RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23261, 24 July 1945, Page 3

RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Acceptances for the conibincU H , meeting dose at 9 to-night Aerial Scott, who won the troti i. section of the New Zealand Derl>\ ■ being kept busy at Petone and' B Jarden intends to rave hint at A Idn ton again next montn. Although ills leg is still b;>. i icla-e<i Khurja is reported to have recover, i front his ailment and is going thro , i a strong preparation for his (.Iran,: National Steeplechase engagement When Ramlcourt won the Whvfe Handicap at Trentham he ,-arri . :u or 81b above the 7.7 minimum. For tn - Winter Cup he lias been wi .ght.ed a! 9.5. which is 191 b above the 8.0 minimum. Bridge Acre, who finished .second to Ramicourt when in re dpt of 21b. was awarded 8.9 but did not accept. Trotting trainers In the Chrisb htir, h area are no better situated than their galloping colleagues. The Addine.tr,n and New Brighton tracks are deed and are likely to remain so lor several days. A fair number of Auckland hor tare likely to race at Addinnton next month. In addition to F. J. Smith team (which will include dosed-.id Grattan). War Guard. Te Roto anil Sabu are under orders to travel sotnli. A contingent is expected I'rom '!. Waikato also. An entry of 29 tor the tl-en Plate at the Hunt mec in- - tional, but a great m-i.io.-i>. -- horses are in an earlier tm ~ . list may be rem.- ■ : i- .. starting time. The number of i-irn will be limited bv the suimlv of "u . oe-

nised” riders. Rothschild, an imported horse who came to New Zealand via An.tr.:,. was credited with scoring 303 iiuiivwual winners. This record has no ch,, surpassed by the Australian bred b • Globe Derby, whose total has reached 308. David, whose stock have compiled c. phenomenal record in Melbourne jumping events, won a Sydney Cup and over £30,000 in prize-money. His good performances were all registered in Sydney on right-handed tracks, and he win no giant-killer in Victoria where they race right-handed. Racing clubs in many parts of New Zealand are investigating the possibilities of a portable electric, totalisator. It is stated that while balancing is taster, selling is slower than by the manual system. The percentage charged by private operators is considerably higher than the cost where clubs run their own machines, but no doubt would be reduced under co-operative ownership. Some Riccarton owners take a pessimistic view of the practicability of racing there on August 4, and sirmcst that the Grand National meeting should be put back a week. This could be done only with the co-operation of the trotting authorities ithe National dates are August 4 and 11. and the Metropolitan meeting is listed for August 18 and 25), but this would readily be obtained. Figures have altered considerably since the Winter Cup a year ago. High Play now top weight with 10.fi, was unplaced tilth) in 1944 with 8.7. Gulf Stream, first last August with 8.13. is raised to 9.9. Foxhaven is down 121 b. Platform down 31b. Lord Advocate down 31b, and John o' London down 121 b. Royal Flight <sth) has the same weigh:. 10.1- Foxhaven and John o’ London tan meet High Play on 391 b better terms. Royal Flight received a bad passage last year, and she has not deteriorated. Dauber has not been in the limelight since the Auckland meeting, but the Great Northern winner has arrived at Riccarton apparently quite recovered from the knock he received in the Winter Steeplechase. He is not harshly weighted at 10.9 in the Grand National. He was beaten in the last stride in the Te Rapa Steeplechase with 10.2. won the Great Northern with 9.7 and was second in the Winter Steeplechase with 10.6. Dauber is a proficient jumper. Miss Quex. dam of the Victorian Grand National winner Quixotic, is a daughter of Miss Cute, a mare imported by the late Mr T. H. Lowry. April Fool half-sister to Miss Cute, produced Lambourn. Gulf Stream and Beaupartir. Quixotic is a brother t Said, claimed to be Victoria s best hurdler, but barred from racing on metropolitan courses. Saul won the Grand National Hurdles three years ago. Master Meruit, one of the Grand National favourites, is a comparative novice as a ’chaser, but he bad some experience over hurdles. He commenced racing last season, when he won a novice event on the flat. He was put to hurdling in November, and at his fourth attempt won at Stratford. His next essay was at Gisborne, where he was runner-up to Takrouna. Master Meruit made his first appearance over country at Egmont. when he defeated Foxiana. In the Wanganui Steeplechase he dropped his rider and at his next start he finished strongly into fourth place in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase. This preceded his Wellington Steeplechase victory. Like Master Meruit. Kilmanagh’s only success on the flat was a maiden event at Gisborne. She commenced her career as a ’chaser at the Hawke': Bay Hunt meeting last August. when after finishing second in the Otane Hurdles she came out a race but one later to win the Russell Memorial Steeplechase. A similar police wr adopted at the Taranaki-Egmont Hunt when after a failure over hurdles she came out again to act as runner-up to Baron Bold in the Combined Steeplechase. She was pulled up in the Onehunga Steeplechase, and did not appear over country again until the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase List month. She was beaten by Tenormnn in the Mariri Hack and Hosiers' Steeplechase at Trentham but turned the tables In the July Steeplechase on the second day. She has contested six steeplechase events for three wins and two seconds. Her total earnings amount to £2045.