RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIV, Issue 22739, 13 November 1943, Page 6

RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

First race at Addington at 12.0. The Melbourne Cup is to start at about 4.10 <N.Z. time). Bomber will not start in the Trotting Championship to-day. Sports Guide negotiated the bends at Addington last Saturday more successfully than in the past, but could not pace it with Gold Flight in the last furlong. After so many seconds his turn must come soon. Integrity is a notable absentee from the fields at Addington to-day. A win for him might not have been popular, and it is possible that he will be reserved for the Auckland Trotting Cup. Royal Worthy, driven this time by J. Bryce. jr„ declined to trot in the Dominion Handicap. Just over a year ago he was rated as the Dominion’s No. 1 trotter, but to-day he is just another bad horse. The injuries received by the Victoria Derby favourite Lawrence were the result of the colt becoming straddled across one of the barriers used to divide the horses into sections at the barrier. One or two more incidents of this kind will seal the doom of the obstructions. Rakanui is to have a race at Napier Park this afternoon, and in spite of his 10.4 the big black gelding should win. At Ellerslie in June he disposed of a bigger and stronger field when burdened with 10.3 (7.0 minimum). The news that Dominate is not fancied for the Melbourne Cup is not surprising. He has 7.8 (151 b above the minimum) and in any major handicap in New Zealand he would be on the bottom line. He was weighted within 151 b of The Joker, who would be required to concede him over- 301 b in this country.

Eighty-nine horses were weighted for a hack sprint at the Waikato meeting. In other races the entries numbered 58 and 48. With such huge nominations it is futile to consider balloting or grading.

J. F. Nicolson, who was at Waimate for a time, was recently granted a trainer’s licence, and has several of Mr E. N. Fitzgerald’s horses under his care at Gisborne. He saddled up his first winner when Smart Boy won at Napier. Nicolson has not had the best of luck as a jockey, having more than his share of accidents as a hurdle rider. Given a firm track, Gold Bar, winner of four Free-for-AUs, is expected to increase his score to five to-day. His most formidable opponents appear to be Haughty, Countless and Springfield Globe, but Burt Scott, Ronald Logan and Happy Man have all revealed place-getting ability in fast time in this type of race. Countless, Pacing Power, Gold Bar and Bayard, the only horses anywhere near Haughty in the Trotting Cup, are all engaged in the Ollivier Handicap, with Countless on a 12 yards tighter mark. They should be in the money again. Added interest will be given by the presence of Burt Scott, Joan Conquest and Ferry Post, the four rejected from the Cup, knit none has shown form indicative of ability to pace it with the others mentioned. Shadow Maid is a better prospect. The Trotting Derby may not be an easy race for punters. Acropolis failed to run up to expectations in the Challenge Stakes. Plunder Bar required two assistants to get him away in the Riccarton Stakes, and then was outstayed by Imperial Lady. This halfsister to Gold Bar had a particularly good passage in both her races, but she won convincingly on each occasion. Scottish Emperor may prove her strongest competitor if he does not lose too much ground at the start. Douglas McElwyn is credited with having made a complete recovery from the malady which affected him after his arrival. If that is correct the Nelson trotter is capable of winning to-day’s championship, but the veteran Lament (bracketed with Within) and Margin will thoroughly test his fitness. Representative is the first visiting horse to reach Riccarton for the New Zealand Cup. He will have a full fortnight in which to adapt himself to left-handed running. An additional reason for his early arrival is probably to enable him to acclimatise. He is not usually a good traveller, and all his best races have been run in Auckland. It was not cabled that there was an inquiry after Skipton’s win in the Caulfield Cup. Owner, trainer and jockey were asked to explain the marked improvement on form shown a week earlier in the Herbert Power Handicap. J. Fryer stated that in the Power Handicap he invested £25 and the owner £lOO. In the Cup their wagers were £lO and £BO. New Zealand horses have a fine record in the Melbourne Cup over the last 35 years, considering the comparatively small number that has represented the Dominion. Since the Aucklander Apoloque scored in 1907, Sasanof, Nightmarch, Phar Lap, Wotan, and Catalogue have been successful. Concentrate had the race won when he broke down near the winning post. Many other winners have been the produce of Dominion-bred mares, the last of these being Skipton, whose dam Cupidity, was by Lord Quex. A story is told of a man who invested 10/- at 100 to 1 on Saint Warden in the Caulfield Cup. So pleased was the bookmaker at writing the horse’s name that he told the backer that if it won he would shout him a suit of clothes. The layer was as good as his w°, r<i ; When the investor presented his ticket for £5O, Prince asked: “How much will it cost for the new suit?” “A tenner, I suppose.” was the response. You 11 get a better one for this,’ said the bookie as he handed over three fivers.

Championship Day The Metropolitan Trotting Club will stage a unique programme for the second day of its Cup meeting. In four of the eight events on the card all the horses will start off the same mark In the Ollivier Handicap 11 Cup competitors will appear again, and the field will be augmented by the four horses which were eliminated from the big race The Derby, and New Zealand Pacing and Trotting Championships are the other features. Form horses appear to include: — Improvers’ Frce-for-All— Ordnance, Sea Max. Te Kahu. November Handicap— Trusty Scott, Sports Guide, Highland Scott. Hayward Handicap— Gold Pot, Happy

’Man, Catalpa. „ Ollivier Handicap— Coiurtless, Pacing Power. Gold Bar. Derby—lmperial Lady. Scottish Emperor, Acropolis. Trotting Championship Lament, Douglas McElwyn, Margin. I,e Lievre Handicap— Belfast Jack, Starace. Follow Me. Snrint Championship Gold Bar, 1 Haughty, Springfield Globe. MELBOURNE CUP HELD FOR TO-DAY’S EVENT Tire Melbourne Cup, of £7500. second horse £l5OO and third horse £750 out of the prize; distance two miles, is to be run at Flemington to-day.

The final acceptors are:— Skipton 9 9 Dominate 8 Tranquil Star 9 C Philander 7 6 The Joker 8 9 Precept 7 6 Illyrian 8 ; Counsel 7 5 Dark Felt 8 4 Fairway Gay Revelry 2 Freddy 7 Valour 8 Peter 7 Neutron 7 i Huntingdale 7 Saul 7 12 Claudette 7 1 Taramoa 7 12 Anthony Saint Warden 7 11 Ortolan Heart's Desire 7 9 Exactly 6 11 Temple Chief 7 8