Topics of the Turf

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20234, 19 February 1934, Page 10

Topics of the Turf

AND N£ws noM E * e,irwHe **

JJANDICAPS for the Banks Peninsula meeting are due to-morrow. Acceptances close at 6 p.m. on Friday. * * * * Nominations for the Waimate Racing Club’s meeting on March 15 close at 8 p.m. on Friday. * * * * On his good race in the Hornby High, weight at Riccarton on Saturday, Gallivanter should be kept in mind for an early success over jumps. DUNEDIN OWNERS’ WIN. All of the visiting horses from southern centres met with defeat at Riccarton on Saturday, but two Dunedin owners had their colours carried successfully by horses trained here. Mr C. N. Draper won the Middle Park Plate with Custodian and Mr J M Samson the Lyttelton Plate with’Cup Bearer. THE KANGAROOS, There was a decided Australian influence at work at Riccarton on Saturday. March, winner of the principal handicap, was bred in the Commonwealth. The Australian boys A. Russell and H. MacKinnon rode three winners between them. Not to be out of the fashion, the New Brighton band included in its programme “ March, the Kangaroo,” and that was the winning selection for the Midsummer. VENTRAC AND DISMISS. With his two horses, Ventrac and Dismiss, the Central Otago owner Mr J. P. Herlihy has won since October £1228 in stake money. Ventrac has started thirteen times for five wins, a second and a third, and Dismiss has started six times for four wins, three of them at his latest appearances. Ventrac’s winnings amount to £752 and Dismiss’s to £476. It may be mentioned that in his first start at the Dunedin meeting in December Dismiss took charge of his rider in the preliminary and was useless in the race. His other defeat was on the first day at Trentham last month, when he was not himself as a result of being upset on his first long travelling away from home. He is unfortunately already slightly touched in the wind, an affliction common to all his dam’s offspring. Otherwise he might not have been seriously raced till next season. GEORGE PRICE’S SUCCESSES. In respect to the number of races won, George Price was second to W. Kelso on the Sydney winning trainers’ list for the first half of the current season. Price was, however, an easy first when it came to the value of the stakes won. Kelso had 164 wins, 6 seconds and 7 thirds, with £3884 in prize-money. The tally of Price was 144 wins, 22 seconds, and 10 thirds, worth in all £7328. J. T. Jamieson ranked third with 14 wins, 4 second, 10 thirds and £4170 in stakes. These figures refer only to races run in the Sydney metropolitan area TO RIDE AT GORE. W. 11. Jones, who was successful on Grand Review at Riccarton on Saturday, will be riding at the Gore meeting on Wednesday and Thursday. His mounts on the first day will include Tippling and Money gran. G. H. Humphries and H. Turner are Riccarton riders going to Gore. L. J. Ellis is going north for the Woodville and Te Aroha meetings, while A. Russell will also be at Te Aroha CAME GOOD SUDDENLY. F. D. Jones has more than once recently expressed his opinion that Custodian would make good next season. The colt has taken time to realise what is expected of him in a race. He came home well in the Dunedin Champagne Stakes, and pn Saturday put in a most convincing run to win the Middle Park Plate. He paid a nice dividend for the winner in a field of four. His trainer had a pound on him. Custodian is the first horse raced by Mr C. N. Draper. w*ho gave 150 guineas for him as a yearling. LOOKS LIKE STAYING. Scarlet Rambler showed finishing powers and courage in scoring her first win in the Trial Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday. On that performance she should manage a mile well, and her breeding suggests stamina. The improving Grampian ran a good race, and his turn should not be far off. Imperial Spear seemed to have every chance. J. B. Pearson has had poor luck this season, but the Martarma three-year-old Maroha, whom he trains for Mr G. L. Rutherford, ran a promising race in this event and should make good.* SUCCESS OF APPRENTICES. With a winning double on Saturday, A. Russell brought the number of his successes for the season up to 16. His fellow-apprentice, 11. Mackinnon, has now ridden seven winners. He had his first success at the Geraldine meeting in September. Mackinnon was previously successful at Riccarton on Vintage in the Seymour Handicap in November. Russell has done well at Riccarton this season. He rode one winner at the Grand National meeting, five at the New Zealand Cup fixture, two at the Hororata meeting held there in December, and two more on Saturday. Both boys are apprenticed to F. D. Jones.

Bowlands, who has been trained by A. S. Ellis at Riccarton, has been sold to a patron of the Invercargill stable of J. A. Rowlands. X-Z. GELDING’S GOOD WIN, The first of the important autumn handicaps in Australia—the Oakleigh Plate—was run on Saturday, and was won by the New Zealand-bred gelding First Money. Mr I. G. Duncan bred First Money, who was foaled in 1926 and who is by Paper Money from Peronilla by Achilles from Prelude by Merrie England. First Money must have been a “ good thing ” on his original handicap, which was the minimum, 6.7. He won with a 131 b penalty. SAM SMITH. A. M’Aulay is having a very fair season as a trainer, and he is not doing badly as an owner. He has the Arrowsmith four-year-old Sam Smith to carry his colours, and, in the charge of F. Holmes, Sam Smith has been in the money eight times this season, earning £265. The last furlong troubled Rin Tin Tin in the Hornby High Weight and Sam Smith beat him handily. Courtyard ran a fair race and should pay his way in the South Island If Minerval goes to Sydney, Sam Smith w.U accompanv the Auckland Cup winner. He has already paid one unsuccessful visit to Australia. HALL MARK AGAIN SECOND. Fame, a son of Heroic, won the principal event at Warwick Farm on Saturday, but the Valais sire’s representatives, Heroic Prince, Heros and Hall Mark were second in the Bond Cup, f -kleigh Plate and St George Stakes respectively at Caulfield. Hall Mark was beaten by Danilo, who is also a three-year-old, but the Melbourne Cup winner was conceding 201 b. Danilo is by Chivalrous, whose stock have won in England, India, the United States, Australia, France and Italy. Chivalrous won the Chester Cup two years in succession. He is a son of Amadis, winner of the Doncaster Cup, Ascot Gold Vase and Jockey Club Cup. NIGHTLY. Among the visitors to Riccarton on Saturday was Mr J. A. M’Dougall, owner of Nightly. The principal object of his trip from the North Island was to see the colt gallop on Saturday morning. Nightly went well but was sore afterwards. Later in the day his trainer, F. D. Jones, said that it was practically certain that Nightly would not be sent to Australia this autumn. All going well, Nightly will be nominated for spring events in Australia, including the Centenary Melbourne Cup. NOT OUT OF HIS TURN. The team of P. M’Grath this season prior to Saturday had registered seventeen minor placings and only two wins. Cup Bearer, who won the Lyttelton Plate, had contributed two of the minor placings. She has her share of speed and was more experienced than her opponents on Saturday. She is by Tea Tray from Dancing Doll, an English mare by Black Jester fro m My Dolly by Sundridge from Glass Doll by Isinglass from Fota by Hampton Cup Bearer was bred at the Elderslie stud. IMPORTANCE'S SURPRISE. Importance, who caused a surprise by winning the Post Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday, was successful in the Apprentices’ Handicap at Riccarton in November. She was unplaced twice at the Dunedin Cup meeting, running poorly. She was one of the last horses raced by the late Mr G. D. Greenwood. Cleaner ran another good race- Siver Sight was probably the unlucky horse in the field. He was badly interfered with early and knocked back to last. Tout le Monde shaped encouragingly. FIRST WIN FOR YEARS When King March was last racing in Australia, J. E. Pike is said to have J. T. Jamieson to send him home to New Zealand before “he ruins us all.” Dominion backers were getting much the same opinion about the stylish-looking son of Rossendale, but he won the Midsummer Handicap on Saturday in clear, cut style. Shatter ran a really good race, and Argentic finished very well. Cricket Bat shaped fairly, but the others' w£re not in the picture at the business end of the race. CRANFORD’S COURAGE The last team of the late Richard Longlev contained good young material. Gaysome was one member of it, and Cranford another. Cranford fought out his duel with Kerbside very courageously in the Craven Plate, and proved that he can run seven furlongs. Copyist was travelling very well when he ran off the course. Guarantee grew weary, and none of the others impressed. GOOD RUN FIRST UP Weatherly, having his first run for a long time, did very well in the Halswell Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday, and only Grand Review beat him home. He used to be trained by F. E. Jones, but is now a member of the team of R. Ellis. Weatherly was the outsider of the field of ten on the win machine, but was well supported for a place. Grand Review, who had failed at Wingatui a week earlier, was seventh choice each way, and paid good dividends. Dollar Prince, the favourite, ran a fair race and hung on gamely. Wild Sky and Drumfire also shaped fairly. TOTES ALL DOWN. Again on Saturday the totalisator aggregates showed a reduction at all meetings compared with last vear. At Riccarton the decrease was £975. Win and place was in operation both this year and last. At Wanganui the drop for the day was £BSB 10s, and for the meeting £1313 10s. The single pool was used this year and win and place last year, At Dargaville, the single pool, with three dividends, replaced the old style of single-pool betting. The totalisator was down £783 10s on Saturday and £1476 on the two days. At Tolaga Bay the drop was £460, the old svstein being in use on each occasion. At the Auckland trots, the decrease was £2900 10s. 'I he single pool replaced win and place there.