ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21575, 10 February 1940, Page 11

ON AND OFF THE TRACK

A Budget of News And Views FIXTURES Racing: Feb. 10—Egmont R.C. Feb. 10, 12 —Poverty B.iy T.C Feb. I), 12— Gore R..C. Feb. ,J, 12—Rotorua R.C. Feb. 16, 17—Winton J.C. Feb, 17—Tolaga Bay J.C. Feb. 17—Opunake R.C. Feb. 17, 19—Waikato R.C. Feb. 22, 24—Dunedin J.C. Feb. 24—Waiapu R.C. Feb. 24, 26—Westland R.C. Feb. 24, 26—Te Aroha J.C. Feb. 24, 26—Woodville J.C. 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. Mar. 2—lnvercargill T.C. Mar. 9—Tlmaru T.C. Mar. 16—Wyndham T.C. Mar. 16—Taranaki T.C. Mar. 16—Cheviot T.C.

First race at Addington at noon. The Gore Summer meeting will begin to-day.

His trainer F. Voight will ride Heidelberg in the Longford Handicap at Gore.

Fields will be uneven in size at Addington to-day, the number of acceptors varying from sig to 25.

There will be racing this afternoon at Gore, Hawera, Gisborne and Rotorua; and trotting at Addington and A uckland.

It is reported that mainly as a result of rain and the petrol restrictions, there will be a deficit of £lBO on the Tapanul meeting.

Betting systems to-day:—Win and place, Addington, Gore. Auckland, Hawera and Rotorua; Single pool, Gisborne.

Last year there were only six starters in the Dunedin Cup, the reason for this being the presence of Royal Chief, who ultimately finished last. There is no big bad wolf in this year’s race, and an entry, of twenty should yield at least a dozen runners.

Backed and beaten on Wednesday, Old Serpent, an English horse in J. Holt's stable, started and won at 20 to 1 at Caulfield three days later. There was a demonstration, a section of backers apparently believing that more than the horse had been wise.

The winner of the Hinuera Hack Handicap at Matamata. Lady Clorane is by Lord Warden from Clorane, a mare bred by the late Mr H. A. Knight, who raced Limerick, Ballymena and others. She should be heard of again before long.

All eyes and ears will be on Williamstown (Vic.) this afternoon if Ajax is produced in the C. F. Orr Stakes. Unless he has been speeded up within the last week, the champion has not done much fast work since his spell, and as High Caste is expected to be a competitor he will require to be ready if he is to escape defeat.

Crucible, the only South Island representative in the Great Northern Trotting Derby, is a filly by Jack Potts from Antelope, and is owned by J. D. Smith. She finished fourth In a handicap at Rangiora In October, and was not produced again until she made two appearances (In one of which she was third) at Hutt Park. Crucible is a promising pacer, and should get some of the money at Auckland.

Ucnuku, with Main Derby, was lending on points at the end of the first day of the inter-dominion meeting at Perth. These points are merely qualifying points for the grand final, and the horse with the highest aggregate at the end of the series will not necessarily be styled champion, as was the case when Parisienne won at Addington. The title, and half the first prize in the final, goes to the horse whose performances are adjudged to have been best, irrespective of wins. At this stage Lawn Derby has the best performance, and can be regarded as leading for the championship.

If New Zealand does not continue to breed stayers it will not be because breeders are not Importing sires with the right blood. Martian, Kilbroney and others har e gone, but their daughters are breeding in and there are plenty of mares with Musket and St. Simon blood. Among the sires imported during recent years are Baffles Bulandshar, Blandonlan and SolicitorGeneral. all by Blandford; Foxbudge, Foxlight, Posterity, Siegfried, of the Son-in-law family; Defoe, Lord Warden, Hunting Song, by Hurry On; Man’s Pal by Manna; Tiderace by Fairway; Salmagundi, Phaleron Bay and Myosotes by Phalaris; Night Raid, by Radium; Lord Quex by Lemberg; St. Boswell’s and Vermeer by Solareo, and others.

Inspired or assisted by some northerners. a few Australians continue to make a noise concerning the New Zealand assessments of Springfield Globe. A typical comment is that “Springfield Globe, who was harshly treated by the handicapper in the Auckland Trotting Cup, is one of Australia's champion pacers.” the horse was assessed by the Association s committee, not by the Auckland handicapper; and anyway the complainan.s cannot have it both ways. Springfield Globe was rated on 4.28. a fairly loose mark in this country. If he is a champion he should be able to make a show off 4.24; if 4.28 is too tight, lie is not in the champion class.

So far Nelson Eddy has starred as a sprinter, and has won only one twomiler. the John Hole Memorial. That was run in 4.31, and plenty of people will require further proof of stamina before accepting him as a slayer. There is not much doubt that later on this will be forthcoming, The biack horse has shown something exceptional in private, and the problem for his admirers is not so much whether he can stay, as whether he will begin. His sire. Nelson Derby, won an Auckland Cup; and his dam Lady Bee (also dam of Pilot Peter) is a daughter of Lady Sybil (Rothschild—Thelma). Thelma’s progeny included Wildwood junior (twice winner of the Trotting Cup), Marie Corelle, Authoress (dam of Author Dillon), Adonis, Waverley (sire of Willow Wave), and Cameos. Free Advice is a granddaughter of Thelma. With such lineage, it would be strange It Nelson Eddy lacked stamina.

After driving at Addington to-day, R. B. Berry plans to fly to Auckland to drive Diamond Jim in the two-year-old race at Epsom on Monday. Diamond Jim is by Great Jewel from Mountain Dell, and is reputed to be as smart as his breeding suggests.

W. J. Broughton, who failed in his appeal to the Wellington district committee against his two months’ suspension, has now lodged a further appeal with the Racing Conference, and the case will be heard by the Conference appeal judges on February 16.

An interesting newcomer having his first race at Matamata was the two-year-old Agricola. He is by SolicitorGeneral out of Gay Marigold, and is a first foal by his dam who was a fine performer in her day. He comes from a great family, for Gay Marigold is a half-sister to King March, Limarch and Birthday Boy, while his great granddam March produced Te Kara, twice a winner of the Auckland Cup.

If they all start, Huguenot, Nagarrie, Palomal, King’s Jubilee and Axspear will be coupled on the machine in the Pioneer Handicap at Addington. This is due in part to the horses in R. B. Berry's stable having to be bracketed with those trained by L. C. Maidens, owing to a contingency existing in connection with Palomar. If Palomar is withdrawn, the position might be changed.

Though Beau Vite would appear to have the two St. Legers in the Dominion at his mercy, Mr Ralph Stewart has now decided to send his champion back to Australia for the autumn racing. Mr Stewart believes that the colt was not seen to his full advantage in the Commonwealth during the spring, and he is anxious that he should have the opportunity of showing himself the champion three-year-old of the season in Australia and New Zealand. Tentative plans have been made to ship Beau Vite across the Tasman during the next fortnight. He will enter the stable of Frank McGrath at Kensington, and after a few days' rest in Sydney he will be sent down to Melbourne, where his first race will probably be in the V.R.C. St. Leger, 13 miles, on the second day of the V.R.C. meeting (March 5).

It is the duty of racing clubs, at least those that are financial —and most of them are—to do their utmost to keep the sport flourishing during the days of tri<fl, for they would never have attained their present status if it had not been for the support they have received from owners and others who in the final analysis supply the financial sinews with which the game has been and will always be conducted (says a Wellington paper). Programmes recently issued for some coming meetings disclose reductions in stake offerings. It is unfortunate that these executives have commenced so soon to retrench, as in very few cases are stake reductions at present justified. Clubs that are shutting down on stakes must be accepting a premise that their turnover is certain to show a decline. The better time to start any reduction in this direction is after experiencing declines at one or two meetings. Those clubs that maintain their stakes while there is still a chance of Investments showing an increase, or at least of equalling last season’s figures, are those that will secure the support of owners. Horses must be raced while they are in training, and naturally the prizes that tempt are those that are the best winning. H. Nurse put Palmyra in work some time ago but she does not look as if she would stand a preparation. So it is unlikely he will persevere much longer. She may make a good brood mare, as she comes from a very successful family.

Among the most persistent opponents of the handicapping system is the trotting writer for the "New Zealand Herald,” who writes:—“Unavailing efforts to have the matter clarified have not weakened the conviction of the executive of toe Auckland Owners, Trainers and Breeders’ Association that there is imperative need for amendments to the handicapping system. The opinion of members that the penalties arranged on stakes basis for the guidance of handicappers are not in the interests of smaller clubs was demonstrated so forcibly at Wanganui that Dr. G. J. Adams, president of the club, and an executive member of the Trotting Conference, forwarded a strong protest to the Handicapping Committee on the subject. Dr Adams expressed the opinion that country clubs, it they wished to preserve their identity as a racing force, should support the Auckland Owners' Association in its advocacy for the release of the table of stakes on which the penalties were based. The position has become serious and the local association will hold a general meeting during the progress of the Auckland club's coming carnival, to which representatives of the various clubs will be Invited, to further discuss the problem. The association has been espousing the cause practically singlehanded, but in some measure this is due to delay in linking the North and South Island organisations into a concrete body to tackle such Important matters. The Waikato association has expressed similar views on the situation, and an early joining of Auckland provincial forces is anticipated. If the movement is to succeed it must have the suport of the clubs most concerned, and the lead given by the Wanganui president could be followed by others with advantage. Just why the Handicapping Committee should have any objection to supplying clubs with the table of stakes, with penalties, is difficult to understand, as is the decision that the information sought is confidential. If clubs were given the facts stakes and limits could be arranged suitably, although the line system, with its heavy penalties at two miles, which is applicable to non-stayers, will remain unsatisfactory. Handicaps are framed in every sport for the purpose of giving competitors equal opportunity to succeed. but in some respects this does not appear to exist under the trotting handicapping regulations.”

No tobacco! Can you picture what it would mean to millions of people if the world's supply of tobacco were suddenly and for ever cut off and no more could be had for love or money? Airily classed by this government and that as a mere “luxury”—tobacco has yet become almost as necessary as food to most people. Fortunately there is no danger of such a catastrophic state of things eventuating as a world without its weed. The huge output is constantly increasing; demand creates supply. Happily for Maorilanders some of the choicest leaf is grown and manufactured right here in New Zealand. Visiting experts and connoisseurs who have sampled the five popular brands. Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog). Riverhead Gold, Desert Gold, Cavendish and Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead) have pronounced them equal, if not superior to, the finest tobacco produced in other lands with the added advantage (an enormous one) that they are practically without nicotine—eliminated bv toasting in the process of manufacture, so that they are powerless to harm even the most inveterate smoker