RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22786, 10 January 1944, Page 6

RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Silver Sox broke down badly while running in the Hazlett Gold Cup, and was destroyed. D. P. Wilson has made nearly a dozen nominations for the Vincent meeting. He has always been a stalwart supporter of this fixture, even to the extent of giving it preference to Trentham. High Play, who had been showingsymptoms of soreness, is to have a spell. It is unfortunate that he cannot start in the Apprentices’ Plate at Trentham, as the conditions of the race made him look a sitting shot. The two big dividends at Dunedin on

Saturday were returned by horses ridden by the Wingatui apprentice B. Mears, who had kicked Midgard home in the hurdle race at Invercargill earlier in the week. The Raker’s owner was in doubt about sending him to Trentham for the Wellington Cup, but after the Croupier gelding’s good performance in the D.J.C. Handicap the trip will be undertaken if the penalty is not severe. Trueway, who unwound a run which took him within half a head of victory of Sal’s Pal at Wingatui, is a brother to Serenata and Representative. Trueway, only a three-year-old, should win before long. Kohara’s win in the Waihola Handicap was his first for about two years, but his owner was recompensed for his loyalty to the Irish Lancer gelding. In addition to the useful stake of £3lO, he invested £l3 each way and had over £l5OO to collect. Fairlie-owned horses filled first and second places in the Dunedin Cup, and one of them (The Raker) accounted for the D.J.C. Handicap on the second day. Grand Forest, trained at Washdyke, won the Novice Handicap, and Gay Thread returned a useful place dividend in the last race. Grand Forest, who paid a big dividend in the Novice Handicap at Dunedin, is a three-year-old by Lang Bian from Minnikln (dam of the Grand National Hurdles winner Carinthia). He is trained by F. Trilford for Mr J. Simmons of Hook district, who some years ago won several races with Royal Tractor. Grand Forest cost HOgns as a yearling. Last year The Raker dead-heated with Eulogist in the Dunedin Cup, and ran Spanish Lad to a head in the D.J.C. Handicap. This season he went down by a head in the Cup to Palfrey, but took the Jockey Club Handicap by a head from Sascha. The Fairlie gelding has shown a penchant for the Wingatui course under sutpmer conditions, and is popular with Dunedin crowds.

Sister Sal, who is to go to Trentham this week, made an auspicious exit from the hack class by beating the open sprinters at Wingatui, with apparently ridiculous ease—once an opening presented itself on the rails. The Gore-trained mare has made remarkable progress since she won a trial event at Oamaru last autumn, and is oh the way to real class. Nightcalm affirmed that he had taken a new lease of life when puttingup an additional 121 b, he equalled Strip's track record in winning the Owhiro Hurdles. Always in a forward position, he ran to the front at the last fence to win by four lengths from Gold Nuggett, who gave another promising display. Nightcalm is not the first of Sweet Memory’s progeny to do well over jumps, as Membo won a Grand National Hurdles. The Joker was labelled a doubtful starter for the D.J.C. Handicap until the morning of the race. His re-entry papers had not arrived from Melbourne, but apparently the matter was adjusted by telephone and the Conference gave him a clearance on Saturday morning. The Joker gave an indifferent display, and finished a long way behind the others.

Aurora Australis proved to be all that her ardent admirers claimed by her win in the Hazlett Gold Cup. She Is the first horse eligible for hack races to win this trophy. Her task would h'ave been more arduous had Scottish Dale made her run earlier, but it is not likely that the filly would have been defeated in any event. Hie Hazlett Memorial Plate (now Gold Cup) was initiated in memory of Mr James Hazlett, a prominent Otago racing man in the long ago. His son Mr L. C. Hazlett won the first contest in 1914 with Sister Radius, but no other member of the family had been successful until Messes J. S. and W. E. Hazlett (grandsons of James Hazlett) produced Aurora Australis on Saturday.