Topics of the Turf

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20277, 11 April 1934, Page 10

Topics of the Turf

S S /OTESAND NEWS FROM EVERYWHERE

CCEPTAXCES for the Waimate Racing Club’s meeting close at S p.m. on Friday.

Acceptances for the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting close at 9 p.m. on Monday.

Handicaps for the Amberley Racing Club’s meeting are due on Monday. Trainers attending the South Canterbury meetings next week should note that Amberley acceptances close at 8 p.m. on April 20. * * * * The annual meeting of members of the Canterbury Jockey Club will be held on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 16. HUNT CLUB MEETING. The Christchurch Hunt Club has been granted permission by the committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club to hold its annual race meeting at Riccarton on August 4. Last season, their date fell on July 29. « « * * Gate receipts for the three days of the Riverton meeting at Easter aggregated £2177. MAY GO TO MELBOURNE. _ For some time past the useful jumper Apache has been getting through steady exercise on the Southland Racing Club’s tracks, and as he has been moving soundly it is on the cards that he will be shipped to Melbourne shortly to join up with Mr W. T. Hazlett’s string in commission at Mentone. The son of Solferino from Directoire is getting up in years, as he was foaled in 1921, but he would be a valuable schoolmaster in Victoria in the event of Mr Hazlett deciding to have several members of his team, such as Irish Chieftain, educated for winter jumping stakes there. HANDSOME PROFIT. Jonathan, who has won at each of his last four starts and put up a race record in each, cost 100 guineas as a yearling. He has won £2540 in stakes. AMBERLEY ENTRIES. Nomintions for the Amberley Racing Club’s meeting on April 28 are rather uneven. Two races attracted a poor response, another did fairly, and the remaining five did extra well. As a general rule when there is a small nomination for a race nearly, if not all, the entrants go to the post. The Brackenfield Handicap, the high-weight event, attracted only five starters last year, and possibly could be replaced in future programmes by a different kind of event. Owing to ill-health, Mr G. E. Curry has resigned his position as cleric of scales at Riccarton. Mr J, P. Lennon has been appointed to succeed him. BIG WINNERS. The field for the Marton Steeplechase contains three Great Northern Steeplechase winners in Aurora Borealis, Copey and Callamart, a Grand National Steeplechase winner in Aurora Borealis, and a Grand Nationl Hurdle winner in Callamart. FROM DESERT GOLD FAMILY. Talari, winner of the Juvenile Handi cap at Hastings on Saturday, is a two-year-old filly bred and owned by Mr T. H. Lowry, being by Chief Ruler from Doree, thus a sister to Princess Doreen and a member of one of Mr Lowry’s best-known stud families, as Doree is by Lucullus from D’Oro, who is a sister to Desert Gold and Nigger Minstrel. Talari has not done much racing, having run unplaced at Hastings in November and similarly at Napier in December. Bred as she is she should be possessed of plenty of pace. WEIGHTS COMPARED. Seven of the field for the C.J.C. Great Autumn Handicap, one mile and a half, including the first four home, are engaged in the Teschemaker Handicap, one mile and a quarter, to be run at Washdyke on April 21. The weights compare as follows: Great TescheAutumn. maker, st lb st lb The Smuggler (1) w. 8 0 9 0 Cough (2) 7 0 7 8 Raneiagh (3) 7 10 8 8 Shatter (4) 8 0 8 8 Palmary (7) 7 0 7 0 Irish Lancer (8) .... 7 8 7 9 Great Star (10) 7 9 8 2 FIRST WIN OVER TIMBER. Riotous, who scored his first success as a steeplechaser at the Auckland Easter meeting, created a good impression by the manner in which he negotiated the big fences. He had had little previous experience, and in the circumstances his display was highly satisfactory. More than one horse in recent years has started a successful career as a steeplechaser by showing up prominently at the Auck land Easter meeting, so that the future of Riotous will be watched with great interest. He is engaged to have his second race in the role at Marton. where his stablemates Callamart and Currajong are also engaged. SHORTAGE OF ’CHASERS. The “ Southland Times ” remarks ■that it is an open secret that the officials of more than one southern club are concerned as to the supply of cross-country performers this -winter.

D’Artagnan, who was raced on lease by A. Cook, was returned to his owner after the Auckland Easter meeting. He has since been leased by a patron of H. Calder, and is now a member of that trainer's team at Avondale. * * * * Cottesmore and the two-year-old Ayresleigh are being trained on the beach at Porirua by J. T. Young. A NEWCOMER. _ Ethiop, who is engaged in the Novice Stakes at Marton, is a two-year-old brother to Priscilla Verne and a halfbrother to Acora. Like his relatives, he will carry the colours of his. breeder, Mr A. T. Gatrell. OFF TO ENGLAND. Mr George Gould will leave on a trip to England shortly. During his absence Mr D. E. Wanklyn will act, as honorary treasurer of the Canterbury Jockey Club. STABLE CHANGES. Eupator has been sold to a patron of the Washdyke stable of B. H. Brodie. Juniper has had another change of stables. He was sold to a West Coast owner last week and will remain there. F. D. Jones has begun breaking in a yearling colt by British Empire from Belcaire by Treclare from Bhanavar by John o’ Gaunt. Jones has added to his team a yearling colt belonging to Mr J. D. M’DeUgall, owner of Nightly. This youngster is a half-brother by Chief Ruler to the Wellington Cup winner Stanchion. * v * * Mr K. M’K. Duncan, who won the Marton Steeplechase last year with Callamart, has that gelding and Currajong in the same event this time. VETERAN RESUMES WORK. Seatown, who is to have another preparation, has a fine record, especially at Ellerslie, but he is now twelve years old. He has run in the Cornwall Handicap at the Auckland winter meeting four times. He won with 9.6 in 1929 and with 9.0 in 1931, while he was third with 9.7 in 1930 and with 8.10 last year. REMARKABLE DEAD HEAT. Probably the most extraordinary double dead heat in a race was that which occurred for the Astley Stakes at the Lewes (England) summer meeting, 1880. This race for two-year-olds attracted nine starters, and the riders included such celebrities as Fred Archer, Tom Cannon and George Fordham. Cannon rode Prince Soltykoff’s Scobell, who was favourite. Fordham was on Lord Cadogan’s filly Mazurka, and Archer -was on the second favourite, Captain Machell’s Cumberland. The race ended in a dead heat between Scobell, Mazurka and Mr Henry Chaplin’s Wandering Nun (J. Goater), with Cumberland and the Duke of Westminster’s Thora (Luke) dead heating only a head behind the other three. Scobell walked over for the race, but the stakes were divided. 3e * :£ * The Shambles gelding, Cannibal, who was brought to Riccarton for the Easter meeting by E. Redmond, was transferred to Mrs J. Campbell’s stable after the meeting. He had not raced prior to this trip, but he is a well-grown and promising sort, who may be tried later as a jumper. His three-year-old half-sister, Starlight, by Day Comet, has also joined Mrs Campbell’s team. Kai Arahi, the dam of this pair, is by Tractor from Arai-te-Uru, by Birkenhead from Fair Nell, by Apremont from imported Idalia. WILL RACE FOR £IOOO. After Lacock had given years, weight, and a beating to his rivals in the Thornhill Selling Hurdle at Lingfield on February 24, his owner, Mr Joe Baylis, expressed willingness to run the fourteen-year-old in a match against any animal his age for anything up to £IOOO a side. Here’s an opportunity for the connections of Ballykinler, remarks London “ Sporting Life." The latter appears entitled to the old-age record following his success at Taunton in his sixteenth year. Most of the credit for Lacock’s sprightliness rests with Mr Baylis, who has always been of the opinion that the gelding is at his best when confined to easy work and cantering exercises. Older horses than Lacock manage to defy increasing years over fences. One which comes readily to mind is last week’s Haydock Park winner, Tallow Knight, foaled in 1919 Other recent veteran steeplechase winners include Donzelon (13), Camp Bed (13), Guiding Light (13), and Dash o’ White (14). The oldest animal to sport silk last season was the hunter, Kilmacthomas, a 17-year old gelding by Fra Diavolo, who ran unpaced at the Eastern Counties Hunt meeting at Chelmsford in May. Gregalach, top weight at the Grand National at Aintree this year, is twelve years old. RACING FIXTURES. April 11—Avondale J.C. April 11—Reefton J.C. April 14—Masterton R.C. April 19—Waimate R.C. April 19, 21—Whangarei R.C. April 21—Marton J.C. April 21 —South Canterbury J.C. April 21. 23—Nelson J.C. April 27, 28—Pahiatua R.C. April 27, 28—Marlborough R.C. April 28—Amberley R.C.

DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB.

Winter Meeting and Next Season’s Dates. (Special to the “ Star.”) DUNEDIN, April 11. The Dunedin Jockey Club has decided to apply for the following dates for next season:—Spring meeting, October 4 and 6; summer meeting, December 26 and 27; autumn meeting, February 14 and 16; winter meeting, June 1, 3 and 4. The committee was authorised to draw up a programme of eight races on the first two days of the winter meeting and of seven races on the third day. with stakes aggregating in the vicinity of £3OOO.

NEW LESSEE AND TRAINER