ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23281, 17 August 1945, Page 6

ON AND OFF THE TRACK

First race at Addington to-morrow t at 11.15. Double Peter, winner of the Free-for- I All at Easter, has arrived from Frankton Junction in forward condi- , tion. He favours soft going. Peter Gazelle has developed a splint. ■ This accounted for his absence on the j second day of the Grand National I meeting, and will keep him' away from , early spring meetings. R. J. Humphries has an attractive bracket m the Islington Handicap in Windermere and Sir Raymond. The last-named won at Washdyke three weeks ago, and will have an advantage in condition over most of his opponents. Highland Scott, who established a record of 3.10 2-5 at Trentham last season, is again being trained bj’ L. F. Berkett. If he begins correctly he should be a place-getter in the Speedway Handicap. A succession of storms has hampered Canterbury trainers in the preparation of their horses for Addington, and most of the starters will be backward. 1 Speculators will be very much in the I dark in making investments. Indications point to Knave of Diamonds and Cabin Boy disputing favouritism in the Winter Handicap to-morrow. A win for either would put him in line for inclusion in the Trotting Cup. Dundee Sandy has been confidenUy

' selected to reach the best class this I season. If this estimate is not an exalted one, he should win the Speedway Handicap on Saturday. Ned Worthy, who is listed to make a reappearance in the Winter Handicap at Addington, has not been to the races since the 1941 season, in which he won ; the Auckland Trotting Cup. Another ; resurrection in the Winter Handicap I is Foremost Junior. I Jeeves should reach a tighter mark I this season The Orari gelding is one i of the most genuine pacers in commisI sion. He is engaged in the Heathcote ■ Handicap to-morrow. Jeeves has run his I best races for P. Gallagher, but if Positive starts that driver will not be I available. 1 The retirement ot - Sea Max was announced some time ago, and her i career was written up, but the SouthI land-bred mare is engaged in the I Stewards' Handicap at Addington. I Sure Lady did most of her racing j last season at Epsom, with consider-

cole success. She is on the end of the | Stewards’ handicap at Addington, and , I will be one of the popular candidates I Volo Senwcd was withdrawn from the i Winter Handicap, and apparently F. ; J Smith does not intend to force him into the Trotting Cup. for which Josedale Grattan is being prepared. The Canterbury Stakes for three- ’ vear-olds to-morrow will see the, Sapling Stakes victor Sprayman . endeavouring to concede 24 yards to, the non-winners in the field. Among | these is Town Talk, third in the, Sapling just over a length behind the winner, and Sir Michael, half-brother to Bronze Eagle. On the back ma-< ; with Sprayman is the Oamaru Juvenile winner First Globe, who got an in- ; different run at Ashburton. The favourite may be Town Talk. flavour. Meetings were restricted to one day. and the date was changed i to December with handicaps dommat- , in° - the programmes. The last meeting ■ was held in 1908. the club virtually disbanded, and the Championship Cup ; was stored in a bank strongroom. i The cause of the decline has never been fully explained, but it coincided , with the growth in popularity with the | Caledonian sports. The construction of an asphalt cycling track at Path! j Point was attended by a boom in wtuel j racing on a cash basis. The Tourists , Cycling Club (and its governing body the Cyclists’ Alliance) had earlier gone out of business, ousted by ’he League , of Wheelmen. Whatever the cause the . demise of the S.C A.A.C was deplored bv large numbers of sportsmen. _ w i | shall never look on its like again Tradesmen’s Club It will no doubt surprise many people to learn that in 1877 Timaru had a second amateur body-the Timaiu | Tradesmen’s Amateur Athletic Club. I held sports on the Athletic Grounds, with the “cash” men of previous years competing for trophies. Among th--amateurs” was that legendary Jack O'Connor, a phenomenal dual-gaitec performer who did a bit of hurdling on the Side. As ~n amateur Jack was second in the mile walk, won the mile run. and was first in a hurdle race Ground With History The Athletic Ground (renamed Fraser Park by the present owners, the Rugbv Union: has a record that must be almost unique It has housed amateur and cash athletics, cychn„. football, cricket, hockey, soccer Hotting and other sport. International Rugbv and cricket teams. Chinese association players, champion athletes and cyclists. contenders in hockey championships, and champion bat I contests have all entertained Soin h I ranterburv people there. It has been used also for Jubilee celebrationI patriotic fetes and other functions Ground in Jeopardy | At one period its existence as t I sports area was in jeopardy. Aftei th( SC A A.C had ceased to function, trie property was taken over by a company which leased it Io the Rugbv Union and Cricket Association. When the demand tor residential sites beemne I brisk, the directors decided that tm i time was opportune to take a profit on I what had been an unremun irative investment. The ground was surveyed into building allotments, but just s it was about to be put on the market a member of the Rugby Union surprised most of the shareholders by disclosing that one of the conditions attached to the original ’.ale by the Rhodes Estate was that the place was to be resewed in perpetuitv for amateur snort.. The i companv then sold its holding to tie Rugbv Union, and with few exceptionthe shareholders generously presented their script to the Union A well-grown chestnut two-year-old colt, bv Battle Song from Taraheke tlie dam of Kevin was shipped to th* I North Island this week after bein I educated bv G RHwv He will haw a sill'll, after which he may be sent tAustralia.

RICCARTON NOTES (Special) CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 16. Test Pilot has been sent home for a spell, after showing improved form in iis recent races. In his place Mr J. H. Brigg has sent to R. Wilson the four-rear-old mare, Fading Ljght, by Defaulter-Aurora Borealis. The newcomer did some exercise. Including preliminary education as a jumper, before he left Longbeach. When N. J. Dwyer returned to his home in Oamaru, High Play joined Immediate in the care of E. J. Ellis, who will remain here till he leaves later in the month, on his way to Sydney. In addition to this well performed pair, Ellis will also take the two-year-old colt by Coronach from Coconut Grove. L. W. Hare will accompany the Washdyke trainer and will ride High Play in his races. Weld Cona is having a short rest while he recovers from injuries to his near hind leg, the result of being galloped on in the Sumner Handicap last Saturday. Commemorate has joined the team of G. S. Barr and he will be prepared for hurdle races at the spring meetings E. Kingan has Record Voyage in work and the Phaleron Bay-Fast Passage four-year-old is in good order after spelling for three months. C Emerson has just broken in the two-vear-old gelding. Blue Huzzar, by Battle Song from Blue Bouquet, and will get him ready to be raced by his breeder. Dr. M. G. Louisson. Maggiore is booked for a spell and it is possible that the Dolomite mare will be retired from racing. The six-year-old Palpitate, who has gone into B. H. Brodie’s stable, to bi trained for Mr J. C. Parcell, of Cromwell is by Man's Pal from Peggy's Party, by iea Tray from Margarethe a Birkenhead mare from the Hammock family. He has had a little racing, without showing much f irm. When H. Griffiths went back to the North Island this week with Red Glare, he also took a couple of two-year-olds that J S. Shaw broke in for Mi’ T. A. Duncan Tbev are both by Christopher I Robin, one being a brother to Essay. I while the dam of the other is Snigger ( bv Laughing Prince ' ' The fact that D. Munro has been en- ■ gaged to ride Sleepy Fox in the Warwick 1 Stakes next week seems to suggest that weight-for-age horses of class are not • plentiful in Sydney. Like J. E. Pike ( two decades ago. Munro can almost 1 choose his mounts in w.f.a. races in the I metropolitan area. ! The most important events m trotI ting circles in America, the Ham- ! bletonian Handicap. 50.000 dollars, one mile, was dec ded in New York State. Provision is made for the classic to be run in three heats, but with Titan Hanover winning both the first and second heats it was not necessary to i carry the contest further. The winner ran his first heat in 2.43, but clipped 4s?c off his time at his second appeari ance. . i The opinion that there was not much I chance of bookmakers being licensed in New Zealand was expressed by the president of the Wvndham Racing Club iMr E J Travnor) at the annual banquet of the club. Mr Traynor was dis- ■■ cussing racing administration and the I conduct of racing generally, and said I that as far as the Racing Conference 1 was concerned the bookmaker would never be licensed in New Zealand. At (he 1941 meeting of the conference, i delegates had given ’he bookmaking I I question short shrift “It is almost I certain, too." he said, "that the Gov- ■ ‘ eminent does not want them, because I j it has got too good an asset m the , l totalisator.”