RACING AND TROTTING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17349, 14 May 1924, Page 2

RACING AND TROTTING

NOTES BY

ARGUS

FIXTURES. May 15, 17—Wanganui Jockey* Club. May 16, 3 7—Oamaru Jockey Club. May 23, 24—South Canterbury Jockey Club. May 24—Ellesmere ’JYotting piub. May 31. June 3—Canterbury Park Trot-tin* Club. June a —South Wairarapa. Trotting Club. June 3, 4 —Otaki Maori Racing Club. June 3,5, 7--Dunedin Jockey Club. Juno 5,5, 7—Auckland Racing Club. June 7—Ashburton Trotting Club. Juno so, 21 —Ashburton Country Racing Club. NOMINATIONS. May 1-3 Alanawatu Itac-inj Club Claasioa. May lo—Canterbury Park Trotting Clfib. alay 23—Ashburton Trottin Club. HANDICAPS. May 17—South Wairarapa Trotting Club. May 19—Auckland Racing dub. \S Ry Canterbury Jockey Club. Ma> 19—Dunedin Jockey Club. 2 > ~,S , *T er i JUry Parb Trotting Club. Maj M—Otaki Maori Racing Club. June 4—Ashburton Trotting Club. ACCEPTANCES. May 13—Oaruaru Joohe- Club. May 17—Ellesmere Trotting dub. VLT Canterbury Jockey Club. V# ~—Auckland Racing Club. !s*~2 taki Maori Racing Club. Mm- ,' Vair * rapa Trottin* Club. ■£zS ant V b,,ry Park Trotting Club. , 1 28 —Dunedin Joeltey Club June s—Aahburton Trotting Club.

PETERETA,

The death of the stallian Petereta this week has drawn pomted attention to the great help the sport of trottinp and pacing received from the late Mr R. M’Millan. About ten years ago the now deceased owner of Santa Rosa Stud Fanil brought the stallion, together with Brent Locandn. Great Audubon, Eiklon Hall and Nelson Bingen from America. Petereta was brought specially from the home of his birth to breed trotters, as Mr M’Millan realised that that particular branch of the sport was not being catered for to the same extent as the pacing division. Petereto was sired by the great horse Peter the Great, renowned as a producer of trotters. The first batch of Petereta’s foals, and there uas a large number of them, created a most favourable impression and for a few years the defunct stallion was very much in the boom with breeders. -Probably because his early progeny did not race up to expectations as young horses the stallion lost favour for a time, but with some of his stock showing exceptional form at the trotting gait he gradualy rehabilitated himself and afterwards received good patronage up : to his death. Petereta was a fine, commanding horse, and most of his progeny were built on solid lines, possessing plenty* of stamina, and they found no difficulty in racing over two miles, either as pacers or trotters. Nearly all his stock provel to be trotters, and justified til© judg ment of his importer, but there were some who paced with plenty of success. Owners seemed particularly anxious to begin early on Petereta’s stock, with a result that many of his young horses became bad tempered, and this was probably the cause of the stallion’s unpopularity’ i’9r a time. Jt was later discovered, however, that if his stock were allowed reasonalile time to mature they showed no sign of waywardness. That champion trotting mare, Reta Peter, winner of two New Zealand Trotting Cups, was the best of his progeny to race. Peter Dean. Peter Swift, Pete Peter. Lady Nan. Peter M’Miilati. Our Lady and Pieter Timmerman are a few of his trotting successes, whilst Peter Mae, Pitaroa Peter King. Partner and Kewpie all won good races as pacers. During the present season, now drawing to r. close, thirty-six of his progeny havo secured £7250 10s in stakes, having won twenty-nine races including a dead heat, finished second on thirty one occasions and third on thirty-three occasions.

The Wanganui Jockey Club’s winter meeting will be commenced to-morrow, concluding on Saturday.

Oakleigli -has done a. bit of racing over hurdles lately and he should be going forward, so that he may be expected to race well in the Wanganui Steeplechase.

The South Canterbury gelding. Master Peter, who is booked to compete in the Wanganui Steeplechase, is the most promising young cross country horse in sight. He showed good form each day of the last Grand National meeting and lie only has to go on right to reach the top class before the coming winter campaign is concluded. 'Starland came into the limelight recently by reason of several successes and high hopes were entertained as to his prospects in important steeplechases during the winter. At the Egmont meeting last week, however, he fell each day and as a result he has lost many admirers.

Prince Rufus, a winner at the Egmont meeting, is engaged in the Century Hurdle Handicap at Wanganui, but the popular opinion is that two miles and a quarter will prove too long a journey for him.

Eu Route is a much discussed hurd-, ier. He should show up in the Century Hurdle Handicap, as his recent will on the flat at Trent.ham showed him to be in form.

The Australian-bred Tame Fox is due to race in the principal flat events at Wanganui. He is a good horse under winter conditions, but possibly he is not quite ready vet.

Marque-teur has come on well lately and he should run prominently in the Connolly Handicap at Wanganui. Sir Rosebery looks a good prospect for the steeplechases during • tfie next couple of months. He has yet to prove that he can stay, but he is a likely sort. Even with a decent weight to carry, he will be hard to beat in the Hack Steeplechase at Wanganui. Soliform is engaged in sprint races at Wanganui. When he has had a couple of races he will be hard to beat if he reproduces his early form.

Glenross, who has shown brilliant form in some of his recent hack enwill run in open sprint company it Wanganui. The popular opinion is that be will be in tho top class next season.

Rapine created a very favourable impression on the critics during his recent trip to Sydney. One good judge said that for a gelding he had the best middle piece he had ever seen.

Muck sympathy will be expressed with the Auckland horseman, J. O’Shea, whose sister died last week after a long illness. The black gelding Mort Avis died recently. A brother to that good horse Depredation, Mort Avis gave promise in his early career, but did not tur.i out as good as anticipated. It is stated that Uncle Ned is being tried over the hurdles at Avondale. A few seasons ago Uncle Ned was a good performer on the flat, but he is ten years old now. and having shown no form for some time is well past his best.

The death occurred in Melbourne lasc week of Mr James Hathaway, who was prominently connected with the sport in New Zealand, residing for some years at Ajrapuni, and who some years ago took some horses over to Australia. He v.-as an uncle of the wellknown horsemen. A., R.. and C. Reed.

W. Duncan, a successful Victorian horseman, rod© Stony in both the TocaJ Handicap, which he won, and the Sydney Cup, in which he ran second. to some Sydney papers, Stony was unlucky in the running of the Sydney Cup, as he was last seven furlongs from home. George Price, the well-known train et, who is on a short visit to relations and friends in the Dominion, arrived in Wellington from Sydney on Tuesday. Like nearly every New Zealand trainer that- has gone ~to the other side he does not desire to return to the Dominion, writes “ Sir Lancelot.” It, took a little while to get established at Sydney, but since •he got S No. 1 license he has made steady progress, and at present has a stable full of horses. One of liis first, patrons on the other side gave him Stony, a. Kenilworth gelding, for a start. Stony won the Tocal Handicap at the recent meeting of tl.a Australian Jock*y Club, and was unlucky enough to get beaten in the Sydney Cup. Mr Moss was not downhearted, and bought a Valais colt at the recent sales for 2000 guineas. He will be one of Price’s two-year-olds for next season. His team included Windbag (Magpie—Charleville), winner of the Second Nurserv Handicap, a mile race, at- Rand wick recently. He is a promising sort, and should be hoard of in some of tho Guineas races in tho spring. Charleville (dam of Windbag) was a New Zealand-bred mare by Charlemagne 11.. and was full sister to Charlotte and half-sister to Ardmore and Killiney, all winners ixi Otago. Blue Ensign (by The Tetrarch—Blue Tit), who ©ost Lord Glanely 1-l.oOOgns as a yearling, was a complete failure as a racehorse. He started in only one ••ace. the Craven Stakes of 1922, in vhich he began badly and made no how. He met with an accident shortly afterwards, aind was then retired to he stud at a fee of Ogrts, which has cw been increased. According to ai English writer, it is generally conceded hat Blue Ensign was. as a. yearling he finest specimen of a thoroughbred ever offered for sale at Done a: er. There have been many instance t horses who had no racing reco: o-rih mentioning doing well at th*. tud. Hotchkiss is a 'pronounced cas point in New Zealand, and in Aus alia Grafton, who topped tho list sevral years, can also bo cited. Thact of the price paid for Blue Eusi<r when a, yearling. standing n* a world ; record will always serve to surround •»!•> i~Y ”me with intei esi. ■*

The American stallion Guy Parish, when his term of quarantine has expired. will go into J. N. Clarke’s stable at New Brighton.

A two-year-old pacing colt by Dillon Axworthy from a maro by Peter the Great arrived in Auckland early this week, having been purchased in America by Mr E. E. Lelieve.

W. Warren is getting the gelding by Cathedral Chimes—Soda into good shape. For a considerable time the pacer failed to show much improvement and his trainer almost despaired of getting him to race. However, a few spells and plenty of patience seem to have been beneficial, and in any case the pacer is showing a lot of improvement.

N. C. Price has made another start wit hhis fine two-year-old pacer, and it is probable the youngster may be raced at August provided he trains on satisfactorily, and there seems to be little doubt on that score. It will be interesting to see how this brilliant young horse races, as in his training work his efforts seem to be no trouble.

Gold Bud continues to train on satisfactorily, and if he remains sound he should race well when next he is started.

N. C. Price expects to receive his yearling by Brent Locanda—Empicss Eugene in a few days. He was pu; chased last October from Mr J. O’Brien, of Oamaru.

A. G. Wilson has just put into work a two-year-old gelding by Wildwood Junr—Madam Shaw, which he has leased. The youngster is a pacer and looks a good sort.

J. N. Clarke is giving Leila Denver plenty of work in view of the Ellesmere Trotting Club’s meeting next week. The pacer looks very.well. G. F. Robinson has a large team in work at New Brighton at present.

Elite, who seems to have come back to his best form, looks well and is pacing in good style in his work. Tiny Moon is being kept up to .the collar but the trotter does not seem to be improving in speed, although she is doing her work solidly.

Lord Bingen is one of the useful sort and bears a well-t mined appearance. This young pacer should race well over a distance nevt season.

With Logan Chief at the top of liis form and Acorn and Great Bingen fast getting into racing condition, J. J. Kennerley has a fine team with which to start next season’s racing campaign.

The American-bred trotting sire Petereta was destroyed a few days ago. He reared up and broke a hind leg while playing in a paddock at Mr P. Watson's farm, at lialswell. Petereta, who was foaled in 1909, was by the great American sire Peter the Great. The late Mr R. M’Millan imported him to the Dominion, and he proved, a highly successful sire, Reta Peter (winner of two New Zealand Trotting Cups), Peter Dean, Pete Peter, Peter Mac, Peter Swift, Pitaroa. Peter King, Kewpie, Pieter Timmerman, Our Laay and partner being among his progeny, lie left winners at both ga*ts, but ne made his name chiefly with his trotters.

Th© opinion has been held for some time that the time would arrive wueu no race at the principal meetings* of th© Australian Jockey Club would have smaller added money than £lOuO. The prediction was recently ottered by a Sydney writer that that result may be achieved at the autumn meeting, next year.

R. Reed’s masterly riding of Rapine was one of the features or the R&ndwick meetings (sa3 J s . tile Melbourne ‘'Globe”). He proved himself an adept under any set of circumstances. On the first day of the meeting he 1 held Rapine behind the field, and smothered them with an overpowering rush in the last half furlong. Then on the concluding day ho took his mount to tne front a mile from home, and rode a beautiful /waiting race in front. Of course, ho was on a horse that is amenable to his rider’s desires. Rapine was running along jdst behind the leaders in the early stages of the race, and though the pace was slow, he was not “pulling an ounce.” Nevertheless, Reed is deesrving of high praise for his riding. The Hawke’s Bay owner-trainer, John M. Cameron, returned to the Dominion this week with his team, consisting of The Hawk. MoJyneux, and Egyptian Flower. They are to be spelled during the winter months in Hawke’s Bay, and, all going well, Cameron will probably go across again iii the spring. The Hawk reproduced his best form in Victoria, where he won the St George Stakes, nine furlongs weight for age, and the Futurity Stakes, of 30GQ sovs, seven furlongs, at Caulfield. At I'lemington he won the C. M. Lloyd Stakes, a mile, and the Essen don Stakes, ten furlongs. Both were weight-for-age races and worth 1500 sovs. On returning to Sydney lie failed to reproduce his form. Ic was therefore thougth that a good spell would benefit the Martian gelding. Demosthenes, a descendant of the St. Simon horse Desmond, won such fame in New Zealand that a notice penned by "The Special Commissioner” of the London “ Sportsman ’’ arrest* attention. In referring to Desmond, th© writer in question, who is on al! hands accepted as one of the most thoroughly versed authorities on th thorough bred family, stated that he had a justly-founded nrejudice against / the Desmond blood, and proclaims that ii ever there uas a shifty beast it- was tho son of St Simon and I.’Abbess© dc Jouarre, and so Wtos his uncle. Abbe Morris. Proceeding, lie avers that, though Desmond got- many winners few of thorn could stand a pinch in a severe race. Some could, of course—such as Tire \\ lute Knight—but others were very disappointing, and one of the latter—Charles O’Maury—is macro the subject of particularly "contemptuous reference by his lack of courage. “1 do not mean,” continues ‘‘The ; Special Commissioner.” “ that I regard ! Grand Parade as necessarily the worse | because lie is out of a Desmond mare. | but in mv experience and judgment | there is. nothing so hereditary as n i roguish temperament, anil the prei mond blood is in this respect very ! strong.” Demosthenes is now at tho j stud in New South Wales, and it will | bo interesting to note whether In will 1 exalt or lower the record which lie k achieved as a sire .i. No-, Zealand,

ENGLISH NOTES.

(Special to th© “ Star.”) LONDON, March 27. Th© French have brought off another coup on an English racecourse, and as a result something in. tho nature of a quarter of a million must have said good-bye to th© satchels of our bookmakers. Sir Gallaliad’s victory in the Lincolnshire Handicap was as easily obtained as was that of Kpinard in the Stewards’ Cup last year. Mr Jeff Cohn’s colt trotted in, as they said he would do, immediately* tho. name of his more illustrious fellow countryman was erased from the race. It was admitted on a.ll hands here that ji>ir Gallahad was extremely well handicapped for a French classic winner, but ho had a bit of a reputation for being obstreperous at the gate, and tfiat is what stalled off a large number of backers in this country. As a matter of fact, cm his first appearance in England—among a field of no fewer than twenty seven on a cramped course—the colt showed not a trace of ill-temper* and if he hesitated a while when the barrier ascended, he was soon into his stride and upsides with the leaders, Westmead and Jar vie, witliiu three furlongs. Thence onwards there was only one in it, and Sir Gallahad came home a winner by three lengths. Mr Sol Joel had plunged on Evander, and l should say he just came out on the right side, seeing that his horse managed to come in second. The remaining place was filled by the Irish horse Grave Fairy, who was an outsider. Sir Gallahad was undoubtedly the pick of the bunch ifi the paddock, though Condover looked fitter than many people expected, him to be. There was 'no doubt that the stable had high hopes of the last named, at the same time—like all other owners and trainers—fearing the French representative. Drake, a crack two-year-old, and one of the favourites for last year’s Derby until he injured himself. met. with strong support, due to the optimism of his trainer, Harry Cottrell, who was convinced that he had got the colt to gallop with the splendid action which characterised his earlier career. Drake certainly showed up prominently for about half the distance, and then faded away altogether. It is possible, neverthe less, that he will win good Rhort distance races during the season. Westmead was running in the White Bud colours, but as last year, when the representative of Cottrell, he could do no better than finish on the leading half dozen without getting a place. Jarvie confirmed the idea that a mile is hevond his best distance, while the well-prepared Roval showed plainly that age was beginning to tell, and that it was not in him to keep up with the pace set by his younger rivals. Spval,

there is little doubt, was the most sought after win and place horse in the /ace. Frank O’Neill, the American jockey who rides in France, was the successful pilot, and he came in* for much congratulation as, of course, did the trainer. Denman. O’Neill has triumphed in this country on several oc • casions. notably when he won the Derby on Spion Kop while Denman, now in his seventieth year, has sent out other winners on our courses, though tiie classics have always eluded him. He reckoned Pardy was a certainty for th© Derby, but the horse could only get second to Lord Rosebery’s Cicero. However. Sir Gallohad’s brilliant win will do much fab wipe out the memory of that disappointment. Dally 11, another French horse, took part in this year’s Lincoln, but h© was unfancied and ran accordingly. My friend “Hotspur” of the “DailyTelegraph” had the privilege of looking over the King’s stable the other day, and it is gratifying to know that Knight of the Garter has progressed in the best possible way from two to three years of age. The colt, of course, is entered for all the classic races, and while there looks to be formidable opposition in waiting—the Aga Khan’s Salmon Trout and Diaphon. Lord Astor’s Bright Knight and Sir Hedworth Meux’s Donzolon, for instance—there is quite a prospect of the Royal colours being carried to victory once again in the Guineas or the Derby—or both! Knight of the Garter is an imposing colt of fine physique and that definite masculine character which one expect;, ic find in a high cias* horse at three years of age. He probably stands fully 16 hands now. which is an indication that he will not lack for anything on the score of size. And with size, he has marked muscular development, a bold outlook, a grand neck denoting strength and character, and a most wonderful back and loins. The strength and power revealed in his back and quarters the feature of liis conformation and were he to turn out a great colt as a three-year-old, the critic would be bound to say, “Well, he certainlv looks the part.” It has not been a favourable late winter and early spring for horses at- Newmarkci, but I should cay that Knight of the Garter is as advanced as is necessary and, all going well, he should be ripe in point of fitness to show us what he is worth on Two Thousand Guineas Day. Resina to is another of the King’s three-year-olds that has wintered well and will be winning good class races. Weathervane- Bowood and London Cry are still in training, and the last named should hold his own with the best of the stayer. The two-yet-r-okls are not a particularly bright lot though Runnymead, a colt by Hurry On, and

Jovial, a colt by Friar Marcus, are both well grown and have scope and action of the right kind Altogether, the Royal stable looks like having a more successful time than for some years pasT