RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22044, 18 August 1941, Page 7

RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

A Budget Of News And Views

FIXTURES Racltig Aug. 16—C.J.C. Grand National. Aug. 28—fcgmont-Wgnganill Hltat Aug. 30—Taranaki Hunt Sept. 4, 6—WanganUl T.C. Sept. 6—Otago Hunt Sept. 13—Ashburton H.O.

Methufen, winner of the V.ft.C. Nation Hurdles, fell at the last fefice In the Australian Hurdle Race. He broke his near foreleg and was destroyed.

Floodlight, once the best middledistance performer in Auckland province, is in the Pakuranga Hunt CUp with 9.11.

The Pakuranga Hunt Cup, the richest race for hunters in the Dominion, is to be run next Saturday. It is worth £575 and a valuable cup.

There were some horses racing at Riccarton last week that would not win a maiden race on the Coast. There are plenty of optimists among owners —or trainers.

Mr A. I. Rattray, whose death occurred oh Friday night, commenced his official connection with racing 55 years ago, as secretary to the Heathcote Racing Club.

The hard finish with Boloyna at Washdyke apparently, got to the bottom of Half and Ralf. The Balboa gelding raced without any dash at the Grand Rational meeting. # Cillas, who won the Herries Memorial Cup at Te Aroha after he had been sold to an Indian sportsman, has arrived in the East. He did not arrive in good condition, as a lot of horses on the steamer eontfactfed fever.

In ahnouhclhg Its verdict in the Lough D6rg case, the Trotting Association notified the Rumara Racing club that Rule 366 must be complied With. This bule states that at all meetings trotting events must be started by means of a starting machine unless the Association shall otherwise permit.

In view of the state of the weather and ground on Saturday, abandonment of the last day of the Grand National meeting was generally anticipated. The military authorities were to have resumed occupation of the course to-day, but this had nothing to db With the decision, as they Were prepared to wait if the chib decided to postpone. • i » »

Acceptances for the third day of the Metropolitan meeting were based on the assumption that the Addington track would be heavy. If It returns to normal by Saturday next, it Is expected that some horses paid up will be withdrawn, ahd owners of others will wish that they had made the payment.

Mr F. C. Christie, Who was located at orarl for some time after selling his property in Central Otago, not long ago sent several young horses to be trained at Hastings by Harold Griffith. A trio—Silver Mask, Printfe Shad and Pioneer—are to be sent Oh a trip to RahdWick Under Griffiths’s charge.

No type of horse is more deserving of encouragement than good Class steeplechasers, and it is owners of these who suffered to the greatest extent by the abandonment of the Wellington fixture and of the third day Of the Grand National meeting. The Wellington Steeplechase, July Steeplechase and Lincoln Steeplechase are among the seven principle events fbr ’chasers on the season’s calendar.

After having been reported missing, believed killed, Lieutenant Frank Furlong, a well-known amateur rider who wbh the Liverpool Grand National on Reyholdstowh in 1935, has turned up safely. He Was one of the Fleet Air Arm pilots sent In search of the Bismarck and he crashed into the sea after his petrol supply had become exhausted. He was 36 hours in a rubber boat before being picked up by a mechantman on her way to England.

Conflagration was responsible for an unusual but by no means unique performance when he won two steeplechases in one day at Thames. At the Pakuranga Hunt meeting the Greenmount HUnters’ Steeplechase and the Hunt cup have three times been won by the same horse—Glentui In 1923, Llewellyn in 1924 and Valpeen in 1933. tn tne last-mentioned ydar Snow Prince won a steeplechase double at a special meeting at Ellerslie.

There must be more than appears on the surface in connection with the disqualification of R. C. Stanton, trainer of Cheery Jack, for “falling to care for ahd protect the horse from being tampered with.” Cheery Jack was a screaming favourite for the Grand National Steeplechase after he had been withdrawn from the Grand National Hurdles, for which he also had been first choice. Some time ago it was alleged that a horse trained by Stanton had been got at in Brisbane.

An abandonment by the Canterbury Jockey ClUb Is unprecedented, and even postponements have been rare. This has been a bad year for the club. Rain fell throughout Easter Monday, and the weather was so bad that Easter Tuesday’s programme had to be run oh the following Friday. Grand National day was unpleasant, and on Grand National Hurdles day conditions were extremely bad. They were mild, however, compared with those ruling on Saturday, when racing would have beeh absolutely Impossible. Following three days of rain, Which had flooded level areas, a blizzard brought snow and sleet, and it will be quite a time before the course at Riccarton is usable.

D. Teahen purchased Roydon’s Pride, dam of CertissimUs, by auction for £l4/14/-. Roydon’s Pride Was imported by Mr J. R. McKenzie, her dam Belle Keller being in foal to Arion Guy. Certissimus is the second foal of floydon’s Pride (the first, a filly by Maxegln, died recently). Certissimus has won nine races In 13 starts. In two of his defeats he was racing among the pacers, and on one occasion was interfered with. In one of his two misses as a trotter he was pulled up owing to his driver miscounting the laps on a saucer track, in the other he finished second. Certissimus is much the greatest young- trotter ever produced in the Dominion. That he Was the greatest draw at Addington recently was indicated by the packed state of the grand-stands before the first race on each day, and he will be the main draw card If he races again next Saturday.