THE TURF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19737, 5 January 1927, Page 4

THE TURF

Jan. 7. -B—Reefton J.C. Jan. 8 or 15—Waipapekxim R.C. Jan. 8, 10—Vincent J.C. Jan. 15—A&hbcxton R.C. Jan. 15— J.C. Jan. 18, 20—Wairoa B.C. Jan. 20, 22, 24—WelFryton R.C, Jan. 21, 22—Foxton R.C. Jan. 22— Bay of Islands R.C. Jan. 26, 27—Pnhiatua R.C. Jan. 29, 81—Tetatpuna. R.C. Feb. 2—Tapsnai R.C. Feb. 2, B—Egmont R.C. Feb. 3, s—Gisborne R.C. Feb. 5, 7—Te Kuiti R.C. Feb. 10, 12—Dunedin J.C. Feb. 10, 12—Taranaki J.C. Feb. 10, 12—Poverty Bay Turf Club. Feb. 12, 14—Rotorua R.C. * Feb. 16- —Clifden R.C. Feb. 17—Tologa Bay J.C. Feb. 17, 19—Wanganui J.C. NOTES AND COMMENTS “Early Bird.”) Entries for the Wellington Cup meeting (on January 20, 22 and 24) close at 9 o’clock to-night. The Foxton fixture is to be held on •January 21 and 22. Nominations are due at 8 o’clock this evening. The Cup meeting of the Egmont Bacing Club is to wmc up for decision on the first Wednesday and Thursday of next month. Nominations are to close on Friday week, January 14. Despite the big decrease in the totalisator turnover of the Marton fixture at Feilding, the club will be able to show & substantia! profit over the meeting. There were some flattering references made by officials of the Marton J.C. at its recent meeting anent the very sportsmanlike attitude of the Feilding Club in so generously placing at its disposal the Feilding course while the Marton tracks are under reconstruction. Next September Marton hopes to bo once n orc on its home course, and that mooting will no doubt be a memorable one.

Wanganui and Fordell horses secured their full share of stake money over the holiday meetings. Indeed, with "Ifoout thirty horses from these two centres, the results were surprisingly good, and it is doubtful whether any other centre did so well in proportion to the number of horses* represented at fixtures on outside courses.

Nevertheless there were some disappointments. conspicuous being the failures of Mask and Mundane in the big handicap contests at Ellerslie. Both were thoroughly tuned up when they set ont for the north, and yet they could not collect even minor place money. Their form was really too bad .to he true, and their supporters may not have to wait so long as the autumn meetings to be recouped for their loyalty to these good handicappers.

The programme of the Wanganui Jockey Club’s autumn meeting has already made its appearance, and as previously announced there are only minor alterations as compared with the last autumn fixture. The principal event of course is the popular and long-estab-lished Wanganui (’up. which this year carries £lOOO with it. including a handsome gold cup to the value of £lOO. donated by that keen sportsman, Mr. <’. G. Russell. General entries close on

January 31. Easily the most convincing win in a big event throughout the holiday earnival was undoubtedly that of Commendation in the Great Northern Derby, and now it must be admitted that this gelding is perhaps the best staying thrce-year-old seen out for some seasons. Whether he will be able to see out a trying two-mile course however. time alone will prove, but his hollow victory at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day stamps him as one of the best up to the Derby distance. The result of this classic fully vindicated the writer’s judgment.

Mr. G. M. Currie, of Koatanni. has seen horses got by Absurd monopolising the finishes in the sprint classics time after time, but on New Year’s Day he had the considerable satisfaction of witnessing, for the first time, three-year-olds got by his two sires. Absurd and Limond, running into places in a Derby race. Commendation, the winner, and Alloway, the third horse, are both by Limond, while the colt that split them. Lysander, was got by Absurd. Surely the result of the Great North ern Derby was one of the greatest triumphs for the Koatanui stud. ith tho holiday meetings now over, punters who have had to work overtime and expend more than the average supply of the midnight oil in their efforts to solve the intriguing problem known as form will now be able to rest for awhile. There axe a few minor meetings in the South Island before Wairoa conies off. and then follow quickly the Wellington and Foxton gatherings. The latter fixture paves the way for the West Coast circuit: Egmont (February 2 and 3), Taranaki (February TO and 12;, and Wanganui (February 17 and 19). The stewards and committee of the Marton Jockey Club are to be congratulated upon the success of their summer meeting al Feilding, which is expected to result in a substantial profit, even after allowing a totalisator shrinkage of over £14,000. This drop was fully provided against, and it is to this fact that -Mr. Arthur Way, the secretary, and all concerned have' every reason to be satisfied with the result. The small fields the first day were responsible for the decrease that cft-casion. The next meeting of the club will be held on the reconstructed course at Marton, an important event that is being keenly awaited by the sporting fraternity. The “Chronicle's” list of “Horses to Follow” panned out quite successfully once again. Over the holiday meetings, horses in this list started seventeen times for five firsts and four seconds. Or, in other words, for an outlay of £l7 backers would have been recouped to the extent of over £3O. This was quite a good result, for most of these horses were racing at Ellerslie, where the opposition was of the best and the races took some winning. The successful horses were Lysander, High Pitch, Commendation, Gascony and Beremoana. Later on this list will be again published wheif a series of meetings approaches whereat a good number of the horses are to run. The attempted comeback of the Lanins horse. Stand By, in Adelaide, is being watched with interest, comments

a Sydney writer. Six years of age, the black has not raced since the sensational Melbourne Cup two years ago, when, a hot favourite, his off hind fetlock was mysteriously injured on his way home after his final brush up on the morning of the raee. Even 1 then he was a trifle unlucky to be beaten, and there is little doubt that but for his mishap he would have won The fact that Mr. T. S. Ryder has not •sought tG race him until now is suf- ; ficient indication of the seriousness of Lhe Cup morning hurt. He has had Stand By running about his home paddocks until three or four weeks ago, when a jockey was sent down from Adelaide to give him a try out. The result was evidently satisfactory. the jockeys who rode in the Ccsarewitch at Newmarket was Jack Jennings, the Chantilly rider, who is known in French racing circles as •‘Preacher Jack.” He had the mount on Mr James Hennessy’s Take My Tip, a bay colt, w'hich won the Grand Prix last June, and in consequence had the big weight for a three-year-old of Bst. 21b. “Preacher Jack.” when not engaged in riding winners, conducts services for stable lads. He is a licensed lay preacher of the Church of England, and has delivered a sermon on “Sport and Christianity” at the English church at Maisons Lafitte. He is not in favour of the Sunday racing which |is so prominent a feature of French sport, although he recognises that jockeys are not always their own agents in the matter. Jennings rode Filibert i dp Savoie, the horse which finished second to Massines in the Ascot Gold Cup in 1924.

SOUTHLAND MEETING CONCLUDING DAY. CIRCULATION AND BUGLE NOTE SCORE. (Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, Jan. 4. I The Southland Racing Club’s summer 'meeting concluded in fine weather, • though there was a temporary squall at ■midday. The attendance was good, and tho track in good order. The totalisator handled £23,484, against £27.095 on the second day last year, making a total for the meeting £51,085, compared with £52.046 10s last year. Results: — Gladstone Hurdles. —4 Kaikahu (G. (Salt) 1, 6 Kapnna 2, 3 Coastguard 3. ■ Also: 2 Adjutor, 1 Radiac, 5 Gunease, I 8 Thistlecrown, 7 Maungamoo. Four lengths; two lengths. Timo, 3.14 4-5. Roslyn Harness Trot.—l Desert Star (A. McLellan) 1, 4 Logan Hanlon. 2, 5 Revolt 3. One_and a-half lengths; six lengths. Time. 4.46. Shorts Handicap.—6 Bugle Note (A. Didham) 1, 7 Bright Mark 2, 5 Eaton Bells 3. Also: 3 Booster, 2 B<«eipt, 8 Lava, 1 Dismantle, 9 Andante, 4 Arrowmir. Head; half a length. Time, 1.4 1-5.

Summer Handicap. —2 Battle Colours (F. Voight) 1. 8 Paris 2, 12 Red Fray 3. Also: 3 Jack o’ Lantern, 7 Blue Dragoon, 1 Tholomon. 4 Equerry, 10 Obtigio, 6 Vogue, 3 Glenham (coupled with Jack o’ Lantern). 11 Rippling Lake. 9 Fairy Tidings, 5 French Belle. Two lengths; three lengths. Time, 1.31. Southland Handicap. —1 Circulation (B. Brodie) 1, 4 Vaward 2, 3 Pink Terrace 3. Also: 1 Ravenna (coupled with Circulation), 2 Countersign, 6 Cupidon, 5 Geranial. Two and a-half lengths: neck. Time, 2.10 2-5. Electric Saddle Trot—7 Leith Chimes (J. Langford) 1, 5 Mary indale 2, 6 Princess Pointer 3. Head; length. Time, 2.26 1-5.

Rosedale Handicap.—2 Spear Bridge 1. 8 King Balboa 2. 1 Black Duke 3. Also: 3 Tholomon, 4 Soldier’s Hope, 9 King Cup, 11 Quickform. 5 Solxin, 6 Top Gear. 4 Credit, 10 Warseer and Are of Hearts, 7 Sparkling Eyes. Neck; nose. Time, 1.16 2-5.

Final Handicap. —l Pink Note fj. Andrews) 1, 6 Gold Brick 2. 3 Baldowa

3. Also: 4 Queen Balboa. 8 Kilfane, 2 Bilbo, 9 Kilbarry, 5 Francaise, 7 Bloom. Half a length; one and a-half lengths. Time, 1.43.

SALE OF BLOODSTOCK AT TEENTHAM ON JANUARY 21. On Friday, January 21, 1927, there will be inaugurated what should become amongst the most important annual sales of thoroughbred yearlings, etc., south of the line. Up to now no attempt has been made in the Dominion to bring all lhe young thoroughbreds intended for sale under the hammer at the same time as is done in Great Bri-

tain and Australia. The consequence has been that sales are held spasmodically, at different places, and it was seldom that any one sale was important enough to attract Australian buyers, though these were sometimes represented by proxy. And this notwithstanding that New Zealand has produced, and continues to produce, blood stock equal to anything in Australia. And as Australian buyers are liberal in their prices when they see an animal which takes their fancy it meant that New Zealand studmasters had to send many of their choicest lots to Australia for sale, which put New Zealand buyers out of the running, or else keep them for sale in New Zealand and perhaps lose the chance of selling them to Australian buyers at good prices. The ad’.antages of a central selling arena in which the whole of the Dominion’s yearlings could be submitted at the one time are obvious, and the need of such a place, with the necessary accommodation has long been felt. In announcing this inaugural fixture, which w'ill take place in the birdcage of the Wellington Racing Club’s Trentham Racecourse on the date mentioned, Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., who are acting as auctioneers in conjunction with the well-known firm of Messrs H. Chisholm and Co., blood stock salesmen, Sydney, states: These sales were originated by ourselves and at our invitation Messrs H. Chisholm and Co., the leading firm of bloodstock salesmen in Australia have joined forces with us. At the present time we are completing up-to-date ac-

commodation and have provided over 100 looses boxes together with parade ground, exercise yards, etc. The first sale will be held in the birdcage on the Trentham Racecourse. Special trains as weil as motor conveyances are being arranged for to convey interested people to and from the sale. An adjournment will be made in the middle of the day for lunch, which will be available in the Racing Club’s dining rooms.

Mr Ken Austin, one of the partners in Messrs H. Chisholm and Co., will arrive a week before the sale and will officiate as auctioneer. That the concentration of yearling sales at Trentham for the future is likely to attract a number of overseas visitors is apparent from the announcement that a party of twelve well-known Melbourne sportsmen have made arrangements for the trip this month. Amongst them will be Cecil Godby, W. Reardon H. Lebranski and other prominent Victorians associated with the turf.