RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22491, 28 January 1943, Page 2

RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

A South Canterbury resident who has just returned from Gisborne brought with him several photographs taken recently at Mr E. Fitzgerald’s new property near Gisborne. These include, of course, some snaps of Kindergarten, but more interesting is a picture of Kindergarten’s foal from Golden Vision. The youngster is unprepossessing and inclined to be gawky, just as his sire was at the same age. Kindergarten is in the Taranaki Stakes, to be run at Stratford on March 6. Owners of other horses are naturally anxious to know whether he is likely to run. • The Takanini mentor, F. Smith, with 13 points still leads H. Dulieu 11. A. E. Didham 10 and F. W. Ellis 10 for the trainers’ premiership. T. R. George, who has dominated the competition for so many years, Is stationary on 4. Three wins on the final day at Trentham put W. J. Broughton 27 three points up on W. F. Ellis 24 for the jockeys’ premiership. Next on the list are the apprentices, N. Holland 16 and I. Galvin 14, but both lads are suffering from injured limbs, and are unlikely to increase their scores for some time.

The Irwell Handicap, to be run at Riccarton on Middlepark Plate day, is an ordinary two-year-old handicap, except that the minimum is 7.7. The Lyttelton Plate is restricted to two-year-olds which at time of starting have not been placed first, second or third. It will be run at fixed weights —colts and geldings 8.5, fillies 8.0. In the event of the Pahiatua Racing Club’s Maiden Race being run in two divisions, the stakes will increase to £l7O, the first horse in each division to receive £7O, the second £lO and the third £5.

Mi’ W. Swale "£4160, Mr E. N. Fitzgerald £4097, and Mr J. A. Brown £4050 are the principal stake-winners for the first six months of the racing season. There is one race day to go, but none of them will have horses competing. Royal Lancer has accounted for £3645 of Mr Swale’s aggregate, Kindergarten for £3540 of Mr Fitzgerald’s total, and The Joker £3OBO and Lord Nuffield £960 for all but £lO of Mr Brown’s winnings. Suggestions have been made that Royal Lancer was a bit the worse for wear and tear at Trentham. There is no evidence to support this. There is a consensus of opinion that he should have won the Cup, and in the RacingClub Handicap he gave 61b and three lengths to Lou Rosa, who, under 9.6, had established a course record of 2min 30sec at Ellerslie. He just failed to concede 141 b to Rakanui, a class performer over 12 furlongs. In the Auckland Racing Club Handicap, Regal Fox was weighted at 9.11; in the Clifford Plate Rakanui gave him 31b and beat him. These figures suggest that Royal Lancer ran the race of his life on the second day at Trentham.

Not a little surprise, and some concern, may be expressed at the action of the Minister, or one of his officers, entering into the controversy between the Gore Racing Club and the Trotting Association. Inviting political interference with racing is not in the best interests of the sport. The action taken agains the Gore Club appears strange, when the Association a few weeks ago allowed the Southland aßcing Club to hold only one trotting event, as Gore wished to do. A few months ago Burt Scott appeared to be on the way to the highest class, but he has failed to make the grade and is not finishing solidly in two-mile races. Better prospects for the Dunedin Cup appear to be Shadow Maid and Stormtost. In spite of reports that she won the Auckland Cup by a small margin, the consistent mare actually scored comfortably by two lengths. Horsepower has developed fine form recently, but can scarcely hope to succeed from 60 behind in a truly-run race. Mankind’s chance seems to depend on a slow first mile. The three-year-old pacer, Lucky Gem (Jack Potts-Sea Pearl) has been purchased by Mr G. J. Barton, and has joined Horsepower in H. J. Smiths stable.