TOPICS of the TURF

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20295, 3 May 1934, Page 8

TOPICS of the TURF

eSAN A NEVYS FROM EVERYWHERE

Q.ENERAL ENTRIES for the Auckland Racing Club’s winter meeting on June 2, 4 and 6 close at 5 p.m. on Friday. * * * * Nominations for the Ashburton County Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday, May 19, close next Monday at S p.m. * * * * Acceptances for the first day of the Southland meeting close at 5 p.m. on Friday. AUCKLAND SCRATCHIXGS. Wee Pat was scratched for the Great Northern Steeplechase at 10.25 a.m. on Tuesday. On the same day, Royal Visitor was scratched for the Great Northern Hurdle Race at 10.28 a.m. JOHNSTONE HAS A FALL. Colombo’s pilot, W. R. Johnstone, had a fall in a race at Newmarket on April 18. About two furlongs from the finish of the Severals Stakes, Ada Mary, ridden by Johnstone, slipped and fell. The filly swerved suddenly and almost crashed into the running rail. Johnstone adroitly threw himself clear of danger, and the filly galloped off. Johnstone arose uninjured and ran back to the mounting yard. FORESTRY IN SYDNEY. Forestry made his reappearance in Sydney at Victoria Park on April 23. With 7.11 he tried to lead all the way in a-mile and a quarter handicap, but was beaten into second place. Headmaster was unplaced in a six-furlong event at the same meeting. A. E. ELLIS PRAISED. A. E. Ellis, of New Zealand, has had his adverse critics while riding the few mounts he obtained during his visit to Sydney and Melbourne, but he has a record (says the “ Sydney Referee ”) that not many jockeys can claim, past or present. He has ridden Grand National winners over both hurdles and fences, and is recognised as one of New Zealand’s most fearless and dashing jump-riders. While enjoying that reputation he is also so highly regarded on the flat that he maintained a good record of success in non-jumping events. That is why he was chosen to accompany Peter Jackson and Golden Wings to Australia, and while he was second in the Australian Cup on the former, he failed by only a head on Golden Wings in the Doncaster at Randwick. It has become the custom to condemn any jockey from New Zealand, but Ellis is one who could hold his own here as soon as he became accustomed to our courses. He won a pot of money for connections when he landed the Canterbury Maiden on Colenso. UNLUCKY RIDER. J. Moloney, who rode Delaneige into j second place in this year’s Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree, was on the runner-up. Easter Hero, in 1929. He also rode Gregalach in second place in 1931. —^ MAKE UPS PROGRAMME. Make Up, who is engaged in N '-the Great Northern double, will probably be given a race or two at the Te Kuiti meeting, to be held at Te Rapa on May 19 and 21. VERY FISHY. At Tropical Park, Florida (U.S.A.) on March 31, all the races with one exception were named after fish. The Tarpon, Barracuda, Saitfish, Marlin. Pompano, Dolphin and Bonita HandL caps figured on the day’s programme. The principal event was, however, the Nourmahal Handicap, named after the yacht of Mr Vincent Astor in which President Roosevelt was cruising at the time. It was won by Sea Fox, and Beginner’s Bait landed the Saitfish Handicap. WORKING ON BEACH. Hunting Cry, who broke down badly at Woodville in December, 1932, is being trained at present on the beach at Gisborne. He has been nominated for the chief flat events at the Auckland winter meeting. CHANGE WILL BE POPULAR. The decision of the Auckland Racing Club, announced in the “ Christchurch Star ” yesterday, to avoid the clash of its spring meeting with that of the Canterbury Jockey Club, will be generally welcomed. It should result in Auckland being represented at Riccarton in November and Christchurch at Ellerslie in October. Visiting horses add greatly to the interest of such fixtures, and in this way the change should be of advantage to both clubs.

A. Murray, who met with some success as a light-weight rider in New Zealand, is now attached to the Randwick stable of E. D. Lawson. JOCKEY’S LUCKY ESCAPE, S. Tremain, who has been riding with a good deal of success recently in the North Island, had a lucky escape from serious injury at Hawera yesterday. About seventy yards from the winning post in the Tawhiti Hack Handicap, his mount, Prince Reno stumbled and came down, apparently falling on Tremain. The jockey, however, escaped with a severe shaking. DOUBLE FOR *,IR 11AZLETT. Mr W. T. Hazlett won a double at Pakenham, twenty miles from Melbourne, on April 19. Shining Gold won the Pakenham Handicap, eight furlongs and a half, and Gold Ray won the Novice Handicap. six furlongs. Shining Gold and Gold Ray are brothers, the former being a five-year old gelding by Arausio from Gold Light, while Gold Ray is a year older. Mr Hazlett’s horses arc now being trained by T. Platt. NEW ZEALAND-BRED WINNER. Diamond, winner of the Maiden* Plate at Moorefield on April 21, is a New Zealand-bred threery ear-olcl colt by Limond from the Australian-bred mare Leta, dam of Thespian. lie was small when offered at the Trentham yearling sales and was a cheap lot. Given plenty of time to mature, he is now said to be quite a nice-sized colt. George Price trains Diamond for Mrs A. K. A. Crossley. FINE AND DISQUALIFICATION. Two racehorses, Orford and Hollander, had been entrained on April 23 at Melbourne for Adelaide, where they were engaged at the South Australian Jockey Club’s meeting, when news was brought to the station that they had been disqualified. Fortunately ihere was time to get them off the train and so prevent a fruitless 1000 miles of travel. Orford and Hollander have been racing as the property of their trainer, Frank Godbv, a brother of C. T. Godby. The V.R.C. stipendiary stewards received a report that Godby neither owned nor had leased the three-year-olds. They called Godby and Mr F. H. Scarlett, a wellknown Melbourne business man, formerly prominent as an owner, before them. Godby told the stewards that he purchased both horses in his own name when they were yearlings, i'hc money to buy them was provided byMr Scarlett, whose property the horses actually were. Mr Scarlett did not wish to race them in his Own name. These facts were admitted by Mr Scarlett. The stewards decided to fine Godby £2O for a breach of the rules of racing, also to disqualify both horses for twelve months. U.S. HORSES FOR ASCQT. Mate is not the onl\- American candidate for the Ascot Gold’ Cup this-year. Gusto, an outstanding performer in handicaps in the United States during the last two years, is also in England on a similar mission. At Ivempton Park on March 31, Gusto made his English debut in the Coventry Plate, one mile. There were eight ’starters, and Gusto, who was at a good price, finished fourth. The winner was the Hon George Lambton’s Pricket, who started at good odds on. Gusto is a grandson of the famous Man o’ War. FAMOUS MATCH RECALLED. Some mention was made in these columns last week of the racing career of the late Mr Andrew Spence Chirnside, a veteran pastoralist and Turf figure in Victoria. It is of interest to mention that his father owned Alice Hawthorn, who represented Victoria in the famous match for £IOOO .aside against the New South Wales champion, Veno. at Flemington on October 3, 1857. Veno won easily. Mr Cfiirnside, sen., also owned Newminster, who •when a hot favourite for the Victoria Derby of 187 G, was supposed to have been poisoned. Newminster failed in the Derby, but later won the first Caulfield Cup for Mr Andrew- Chirnside. Newminster was the sire of Newhaven. Mr Andrew Chirnside established a stud at Newminster Park, in the Camperdown district of Western Victoria. There he bred many good horses, including Clean Sweep, winner of the Melbourne Cup. Ilymettus. twice winner of the Caulfield Cup, and Colonel Shilinski, a great performer over jumps. At the initial meeting of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club (now at Caulfield) held at Dowling Forest, Ballarat, Mr Andrew Chirnside won the Victoria Gold Gup Steeplechase on his own horse Sailor. REVERSALS OF FORM Commenting on a recent inquiry into a reversal of form which resulted in the exoneration of the parties concerned, “ Chiron ” in the Melbourne “Australasian” remarks: “The inquiry served several very useful purposes. W’hen there are apparent reversals of form of this sort there is always a suggestion that the parties have been guilty of wrongdoing, and more often than not people who have l>een perfectly honest in running their horses are left under a cloud of suspicion. As long as there is horse racing there will be thes - ; genuine cases of in and out form, because horses are not machines,. and racing has not been reduced to a mathematical science. Seme owners resent the suggestion that the apparent inconsistent form of their horses should be reviewed by the stewards, and regard an inquiry as an unwarrantable attack on their honour. An inquiry into the running of a horse is not necessarily' a reflection upon the integrity of an owner, and it sometimes affords him an opportunity of offering what is a perfectly legitimate explanation of the disparity in the form of his horse. If that were done more frequently, we would not hear =o many fantastic stories about the alleged misdeeds of owners. It would dispel much of the atmosphere of suspicion which afflicts the Turf at present.” Up in a high pass of the Peruvian Andes stands a monument to one of man’s most incredible experiments. It consists of two towers, built on opposite hills, between which, centuries ago, a primitive tribe hung a gigantic net — and tried to catch the sun.