RACING NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18798, 29 June 1929, Page 10

RACING NOTES.

Acceptances for the first day of the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting, also for the Winter Hurdle Handi cap, on the third day, will close at nine o'clock on Monday night. 4c * * * Nominations for the Waimate Hunt meeting will close at eight o’clock on Monday night.

Nominations closed last night for the six leading events at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Grand National meeting and the response made by owners is highly gratifying. The figures for the Winter Cup show a drop of one compared with last year, but there is an increase in each of the jumping races The total increase is forty, the respective figures for the two years being 217 and 177. The following are the details, last year’s totals being given in paren theses:—Grand National Steeplechase 26 (18), Winter Cup 53 (54), Beaufort Steeplechase 28 (25), Grand National Hurdles 41 (27), Sydenham Hurdles 36 \27), Lincoln Steeplechase 33 (26' Practically all the best steeplechasers and hurdlers are engaged, while the Winter Cup list is quite up to the best standard. H: * * * Great Star is on the easy list at present and he will not make his reappearance on the track for some time. He narrowly missed serious tfouble through being galloped on at the Dunedin winter meeting, and even after four weeks his legs bear evidence of the bad luck he encountered. He will be spelled during the winter, and he may not race again until the new season is well advanced. 4c * * * Radiatr has been kept going since the South Canterbury meeting, and D. Campbell hopes to have him racing at Trentham. He is far from sound and only the greatest care has got him on so far. Long journeys on the road are his daily task, and he is being kept in good health in this way, though his admirers would be better pleased if he could get a few sharp gallops and some schooling to bring him to his best for his important jumping engagements.

Mrs J. Campbell has her hurdler, Gay Jim, looking in capital order. Leg troubles have prevented him from being trained seriously in the past, but he appears to be quite sound now, and it is hoped he will stand up to a preparation, in which case he may win some decent jumping races. The present intention is to race him at Riccarton in August.

T. 11. Gillett has done very little with Wharncliffe since he returned home from the Dunedin meeting. The soreness which developed after two races at Wingatui has not entirely disappeared yet, and the Thurnham gelding has done no more thaji potter about in light tasks. Since this trouble set in his trainer has not been sanguine about the immediate prospects. Wharncliffe’s name is missing from the nominations for the leading events at the Grand National meeting, and he can be written off, so far as early racing is concerned. It is probable that he will join his stable mate, Charlatan, in a lengthy spell, after which an attempt will be made to get the pair ready for a jumping campaign next winter.

W. G. Hobbs has a promising yearling by Shambles from Palestrina in work for Mr G. Gould. Another Shambles youngster, from Palestrina’s dam, Judith, will not be brought in till later on, as Mr Gould prefers to give him time, instead of preparing him for two-year-old races.

The four-year-old gelding Coupling, by Tractor from Sembric, has been recommissioned by R. Longley. He showed a good deal of promise when he was tried as a youngster, but leg troubles necessitated a long spell. It remains to be seen if he will stand serious training, but if he survives a preparation he should win races, as he has speed.

Arrowmir has been turned out for a spell and he will do no more racing until the spring.

The three-year-old gelding, Mentone, has left R. Ellis’s stable, having been sold to an Australian owner. He was not seriously tried out here, his racing being restricted to three starts in the autumn Mentone is by Sutala from Verintia, by Solferino from Rapier’s dam, so he is bred on attractive lines

The Invercargill trainer, F. W. Ellis, is the latest New Zealand trainer to cast his eyes towards Australia. He contemplates leaving for Sydney next month, taking the Australian-bred three-year-old Gold Cup, by Woorak from Golden Beauty, and the two-year-old The Graphic, by Paper Money from Kilberry, the dam of Tommy Dodd Both these horses are owned by the Australian sportsman, Mr S. W. M’Dermott. They will start their campaign in Sydney, and they may go on to Victoria, where the engagements made for Gold Cup include the Melbourne Cup. Neither horse has won yet, but they have not done much racing.

Nukumai has been referred to in more than one quarter as a horse who has not won a steeplechase, but this is not correct. He won the Egmont Steeplechase three seasons ago, creating a good impression, but subsequent to that success he showed a dislike for big country. There is a growing disposition to fancy him for the Wellington Steeplechase. During the last two seasons Nukumai has run well on the flat at the winter meeting at Trentham. Two seasons ago he accounted for the Whyte Memorial Handicap Parliamentary Handicap and the Winter Hurdles, while last season he was second in the Whyte Memorial Handi cap to Black Mint, and second to Bisox in the Parliamentary Handicap, but was unplaced in the Winter Hurdles. Going on to Riccarton he recovered his form and won the Grand National Hurdle Race.

It is reported that Wiltshire has suffered no great ill-effects from his unsuccessful outings at the Great Northern meeting, and promises to strip in good order for his engagements at Trentham and later on at Riccarton.

This year’s King’s Cup, run over a mile and a half, with the highest weight 9st 51b, and the lowest 7st, will be decided on the third day—August I—of the Queensland Turf Club’s Exhibition meeting. The added money is £2OOO, and a gold cup valued at £IOO, the gift of his Majesty the King.

Lady Ora, dam of Benzora, has a fine colt foal to Nigger Minstrel, and Mr C. Preston is sending her to the same horse again next season. Other likely consorts of Nigger Minstrel will be Inah, Vestalis, Isabel. Golden Grafton, Enthusiasm, Ballina, Kinsem, Drolatique and Red Helen.

Nadarino, formerly trained by S. Reid for Mr Vivian Riddiford, is proving a very profitable proposition in West Australia. Moreover, he is ing on over a bit of ground. According to the latest advices he has won four of his last seven races, and the last he won was at a mile and a quarter. It is quite evident that the class is poor in the West, but at the same time it seems certain Nadarino, like the majority of the Solferino breed, is improving with age.

Results in England early in May les sened the prejudice of some racing men against grey horses. The three prin cipal races in the first week of the month mentioned were the Two Thou sand Guineas and One Thousand Guin eas at Newmarket and the Victoria Cup at Hurst Park. Each was won by a grey, Mr Jinks taking the Two Thousand, Taj Mah the One Thousand, and Royal Minstrel the Victoria Cup. a seven furlongs handicap, worth £1720, and in which he carried top weight. 8.8.

Mr Jesse Brown, for whom the ex Australian, B. Carslake, trains, was before the stewards of the English Jockey Club last month. The running of a filly named Icy Lass was questioned, and the stewards, being of opinion that the explanation of Mr Brown and Carslake conflicted with the jockey s statement, cautioned Mr Brown as to the future running of his horses.

Lord Derby supported the candi dature of Colonel Walter Guinness for Newmarket at the recent English elec tions, and, in addressing a meeting, said that from the first he opposed the Bet ting Tax. He then added: “Newmai ket is the heart of the racing world, and that is why I urge that Newmarket should return a Conservative member I do not deny that among members of the Labour Party there are man\ good friends of racing, but they are comparatively limited in their money, and the whole sense of our opponents, both Socialists and Liberals, is opposed to racing. Racing is the most delightful amusement, but, at the same time, it is somewhat expensive.