RACING AND TROTTING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17350, 15 May 1924, Page 2

RACING AND TROTTING

NOTES BY

ARGUS

PICTURES. May 15, 17—Wancranbi Jockey Club. May 16. 17—Oamaru Jockey Club. May 23, 24—South Canterbury Jookej- Club. May 24—Ellesmere Trotting Club. May 31, June 3—Canterbury Park Trotting Club. June 3—South Wairarapa Trotting: Club. June 3. 4—Otaki Maori Raoing Club. June 3, o, 7—Dunedin Jockey Club. Juno 3,5, 7—Auckland Racing Club. June 7—Ashburton Trotting Club. JW 20, 21—Ashburton Country Racing NOMINATIONS. May 15—Canterbury Park TYotting Club. May 23—Ashburton Trottin Club. HANDICAPS. May 17—South Wuirarapa Trotting Club. Mny 19—Auckland Racing triub. May 19—South Canterbury Jockey Club. May 19—'Dunedin Jockey Club. May 20—Canterbury Park Trotting Club. May 20— Otaki Maori Racing Club. June 4—Ashburton Trotting Club.' ACCEPTANCES. 17—-Ellesmere Trotting Club. May 21—South Canterbury Jockey Club. May 33—Auckland Racing Club. May 23—Otaki Maori Racing Club. May 24—South Wairarapa Trotting Club. May 27—Canterbury Park Trotting Club. May 29—Dunedin Jockey Club. June s—Ashburton Trotting Club.

RE-NOMINATIONS.

<On© of the conditions on the programme of the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s winter meeting, 'which was held last week, read as follows :—“ Placed horses doing better time than thatspecified in their class may be nominated for a higher class at. the meeting. Nominations may be made at any time up to half an hour after the finish of the last race on the first dov.” The condition of the track on the first day of the meeting made fast times an impossibility. Jtf the Bayfield Handicap, one /mile and five furlongs, class 4min B|sec, Money Spider, on the limit, won easily in 4min 18 3-ssec. In the I>omain Handicap, two miles, class 4min 52sec. Stunt Artist, handicapped at 60 yards behind, finished third, his time being omin 3 3-sseo. In the Renown Handicap, one mile and five furlongs, class 3min oOjsec, Fashion Queen, on 72 yards behind, won in 3min 47 3-ssec. Money Spider was renominated for the Improvers’ Handicap, of two miles, class 4min 56see, and was placed on the limit by the handicapper; Stunt Artist was renominated for the Railway Handicap, one mile and five furlongs. class 3min oOjJsec, aud was handicapper on the limit; whilst Fashion Queen came into the Victory Handicap, two miles, class 4iriin 33sec, and was also handicapped on the limit. Prior to the commencement of the second day’s racing the judicial committee met and decided that whilst Fashion Queen could start, Stunt Artist and Money Spider were -ineligible. Under the literal reading of the condition the finding of the committee may have been a correct one. It must be quite 'apparent, however, that the rule was never intended to operate in such a manner. The oniy logical conclusion is that the framers of the condition intended all horses to be placed on an equality regarding lenomination and not to fallow those who are on back marks to have an unfair advantage. Clearly, if limit horses have to improve their handii capped time before becoming eligible,those handicapped on a faster mark should have to similarly improve. There is a strong likelihood of renomination playing an important part on programmes nest season and it would be as well if the New Zealand Trotting Association carefully reviewed all programmes before passing thorn, and make certain that com ditions are clearly defined. With reference to the present coudition, if it verc framed to read, Horses improvmg on their handicapped time shall be engiblo for renomi nation,” no exception could be taken, and all would ■ then have an equal chance.

Trn?,? n Pta .”, Ce , S ' f ° r the Elles< "ere County sl?urday mCetms wiU close on S.’dnev'^w^ 1 *' 63 '? l °- ni S ht for and Tije dip * r j Un Geramul during, thJ wfntSr lufeg” g * ry ’ b ' V Paper from fr,V V S a r a fu'St-riass rider orer fences, will leave next, week for Svdney He will probably do the ridin K - corawock and other New Zealand jumpers now in Australia. R„ W. King ivil! make another start 11. a tew days on the two-vear-old \\ atermtnt, bv Greyspear from Warn spray the dan- of PiUiewinkie and i An t r i ia J, in S « run in the iM Lean stakes last October she wa* put aside, and she will now be got wdn d al£? r i < ’ ar l y spi .', ug ra °ing. King will also creak in the yearling rolt bv Panmure from Cormorant, by Finland Jr”™ p «rera. dam of Vyland and Boanerges, two smart gallopers. W ith Dame Straitlaee and Count Cavour on the easy list. Mr J. S Bariett, has no horses m racing order at present. This pair will be spelled (luring the winter and will then bo taken m hand again by T. H. Gillett, with a view to spring engagements. Dame Straitlaee narrowlv missed winmng the last New Zealand Cu P ; and though her recent form has been moderate. she may come back in good trim tor another attack on the Cup, a race m which Mr Barrett has been very unlucky, at. boo Chow also carried his colours into second place. Count Cavour paid his way this season, and he may be expected to develop into a good three-year-old Th® Oamaru Jockey Club’s meeting will be commenced to-morrow and concluded oh Saturday. Good fields are engaged in most of the events on the first day, and with competitors drawn from a wide area, ranging from Riccarton to Southland, there should be some interesting sport. Vrisco Mail stands out as the best pertormer in the Empire Hurdle Handil 9 a P’ but Petunia is a promising young jumper, likely to be useful later on.

Royal Wink heads the Ijst in the Redcftstle Welter Handicap at Oamaru. Ho will meet a few speedy opponents, but he should be capable "of a good performance. • * Prince Ferouz should be improved by his recent racing, and he is likely to run out a good mile in the Oamaru Cup. Clareina has been galloping exceptionally well lately on the Riccarton tracks. Sh*> is lightly weighted in the Oamaru Cup and she should get some of the money. *-* Vasilkov showed himself partial to the Oamaru track when 5 he raced there hi March, and he may again shape well this week. Southland reports credit Warhaven with being an improving horse. He showed promising form when first he ~aced. and probably he is only now coming to his best, Goldtown has some smart hack performances to his credit, and a repetition of his best will make him hard to heat at Oamaru. where he will carry his new owner’s colours for the first time. Cutnbrae won a race at Oamaru in March, and she may show up again this week, as she is in good fettle. Knorklyn has recent winning form to recommend her. and she may race well among the hacks at Oamaru. Tempe is a speedy customer, but. as she has shown a lack of stamina, the Oamaru hill may trouble her. Tile Reaver looke like getting some of the money in the sprint races at Oamaru. He was a winner at the last meeting on the same course. le trip J. M’Combe is making to Sydney w ill not be his first venture there. He rode Armlet when she won the Gimcrack Stakes for the late M*. G. G. Stead in the spring of 1907. It is reported from Melbourne that Mr I. G. Duncan has arranged to send two mares frgm the Waikanae stud to Victoria, to be mated with Comedy King. The injuries suffered by Stan Reid when Chrysostom fell iii the First Steeplechase at the Australian Jockey Club’s meeting prevented him from riding the horse when he won later in the meeting. It was a fortunate experience for another ex-New Zealander, Frank Gray, who secured the winning mounjt on Chrysostom. Gray, who was only recently licensed, is a good horsemaji, and he should do well during the winter in jumping racqs. A dispute took place over the bidding when Avalanche was under the hammer last week, and his owner settled the matter by saying, “If you don’t want him, don’t take him,” and fo. this reasons the horse remains under his former ownership, and not in that of the bidder to whom he was knocked down. Some of the the ForburyPark Trotting Club take a real live interest in the game, writes “Sentinel,” and are frequent visitors to the track during training operations, and so keep in touch with owners and trainers, whose assistance is the backbone of the game.

When S. Trilford returned to dyke,. it was his intention to limit the 'size of bis team, but this is growing again «in spite of himself, and at present he has about sixteen horses in work. One cf the latest additions is Mountain Lion, who so far has not been troubled with a recurrence of the soreness which made Jiim difficult to train. Mountain Lion was a brilliant, though hard-w'orked two-year-old. who, at one stage of his career, was handicapped to give Rapine" a couple of stone, and if ho strikes anything liko form he should not be long in getting some money.

A great contributor to the high standard which light harness racing has reached in New* Zealand is unquestionably Mr Harry Brinkman, the Wellknown handicapper, says the Dunedin writer “Sentinel.” His work and ef' forts to improve the sport has been largely responsible for lifting the game from a catch-as-catch-can business, which .had only to continue to be so to go the same way as pedestrianism and cycling, which fell from valuably endowed Botany Handicaps and Austral 'Wheel Races to nothing at all. Mr Brinkman has from a practical point of view r really done more for the sport than any other man in New Zealand. Others may theorise and talk and talk, but he has supplied and been responsible for the facts which make the racing interesting and alive. With the whole-hearted support and real knowledge of capable officials, Mr Brinkman would set the. sport in the same position as Caesar’s wife—beyond suspicion. A great contest was in progress at the end of April for premier honours among Australian sires. For the first nine months of the season Valais had thirteen winners in twenty-six races, with stakes totaling £27.407, while Woorak had eighteen winners of thirtyone races, with stakes £26,476. Commenting on the win of the French horse, Sir Galahad 111., in the Lincolnshire Handicap, a writer in the “ Sportsman” had the following:— The latest French coup was cleverly accomplished, and by perfectly clean and legitimate means, so it is a little surprising that some of us did not take more advantage of a golden opportunity. As I wrote directly the weight appeared, there was never any idea of sending Epinard-to Lincoln. He was simply entered to ensure Sir Gallahad 111. getting in at a lighter weigfit than he would otherwise have done. An acceptance was made * with'him so that there shpuld bo no rise in the weights, he was struck out directly the commission for two oompatriots had been satisfactorily worked, and from that time until the tapes went up no secret was made of the fact that all connected with him considered the race to ho an absolute certainty for Sir Gallahad ITT.

NAPIER NOTES

(Special to the “ Star.^’) NAPIER, May 14. The Jockey Club made a profit of over £7OO from its Baste’Monday meeting. The gate taking* were a club record, and amounted to £765 10s 6d. The Government collared £1686 8s 9d, while the stake money amounted to £1550. Rapine arrived home last night. He is to have a spell of some weeks. J. M. Cameron also brought The Hawk, Molyneux and Egyptian Flower back, and the trio wdjl probably be turned out for some time, though it is possible that Molyneux may be kept going and schooled for hurdle racing, if all goes well. It is Cameron's present intension to return to Australia in the spring. Admiral Codrington and Communicate figure amongst the hurdle nominations for Otaki. With time, the pair should make good at the jumping game. Duo is again in W. J. Donovan’s stable. Whether he will remain sound and whether he will come back again after his long spell remains to be seen. Highland is at present resting at Okawa. Nigger Minstrel, Orofino. Phoenix Park and Table Talk will, it is said, soon join George Jones s team at Greenmeadow-s Antler is expected to give a good account of himself at Wanganui.

ENGLISH NOTES.

(Special to the ‘‘‘"Star.”) LONDON, April 3. Conjuror 11. started one of the hot te&t favourites on record for the Gran J National, but only eight of the thirty j competitors completed the course of four miles a*jd a half, and he was not i one of them. It was a most disappoint ing result, for hundreds of backers, large and small, had coupled the burs 3 j in ‘‘ doubles ” with Sir Gallahad 111., ' and naturally stood to win very con- , siderable amounts. Victory went to I Lord Airlie’s Master Robert, who. although not exactly a despised figured at a comparatively long price. Then came Fly Mask, the stable companion of Conjuror 11., and Silvo, the last-named second only ih demand to the acttial favourite. The circumstances surrounding the performance of Silvo were such as to merit the description, “ the best in the race.” In the first place, the horse is young as ’chasers and he was carrying a burden' of 12st 21b—that is to say, no less than 251 b more than the winner and 161 b more than Conjuror 11. ; secondly, he ! was not able to have the services of his regular jockey. Tony Eseott—about, if not actually, the finest horseman over a country we Have—through an injury sustained a couple of weeks or so prior to the decision of the Grand 'National. The King was present as a member of Lord Derbky.’s party, and as Lord Airlie was also included in the group it was only natural that his Majesty should have a modest bet about the winner. King George watched the race from the ..crow’s nest .stand, specially erected a year ago overlooking Valentine’s Brdok for- the Prince of "Wales. It affords a magnificent view of by far th& most interesting pa#t of the Grand Natonal. There was not a single fait at the first fence —quite unusual, of course, and then the long line was seen, with Silvo and Fly Mask at the head and Conjuror 11. well down it Thus they charged at Beecher’s for tha first time. Most of the field landed well; but, though the favourite appeared to take off all right, he never rose on landing. Tire horse that liad never fallen in his life was* down this tiiqe sure enough. The pity is that the tragedy should have occurred when he was the great hope of thousands of en thusiasts. The horse was soon on his legs, and so was tjie -jockey, Mr Harry Brown, and we were to learn subsequently that the cause of the trouble was the intervention of a loose horse. The survivors travelled smoothly oyer the next fence, and then came the'very formidable Canal Turn, necessitating-a shap left -handed twist. There, as usual, the casualties began to mount up Eureka 11. jumped all right-, but was bumped' on both sides . when landing, and all but came down. That shock, no doubt, destroyed his chance, as he ran on afterwards like a badly shaken horse It was at the point referred to that Taffytus was baulked before taking off. and he swung away from the fence. Pencoed, who ran very prominently last year, likewise brought his career, for the time being, to an end there, and other casualties, though they did not actually fall, were Auchi'n rossie. Arr a vale and All White. As they passed over Valentine’s, immediately beneath the eyes of the King, Silvo was 6 leading from ' Drifter, Gay Lochinvar, A Double Escape. Sergeant, Murphy. Winnail, Flv Mask, Gerald L.. Master Robert and others. There was a considerable gap between firs.; and last, and even further away old Shaun Spadah was ploughing a lonely furrow. No -fewer than nineteen of them crossed the water jump.'and when they were viewed again at the second circuit, it was rather astonishing to .sec Winnail out with a* 1 clear leal and going in great style. Silvo, too. was going strong, and in close company were Sergeant Murphy, Old Tay Bridge. Master Robert, whose position, it will be noted, was rapidly improving. and Gerald L.. Then real ill-luck;' came to Winnail at the Canal turn. ; A loose horse was seen to be gallop- \ ing alongside him approaching the i fence. Instead of this creature jump- j ing straight, it ran across the fence and baulked the leader. Old Tay Bridge was now left to jump Valentine’s with a short lead of Silvo, u few lengths separating Sergeant Mur phy. Fly Mask. Drifter and Master Robert. Much further in the rear were Wavetown. Ballirode, and Shaun Spadah, apparently now the only siirvivors. At this juncture it looked as though -Silvo might win. though it was obvious he was tiring. Fly Mask also was showing some distress, out Master "Robert held on doggedly and began to pick up steadily but surely. When Old Tay Bridge fell at the fence before reaching -the raceeource, Master Robert was left in front, and the lead he gained was never afterwards lost. He held on grimly and though Fly Mask pulled out his last reserves, they were not sufficient to make the desired impression. Master Robert is a big powerful ■ chestnut, standing over 16 hands, and ' he would easily carry lost to hounds, i He was bred in Ireland, and it is even j said that his then farmer-owner for j a time had him in the plough in an . emergency. That may or may not b

true, but it js a fact that .Lord Airlic . paid juet a little over £2OO for him as a heavy-weight hunter. In dye I course the Hon Aubrey Hastings came I to train the horse, who gained sever**L I minor Recently Master | Robert gave a deal of trouble through ' lameness in his-off foro foot, and be had to have continuous veterinary treatment. He was lame even on the day before the National, though the trainer declared that the trouble disappeared as soon us the horse began to move. Mr Hastings rode Ascetic’s vSilver to victory in the National some years ago and subsequently he trained Ally Sloper and Bally maead successfully for the rjice, so that he now possesses an unique Aintree record. Trudgill, the victorious jockey, is not ono of the fashionable school. He has the reputation of being, however, particularly hard working and courageous. and his triumph is no more than he deserves. Altogether another romantic page is added to the history of th© Grand National.

ACCEPTANCES.

OAMARU JOCKEY CLUB. Per Pres* Association. \ O AMARU, May 14. The following acceptances have been received : EMPIRE HUEI>LE HANDICAP, of 150 aov6; one mile and a half.—Frisco Mail lOst lllb, Mandrake lOst 9lb, Pomposo Oat Blb, Pe'tunia 9st 2lb, Sherlock 9st, Raconteur 9st. REDCASTLE WELTER HANDICAP, of 135 sovs; six Royal Wink 9st 71b. Ronnie Lake 9st 61b, Queen Balboa 9st 31b, Red Cherry Bat 12lb, Obligio 6st 101 b, Cornflower Bat 21b, Oourcelette Bsfc 21b, March gOtt Bst. Sunny Mao Bst, Sayanora Bst, Los Ambus Bst. OAMARIT CUP, of 275 sovs: ono mile.— Bonnie Winkie Bst 121 b, Kilfane Bst 71b, Prince Feroua..B3t. Radial 7st 101 b. Lady Blissful 7st 31b, Clareina 6et 131 b. Sajj Salvador €st. 7lb. TRIAL PLATE, of 120 sovs; five furlongs.—Adopted Bst 51b, Beauty Light B*4 Bib, Bonsilla Sat slb, Bonny Wood Bst 61b, Clarion Bst 51b, Clontarf Bst 51b. Flight Bst Sib, Lady Liffey Bst olb. Medusa Bst 6lb, Proliliman Bst 51b, Prompter Sst 51b, Oh ick wheat 7Bt 711 b, Coch-y-Bondhu 7st 71b, Electric jfcass 7st 71b, Gold Brick Tat 71b, Saxette Tat 7lb. Sun Up 7st 7lb. MOERAKI WELTER HANDICAP, of 160 sovs; seven furlongs.—Vasilkov Bst 101 b," Carmine Bst 101 b, Vice Royal Sat Tib, Warhaven Bet 31b, Counteystroke 7et lllb, Coastguard 7st lllb. Bodyguard. 7st 71b, Golden King 7st 71b, Wapping 7st 71b, Sartolite 7st 71b, Gossard 7gi 71b, WATKaURA HACK HANDICAP, of 120 sovs; six furlongs.—Gold Town 9st 61b, Eaton Bells Bst 131 b, Hurdy Gurdy 'Bst 81b, Marraont Bst lib, Knocklyn Bet, CTumbrae 7st 13lb, Maytime 7sfc lllb. Tempe 7st lllb, Buoyant 7st 71b, March Off 7b4 71b, Soltoe 7st 71b, Olymoia, 7st 71b. STEWARDS’ HANDICAP. of 160 sovs; six furlongs.—Dancing Days 9st, The Reaver Bst 911), Corn Rigs Bst 81b, Bloom Bst 31b, Warhaven Bst, Avispado 7st 71b, Bella Lake 7st 21b, Pickaninny 6st 131 b.