Topics of the Turf

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20363, 21 July 1934, Page 16

Topics of the Turf

AND NEWS FROMJVERrWHERE

CCEPTANCES for the Waimate^ Hunt Club’s meeting close at nine o’clock this evening. * * * * Acceptances for the South Canterbury Hunt Club’s meeting close at 9 p.m. on Monday. * * * *» General entries for the C.J.C. meeting close at 8 p.m. on Friday. At the same hour, acceptances for the Winter Cup, Grand National Hurdle race and Steeplechase close. TO SPELL Prince Colossus has lately been running below the form which he showed earlier in the winter, and New Plymouth reports state that he is to be eased off and given a spell. WELL KNOWN. G. Young has registered colours similar to Gloaming’s old colours for his own use in Australia. STILL WINNING. The Okawa-bred Second Wind (Grandcourt or Psychology—First Blow) keeps his form in West Australia remarkably well. At the Belmont Park meeting on July 9, postponed from the Saturday on account of wet weather, he won the Belmont Handicap, 11 miles, by a length and a half, starting second favourite. SALE OF GOLD RAY. Mr W. T. Ilazlett has sold the Arausio gelding Gold Ray in Melbourne. Gold Ray won a Novice Handicap at Pakenham last April. The sale price was £2OO. BRED AT KOATAXUI. Golden Gate, the winner of the Flying Handicap at Victoria Park on Wednesday, is a five-year-old sister to the hurdlers Royal Lineage and Royal Limond, being by Limond from Royal Exchange. She is owned by Mr G. N. M’Gill and is trained by J. King. “ ONE FOOT ON THE CHEQUE.” C. T. Godby, trainer of Prismatic, winner of the Grand National Hurdle Race at Flemington on July 7, was extremely confident of Prismatic’s ability to win. In conversation with a friend shortly before the start of the race he advised him to support his charge. “ Prismatic has one foot on the cheque already,” said Godby. The cheque which Prismatic's owner (Mr J. A. Phillips) received was worth £IOSO. Prismatic took smin 39Isec to cover the three miles of the Grand National Hurdle Race and to place his other three feet on the cheque. ON A SLOW TRACK. Sprinting tasks on the No. 7 track, which was slow after rain, occupied the attention of many horses at Riccarton this morning. Among those so engaged were the members of the team of F. D. Jones. Custodian and Nightly went together over five furlongs without reaching their top. Shatter and The Masquerader went well over six furlongs. Silver Ring, who leaves for Sydney next week, went nicely over half a mile. WINTER CUP

When 64 horses are handicapped for a race with only 271 b between the top and - bottom weights, the adjuster of the weights doe» not give himself much scope for the niceties of handicapping. Few of the 1933 field are engaged, but one that is is Polydora, who was generally voted unlucky to lose when she : finished second to Mount Boa. She had 8.8 then and she now has 8.13. Some of this field would have small ■ chance at the weights of beating Autopay if he were at his best. For example, in the A.J.C. Epsom of 1932, with 9.6 he had three stone all but one pound over the minimum. He was last half-way and finished fourth to Chatham 5.13, Rogilla 8.4 and Winooka 9.0. In a light handicap, considering that the minimum is Bst, Southdown appears severely treated. To date he has run in 23 races for 5 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third and 14 times unplaced, while he has earned £915 in stakes. He is receiving only 71b from Autopay, who won the Thompson at Trentham with 9.4 or 321 b over the minimum. Vintage is up among good performers, but looking at it another way he has only 131 b above the minimum. He has, however, to concede 21b to the New Zealand Cup winner Palantua. The latter was handicapped to receive 301 b from Polydora, who did not run, in the New Zealand Cup. In the Winter Cup the difference is 21b. Davolo had 8.1 when he won the Whyte Handicap from Rebel Star 7.13, while Curie was unplaced with 10.1. Now Davolo has 8.11, Rebel Star 8.2 and Curie 9.13. The last-named is likely to be a dangerous candidate. CONTROL AMISS. Control is very sore as the result of giving himself a knock this week. He , is due to leave for Sydney with other* | members of the team of F. D. Jones/ in a fortnight’s time, so that the n/is*. hap has come at an awkw-.d # * * * / J C. Emerson has decided to take "/tnr-ti.-.n Chief to Australia in addition to Marcus Cicero and Hine Ra. EXPLANATION'S ACCEPTED After the New Zealander Prostration had won the second division of the Iramoo Handicap at Fler/iington on July 7 the stipendiary stre wards held an inquiry into the ref/ersal of form displayed by Prostration ' in winning this race compared w/th the gelding’s running in the Rosny ’Plate at Caulfield on June 23. After having heard the evidence of the trainer (A. D. Webster) a ” d ‘.A , Re ? d ’ ' v ' ho rode Prostration at Caulfield, the Stewards accepted the explanation offered. T. Webster rode Prostration when he won.

RICCARTON SCHOOLING

At Riccarton this morning, Punchestown (11. Turner) and Rational 11. (G. Salt) were companions in a school twice round the steeplechase fences, , jumping ten in all. Rational 11. gave a very smooth and good display. Punchestown was a bit erratic and less * impressive. Night Parade (G. Barr) and Jolly Beggar (G. Murfitt) led Starshooter (IT. Turner) in a fair exhibi- ; tion over four hurdles. Fleeting Glance , (G. Barr) jumped’ four hurdles by herself. She was inclined to be careful < over the first two. but went much betr ; ter over the next two. 810 HUNT ENTRY. Taking the nominations as a guide, the Christchurch Hunt Club meeting, to be held early next month, ten days before the opening of the Grand National carnival, will be a great success. The list totals 202, compared ■with 153 last year. The two hunters’ steeplechases have drawn nine and thirteen respectively, these being the smallest fields. The other events have all filled well and apart from numbers ; they are strong in quality. The Braba- ; zon Handicap should be a great preliminary for the Winter Cup, especially as North Island and southern visitors figure prominently, while the’ North Island is strongly represented in an excellent field for the Longbeach Hurdles. It seems evident, from the support re- , ceived for the Hunt meeting, that there will be plenty of visiting per- , formers at Riccarton next month. ROYAL VISITOR’S FAILURES. Royal Visitor (N.Z.), in the Kensington Steeplechase at Flemington on July 7, is described as having “ lived up to his reputation of being an exceptionally dashing fencer. He treated the fences like hurdles and soon established a long lead.” He, however, took one risk too many, for he hit a fence about six furlongs from home very hard. This brought him back to the field and he then speedily dropped out of the picture. So far, this expensive trip of Royal Visitor has been a complete failure. WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, Although it has not previously been made known, it is probable that the accident which eventually caused his death prevented the late W. J. Tomkinson from having Gainsfid, who won the Parliamentary Handicap at the recent meeting at Trentham, in his team of gallopers at Riccarton. He had two horses under offer to him in May and he had arranged that, during his trip north for the Wellington Trotting Club’s meeting, he would first inspect one of them at Hastings, afterwards flying to Gisborne to see Gainsfid, a horse who may win more good races oyer a distance next season. N Z-BRED WINNER. New Zealand-bred Shining Gold (Arausio—Gold Light) was heavilybacked at nice prices for the Arundel Handicap, 7i furlongs, at Moonee Valley on July 4, and won. He is now owned and trained by F. Fort. OUR COMET FALLS. Our Comet, the New Zealand representative in the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle race at Flemington on July 7, fell early in the race. His rider, the Auckland horseman, L. Dulieu, suffered minor injuries, which prevented his riding Royal Visitor in the Ken* sington Steeplechase later in the afternoon. Dulieu, by the way, is reported, l to be contemplating taking up perjMap nent residence in Melbourne. j WADE DISPERSAL SALE. At the dispersal sale of Mr A. P. Wade’s Borambola stud, near Wagga (N.S.W.), the stallion (1925) by the Tracery Abbot’s Trace, from the Lemberg Marcia Blanche, half-sister to L/mond, was sold for 3050 guineas. His-Tmyers were Messrs A. W. Thompson, H. S. Thompson and P. C. Basche, Owners of the Oakleigh, Widden a y\d Sunnyside studs, in New South Wales. Purple Lilac, by Martian—F,%rsian Lilac, who topped the sales of«£ie brood mares at 500 guineas, went Vp Mr Sol Green, who made other purchases and evidently intends to keep his stud at Bacchus Marsh going. 'T/he Auckland Cup wiriner, Mascot, 1/y Martian—Mary of Argyle, brought 70 guineas. Gallant Miss, by Toy Gallant from the New Zealand Conceit, was, at 100 guineas, or/fe of several purchases made by Mr P fcrcy Miller, owner of the famous J£ia Ora stud. Mr Green became th /> owner at 375 guineas of Virginal, -/vho is a half-sister by Lonawand To Cheloma, dam of Nincompoop* to Illume, dam of Chief Light, also to Gold Light, Razzle Dazzle and D/i/zling Light. ,“JOHNSTON’S RETAINER ENDS. The engagement at the beginning of * the year of W. R. (“Togo”) John- * stone as first jockey for Lord Glanely was terminated recently by mutual agreement. Johnstone won the Two \ Thousand Guineas on Colombo, but the failures of tflat colt in the Derby and at Ascot no doubt were a big factor in bringing about the break. Johnstone will resume riding in France as i first jockey to M. Pierre Wertheimer. ; Fie headed the winning jockeys’ list in i France last year. Commenting on this l development, the Melbourne “ Australi asian ” remarks:—“Jockeys’ reputa- ' tions are easily damaged. A notable ? instance of this was the case I of the New Zealander, L. 11. Hewitt. “ He was engaged by Mr Walter Raphael 1 to ride Tagalie in the classic races. He 1 ; won the One Thousand Guineas on her, * ( but had the bad luck to be defeated 5 i in the Newmarket Stakes on her. | Hewitt was blamed for this defeat.

j The mount in the Derby was then enI trusted to the American, J. Reiff, and she won. Two days later Tagalie was sent out an odds-on favourite for the Oaks, and failed to gain a place. Her subsequent form showed that she was an arrant jade, but she ruined the career of Hewitt as a rider in England. Hewitt was a fine horseman, as he demonstrated when he was first jockey for the all-conquering stable of Mr G. G. Stead in New- Zealand. Probably Colombo has done to Johnstone what Tagalie did to Hewitt.”

MELBOURNE CUP CANDIDATE. St \ alorey, winner of the Brisbane Cup in 1932 and again in 1934, has been purchased by Mr James C. Campbell, of Melbourne. He is engaged in the Melbourne Cup at Bst 31b. St Valorey is the only horse by Valais to win twice over two miles. RACING FIXTURES. July 21—Hawke’s Bay H.C. July 21—Franklin R.C. July 25—Rangitikei H.C. July 26—Waimate D.H.C. July 26, 2S—Poverty Bay T.C. July 28—South Canterbury H.C. July 2S—Rotorua ancl Bay of Plenty H.C. July 28— Manawatu R.C. August 4—Christchurch 11. C., at Riccarton. August 4—Poverty Bay H.C. August 14, 16, 1 B—C.J.C. Grand National. August IS—Pakuranga H.C. August 30—Egmont-Wa nganui H.C. September I—Otago H.C. September I—Taranaki H.C. September s—Marton J.C. September 13, 15—Wanganui J.C. September 15—Ashburton C.R.C. September 20, 22—Geraldine R.C.