Racing and Trotting

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17573, 25 June 1925, Page 2

Racing and Trotting

NOTES BY

ARGUS

FIXTURES. ■ June 24. 25—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club. j Juno 26. 27—Ashburton County Racing Club. June 27—Hawke's Bav Hunt. July 7. f\ 11—Wellington Racing- Club. July IS-—South Canterbury Hunt. July 23—Wai mate Hunt. July 23, 25—Gisborne Racing- Club. August I —Christchurch Hunt. August I —Poverty Bay Hunt. August 11. 13, 15—Canterbury Jockey • lub. ! August 3, 12, 14—Metropolitan Trotting Club. NOMINATIONS. June 20—Canterbury Jockey Club. July j—Wellington Racing Club. J uly S—Gisborne 21 ItaclitK 1 Club. HANDICAPS. June 25—Hawke's Bay Hunt. June 26—Wellington Racing Club. July 7—Waimate Hunt. July 9—South Canterbury Hunt. July 10-—Gisborne Racing Club. July 27—Poverty Hay Hunt. j

ACCEPTANCES. j June -6—Hawke’s Bay Hunt. July ]—Wellington Racing Club. July 13—South Canterbury Hunt. 1 July 14 —Walmate Hunt. J July 17—Gisborne Racing Club. July 28—Poverty Bay Hunt. July 29—Christchurch Hunt. The Ashburton County Racing Club's winter meeting will bo commenced tomorrow and concluded on Saturday. Satisfactory fields are engaged in all the events, the jumping races and the sprints having filled particularly well, and there should bo some very interesting sport. A special train will leave Christchurch at 9.20 a.m. each day, the return journey from the racecourse being started at 4.25 p.m. 3 an arrangement which will enable the j club's Christchurch patrons lo reach the city by six o’clock. Tenterfield is not a reliable hurdler but the light obstacles at Ashburton will favour his prospects. Captain Sarto has been discussed in connection with important hurdle races and his form at Ashburton should provide a guide to his chance in future events. Chick wheat's win at Riccarton last Saturday does not render him ineligible for the Novice Plato at Ash burton, the qualification being that a horse must not have won a race- of the value of £75 at time of nomination. Chick wheat* a Riccarton form entitles him to be a strong favourite. Oashman gave such an attractive showing a:t R.icoarton '1 asfc Saturday that ho will have a lot of admirers in the hack steeplechase at Ashburton. The Wingatui pair, Windermere and Red Sol, represent useful form, but Cashman will keep the two southerners very busy. Though Jubilant has incurred a 101 b penalty in the Ashburton Handicap, site n?ay be a strong favourite. She is in good fettle at present and she J can run out a mile from end to end.

Los Ambus, -who has top v.eight in ( tho Ashburton Handicap, is more at home on a hard track than in soft going. l'erino will need to mako great improvement on the form she showed at Riccarton last Saturday to liave a chance in the Ashburton Handicap. Kukunte’s performance in running second to Jubilant at the Banka Peninsula meeting suggests that she is coming back to form and as she is a proved stayer, she will bo hard to beat over a mile and a quarter in the Longbeach Hack Handicap at Ashburton.

Cion tart can run out five furlongs so well that even with lOsfc 81b he may be dangerous in the Thorn den Handicap at Ashburton. Lava will be a well backed candidate for the Thorn den Handicap if she is taken to Ashburton this week. Solferite has a fine burst of speed and the five furlong joumev at Ash- ! burton will be more to his liking than j six. the distance he just failed to see out at Riccarton last Saturday. Cold Brick showed a partiality for j soft ground when he won at Rangiora last month, but Ayrburn. who ran I second to him, meets bin* at Ashburton on 181 b better terms. There is a big contingent of maidens in the Selma Trot Handicap at Ashburi ton. Succession’s form when ho won over two miles at the Banks Peniosuhi meeting was so attractive that be O an b„ relied on to pace another good race from the back mark. v ' ■ O. Hubbs sent Jubilant to Ashburtoß tins morning, while B. Alexander sent Cashman and North Inch jat the same time. The remainder of I the Riccarton horses will leave bv this evening’s train. ! The semaphore at Riccarton. on j which the- jockeys’ names are shown, > is receiving some attention at present* and it will be enlarged by the time the Grand National meeting comes round. i Gloaming has gone to Wellington, j accompanied by the two-year-old ijjly | Society, for .transhipment to the U)iinaroa, which leaves to-morrew lor I Sydney. The old horse is quite a vcfc- ! cran traveller. Ho came from Austra- : ha to New Zealand as a yearling, and ho has done a trip to Australia and back every season since he was a two-year-old. .If is practically certain that Count C'avour will be raced in Australia during the spring, and T. H. Gillett wih probably leave for Sydney in August - witn the Solferino gelding. Count ’ C'avour was the biggest stake, earner • in the Dominion this season. He start- | ed in thirteen races, winning eight and » being unplaced in the other five, win- ‘ ning £5655 in prize money. Dutch Courage is stiil showing signs >l of unsoundness, and though she is > | gradually getting over the trouble, R. I Alexander will leave her on the easy | list until she is quite sound again. ITlie Winkle gelding. Red Wink, is still under veterinary treatment. Tt seems certain that his Australian trip : will have to he abandoned.

There will be a special train on eac! day of the Ashburton races, to-morro\ and Saturday, leaving Christchurch a 9.20 a.in. The return journey from th racecourse will be started at 4.2.5 p.m. The first race on each dav of th Ashburton County Racing Club's mcc ing will be started at 11.50 a m. The Oamaru owner, Mr Thco Rtisse: has disposed of the speedy Sunny Lak three-year-oid, Sun Up, to a patron <: A. M'Aulay's stable, and he has mad his appearance on the Riccarton track with other members of M’Aulay’s tean A. M’Aulay lias taken Tarleton i hand again. The big Nassau geldin

looks well after his short spell. Nominations for the principal events at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Grand National meeting will close at eight • o’clock to-morrow night. Nominations for the Waimate Hunt meeting will close on Tuesday, and for the South Canterbury Hunt meeting on Wednesday. Mr W. T. Hazlett's Southland trainer, F. J. M'Kay, who has been at Riccarton for about a week, has gone north with Frenchman and Apache, who are to compete at the Wellington Racing Club's meeting next month. They will then rejoin Boughleen Dhoun and Irish at Riccarton, where the four horses will remain until after the Grand National meeting. There is said to be a movement on foot to shift the headquarters of the New Zealand Racing Conference to Wellington. There will, however, be no change until a new president becomes necessary, and then Wellington will become the headquarters of the association only if- the president happens to be a Wellington man. .Many Kittle will make his first Australian appearance at the Rosehill meeting on Saturday. Ho is engaged in two races, one at six furlongs and the other at a mile. Le Fort also figures in the six-furlong event. Mr T. M. Samson has purchased a four-year-old pacing gelding named Planet, by Globe Derby, and he is now accompanying Great Hope on the voyage back from West Australia. Planet was bought on cabled advice, and will probably go into J. Tirycc’s stable. The North Island trainer, G. New, will leave for Sydney in August with Sot la no and Starshell, who are to race in Australia at the .spring meetings. Sottano, a four-year-old bv Nassau

from Casso-ck, claims an engagement in th-o Melbourne Cup. Last year there were nineteen starters for the Wellington Steeplechase, whereas this year only twenty-one horses have been nominated, with a big proportion of moderates- among them. The three yearlings purchased for Air O. K. Elgar at the Sydney sales hare been gelded. One of Jovial's hocks filled after his fall at Napier. It is understood that lie is to remain in the care -cf the North Island trainer, G. Morse, until after the Grand National meeting. The Husbandman gelding, Just Quietly, has been twice second and four times third ab Auckland country meetings this season, without winning a race, and his earnings in stakes amount to £34. For seme time past there has been

an idea of sending tho two-year-old Merry Damon :o Sydney, along with | the handicap horse, Polonett. However, Mr \P. Hall, who owns the two-year-old, stated last week that the project had been abandoned, as he was not. well enough to make the trip selfHighway is recovering from tho ei- ■ foots cf his accident- in the Great J ' Northern Hurdle Handicap, and ho is I to bo raced next at Trontliam. lie slipped when taking oft' at tho second | last hurdle at Ellerslie,. crashing into ! the obstacle. j It is the intention of tho 'Railway j Department to build new horse boxes Ito replace old R and UG waggons,

which liavo served their usefulness. In conformity with the present business- ; like attitude of the Department, says J the “Dominion,' 5 those most concern- i ed are being a-sked to state their views, and the Trentliam trainers It. D. O’Donnell and S. •!. Iteid have been ■ in town during the week to express the ideas of the Trentliam Trainers’ Association on the construction plans of the new boxes. There is a good sprinkling of Eng- ■ lish-bred hofses engaged in the coming Melbourne Chip. Among them are the following:-—Amalfi (by Amadis), The Night Patrol (by Stedfast', Bachelor's Pal (by Bachelor's Double), Ben Lomond (by Lomond). Mcreate (by Bay cl Or), BufTline (by Cellini). Saltum (,I'iy Beppo), Chaparral <by ' all o' the | Wild'. Brown Rajah (by Brown : Prince). Prestonrange 'by Hurry On) i and Sailing Home (by Bay d’Orb Do- ] let Satan, a six-year-old horse by Nimbus, who figures among the imported horses engaged in the Melbourne Cup, has to be credited to France: RICCARTON NOTES. Thursday. The conditions were unpleasant during working hours at Ricearton this morning. A light drizzle set in as the j horses were making their appearance, . while later on a thick fog enveloped • i the course. The number seven grass ! track was open for fast, work, and most • i interest was provided by the horses who are to race at Ashburton, though a few others, with engagements at ; Trentliam, were, also sent along a bit Red Kriss covered seven furlongs in lmin 35sec, Solfello going with him for the first half mile. Ferine* occupied lmin 6 3-ssec o-cer five furlongs by herself, but the was ; not ridden out. Barn Owl went freely in a six fur- ► long spin by herself, while Rivalry and Rich Prize were together at the end of

a useful gallop over five furlongs. ! Retrospect ran six furlongs alone, J without being unduly hurried. Boadieea was given strong work and got through her task well. Clareina and His Majesty sprinted three furlongs nicely in 38 sec. Winkie’s Rebel occupied 50 sec over < a comfortable half-mile. Serotinij ran half a mile £>lone, and Centrepiece had Tam Glen as a mate over three furlongs, while Fresh Breeze and Yesperus were associated in a similar task. Castellan and Royal Mac covered six : furlongs in lmin 19 3-ssee, finishing ori terms. Solferite was too good for Aliss Alin- ( orva at the end of five furlongs, run Tilt and Goldstep were companions j in a useful half-mile spin. Kukumc and Charlatan broke away i slowly from the seven furlong post and ran the last six in lmin 22sec. i Kukumc held her companion comfort- . ably at the finish, but .Charlatan’s gallop was quite a good one. G oldtown occupied 53 3-ssec over i half a mile, but he was not out to do . his best. Youte had Tenterfield as a mate in • a useful gallop over six furlongs . » . i j HAWKE’S BAY RACES. NOTES ON THE RACING. From Our Correspondent. NAP I Eft, June 24. Rain fell during the morning: for the opening- day of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's winter meeting, and this somewhat affected the attendance, which, however, was still good. The course was on the heavy side, and was rather slippery, go that there were one or tvro of the competitors in each cross-country race which failed to complete the course. In the principal event, the i .Hawke's Bay Steeplechase, Bonibrook the winner, gave a fine display of jumping. The racing on the whole was good and the fields were up to the average. i "When the totalisator opened on the first event, the "Woodlands Steeplechase, Kovno and Uncle Dave had a race for favouritism, but Uncle D: ve wound up the actual favourite, with Kovno and Sir Wai next in demand. Kovno jumped well until she lost her rider at the . hencoop, leaving Uncle Dave with a 1 good lead, which he never relinquished, winninng comfortably by three lengths from Silta. Garzon carried most money in tne Whakatu Hack Hurdle Handicap, with the Aucklander, Kendal, second choice, and Birka third fancy. The favourite never flattered his backers, but. Kendal was ahvavs in a good position, and won rather easily from Bestir, who just pipped Birka by a neck lor second j place on the post. The public divided their favours J prettv evenly between the two stame companions. Gold Piece and Nukumai, i in ihe Hawke's Bay Hurdle Handicap, and they were on the right track, but on the wrong horse. At least most of them were, for Nukumai had no dtfficultj i defeating his more fancied stable mat'., Gold Piece, who ran second. The whole of the nine acceptors were saddled up for the llawke's Bay plechase, for which Mary Drue- ■ most in dc-rnand. Eerie was tho next best backed, and San Por to was l.i.iu. fancy. Mary Bruce broke a leg dur- , ing the race, and had to be destroyed I and Eerie ran off, while Adrienne and , Mahia both made mistakes. l.oniuroo.v j and Puwhcro were the leaders, but 1 the latter was very sore, and ho so-m drifted back, leaving Bonibroolc at the head of affairs, which position lie maintained to the finish, winning by a small margin from Fireblight, who ran a good race considering that . 1S still susceptible to a good deal or improvement. Gauntlet and General Carrington \w re the two most inquired for in the M inter Handicap, and they each filled a j place. General Carrington winning j rath< • easily from Martona, with Gauntlet a good third. | Huikai, despite his carrying top weight. lOst 11 lb. was the elect ot backers in the Hastings Handicap. Nine i of Spades following him in tho quotations, with Manutai coming next. Nine of Snades was the only one of the trio t<. trim place honours, and he fin- j ished second to Polyphemus, with an outsider. Serenade, in the other place. The last race, the Heretaunga Hun- • divan, was the biggest b-tting race of j the day. Tuahine was favourite, Koo- j doo being second and Tari third ; choice. The public picked them well, Tuahine winning, while Tari ran secend, and Koodoo third. 7t is understood that Fireldigbt. is j sore, and will xiot race at Hastings on Thursday. Jovial was on the sick list after his j fall in the June Steeplechase at Napier Park, and he was not saddled at Hastings. O. Morse will continue to train

him until after the t .J.* . Grand National meeting. ENGLISH NOTES. (Special to the “Star.") LONDON. May 21. You will know all about the Derby by the. time this article appears in print, but it may not be without, interest to review the kaleidoscopic changes which preceded the great event. Alost of the idols were toppled from their pedestals in remarkable sequence. Picaroon's fall, of course, was unavoidable, and his case is in quite a different category from the rest. That of Ptolemy 11. for instance! Tin's French colt was described by sound judges as the best that had ever been in the care cf that great trainer Bob Denman, but on his first appearance of the seasonal the French Guineas-—he was made comparatively. The owner -was anxious that Steve Donoghue should have the mount in the Derby; but he made a stipulation that the jockey who rode him for his French engagement should be the one to be on his back at Epsom. Donoghue was quite willing to ride at Longchamps—indeed, he was anxious to, in order to find out exactly for himself the capability of the colt, but he would not on any account agree beforehand to accept the mount for both the French Guineas and the Derby. So out of his retirement to ride Ptolemy TL And after the French race, of which Donoghue was a spectator, the English jockey was satisfied that he had done the right thing in not “ buying a pig in a poke," as it were. ft was palpable to his mind that Ptolemy was a non-stayer, and he straight away ratified his engagement to steer Manna m the Derby. Ptolemy had been found to have “feet of clay,” but his connections were not so forlorn about the result of the French race that they did not adhere to their previous arrangement of having the colt guarded by a corps of detectives 'on his way from Paris to Epsom. The case of Conquistador was decidedly mysterious. This big colt oi Lord Derby's had shown fine promise in winning a mile and a quarter handicap at irters, and in gallops with such good horses as Pharos, Sansovino and Highbrow, lt was arranged that he should have one more outing before the Derby—in a “gift’’ race and on a of somewhat similar eomormation to Epsom-—Haydock Park. Conquistador was opposed by only two others— Hurrybeile, a reputed nonstayer, and a three-year-old named Horace, that had not been previously heard of. What more natural than lone odds o: i should have been de-

manded by the bookmakers in these | circumstances? Verily, it looked a walk-over for the Derby horse. But, to the consternation of everybody, he not only failed to win, but finished a bad last of three! This, indeed, "put the cat among the pigeons.” No one could give an explanation as to the utter failure of the colt, and the upshot was that most of his admirers decided to forgive him on the ground that t : ■ form was really too bad to be true When lie got back home Concjuistarior galloped as of yore with his famo i;> stable companions, and one: gallop of his a week before the Derby-wa,- ro impressive that lie was at once backed clown to almost favouritism. Both Zionist and St Becan had been discredited in their previous races, and most experts agreed that, while Buce'.las was a beautiful horse he. would hardly be at his best in time for tho Blue Riband. Solario never reproduced his two-year-old form (when he finislio 1 second to Picaroon in the Middle Pari: Plate after losing ground at the 7tart, and well in front of Manna) in the Craven Stakes or the Guineas, and he was “ washed out.’’ It was said in extenuation of his failures that he had been off his feed for a week or two, and that his people expected him to be a fitter horse at Epsom. Only the little punters decided to remain loyal to his cause. In reality only Crossbow, who practically took Picaroon’s place at a minute’s notice, and Alanna entered on the great task with reputations unbesmirched, and even in the case of Manna there were grave doubts as to his ability to stay the Derby course, despite the fact that he had won the Two Thousand Guineas from end to end. The position as I write is that Crossbow is favourite, closely followed by Alanna and Conquistador. The King's horse, Runnymede, is regarded as having more than an outside chance, as he is the only horse in the race that has won over the actual Derby distance—a mile and a half. This deed was achiev ed at the Chester meeting, where, over the famous Roodee track, lie defeated ; the Northern hope, Roidore, and the Aga Khan’s second string, Ayaz. The story of Crossbow corning into the Derby situation is a romance in itself. Early in the year Air Deane, the manager of Lord Aster's horses, publicly stated that he did not think Crossbow could be got forward in time for this I year’s Derby, and that the Alanton j stable would rely upon Air Cox’s Piea- | roon, but, of course, the mishap to the ; last-named made a hurried preparation of the other a necessity, and how well he responded was shown, at any rate, by his winning the Newmarket Stakes in a canter. But there is another story connected with the race that is before, for it refers to Priory Park, who belongs to a Sussex butcher, Mr i Howard. Howard bred the colt himseif I from a favourite mare, and brough: | him cut as a two-year-old at Goodwood i (near his home) for the first time last season. Priory Park won very easily . and it was then declared the owner had hopes of winning the Derby. These were somewhat scotched when, i;i tho big two-year-old race at Hurst Park in November the colt was casilv beaten by Diomedes (tlie flying colt that is not entered in the Derby) and it was made i rather evident that he was unlikely to !be anything other than a sprinter. I However, the old owner was undaunted, and decided to undertake the train- ; ing of his favourite himself. Nothing more was heard of him—indeed, the majority of folk I expect had forgotten the existence of Priory Park until the betting market revealed the fact *h.it I lie had been backed from G6's to 25V. ; Obviously a lot of money had been in ; vested on him. Whose it was it was not possible to say. Anyway, people .are beginning to talk once more about Priory Park, and tho colt belonging to a butcher goes to the post to com pets in the Derby with the bloodstock of the highest in the land. As I said above, you alreadv know the result. 1 don't!

j RACE RESULTS. I HAWKE'S BAY JOCKEY CLUB. Per Press Association. HASTINGS, June 24. HAWKE'S BAY STEE PT.ECHASE, Of 400 soya. About tbree miieg. 4-—Bonibrook, i*st 51b (A. M’Donald) 1 B —First Lino, fist •"» 2 Eerie list fib. 7 I’uwhero 10st 3 01b. 5 San Forte 1 Ost 411>. 1 Mary Bruno Pst 3 j’ 1 lb, f Adrianne Mt and ti Mahia 9st Bonibrook, Puwliero and Fireblight took uu the running:. Tins was the order alone tho- back and into the straight. The order going: out of the straight was Pu\vli»ro. Bonibrook, San Fort--. Mahia ti nd Fireblight. Along the bark Puwliero was still in command from Bonibrook. Fireblight and San Forte, and this was the order into the straight again. Going round the Southland Road bend Bonibrook, Puwhero, Fireblight. San Forte, Alary Bruce and Mrliia were in that order, with East Line last. PuwlicTo jumped the fence at the Railway Road bend ahead of Bonibrook, whor-- Mary Bru*-e fell and broke a leg. Bonibrook and Fireblight were over the hencoop together, and these two fought out a good finish. Won by half a length, twenty lengths between second and third Time— 6min 4-isee. WINTER HANDICAP, of 125 sovs. One milo and a furlong. 2—General Carrington. lOst 61b (L. G. Morris) 3 0 Martona, !)st . . 2 I—Gauntlet,1 —Gauntlet, Ost 111 b . . 3 S Polly Peachum lOst 131 b, 6 Mountain Top fist 3 11b. 7 Blue Jay list 13 Ib, 4 Royal Song fist Mb. 3 0 Killoch list 61b. 3 2 Whariti Pst 51b, 15 Crown Coin 9st 51b, o Kangl Sarto Ost Sib, 5 The Strand

3st, 3 4 Singer Boy Ost, 12 Merckara £».st and II Red Head Ost also started. Blue Jay took up the running from The Strand and Gauntlet. Along the back the order was The Strand, Blue Jay, General Carrington. The last-nam-ed was into the straight first and won comfortably by a length, three lengths between second and third. Time—2min 3 2-5 sec. HASTINGS HACK HANDICAP, of 125 sovs. Five furlongs s—Polyphemus, list 61b (.F. Waddell) 1 2 Nine of Spades, Ost . . 2 B —Serenade, Ost . . :j 3 Huikai 3 Ost lilb. 2 Manutai 3 Ost Mb, 4 lvilmere. Ost 131 b, 6 Tern pea n Ost 111 b. 7 Olympic Ost 01b. 10 Tawehi Ost 51b. 0 Stymie Ost. 3 4 Padraigh Ost. : Rady Waterlow Ost. 11 Betty Finns Ost. C Yetogne Ost and 15 Floriform Ost also started. Serenade showed out from the jump off but was soon displaced by Kilmer--. Rounding the far bend Polyphemus had gone to tho front from Kilmero, Serenade and Huikai. Polyphemus was well clear at tho turn, where the remainder were bunched. Polyphemus hung out long enough to win l>y a lengt.lt. half n length between second and third. Time —lmin ssec. HERETAUNGA HANDICAP. <-f j 75 sovs. Six l'urlongs and a half. 3 Tuahine, 3 Ost 51b fit. Reed) 3 —Tari; Ost 3 31b . .2 2—Koodoo, 3 Ost 11 lb S Battle Knight 1 Ost 61b. 5 Killochra 3 ost s lb, 4 Pronto Ost. b Crown Gem Ost. 7 Treadwell Ost and 6 Crisis Ost also started. Tuahine, Killochra ami Tart were in that order when they "had settled down. -Tari went to the front rounding the bend and was in the straight first from Tuahine and Treadwell. Tari looked rill over a winner below tlie distance, l-ut • Tuahine was gradulaly catching him and beat him on the. post by a bare head, two lengths between second and third. Time—lmin 26sec.