RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22486, 22 January 1943, Page 6

RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

The National yearling sales are to be concluded to-day. A number of prospective starters in the Timaru Nursery Stakes arc listed to take part in a parade for two-year-olds at Addington this afternoon.

Distress Signal broke a fetlock when galloping at Invercargill and was destroyed. There will be a non-totalisator meeting, with five races for maiden horses, at Addington to-morrow. The Auckland two-year-old, Beau Dink, formerly trained by F. Smith, is now in G. Ridgway's stable. P. Atkins was weighed out to ride Virtuoso in the Fitzherbert Handicap, but J. H. Jefferd was unable to secure a suitable jockey for Barrosa, which he trains for Mr and Mrs Edmonds, so he scratched his own entry. Money invested on Virtuoso was returned. Sea Spi, leading money-winner among the two-year-olds, is to be spelled till next season. It is now revealed that when Sea Spi was beaten by Olga's Pal in the Foal Stakes at Auckland she was suffering from an abscess on the jaw. She decisively turned the tables in the Wellington Stakes, in which the Auckland youngsters were revealed as a moderate lot. As a result of her win in the Auckland Trotting Cup, Shadow Maid is assessed on 4.28. Her trainer is now looking ahead to the New Zealand Trotting Cup. Horsepower's new mark is 4.26. Battledress won the Autumn Handicap at Trentham with 8.9, or 31b more than he is required to carry tomorrow. He won in March with 71b more than w.f.a., and now is down to 81b below the scale. Kindergarten is a sexual freak, and the question is often asked whether he will have any stud value. The answer seems to be seen in a colt foal credited to him out of Blue Vision, one of his owner’s mares.

Rakanui appeared to be set back by his game effort In the New Zealand Cup, and ran below expectations in the Metropolitan. If he has regained his punch the Hunting Song gelding will be dangerous at Trentham, as he is a good horse at a mile and a half. Battle Song, whose stock made much the best average on the first day of the yearling sales, has six representatives in the second half of the catalogue. Two have been entered by Miss J. Edgar Jones (Geraldine), one by Mr J. B. Breen (Levels) and one by Dr. A. S. Morton (Oamaru). Totalisator staffs seldom come in for commendation, but at a meeting of the committee of the Gore Trotting Club a vote of thanks to the management of the Southland Totalisator Committee for the efficient service given at the races was carried. The manner in which a record turnover had been handled by the staff was favourably commented on. Shadow Maid, winner at her last three starts, has collected £1975 this season, and has headed Haughty £IBCO, Countless £1420, Hardy Oak £1370, Sabu £1240, Captain Morant £1035 and Scottish Lady £lOOO are the other fourfigure winners in harness events.

F. J. Smith is at present on top 111 both trainers’ and reinsmen’s competitions. Top scores among the trainers are F. J. Smith 12, B. Grice 10, M. Holmes 9, R. B. Berry and J. B. Pringle 8. The reinsmen’s figures include F. J. Smith 12, O. E. Hooper 10, M. Holmes 9, R. B. Berry and P. Gallagher 8. It will not be easy to depose Mr B. Grice from the head of the list of trotting owners this season. To date his team has won £4540. Next in order are Mr G. Chesman £1975, Mr H. E. Cook' £1479, Mr F. McKendry £1420, Mr E. G. Bridgens £l2BO, Mr J. Rooney £1240, Mr J. R. McKenzie £1055, Mr F. G. Holmes £1035 and Mr D. McFarlane £lOOO. Shadow Maid accounts for the whole of Mr Chesman’s total, and Countless (Mr F. McKendry), Sabu (Mr J. Rooney), Coquette (Mr F. G. Holmes) and Scottish Lady (Mr D. McFarlane) claim the same distinction.

Royal Lancer and The Joker have met four times this season. In the New Zealand Cup Royal Lancer successfully conceded 231 b, but failed to give The Joker 331 b in the Metropolitan Handicap. In the Dunedin Cup Royal Lancer was again in front at a difference of 221 b. but was narrowly beaten when conceding 291 b in the Wellington Cup. The margin is reduced to 231 b again in the Racing Club Handicap, and figures favour the topweight.