold, and Dhoto is to carry the colours of Mr E. A. Underwood and Greenwich those of Mrs E. L. Buxton.

Norseman, top-weight in the Racing Club Handicap at Gore with 9.0, carried only 7.6 when he dead-heated with Silver Streak on the same course in the spring. Since then, however, he has won the Jockey Club Handicap, w'as second in the Metropolitan, won the St. Andrews' Handicap at Wingatui, and recently finished second in a main event at Trentham.

On her win in an open race at Wairoa, Hui looks to be-something of a certainty for the Harbour Hack Handicap at Gisborne. From the weight allotted her Hui seems capable of winning more than one race at the meeting, and she will be at a short price if she runs to-day. Starting favourite and winning are not always synonymous, however.

H. Dulleu completed the sale of Life Guard to a Greymouth owner. Life Guard, who has raced most consistently in useful sprint company this season, is booked for West Coast meetings and he should be a great proposition on the small tracks in that district. He will remain with Dulieu at New Plymouth until after the Opunake meeting.

Second in the New Zealand Cup last year and third in the Metropolitan Handicap, Capricious was still not able to qualify for the Wellington Cup. The Dunedin Cup Is her next mission and she will be fancied. Considering her form it is surprising that this four-year-old Night Raid—Egotism mare iias not won a race this season, her record being five seojnds and two thirds in nine starts.