Topics of the Turf

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20231, 15 February 1934, Page 12

Topics of the Turf

JT AN DICAPS for the Banks Peninsula meeting are due on Tuesday. NIGHTLY IMPROVED. Nightly moved very freely in a fivefurlong gallop at Riccarton this morning, and his prospects of a trip to Sydney for Easter are looking brighter. He has improved a lot in the last fortnight. GREAT GOING LIKELY. Water lav in some places at Riccarton this morning, the plough was out of action, and the crossings were difficult going for pedestrians, but the course proper was good going. It w r as quite firm, and promises to be in first-class order for Saturday. Probably never before for a February meeting has Riccarton presented such a green and fresh appearance as it will on Saturdaj l- . As a rule, the track has to be constantly watered before the summer meeting. It has been this year, but from the sky.

The race books of the Canterbury Jockey Club on Saturday will include a prominent notice that the totalisator will be closed promptly at official time. The committee has decided that this regulation shall be strictly adhered to. TO RACE IN SYDNEY. Mr S. Higgs, of Upper Riccarton, who is in Sydney at present, expects to have his colours carried in the A.J.C. Champagne Stakes at Randwick at Easter by Radiant Star. This colt at his only start won the Electric Handicap at Stratford on January 2. He is a chestnut by Hunting Song from Spotlight, bv Nassau from Stardancer. by Martian from Stepdancer, by Stepniak. Radiant Star is a half-brother to Argentic, and the family has produced some notable performers. J. Fryer, of Hawera, trains Radiant Star. SEVEN' MOUNTS The C.J.C. programme on Saturday includes a high-weight handicap. G. H. Humphries has an engagement for each of the other seven events. His prospective mounts.are Silver Ring, Imperial Spear, Synagogue, Weatherly, Miladi, Capital and Tout le Monde. MELBOURNE CENTENARY, Another rich race is announced for Melbourne in November of this, its Centenary year. This event is the Ascot Centenary Cup, of £2OOO and a trophy, to be run at the Ascot racecourse, which is situated near Flemington and about four miles from Melbourne city. AS OTHERS SEE THEM. Some of the Sydney racing men who were present at the Wellington Cup meeting say some of the sprinters are very good, but that the middle-distance horses are only moderate (writes “ Pilot.”) Diatomous impressed them, and they look to Silver Ring to fulfil his early promise. Among the middledistance horses, however. Grand Jury’s Wellington Cup win with 7.5, and his Wellington R.C. Handicap win, with an additional 111 b, proved him useful. WHERE HIS LUCK COMES IN, Four races at New Plymouth for Alloy were followed by a trip to Rotorua by float on Sunday and a race there on Monday in which he finished third. The “ Dominion ” remarks that in one way, Alloy may be considered fortunate. The day of transport by aeroplane has not yet arrived. GAINE CARRINGTON’S RELATIVE, During their recent trip to New Zealand, Mr J. Phillips, owner, and C. T. Godby, trainer, of Gaine Carrington, paid a visit to the farm of the Messrs Smith Brothers at Mangaweka. There they saw a fine yearling colt by the Son-in r Law horse Siegfried from Left, dam of Gaine Carrington and Peter Jackson. The Australians were very keen to secure the colt, either by purchase or on a lease, but the Messrs Smith are not inclined to part with the youngster. WHENUAKURA’S CONDITION. Whenuakura is reported to look in great bodily health. The swelling on his injured leg is considerably reduced, but it is impossible to say yet whether the treatment he is undergoing will prove successful.

Among the mounts of L. J. Ellis at Riccarton on Saturday will be King March, Variant and Copyist. WILL RE BUSY. A. Russell and H. Mackinnon, the two apprentices of F. D. Jones, are due for a busy afternoon at Riccarton on Saturday. Russell is booked to ride Silver Brier, Shatter, Custodian. Cranford, Cleaner, Sibella and one of the Chokebore Lodge two-year-olds in the Lyttelton Plate. Mackinnon will be on Red Dance, Ramo, Cup Bearer, Dollar Prince, Guarantee, and either Heather Glow or Pleasant Memory in the Post Handicap. AUSTRAL! AX YEARLINGS. The Melbourne yearling sales will take place on March 5, 6 and 8. The dispersal sale of the brood mares of the Maribvrnong Stud belonging to Mr L. K. S. Mackinnon will take place at Newmarket (Melbourne) on March 12.

MELBOURNE RACING. The Melbourne autumn racing campaign has always begun “ officially ” with the Victoria Amateur Turf Club’s meeting at Caulfield. The Williamstown fixture which precedes Caulfield by a week is, however, of growing importance, and the establishing of the £ISOO weight-for-age run last Saturday for the first time .may cause Williamstown to be regarded as opening the campaign. The V.A.T.C. meeting is a two-days’ fixture. Chief of the events on Saturday are the Oakleigh Plate, and the St George Stakes, a weight-for-age race run over nine furlongs. The Plate is a handicap and its distance is five furlongs and a half. It is the shortest of the important Australian handicaps. The race was first decided in 1881, when the winner was the mighty Malua, whose other victories included the Melbourne Cup, V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle race, V.R.C. Newmarket Handicap, Australian Cup and Adelaide Cup. The race also, and the Australian hecord for the distance is lmin 42sec, created by Ibrani last February. * * * * T. R. George has arrived from Blenheim with Synagogue, Revision and Miladi, and the horses were exercised at Riccarton this morning. N,Z. HORSES’ PROSPECTS. According to custom, the Melbourne “ Argus,” on the appearance of the weights, chose ten candidates as those most likely to provide the early fancies for the Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup. Its list included the New Zealanders Golden Wings for the sprint and (Peter Jackson for the Cup. DARGAVILLE TOTE. Betting at the Dargaville Racing Club’s meeting this week is on the single pool system. With five, six or seven starters, two dividends will be paid, and with eight or more starters there will be three dividends. sje sje ifc * The two-year-old Silver Wings will make the trip from Wanganui to race on the second day of the Jockey Club’s meeting. CJ.C. FIELDS. With eighty-five acceptors, fields promise to be of nice size at Riccarton on Saturday. More visitors are engaged than is usual at this fixture of the Canterbury Jockey Club. King March will represent the North Island, while Blenheim provides Synagogue, Revision and Miladi. Southern centres are represented by Admiral Drake, Rin Tin Tin, Gallivanter, Adult, Wonderful, lan’s March, Hot Stuff, Kerbside and Denise. SONS OF PHALARIS. Mr H. G. Wheeler, a South Australian studmaster, who is at present in England, has purchased there the Phalaris horse Pennant- As a yearling, Pennant was sold for 3200 guineas to Mr Anthony Rothschild, for. whom he won the Chesterfield Plate at Newmarket, but he failed to stand training and did not race after his two-year-old days. His dam Banniere is by White Eagle (son of Gallinule) from Balma, by Marco or Marcoril, from Tutti Frutti, by St Persimmon from New Zealand, by Isonomy from Australia, by Hermit. Hot Weed and Brulette are notable members of this family. Sons of Phalaris already at the in Australia are Brazen, Legionnaire, Blue Flame, Bullhead, Salmagundi, Pharan, and the new addition to the Kia Ora Stud, Christopher Robin.

The Banks Peninsula Racing Club’s committee- has decided to use the win and place betting system at its meeting at on March 3. RACING ON ICE.

For twenty-three years race week has been a feature of the season at St Moritz. The horses race on a snow track on the frozen lake.. When the last mail left London, horses from wellknown European stables were gathering in St Moritz for acclimatising and training on the unusual track. Competitors have come from Austria, Germany, France, Holland, Italy and Sweden. The German riding school from Hanover has entered six horses. There is also a possibility of an English competitor in the principal event, the Grand Prix of St Moritz. Gordon Richards is holidaying there and may ride at the meeting. CHANGE OF YEXUE WANTED, The Clifden Racing Club, which was to have held its annual meeting at Clifden next Saturday, has abandoned this fixture, but it has applied to the Racing Conference for permission to use its permit on the Southland Racing Club’s course at Invercargill on April 14. This club’s meeting was also held at Invercargill last year. REAL VETERAN. Grakle has competed in six Grand National Steeplechases at Aintree, and is nominated again this year. He won in 1931. On January 9 he made his reappearance in public after an absence of nearly two years from racing. For many months he has been under veterinary treatment. The veteran renewed acquaintanceship with a steeplechase course at Leicester, but he did not go far. There was a mix-up at the first fence. One horse ran off and three, one of whom was Grakle, fell. He was not injured.