RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22785, 8 January 1944, Page 6

RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

First race at Wingatui at 11.30. It is understood that the trotter Will Cary has changed hands and is to go into a Christchurch stable. Tara King, weighted at 7.4 in the Auckland Cup, has been given 81b more in the Wellington Cup despite his failure in the Auckland Derby. The Trentham course is often a bog in July, but it gets very hard in summer. Through the holidays 1,000,000 gallons of water per day has been sprinkled on it, the time occupied averaging 19 hours per day. Mr W. J. Dore’s mare Sheeny has a colt foal by Dunstan (SiegfriedArbitration). Sheeny is by Rabbi from Cessation, who is closely related to Administrator, dam of Lord Chancellor. D. W. Redstone, who did some riding at the Manawatu meeting, has no intention of making a permanent return to racing. Since winning the Park Stakes at Napier Park on November 6, Don Quex has been most consistent. The only occasion he was out of the money was in the Metropolitan at Riccarton. By winning both the Manawatu and Marton Cups during the holidays he brought his winnings for the season to £1905. Don Quex is in the Wellington Cup with 7.8. Mr C. F. Hartland, stipendiary steward of the New Zealand Racing Conference in the South Island, had the misfortune to break an ankle this week and will be unable to fulfil his duties for some time. L. J. Clutterbuck went south to ride at the Dunedin meeting. One of his mounts will be Fair Trial, on whom he has won races previously. Clutterbuck, who rode four winners at Awapuni, is at present third on the list of winning riders to Broughton and Wiggins. Mr Frank Ormond had the misfortune to lose the stallion Lang Bian, who died after a short illness of a twisted bowel. Lang Bian was stoutly bred, being by Massine (winner of the Ascot Gold Cup) from Forest Track, by Tracery from an Isinglass mare tracing to La Fleche. John o’ Gaunt, Polymelus, Grafton, Beau Pere and Mr Standfast were successful stallions from the same family. The death occurred recently at Mr R. B. Hine’s Mountain View stud, Te Aroha, of the stallion Musketoon at the age of 23 years. Musketoon was foaled in England and was imported to the Dominion by Mr John Donald, Westmere, in whose colours he won several races, including the Takapuna Cup, Cornwall Handicap, King Edward Memorial (Ellerslie) and Wellington Handicap, and ran third in the New Zealand Cup to. Sunart and Gold Light. In 1935 Mr Donald sold Musketoon to Mr Hines, and the horse has stood at Te Aroha ever since. He is the sire of Gladynev, Master Brierly, Renascor, King Musk, Te Waipu, Rona Bay, Royal Bachelor, Kena, Kilcash, Hinkler, and many other winners. Dunedin Prospects Gold Nugget shaped very promisingly in the Warrington Hurdles, and the Studholme-trained novice has excellent prospects of filling a place again today. Modgard’s Invercargill win indicated some improvement, but when Heidelberg faled to rise at a fence there he was travelling like a winner. A rise of 111 b should bring Nightcalm back to the field. Good Cast and Chestnut Glow gave Sal’s Pal so much trouble at Waikoualti that they will be in strong demand for the Novice at Dunedin. St. Nattar appears to have had enough racing, but Twelve Pointer and Evencalm are on th eup grade. Another likely sort is Prize Ring, who has not raced since Geraldine. Lord Advocate. Monetary, Invulnerable, Hearth, Night Lancer, Silver Lily and Sister Sal all raced well during the holidays, and the smallish field in the Flying at Dunedin should turn on a good contest. Monetary may be the one to develop further improvement. The Joker, top-weight in the Jockey Club Handicap at Dunedin, is not likely to be ready after his voyaging to Australia. Amorlad, on the contrary, should be a better horse for his Boxing Day race, particularly if given his head over the shorter distance. The Raker, after dead-heating for the Cup last year, went within a head of winning on the second day with 8.3, the weight he is programmed to carry to-day. Sascha has made rapid improvement lately and will have a good chance. Hearth is more likely to run in the sprint. Bascule’s second at Waikouaiti makes him a possibility, as he stays under light weights. Foxhaven can gallop when in the mood. Amorlad, The Raker and Sascha may be in the finish. The field in the hack seven at Dunedin is not strong, and if Cruden Bay gets away she should be dangerous. Bonnie Chela won a double in the novice class in Southland, but she has not yet tackled seven furlongs. Coy is one likely to see the journey through. Sal’s Pal lost some prestege by failing to win easier at Waikouaiti, but that was his first race for several months, and he should go better on the big track at Wingatui. Lyndall would almost certainly have won the Champagne Stakes if the race had been rerun, and she is entitled to be favourite for the Hopeful Handicap. Joygiver can be relied on for another good race, but would have little chance of conceding 171 b to Bonny Flight if the Riverton filly happened to be fit. The Hazlett Cup acceptors include some which are in other races, but the starters seem likely to be Lord Nuffield, Scottish Dale, Silver Sox, Royal Flight and Aurora Australis. Lord Nuffield may not be ready, and Silver Sox is not up to this class. Scottish Dale is an enigma—she declined to gallop in the Dunedin Cup, but finished brilliantly at Waikouaiti. The two Southland fillies, Royal Flight and Aurora Australis, may fight it out, though the first-named is not yet back to her spring form. The concluding event at Wingatui, the Waihola Handicap, is run over 101 furlongs, and an acceptance of 24 is evidence that owners of moderate hacks are not afraid to run them over a distance. Abdicate, winner at his last two starts, is No. 1 (with 9.1). He encountered very weak opposition at Wyndham, but he can stay. Aurora Australis can be left out of consideration. Justitia’s fourth in the Dunedin Cup was above hack form, and on 8.9 she reads particularly well if she comes up as fresh as on Boxing Day. Another interesting candidate is the three-year-old Bridgehead. His Invercargill win has been adequately acknowledged, and he impresses as a colt likely to go on winning. The following may be fancied:— Owhiro Hurdles—Gold Nugget, Heidelberg, Green Boa. Novice Handicap—Good Cast, Chestnut Glow, Prize Ring. Flying Handicap—Monetary, Silver Lily, Night Lancer. Jockey Club Handicap—The Raker, Sascha, Amorlad. Abbotsford Handicap—Sal’s Pal, Cruden Bay. Full Chase. Hopeful Handicap—Lyndall, Bonny Flight, Joygiver. Hazlett Cup—Royal Flight, Scottish Dale, Aurora Australis. Waihola Handicap—Justitia, Bridgehead, Gunga Din.