TOPICS of the Ture

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 184, 5 August 1931, Page 8

TOPICS of the Ture

S^OTESAND NEWS FROM EVERYWHERE

RACING FIXTURES. Augrust 13, IC, 13—Canterbury Jockey Club. August 22—Pakuranga Hunt. August 22—Hawke's Bay Hunt. August 23—Taranaki Hunt. ACCEPTANCES. August 6—Canterbury Jockey Club. TROTTING FIXTURES. August 8, 12, 14—New Zealand Metro' politan Trotting Club. ACCEPTANCES. August 4 —New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. RACING NOTES. Final payments and acceptances for the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting will close at eight o’clock to-morrow night. A two-year-old parade will be held at Riccarton on the second day of the Grand National meeting next week. Mr W. L. Clifford has been appointed to represent the Canterbury District Committee on the Dates and Licensing Committees of the Racing Conference. sli * * 5k At a meeting of the Canterbury District Committee, held on Tuesday, provisional trainers’ licenses were recommended to R. M’Lennan and J. M. Bain. Jockeys’ licenses were recommended to R. P. Register and A. E. Lee, conditionally, and to R. H. J. Rickerb}-. The committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club has approved the transfer of the two-year-old filly by Lord Ouex —Charlady from Mrs C. E. Elgar to Mr J. M. Samson. Though E. Redmond will have Nine of Spades as his only representative racing at the Grand National meeting next week, he also has Boundary Hit with him. The Winning Hit filly has been brought to Riccarton for educational purposes. Sir Charles Clifford has had an unfortunate experience with which to open the foaling season at the Stonyhurst Stud. Swoopalong. by March Along from Brown Owl, foaled a filly to Day Comet this week, but the mare trod on the youngster, one of whose legs was broken. An attempt is being made to save the foal, who has a con- • iderable stud value, even if she never races. A. E. Ellis will leave for Sydney at ■ the end of this month, and will remain | there until the conclusion of the Aus- j tralian Jockey Club's spring meeting, ■ early in October. He has been engaged i to ride Autopay. who is going across | to contest the Epsom Handicap and other events in Australia. The Wanganui gelding Knollmere ' will be ridden in the Winter Cup by j B. IT. Morris. He is one of the popu- ' lar fancies for the mile race next week. \ The North Island horseman L. G. Morris had decided not to be present at Riccarton next week. He has changed his plans, however, and he will be on hand for the first day of the Grand National meeting, after which he will return home to look after the team he has in training for spring engagements. His rides at Riccarton on . Tuesday will include Dunraven and Shatter.

A large number of young horses, with engagements at next week’s meeting, were exercised at the five-furlong barrier yesterday, most of them sprinting a few furlongs down the straight. sji s£c The riding engagements of I. Tilson on the first day of the Grand National meeting will include Sharp Thorn, Royal Mint and Aberfeldv. * * $ * Llyn Du and Callamart gave a good display in a school over six hurdles at Awapuni a few days ago. Callamart went particularly well and he has some northern admirers for the Grand National Ilurdles. Rossferry. a recent addition to S. Barr’s stable, has been galloping well lately and she is one of the local nov■es who is likely to pay her way in the spring. She will race in the same interests as her half-brother, Troilus. •’fi * ❖ Moorbird and the two-year-old Belvoir, two members of F. D. Jones's team, have been showing great dash in their track work lately. The are a brilliant pair, and both very well, so they are likely to show up prominently in sprint events next week. The majority of the Awapuni horses who are to race at Riccarton next week will leave to-day and they should arrive here to-morrow. Mrs A. M’Donald will have Llyn Du, King's Counsel, Gueress and Blue Paper; L. Knapp, Omeo and Pangolin; and G. W. New, Callamart. sis sH st: * Pangolin, who has been criticised in his steeplechase efforts as a result of running off more than once, was credited with so doing in the Awapuni Steeplechase, but he did not offend on that occasion. His pilot, F. Foster, broke a stirrup leather and he pulled his mount up without attempting to negotiate the hencoop.

Pennyplain, who showed promising form at the Pakuranga meeting twelve months ago when he won the Hunters’ Hurdles and Ladies’ Bracelet, is again entered for the same races at the approaching meeting. lie has not raced since registering those successes, but if produced in the same form should l>e in the money again. Dunraven has made great improvement lately, not only in looks but also in galloping ability. lie has been galloping very freely and he will have to lie seriously reckoned with in next week’s engagements, while he may develop into a good performer in open events as the season advances. He lacks the brilliancy to shine as a sprinter, but he should run a mile out solidly. The Dunedin Jockey Club will hold its first spring meeting on Saturday, September 12, when stakes totalling £9OO will be distributed. The programme includes a hurdle race, steeplechase and hunters’ flat race. The other events are the Mosgiel Cup, one mile, and the Electric Handicap, six furlor.gs; seven furlong and five furlong; hack handicaps and a trial stakes, six j furlongs. Great Star has been galloping well in his recent work and he has come strongly into favour for the Winter ' up during the last few days. He has nnt registered any time records but he has gone freely in all his efforts, with a big. weight in the saddle. He was conceding 91b when beaten by Charmeuse in the Great Easter Handicap, and next week he will be receiving 41b. At a difference of 131 b he has a great chance of reversing places with Charmeuse. One thing which will favour Great Star is his brilliancy from the barrier. With average luck he is certain of a good position early, an important consideration in a big field.

Al Jolson, who has been spelling for some time past, is l>ooked to rejoin S. G. Ware’s team at Wingatui after the Grand National meeting. * * * * The Awapuni trainer, J. P. Coyle, has further reduced his team of late by sending Mister Gamp home for a spell, while Pahu has also been accorded a let-up for a month or so. The trainer is meantime confining his attention to Umpire, a Winning Hit youngster from the Stonyhurst Stud. The ranks of prospective jumpers at Awapuni have received some additions, Blue Paper. Patearoa, Moutoa Treasury and Prime Moutoa having been given an insight to the game. Blue Paper displayed marked aptitude, but coming from the stable of Mrs A. M’Donald, she has probably been schooled in the home paddocks. The New Zealand-bred Pure Blend, by Tea Tray from Takahau, thus a half-sister to Wharncliffe, had her first success in Victoria when she narrowly won the Malvina Welter at Caulfield last month. Previously this four-year-old mare raced in the colours of Mr E. Lee Steere in Western Australia, and many good races were won by her there. Early in the } r ear Mr Lee Steere sent her to Melbourne, and she entered J. Holt’s stable. In her first few runs she disappointed, and she was leased to the owner who races as Mr “ Eric Cradlej*.” It looked as if she was going to continue to fail in her new colours, but Holt was very sanguine regarding her chance at Caulfield, and she was backed down to a short price. It was fortunate for her connections that such a strong horseman as W. Duncan had the mount, for Pure Blend, who was well placed all the way, was disinclined to respond to her rider’s urgings in the straight. However, Duncan gave her no peace, and in a great final effort he squeezed her home half a head in front of The Guide. Only a master horseman could have done what Duncan did. and it was not. surprising that he was completely exhausted after hi§ effort and had to rest for several minutes. New Zealand racing men will find much to interest them in the breeding of the two-vear-old Idle Banter, who late .in the season has emerged from obscurity to become one of the mostdiscussed thoroughbreds in Australia (says a Melbourne writer). After some premising but unsuccessful efforts, Idle Banter defeated a smart field very de-, cisively in the Two-year-old Mile at Flemington, and later he outclassed a | good field in the Lillimur Two-year-old | ■ Handicap at Caulfield, tie went into | winter retirement one of the favourites j lor the Derbies. Idle Banter is by the j Magpie horse Windbag from the j Absurd mare Poetaster, winner of the j Y.R.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes and other ! races. Poetaster goes back to the Wal- ; lace mare Class, who was purchased in | Australia by the late Mr G. G. Stead, j Class won the Maribvrnong Trial Stakes jat Flemington, and in New Zealand ! she was mated with Feramorz and pro- , duced Lalla Rookh. The last-named was not a success on the racing track, but at the stud she produced Poetaster, who not only gained fame as a racehorse, but also has become renowned as the dam of Idle Banter. TROTTING NOTES. 1 The first race at Addington on Sat- | urday will be started at 11.30 a.m. Improved . entrance arrangements have been made at Addington for the special benefit of motorists. In the past the club’s patrons arriving by car had to walk to the gates near the Show Ground. They will be accommodated in future at two turnstiles at the entrance to the drive, facing St Leonard Street. * * V- * The Auckland trainer, F. J. Smith, has arrived with Jewel Pointer, Great Ballin, Mountain Dell and Peter Pirate, who are expected to race well at the Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting, which opens on Saturday. The pacer Jack Potts is so far standing up to his training work, but he has not yet been asked to go fast. It remains to be seen if he will keep sound when he is required to go at his best speed, in his preparation for racing over two miles. * * -r- * The non-acceptance of Vesuvius for the August Handicap came as a surprise, as the Match]ight pacer was one of the early fancies for the race, and he has been doing particularly well in his training work. Vesuvius is engaged in the International Handicap, of one ; mile, on the first day. There is a capital acceptance for all the events on the first day’s programme at Addington. Although there are only nine now in the two-mile race for trotters, it promises to be one of the best races on the card, as some high-class trotters are engaged. There are more acceptors also for the Advance Handicap, a race for four-year-olds, and this should be keenly contested, as all are on the limit of the handicap except Priceless, who is on twelve yards. The other events have large fields, especially the slow class mile and a quarter, which has drawn an acceptance ol twenty-five.

At Auckland, a few days ago, Jewel Pointer and Mountain Dell went a mile and a half, being brought home over the last mile and a quarter by Great Ballin. The last-named ha<2 an advantage at the pickup, and held it all through, but Jewel Pointer was almost level with him at the end. The mile and a half took 3min 42sec, with Mountain Dell four lengths away. She then continued on for another couple of furlongs. Jewel Pointer and Great Ballin both went well, but Mountain Dell was disappointing, and was always making hard work of her task. * * * * The American stallion Judge Hancock died a few days ago. Judge Hancock, who was loaled in 1919, was by Judge Maxey (by Axworthy) from Maggie Hancock, by Gregory the Great, and he was bred by the Midway Stock Farm, Nebraska. He was imported to the Dominion by Mr R. A. Smith, of Los Angeles, in 1923. His companions on the trip were Early Harvester and The Triumph, the trio being trotters. Soon after their arrival they went into B. Jarden’s stable at Yaldhurst. Unfortunately Judge Hancock developed splints and could not be worked for some time, but he made his debut at the Greymouth Trotting Club’s meeting in October, 1924, when far from his best, and he finished third to Eruption and Reta Vivian in a mile trotters’ race. On the second day of the same meeting he won a two-mile event in oinin osec. He started on three occasions that season, being then a five-year-old. He started seventeen times ; the following season, winning five races 1 and being placed three times. won | twice against the pacers that season, his best performance being when he i beat a strong field in the Burwood Han- • dicap, at the New Brighton Club’s meeting in March. He covered the two miles in -lmin 34 2-osec. He went <>re .liter tins and was not raced the

following season, but in 1927-8 he went into C. S. Donald’s stable. He was second to Elzear in the Dominion Trotting Handicap at Addington, and started only once again that season. He was not started the following season, but in 1929-30 he was twice unplaced Judge Hancock was a powerfully built j trotter, with exceptional speed an 4 1 stamina, and it is to be regretted that on account of unsoundness almost . throughout his racing career he rarely was seen at his best. He has been at the stud for the last two seasons, and some of his progeny are highly spoken of. He was taken seriously ill last J week, and died in a few hours from an internal trouble.

RICCARTON NOTES

A QUIET MORNING. Wednesday. The weather was fine for training operations at Riccarton this morning. A cold wind was in evidence again, but it was not so- unpleasant as on the j previous day. A large number of j horses put in an appearance but there j was little of interest for the spectators, easy pace work being the general ! order. Kapuna (11. Dulieu) gave a good exhibition of jumping in a school over eight hurdles. Wiltshire had an easy morning. His trainer, R. C. Syme, stated that the Grand National candidate showed no ill effects from his fall the previous day. It is unlikely that he will be required to jump the big country again before race day, though he may be schooled over a few fences in the middle of the course. Apart from a slight stiffness in the back, Syme is none the worse for his fall. The steeplechase fences on the course proper will be available again to-mor-row. It is probable that Dark Prince and Thurina will be schooled over them. E. Redmond arrived from North Canterbury with Nine of Spades, who is engaged in hack hurdle events next week. S. G. Ware, with Matu and Antrim Boy, and D. P. Wilson, with Overhaul and Captain’s Gift, arrived from the south to-day. The Washdyke trainer, P. T. Hogan, is expected to arrive to-morrow, with his team, which will include Tuki and Fabriano, two candidates for the Grand National Steeplechase. To-morrow morning’s steamer from Wellington is expected to bring a full load of horses for the Grand National meeting. Among those booked to arrive are Nukumai, also five from G. Jones’s Trentham stable and seven from Awapuni. WILTSHIRE DISAPPOINTS. POOR JUMPING DISPLAY. It is stated that Wiltshire suffered no serious effects from his fall at Riccarton yesterday. It is unlikely he will be schooled again over the big country, but his trainer expects him to be all right for his engagement in the Grand National Steeplechase on Tuesday. R. Syme, the trainer of Wiltshire, also his usual rider, piloted the horse in his schooling effort and he suffered slight injury to his back in the fall. As was to be expected, Syme was very disappointed with Wiltshire’s performance. He expressed the opinion that a mistake was made in schooling him last Wednesday over the fences in the middle of the course. On his visits to Riccarton his jumping had been done over the big fences on the course proper, but after his effort over the smaller fences he did not shape at all confidently when he had to tackle the more difficult country yesterday. He made a poor attempt at the fence which brought him down and he did not jump one fence right when taken by himself over the remainder of. the circuit. Wiltshire took the skin off his stifles when he fell but though it may cause some stiffness his trainer did not appear to be greatly concerned over this injury.

It is worth recalling that, though his race record at Riccarton is so good, Wiltshire has not always given good exhibitions when schooling. He fell at Cutts’s fence on his first visit, while a year later he blundered slightly at the same fence, when he also had a “ life ” in his second Grand National win. Bearing his record in mind, if the horse has suffered no ill-effects from his fall, it may be unwise to dismiss him hurriedly from Grand National calculations. WAIRARAPA NOTES. (Special to the “ Star.") MASTERTON, August 4. The Carterton Racing Club recorded a loss of £375 3s fid on the year's working, after allowing £206 16s lOd for depreciation. The club paid away £647 2s 6d in Government taxes, £ll6O in stakes and £l7O 19s in interest. Mr W. Howard Booth, the president, stated at the annual meeting on Saturday that during the year the position was aggravated.,by a further increase of 2i per cent in the tax on totalisator investments and also by a substantial increase in the amusement tax. It appeared to him that there were indications that the point of exhaustion had been reached, so much so that the most rigid economy must be put into operation in every possible direction. The question that concerned him was whether the club should hold a race meeting this }*ear. lie wondered how many members would be sporting enough to pa}’ their annual subscriptions as a donation for one year. With rigid economy the position would be very much improved in twelve months. On the other hand, he thought that they could still hold a meeting, come out with a small loss or a profit by reducing stakes and other economies, and by getting voluntary assistance from stewards and members and thereby save about £350. Other speakers were not in favour of abandoning the meeting this year, pointing out that racing men had to be considered as well as club members. It was stated that the club was paying more out in stake money than the Rules of Racing I demanded. It was decided to hold the meeting as usual, on Saturday, October 31. It is probable that the stakes will be reduced by about £3OO compared with last year.

The Masterton Racing Club has decided to give £4OOO in stakes for its four meetings during the present season. At the annual meeting the treasurer stated that the club’s account was originally guaranteed by four members to the extent of £IOOO. Before the last race meeting it was quite apparent that there were not sufficient funds to carry on over the meeting. Five other members had then offered to find £SOO, apart from the original guarantees, to carry on with and provide for any loss. The last meeting had resulted in a loss and the £SOO was practically gone. Since then these five members had made the sporting offer of guaranteeing the account on an equal footing with the four original guarantors, provided three others came forward, the whole sum to be £2OOO. That would mean that the club would have enough funds to carry it over the next meeting. It was stated that one member was prepared to come in as an extra guarantor. The meeting decided to refer the matter to the stewards. It is anticipated that the three additional guarantors will be found, and the club will thus be enabled to carry on.