RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22477, 12 January 1943, Page 4

RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Regal Fox, who was rehandicapped to 9.4 in the Auckland Cup. and given 9.11 in the Racing Club Handicap, was dropped to 8.8 in the Wellington Cup.

The South Canterbury Jockey Club has decided to apply for April 10 for its autumn meeting in lieu of May 22. There is no racing listed for the South Island on April 3 or 10. Stourbridge is about ready to race again, and he has been paid up for the Apprentices' Plate at Trentham. All going well he will be a starter in the bouro Cup.

Midgard was unlucky in the hurdle race at Wingatui on Saturday. He was challenging the leaders two fences from home when he was squeezed against the rail. His rider lost his irons and the gelding suffered a cut on one of his legs. Jonnara, originally trained by J. R. Cochrane but now in G. Feilding’s stable, is reputed to be a good galloper, but so far she has given no evidence of it in public. Tire Paper Money filly is allergic to the barrier, and invariably gets left at the post. Botany was not discredited by his performance in the Hazlett Cup. He practically equalled the mile record for the track, and retained his rating as the South Island’s best three-year-old colt. He was only half a head behind Royal Lancer, and might have won if he had finished straight. Royal Lancer carried 101 b above w.f.a.. but Botany’s effort was his best to date. Although he won the Manawatu Cup with 8.5 and the Louisson Handicap with 9.3, Yogi got in the Wellington Cup with 8.3, the weight under which he compounded in the New Zealand Cup. He has been treated as a non-stayer and nobody is likely to cavil at this.. Battledrcss is slipping in the weights. He is down to 8.8 in the Wellington Cup, and has been racing so far below his peak that even with that impost he cannot be recommended at present. Battledress is real class when right, and if he strikes form he is capable of wrecking a race.

The meeting held at Wingatui last week used up the February permit, and there is no more racing in sight there until June. There will be no racing in Canterbury and Otago until March, and in view of this some owners may be tempted to try the Winton and Gore meetings in February. The management of the totalisator at Dunedin last Saturday showed a very great improvement on its running on Boxing Day. The balances were struck ill much quicker time, and the machine closed on the last race only a few minutes behind schedule.

Kindergarten has been written out of the Wellington Cup, and will not have an opportunity of placing himself on a par with Piiar Lap. It is probable that he strikes himself when turning on his remarkable acceleration act. He did this in the Warwick Stakes in Sydney, in the Canterbury Cup, and in the Auckland Cup. Mr W. T. Hazlett won his fii-st race in Melbourne for eight years when the three-year-old, Manlototo, took the Patriotic Handicap at Flemington on Boxing Day. Since Sir Simper won the valuable Toorak Handicap in 1934, his Victorian successes had been confined to suburban courses. Mr Hazlett is in Invercargill, but somebody backed Maniototo solidly. F. J. McKay has one just as good as Manlototo in Makarewa, who is expected shortly. Steward, winner of the novice event at Dunedin, was ambitiously placed at the beginning of his career. His first appearance was made in the open event at the Otago Hunt meeting, and he was responsible for the mishap to Compeer. Then he finished a long way back in the Guineas. After that he was relegated to the novice class, where he showed little promise until he finished well at Invercargill. The runner-up on Saturday, Prince Leighon, had raced poorly this season, but, as a two-year-old, he had Dominate thoroughly extended in the class Pioneer Handicap at Riccarton.

Spanish Lad, who snatched victory in the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap in the last stride, is an older brother to that notorious gelding, Nipper Boy. Early in his career Spanish Lad was a brilliant and successful sprinter in the colours of his breeder, Mr H. J. Riddle. Later on he lost some of his dash but developed the stamina which might have been expected from his breeding (Balboa-Speannaid). A year ago he won the Invercargill cup for Mr H. Mason, who held him on lease, but has since acquired him outright. Spanish Lad is trained by F. W. Ellis, whose stable is having a royal time this summer.

The owners of Royal Lancer and Lou Rosa have reason to congratulate themselves that Kindergarten was entered for the Wellington Cup. In an endeavour to attract the champion the handicapper has obviously adopted a lower scale than would have been the case if Kindergarten had not been engaged. Lou Rosa was second in the Auckland Cup with 9.0, and then won the Racing Club Handicap with 9.6. In ordinary circumstances it is unlikely that he would have received less than 9.5 at Trentham, and that would have meant not les sthan 9.8 for Royal Lancer. Other horses arc in correspondingly lower, but five or seven pounds drop means a lot for the topweights.