RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23262, 25 July 1945, Page 7

RACING ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Red Sign, a runner in the maiden steeplechase at Awapuni, broke a leg and was destroyed. The Auckland crack sprinter. Sleepy Fox. has been shipped to Sydney. Hollyford, who was being prepared for tlie Hunt meeting, broke down in a non-totalisator race at Winton. Tire telegram accepting Noko and Sir Percy for the Grand National was lodged at Invercargill at 11 a.m. on Friday. Reorapa. beginning smartly, ran m a four-lengths winner in tlie sprint at the Manawatu Hunt meeting. DerryI ogue, who dead-heated with him on the same terms at Hastings, was only seventh. Mr It. Waller, who won the lace lor amateurs at the Hunt meeting last Saturday, is a brother of the Awapuni trainer, J. J. Waller. Mr D. H. Blackie, a prominent Dunedin owner in recent years, has left for Hamilton. He intends to found a stud in the Waikato. Swift Quarry, who collected £2295 this season, and rewarded his connections with some nice pay-outs at the machine, is back in work at Te Rapa. A. E. Diciham removed his horses from Riccarton to Oamaru on Monday, and will return to Washdyke in a day or two. Tenorman and Arabian Night, who raced at the Wellington meeting, reached Washdyke yesterday. Filibeg won a two-mile steeplechase at Winton last Saturday at a nontotalisator meeting held by the Birchwood Hunt. He outjumped True Range over the last mile in heavy going. Persistent rumours have been circulated that the combined Hunt meeting at Washdyke had been postponed. These were groundless, and the races are to be held on the scheduled date. The withdrawal system which has been adopted by the Trotting Conference comes into force on August 1 and did not operate in connection with the Washdyke Trot. This event is the last with a limit as slow as 3.38, and the last under the acceptance system. D. E. Cotton is getting a good-sized team together again at Te Rapa. Most of the horses are youngsters. They include Pacemaker (Foxbridge-Merry Thought), rising two; Alnaja (Ring-master-Motlev mare) rising three; Royal Charter, a two-year Battle Song filly; and yearlings by Plato, Medieval Knight and Orelio. A Christchurch paper credits the South Canterbury Jockey Club with receiving rent from the Trotting Club. For some years the racecourse has been controlled bv the Trustees, and the S.C.J.C., Trotting Club and Hunt Club are all on the same footing. They pay rental for use of the course on a percentage of totalisator turnover. Valky's Boy, double winner at the Hunt meeting at Awapuni. had raced only seven times previously in three seasons. He is owned and was bred by Mr R. Heppner, of Foxton. who won a New Zealand Cup with Rouen. In the maiden event Valky’s Boy carried 91b overweight and 31b over on top of a 71b rehandicap in the later event. He won both races very comfortably. His trainer is the veteran. A. M. Wright.