RACING AND TROTTING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17382, 10 November 1924, Page 2

RACING AND TROTTING

NOTES BY

ARCUS

FIXTURES. November lo—Hamilton Racing Club. November 3. 10. 12, 13—Canterbury Jockey «'lub. November n. 13, 14—Metropolitan Trotting < Jlwb. November 13. 17— Thame* Jockey Club. November 19—Ashhurst-Pohungina Racing J club. November 22- I.evin Racing Club. November 22. 2G-Otahulxu Trotting Club. : November 20. December I—Fell ding Jockey ! December 13. 16— New Brighton Trotting | NOMINATIONS. November 7—Fending Jockey Club. November 7--Otahuhu Trotting Club. 1 November ll—South Canterbury Jockey I Club. I November 20—New Brighton Trotting Club. HANDICA P». November 6—Ashhur3t-Pohangina Racing Club. November 7—Devin Racing Club November 11—Thames Jockey Club. November 11—Otahuhu Trotting Club. November 11 -Thames Jockey Club. November 17 South Canterbury Jockey Club. November 17- IVililing Jockev Club. December 2—New Brighton Trotting Club. Messrs Pvne and Co. will hold their annual .-ale oi yearlings to-morrow*, commencing at 9.30 a.m. Yearlings will be offered from the studs of Messrs J. B. Reid. J. F. Buchanan. I. G. Duncan. J. (.riiruc 11. M. Reeves, W. Deans I and S. J. Gibbons. J The South Canterbury Jockey Club's spring meeting will be held on Friday and Saturday <>l next week. Nominations will close at eight o’clock tomorrow night. Near the finish of the Welcome Stake-, <m Saturday Lady Cavendish crossed over and interfered with Bunny mode. Lady Cavendish finished second and Bunnymcde third, hut as , the result oi an* inquiry the judicial stewards reversed the placing of the pair. They also lined J. Barry, tho rider of Lady Cavendish, £lO. At the request of her owner, Mr G. Gould, the runnrng of Palestrina in the Riccarton Welter Handicap was inquired into by the judicial stewards oi the Canterbury Jockey Club on Saturday. Jf. Were, tho rider, made a statement regarding Palestrina’s poor showing and his explanation was accepted. A line of £5 was imposed on Mr K. Biddiford on Saturday. under Part XV.. Buie 7. of the Rules of Racing, ♦or failing to notify the Canterbury Jockey CMub on acceptance day that Kii Route and Dubious must be bracketed in the Limvood Handicap. Mantua contested the New Zealand Cup on Saturday in borrowed colours, tho black, purple crossed sash jacket of Air A G. Hill not being available, an oversight which cost him a line of £l. It was quite an unusual incident tor Riccarton. especially in such an important event. There was aiV interesting ceremony in the birdcage nt R'ccartot* on. .Saturday, after the New Zealand Cup. M r (r. Gould, ihe chairman of the Canterbury Jockey ( lub, congratulated Air B. A. M* Kcn7.ic, ilie owner of Sun art. on the success of his horse. Lady Jetli» <o Lheu presented the silver cup to Mr AFKenzie. who briefly replied. ( Ic-cr- Avero given tor the owner and hi.s liur.'o. and the proceedings closed with a .similar compliment to Ludv Jellicoe. 11 \i • 1 x tr;n i .ircd one ot his hind leg,*? when lie fell about six furlongs from 1 it the hurdh race at Riccarton on Saturday, and he had lo be dost roved. k ukume w« uL lurue on {Saturday ini‘i'iii?ig and had i > be withdrawn from the New Zealand C up. \* no tea met witli some injuries on Mm- boat w lieu coming from Wellington j u week and inst ad ol remaining hen- i > race she was shipped back home. She was scratched tor tne New Zealand Cup imi Saturday. Mi I B Reid, tornierJy u. steward of M" < oiitorbur; Jockey ( lub, was ;.h int“lc'-teil spectator ot tho racing at Ki on S turdaj Tin wire particularly pleasing from bis I 11 ' 1 °f Vl ' •' • ■■ he br< d two oi the winners. Sunart and Cyrene. Mi G. Gerard scored his first. Vuccesa in an important event when C .'v retie won the Welcome Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday, and lie and his tj-aim i , Mr J. B. Pearson came in for hearty congratulations on tlio success. Sunart's win the New Zealand Cup was very popular. His owner, Mr R. A. M ICenzie, a well-known Manaw&tu sportsman, is a liberal supporter of racing. and lie is a roguhti supporter of Riccarton meetings, at which he has had more than his share of bad luck in important races. The first time lie raced Sunart was at the meeting held ;<• Riccarton in honour of the visit of the Prince of Wales. when he ran -ccond to Royal Star, and since then i. has been third in the Metropolitan Handicap, second in the. ( anterbury Gup and second in the Great Autumn Handicap, without scoring a win on i he course until he captured the Now Zealand ( up on Saturday. A year ' ago Mr .M’Kenzie ran second in tho stewards’ Handicap with Mireusonta, and ho was quite due for a win in a big Dazzling Light, Rawene, Starm t-t. who idled the place.- in the .Spring Piute at Riccarton on Saturday, are all engaged in tin* Oaks, which will bo I run »»n Wednesday. .Monoxide, the • inner oi tin Liuwood Handicap, and In inspect, lourth in the Apprentices’ Handicap, are •ithers eligible to run, also Jubilant, who will have her first race at the meeting to-day. Appear mces therefore point to a very interesting contest for the fillies’ race. The new judge's box at Rieoarton, .-it tinted on top <»t the stewards’ stand, was used for the first time on Saturday. Ihe innovation received a severe trial, as there were some very close t rushes, but tho results appeared to be quite satisfactory. Lava is suffering from a slight cold, and it is unlikely that she will fulfil any cf h*=*r engagements at the Canter I ury Jockey Club’s meeting. This is a »hsappointment to her owner, Airs F. Griffin, a- die had hoped to run the So If. rino fillv in the f)«ki.

It is surprising to learn the need >f ! urging the claims of the North Island as a whole, and Wellington in particular. for the lion’s share ot the additional nineteen totaiisator permits for trotting clubs provided by tho recent legislation (writes - Vedette" in the Wellington “Post’’). Looking at the matter from every aspect, it seemed, just ordinary justice that the new permits would in the main be given -to thi> island, which on a population basts has been very badly served in the past. The North Island, with a population ot about 770,000, has nineteen day.-; oi trotting, and the South Island, with approximately 500,000, forty trotting j days, added to ninety trotting events , on the programme of racing clubs. But. | it is in regard to Wellington that good j claims can justifiably be urged, for at least three, it' not five extra days. Wellington. with its well appointed- race course at the Jfutt, and its population of 112,000. has one day’s trotting, as compared with the four da\\s of Gro\moutli (population 5000) and two days of Ashburton (population 5000). i h Wellington Trotting Club has a long lease of its present grounds, and it is. certain tlntf. given the extra days, vast ! improvements will be carried out ott j these grounds, conferring a direct benefit on the people of the district, whether they be ritciiig or non-racing folk With regard to the North Island in general, the argument may be put forward that there are not the horses, but that objection will not hold, for, given the permits, tho horses will soon appear ; indeed, there is a sufficiency «t horses in Canterbury alone to supply | the wants of the North and leave an ( ample number for the southern courses Viewed from every angle, the claim o? Wellington for a good share of the ninoj teen additional permits seem so obvious that if they fail to receive them it will 1 be a miscarriage oi justice. A person can get to know too much ; on a racecourse at times. This was demonstrated at Canterbury Park, in Sydney, recently. A bookmaker who did not fancy the programme from a bookmaker's point t>f view turned backer, at least for the time being. He had taken £SOO about the double Coleus and The Wild Goose. After Coleus won, and betting opened oil the Canterbury Handicap, The Wild Goose was the i early favourite, but he did not hold his position solidly. Tho bookmaker then made inquiries, and found out that the horse was reported lame, so he unloaded his double money, and not only laid tlvj £SOO off. but another £IOO against the grey as well. When he saw him win, . his feelings may be imagined. ’ Coleus, owned and trained by the exNew Zealander George Price, was a short-priced favourite for the Flying Handicap at Canterbury Park (Sydney) recently, and, moreover, ho justified his favouritism by winning easily. Tho w in and the spirted betting aroused uo little comment, and in this connection ; Pilot,” of the “Referee.” writes: ‘•They pay for it. urn! they get it. * was a remark I heard when the subject of bookmakers’ accurate information as to horses’ prospect? was being discussed. Tt may be pointed out by someone that tho non-appearance in the sporting columns of a good gallop done by Coleus at Randwick reflects on all the papers, our own included. Admitting that is so. sufficient was known about that gallop to cause Coleus to open at a short price for the Canterbury Flying Handicap, and tin’s in face ol the fact that he had not raced for several months. Newspaper reporters are often blamed when some horse or other that hits been doing well in private is a strong tip for a race, but my exjierienco is that trainers have more t j fear from members of their own calling than from anyone else. The possession of a* trainer’s license does not enable the holder to live on air. and when you see men who do not, on an average, turn out more than a couple of winner)* a year wearing a. prosperous appearance, tho idea suggests itself that, they arc possibly getting more out ot supplying information about other people’s horses than from training tho'e in then-own stable*. Nor is if, alnavs huancia 1 consideration ihat causes information to bo imparled. Kricmishin alone often causes a trainer to tell a bookmaker or punter something ihat may bo useful to him. RICCARTON RACING. AN ACSPICTOCS START. •SOME KEEN SPORT. The spring racing carnival opened as Riccarton on Saturday, with the hr-t day oi; the Canterbury Jockey Club’s metropolitan meeting. hollowing a rainy spell, which lasted through out the whole of October, the weather cleared in the* middle of last week ami the conditions ruling on Satur day were marred only by a strong wind. The course and the trainingtracks had been heavy tor the preliminary work leading up to the meeting, but they dried up rapidly and the course was in first-class ' order on Saturday, scarcely as fast as usual at this period of the year, but greatly benefited by the ruin, wich left tho ground without any sting. The lawns and gardens, as well as the track looked at their best, reflecting the’ greatest credit on the caretaker. -VI-.-I. - iV. AI. .Nab, who made a tborough success in this position Jong before -t was discovered that he is in the first rank in charge of the stating barrier. 1 here was a very largo attendance, both enclosures being crowded, and among tho.-.e present was the usual representative gathering of sportsmen from all parts of the Dominion. Ibo totaiisator investments were £<18,461, compared with £71.092 on Cup May last year. Money appeared to be plentiful and it is probable that rite drop in tile tourover was accounted for by the big dividends, the dividends in several of the events going : to a limited number of fortunate investors. f- rum a racing point of view, it was a memorable day. Laige fields were tne rule and the sport reached a high standard. The hurdle race was won easily and there was no excitement about the closing stages of the New Zealand Cup. These were the exceptions in a programme which otherj wise provided a series of great conI tests, culminating in wonderfully close finishes, some of them a* exciting a.

have ever been seen on the course. It was a very auspicious start for tho spring racing carnival. Racing ope n eel with the Spring Hurdle Handicap. .In a field of ten. j the A wap uni Trained Santiago was favourite, with the Riccarton pair, Cerberus and Le Forte, best backed among- the others. Cerberus, Frisco | .Mail and Kerry Star showed the way for half a mile, when Kerry Star retired in favour of Bel Iron It. Going along the back Pastin' 'Through moved tip, and five furlongs from home he joined Cerberus in the lead. C. rberu. was beaten at the entrance to the straight, and at the last liurdlo Lo Forte was just behind Pass in’ Through, who went on to win easily by three lengths. Santiago was eight lengths awav. with Frisco Mail fourth. Pa-sin’ Through had a spell at steeplechasing during the winter and it appeals to have benefited him, as he ran a solid i race. Do Forte went well and liis I winning turn will come very soon. J Santiago was very unlucky. Hyrax i tell six furlongs from homo and broke a Icg. necessitating bis destruction. Santiago was following him at tlie hurdle and. ho lost a lot of ground through interference. Frisco Mail ran a fair race, but Cerberus faded out disappointingly after going a little over a mile and a half, while Bedrock did not last even so long. Penury Ruse and Sir Wai wore never prominent. The fifteen starters for the Spring Plate included eleven three-year-olds, •of whom Ilka was a strong favourite, with Agitata, Dazzling Light and Sun C’p, of the same age, all strongly fancied. Ilka- was first out. with Dazzling Light, Agitato and Kilceit in clo>e attendance. f. lost sight of Agitato long before they got to the half-mile post, when Ilka was showing the way to Dazzling Light and Sun Up, with still prominent in the next bunch. On reaching the straight Starmist and Rawene were moving up. Ilka retired at the distance, leaving Dazzling Light in front, apparently with the race well won, while Kilceit looked equally certain for second money, Sun Up having dropped out. Both the leaders tired, however, and there was a thrilling finish. Dazzling Light just lasted long enough to win by a long head from Rawene, who beat- Starmist by a nose, with Kilceit another noso away. The success of Dazzling Light wa well earned? as she had been unlucky more than once this season. Though dot up to the class of her sister, Razzle Dazzle, she is quite a useful sort, who will win better races. Rawene finished on well, and -o did Starmist. who might have won had her rider gone the shortest way round the turn. Kilceit put up a smart perlormanco and slie should soon be a winner. Tho three who were in the places are engaged in the Oaks. Thirty-three hacks lined up for the Limvood Handicap, the biggest, field ever seen at Riccarton. AVinkie'-. Best was a strong favourite, with Kuliio, Bonogue and Hull Mark best backed among the others. Deep Drive and Clontari led AYiukie’s Best on to the course proper, where tho first-nam-ed pair retired. There was a big bunch prominent below the distance, but most of them, including the favourite, then faded out badly. Monoxide -hot out from Benmure a hundred yards from the post and won by ii. length. En Route came on the scene with a late run and bent Benmure for second place it> tho last stride. The winner dropped her rider and boiled before the start, but apparently suffered no ill effects from the experience. Site is a throc-ycar- | old filly by Buniform from Philomela, ! and is thus a sister to a promising chestnut two-year-old in \\ . G. Hobbs’s Riccarton stable. Benmure showed smart form, but En Route was running over everything at the finish. Kuliio had every chance but stopped badly at the end. After him there was a long gap, with The Tank ami AVinkic’s Best heading the others. The winner .s engaged in the Oaks. Tlie New Zealand Cup. as usual, attracted great interest. In spite of the grow ill of prize money in other quarters, it retains its prestige as the leading event of the season. I he starters this year numbered thirteen, following on the overnight withdrawal of Tanadees and the scratching of Kukume and AYaetea ofi the morning of the race. It was a nice-sized field to w^tell, but in the matter of quality it was far below the best standard. Evidence of the moderate class was found in the fact that only four horses carried over eight stone, while seven figured below seven stone. One of the light-weight division was in the firing line in the concluding stages, but over the last furlong she. gradually faded out. leaving three of the topj weights to fill the places. Tarleton was a decided favourite, and after him Sunart, Deucalion. Musketoon, Manvua, Limelight and Gold Light were pretty evenly supported. The race was rather disappointing. It provided plenty of interest for a mile and a half, but, a* frequently happens in this twi>rnile event, the last half mile quickly found the weak spots in many of f ho competitors, the field being strung out over a long distance at the finish. Even the placed horses failed to provide an exciting struggle in the closing stages, good gaps separating the first four home, while alter them there was a big interval. Deucalion and Bumptious set the pace early, and they were still clear oi the field five furlongs from home, where Lucii/atte, Garpentier, Sunart and Limelight were hand> p The lastnamed quartette had joined the two leaders as they raced for the straight. A little further on Sunart and Lucinette shot out- from the bunch, and it became evident then that Deucalion, Bumptious, Limelight and Carpentior were beaten. Then Sunart drew clear of Lucinette and at this stage Sunart looked a winner. Gold Light was the next to put- in an appearance and a bit further back Musketoon was making up ground. First one and then rhe other ran past Lucinette, but Sunurt field on and won very easily by two lengths from Gold Light-, with Musketoon, finishing strongly, about two lengths further back, followed by Lucinette. Then there was a wide interval, with Deucalion and Limelight next, then Bumptious and Tarleton, the last to finish being AVinkie’s Rebel, a very long way in the rear. Sunart*s performance, was very attractive. He has never looked better and he stayed on bettor than he had ever done previously in a long race. Gold Light ran a noble race, under top weight, and enhanced her already high reputation as a mare of class. The imported horse, Musketoon, was going better than any of his rivals at the finish, but he was giving away too long a start over the last three furlongs. Lucinette went really well for a mile and three-quarters, but the last bit found her out. Outside of the first four, the form was poor, viewed from the two-mile standpoint Deucalion, Bumptious and Limelight all

faded out badly in the straight, virile J Garpentier stopped even worse. 'I be favourite. Tarleton, seemed to me- ! trouble at a critical stage, but even j that did not quit© excuse Ru moderate position at the finish, though be woul 1 j have been a lot closer up with a clear j run. Mantua and Dame Straitlace | never not- near the front. Empyrean is clearly not. a- nip horse while Winkle's Rebel was out of her place in. j such a field. The AVelcome Stakes drew, a field of eleven two-year-olds, who on appearances could’ not be regarded as equal to (lu- highest cla s seen in this race in the past. Runnymede was a strong favourite, with Lady Cavendish a little better fancied than Mr L. C. Hazlett's bracket. Overdrawn and Circulation. AY he n the barrier rose Lady Cavendish was quickly in the lead, with Money Order. Currency and Shirley next. Currency only lasted half the going and Money Order dropped out at the distance. where Cyrene appeared on the outside, with Runnymede putting in good work on the rails. They soon had Shirlev settled and went on after Lady Cavendish, who was commencing to tire. About a hundred yards from the post she closed over on Runnymede, and simultaneously Cyrene dashed up to snatch a neck victory from Lady Cavendish, who beat Runnymede by half it length. Shirley was a fair fourth and tlio others were strung out. Cyrene had raced three times previously without being placed, but he was unlucky at the start of the M'Lean Stakes, while probably the heavy going settled his chance at Trentham. He may have been a trifle lucky on Saturday when Runnymede was stopped by Lady Cavendish, but he stayed on well, his effort being very attractive. He now looks live earning further distinction in two-year-old events, as it is probable liq will, improve as the season advances. Lady Cavendish showed plenty of speed but she did not stay well. Runnymede on the other hand, was running on in great style, after being badly placed early. Shirley ran a fair race and may win a. handicap at the meeting Money Order has a nice turn of speed and is sure to improve a lot, so he may have to be reckoned with in the autumn. Erne ran very green but this one-eyed colt is a promising sort. Overdrawn got off badly and never .showed up. while his stable mate. Circulation was al/vyays well back. There were nineteen starters for the Apprentices’ Handicap, the Banker, Gay Queen, Prompter and Cocli-y-Bondhu being fancied in that order. Otauru made the early running from Shandre, Cocli-y-Bondhu and tho Banker. At the end of two furlongs Shandre had dropped back a bit and at the liali’mile post Otauru had Cocli-y-Bondhu as a mate in front, while Relic and Shandre could bo seen in the next bunch Footfall made a forward move at the entrance to the straight and a. little further on Fresco appeared* Otauru went out about the same time and at the distance Coch-y-Bondhu was showing the. way to Footfall, Relic and Fresco. Then Cocli-y-Bondhu auct Relic retired. Footfall was loft, in front and lie went on to win by a length. Chick wheat finished with a rattle and snatched second place from Fresco in the last stride. A little further back Retrospect was noticed finishing with a fine run to get fourth, an effort worth keeping in mind. The Banker and ATudictive wore at tho head of the others. Footfall is a tliree-year-old by Autumnus from AA arstep and he looks like being the best of Ins famous dam’s progeny. The Stewards' Handicap, the most popular sprint race in tho Dominion, aroused plenty of interest. The field numbered fifteen, and if they did not include any champions, they represented form well up to the average. As was generally expected, the public went strongly for Tukia and Mireusonta, both by Absurd, but betting took a wide range, the Riddiford bracket (Royal Dhorce and Fool’s Paradise). .Rercmoana and Gaillard all claiming plenty of admirers. The early stages of the contest were fairly interesting. but though there was an exciting finish for the three places, it was rather disappointing to find the remainder of tho field well .strung out behind the three leaders. The colours of Fool’s Paradise. Moorland. Peneus and Gaillard were most prominent as they raced across the gap on to tlic course proper, but that was the end ol -Afoorland, who beat a hasty retreat. Venous then shot to the front. Fool’s Paradise and Gaillard gradually dropping out. At the distance Peneus looked like winning easily, but Suggestion and Tukia then appeared with strong challenges Peneus hung on well, but it. was onlv by a neck that he stalled off Suggestion, with Tukia a bare neck further back. Avola was travelling on well in fourth place, whiie Gaillard, Fool's Paradise. Last Crust, Mireusonta and Royal Divorce followed at intervals. Fool's Paradise and Moorland beat themselves by the hot pace they set from the start but this factor was doubtless also responsible for the failure of some of the others to run on. Suggestion and Tukia. on the other hand, was probably benefited by being nursed for the final run. Mireusonta, Royal Divorce and Rereinoana never threatened danger. Peneus put U P a hue performance, as lie stayed on well after taking a hand in the pace making from the start. His form came as a great surprise t-o many who recalled his moderate form in the Shorts Handicap at Trentham last month, but probably the difference in the track conditions accounted for the improvement. The day's racing was concluded with the Riccarton AVelter Handicap. In a field of twelve. T res ham was favourite* but Imperial Spark, Boadicca and Palestrina were also well supported. Trcsham was first out. followed by Mountain Lion, but Trcsham quickly lost his place, dropping back to fifth. At the end of a furlong Imperial Spark was three lengths in front of Claiidhu, Mountain Lion and Boadicea, with 'fresham next. Mountain Lion was in charge at the half-mile post, where Tresbam liad taken second place, followed closely by Imperial Spark and Boadicea, while Little River and Bennie AVinkie were handy. Tresham was in charge at tho distance, apparently with the race won. Then Bonnie AVinkie and Little River came on together and Tresham had to be kept going to beat Bonnie AVinkie by a neck, while Little River was another nock away. Mountain Lion was two lengths further back, with Boadicea and Stream next. The winner’s performance was a good one, as he met bad luck early and finished out the journey well. The final run of Bonnie AVinkie encouraged the hope that a win would come his way shortly. Mountain Lion and Boadicea ran fairly well but Boadicea’s form is below what she showed last season. Imperial Spark was a disappointment on his showing in the Pearce Handicap at Trentham he should have been in the firing line much further. Palestrinn was not in a galloping mood.