RACING AND TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21839, 17 December 1940, Page 9

RACING AND TROTTING

ON AND OFF THE TRACK A Budget of News And Views Racing Dec. 21— Manawatu R.C. Dec. 26—Waipukurau J.C. Dec. 26, 28— Manawatu R.C. Dec. 26, 28—Taranaki J.C. Dec. 26, 28—Dunedin J.C. Dec. 26, 30, Jan. 1, 2—Auckland R.C. Dec. 28—Westland R.C. Jan. I—Wyndham R,C. Jan. I—Waikouaiti R.C. Jan. 1, 2—Hawke’s Bay J.C. Jan. 1, 2—Wairarapa R.C. Jan. 1, 2—Stratford R.C. Jan. 1, 2—Greymouth J,O. Jan. 1, 2—Marton J.C. Jan. 2—Oamaru J.C, Jan. 2, 3—Southland R.C. Trqtting Dec. 21—Reefton T.C. Dec. 26—Ashburton T.C. Dec. 26—Gore T.C. Dec. 26, 27—Westport T.C. Dec. 27, 28, 31—Auckland T.C. Dec. 28—Winton T.C, Jan. 1, 2—Canterbury Park T.C. Jan. 4, 6—Greymouth T.C. Acceptances for the Gore Trotting Club’s meeting are due to-day. Hunting Cat, who is in the Manawatu Cup, won the race five years ago. Auria's Star has been rehandicapped to 48 behind in the Wakanui Handicap at Ashburton. Night Eruption, who was runner-up to Sir Crusoe at Otaki, usually races best at Awapuni, and she may be worth notice there this week. • • • • Scarteen has been raised to 8.0 in the Salisbury Handicap at Dunedin, and Circular Note to 7.9 in the Milburn Handicap.

Duncannon was gelded last week, and he will not be racing again for some time.

Llandaff has been scratched for the Railway Handicap at the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting. Old Bill will not be paid up for in the Manawatu Cup, and will be sent to Auckland this week.

The Buzzer is an unlikely visitor to Ellerslie this month, and it is Intended to race him at Awapuni and adjacent courses.

It is unlikely that Black Thread will race at Awapuni next week, and the favourites in the Fitzherbert Handicap will probably include Sir Crusoe, Sir Beau and Wings of Song.

Beau Vite is booked to leave Trentham for Auckland on Friday. He has shaken off the muscle stiffness due to his travelling from Melbourne, and it is intended to start him in the Auckland Cup. Great Night, who had been trained at Riccarton by A. J. Martin, has gone to Trentham and is in T. R. George's stable. Mr R. J. Murphy has sent the two-year-old Lady Nottava to replace her in Martin’s team.

In addition to Mr B. Nausbaum’s appeal against his life disqualification Mr S. Nausbaum, who is in partnership with his son, has appealed against the disqualification of the horses raced by the partnership.

The New Zealand Three-year-old Championship, which is to be run at the Timaru Trotting Club’s meeting in January, is attracting Dominionwide attention, and is being discussed with approval in papers which do not customarily publish trotting news. Surveyor General, who is unbeaten in three starts to date, is to do his racing at New Plymouth and Stratford. At the latter meeting he has been nominated for open sprint events, and wherever he is started he will attract attention.

City Song’s win at Otaki was richly deserved, as she had been building up a record for consistency, without earning much money, like that of her halfsister Laughing Song. City Song won a small stake at Gisborne, but six other starts this season had resulted in four thirds and a fourth. A number of horses not nominated for the Wingatui meeting have been engaged at the Oamaru and Waikouaiti fixtures. They include Trench Fight, Cymric, Symbol, Dranoel, Knight Commander, Papernilla, Invincible, Master Flash, Lockheed, Lord Midas, Gay Parade, Rebel Star, Erambie. and King’s Toast.

There are indications that Belle Cane will be favourite for the Manawatu Cup, and if she were to win she would be the first three-year-old to do so. The form horse looks to be Little Robin, whose third in the New Zealand Cup and second in the Metropolitan were an excellent recommendation for a mile and half race. The entry of only eight horses for the hurdles races at Dunedin made the outlook dubious for these events at Invercargill, but, in addition to the eight nominated at Dunedin, six others have been included. The Southland Racing Club is the only one in the province which puts hurdle races on its programmes, although several Others provide for steeplechases.

Thirty-eight hacks have been nominated for the Rosedale Handicap at Invercargill. The safety number is 19, but a division is unlikely to be called for. Half the nominees are maidens, most of which have been entered in the hope that their form in the interval will justify their inclusion, and only a few will make the grade. , Molly Direct was not produced at the Waikato meeting but there is nothing amiss with the daughter of Jack Potts, and she is a certain starter in the Auckland Trotting Cup. This mare has won at her last three appearances over a mile and a quarter, and as she has previously shown that she possesses stamina she is probably the best of the Auckland lot if Josedale Grattan is not ready. She will be driven by her trainer, M. Stewart.

If the Nausbaum disqualification is not lifted, Nigger Boy, rated as the Dominion’s No. 1 sprinter by the Auckland handicapper, will have to do utility work in future, and his value will be negligible. The case will be different with Sleeveless, as her stud value may be considerable. By Valkyrian, she is out of Chivalry and descends from Lady Lillian and Lady Zetland. This family has been remarkably successful, and has produced many winners of big races.

The Manawatu Cup, known for the first four years of its history as the Palmerston Cup, dates from Boxing Day, 1892. It has been the star item of the club’s summer meeting ever since, and, though the best class of stayer is usually missing because of the clash with the Auckland Cup meeting, many good horses have won the race and a number have gone on to score in the Wellington Cup, over the same distance, a month later. The last two years and this year have not been the only occasions on which the Manawatu Club has opened its meeting prior to Christmas, for this was done from 1907 to 1910 inclusive, but in those years the Manawatu Cup itself was rserved for Boxing Day. Never before has there been a gap of five days between the Manawatu and Auckland Cups.

TIMARU TROTTING CLUB MEETING OF COMMITTEE Advice that the New Zealand Trotting Association had approved the programme for the summer meeting to be held on January 11, 1941, was received at a meeting of the committee of the Timaru Trotting Club last night. Referring to the New Zealand Championship for three-year-old pacers and/or trotters (harness) for a stake of £4OO, the president, Mr E. Macdonald, complimented Messrs A. B. Annand and W. A. Piddington on sponsoring the idea of Including such an event in the programme, which should prove a very popular attraction. The action of the Emergency Committee in increasing the stakes for the meeting from £1750 to £2OOO was confirmed. The following additional officials were appointed: Judicial Committee, Messrs E. Macdonald, J. Gilmore, W. Connelly, J. F. Montague and A. J. Parris; pay-out stewards, Messrs Macdonald and Gilmore and the stipendiary steward; birdcage and dismount steward, Mr L. T. Wood; starter’s assistants, Messrs R. Dawe and W. Dingwall; gate stewards, Messrs W. A. Piddington, A. J. Parris, J. Clay, J. F. Montague, W. Connelly and A. Anderson. Mr J. Simmons (Makiklhi) was elected a member of the club. The secretary, Mr H. H. Fraser, reported that a telegram had been forwarded to the United Friendly Society Picnic Commitee, Oamaru, offering to give £lO to its funds provided the date of the picnic to Timaru was altered from January 18 to January 11, the day of the summer meeting.—The offer had been accepted. A motion of thanks was accorded to Mr Annand in appreciation of his successful representations to the Picnic Committee. The meeting was attended by the president, Mr E. Macdonald, and Messrs A. B. Annand, M. H. Richards, L. T. Wood, A. J. Parris, J. C. South, W. A. Piddington, J. F. Montague and J. Gilmore. RICCARTON NOTES EARLY PROSPECTS (Special to “The Timaru Herald ") CHRISTCHURCH, December 16.

The Lady Zetland family was again brought into prominence by two of the winners at Hororata on Saturday. Princess Minerva, who had her first success when she wore Dranoel down in the highweight event, is a four-year-old by Nightmarch from Studley Royal’s dam, Red Queen, by All Red from Lady Victoria (dam of the New Zealand Cup winner, Royal Star), by Pilgrim's Progress from Lady Lillian. The other representative, Knight Commander, is a seven-year-old by Nightmarch, while his dam, Arrowlet (sister to Minerval), is by Arrowsmith from Lady Minerva, by Martian from Lady Lillian. A year ago Knight Commander looked on the way to good staying class, but he followed up two wins at Riccarton with some disappointing efforts. He came back this season with more failures, but now that he has struck form, he is likely to win more races while the tracks are firm. He may win again during the holidays, Princess Minerva has the family stamina and she may go on gradually to better class. Scarteen broke a long spell of bad luck when he won the Hororata Hack Handicap. Nearly a year ago he captured a double at the Dunedin summer meeting, those being his only successes until last Saturday. He is a four-year-old brother to Vintage and there have been times when it was hoped he would emulate the deeds of his famous relative. Scarteen has never been an easy horse to train and when he did go to the races he seemed to meet more than his share of trouble. More than the usual interest attached to his latest performance. For some time past he has made a noise when galloping, encouraging a strong opinion that his wind was seriously affected. His owner (Mr D. W. Westenra) and his trainer (Mrs J. Campbell) have consistently opposed this theory, and his win at Hororata, where he was going away from his opponents at the end of a mile and a quarter, has left them with all the best of the argument. There are hopes yet that Scarteen will go on to good form over a distance in open company.. In the meantime, he is booked for another trip to Wingatui this month, with prospects of adding to his record. Sweet Mystery has disappointed many times but I thought his turn‘had come when she had the measure of Lockheed a hundred yards from home in the Novice Stakes at Hororata. Then up flashed two fresh horses with a late rush, first Greenbank and then Night Shift heading her off in the last couple of strides. It is probable this was the last race for Sweet Mystery, who may now be retired to the stud. Her owner, Mr C. Holdsworth, had her colours out earlier in the day, when Erambie had her first race. This Iliad-Chiefava three-year-old shaped very creditably to fill second place in the Trial Plate, as she was one of the pacemakers all the way and only Circular Note beat her home. The race will benefit Erambie and F. D. Jones may turn her out to win a stake very soon. Iceland Spar was not suited by the turns at Hororata, but after drifting in the early stages he came home solidly to beat all but Scarteen. Though he will not be raced during the holidays, Iceland Spar may be a winner early in the New Year. Gold Don should be kept in mind for his holiday engagements in the south, starting off with a mile hack race at Wingatui. He was unlucky at Hororata, where he lost ground at the start and then had to move to the outside for the final run in the short straight. It was a brilliant dash, which failed by the narrowest margin, and his form looked very good. Shanghai Lily tailed the field most of the way in the Hororata Hack Handicap. Her knees have caused trouble, so she will be handicapped while the tracks are hard, but Greymouth and Reefton may provide conditions to suit her. Night Shift has improved out of sight and he was a trifle unlucky to miss a win at Hororata, where Greenbank just beat him, after a fortunate run. F. Christmas should win some races with Night Shift on the West Coast, Soreness prevented Lockheed from being seen at his best at Hororata. He may never be more than a useful hack, but he should earn some money, up to a mile, during the next few weeks. A DIVIDED RACE By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, December 16. The December Handicap at the Auckland Trotting Club’s summer meeting has been divided, and the prize money increased from £2BO to £4OO, with £2OO to each division. The second division will be run on the second day. First Division —Antarctic Star, Barbara Scott, Cam Derby, Cyone Girl, Josette, Rey Dillon, Erua Peter, Exporter, Franco, Josedale Dawn, Pearl Oro, Katoomba, More Worthy, Sparkling Pointer, Portadown, Magic Task. Brackets: Cyone Girl, Josette and Rey Dillon, Josedale Dawn and Pearl Oro. Second Division—Auto Bingen, Blush Worthy, Charon, Cynic, Escobar, Flashlight, Kallula, Lucky Derby, Parrish Boy, Sir Echo, Parrish Lad, Rama Direct, Vanson, Tasker Queen, Northern Smile, Mandalay. Brackets: Parrish Boy and Sir Echo, Rama Direct and Vanson.