THE TURF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19787, 10 March 1927, Page 4

THE TURF

* NOTES AND COMMENTS (By “ Early Bird.”) The Napier Park meeting opens tomorrow and concludes on Saturday. Opunake races to-day week, and the Wellington fixture opens on the same day. The New Zealand-bred gelding Jack Point, by Absurd-Margarethe, a three-year-old, won the second division of the Three and Four-year-old Handicap at Moorfield recently, being at a good starting price. The Wanganui-bred Cvenile is trained at Randwick by exaorilander G. Price. Sir George Clifford has sold the three-ypar-old filly, Miss Flighty (WarplaneMiss Mimic) and the two-year-old filly, French Leave (Autumnus-Flitaway) to J. McCombe. It is probable that they will find their way to Australia. J McCombe is devoting a good deal of attention to the Comedy King two-year-old, Court Jester, who is likely to be seen in action before long. The youngster is engaged at Trentham and also figures in the Oamaru nominations. Court Jester is a good-looking youngster and, even if he fails this season, he is likely to develop into a useful three-year-old. When F. D. Jones leaves for Sydney to-morrow he will have three horses under his eare. Until a few days age the only think that seemed certain was

that he would take Limerick. With a view to hiring a mate to work with his three-year-old, Mr H. A. Knight decided to send Calcite, and now Mr J. F. Buehanan has arranged that Battlement shall also make the trip Jones will thus have a very promising team, nimerick has done well lately, though he has not been seriously tried out. yet he has got through his work in a manner which leaves little doubt that he will be in the best of order for his Australian engagements. After doing an easy round at Riccarton on Tuesday morning. LiriJerick jumped off about three lengths behind Nincompoop at the six-furlong disc. At the half-distance post Nincompoop still held the advantage, but they were brought together for a final run, and they crossed the line together The time registered by Nincompoop was 1 min- 18 l-ssec, but Limerick was responsible for a slightly-better performance. Although the time was not fast, the task was quite satisfactory, and his trainer must have been pleased with the performance. This was limerick’s final gallop before leaving for Australia. as he will leave to-morrow for Sydney. Limerick created a favourable impression during his last visit to Australia, and will do so again. It is clear that Royal Feast is the best of the Victorian two-year-olds, unless Byron, who was not seen out to-day. can lower his colours, comments a Sydney writer after the Sires Produce Stakes at Flemington recently. He was a very hot favourite for the Sires’ Produce Stakes, and he won in pleasing style. Sion led early, and at that stage Cannon lost his rider. Trivalve and Sion were contesting the leadership entering the straight, and while they were continuing their battle Royal Feast ranged alongside, and very soon had their measure. He went on to win nicely from Tri valve. Sion did prtty well, and he may yet repay his cost.

Dozens of Australian and New Zea-land-bred horses are exported to India and the East, but it is quite a novelty to hear of two finding their way to America. A recent issue of a Chicago sporting journal contains the information that with the receipt of the registration certificates from the New Zealand Racing Conference, the stewards at Tijuana have lifted the ban on The Mask and Kilbronsyth, who were imported from the Dominion by Mr Frank Beban, of Vancouver, B.U. Kilbronsyth, foaled in 1924, is by Kilbroney from Favorita, and as a vearling cost Mr Began 240 guineas. * The Mask (1923) is by Quin Abbey from Culross, and was among the nominations for the Coffroth Handicap. Two other New Zealand performers carry the names of Kilbronsyth and Mask, but they arc not identical with the ones now in America. The paper takes the trouble to point out that in Australia and New Zealand horses’ ages date from July 1. which will come as news to sportsmen on this side. ‘"New Zealanders are determined to have no connection with Australia in name.” So said Sir James Parr the other day to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, comments a Sydnev scribe. He added that New Zealanders objected to the use of the word “Aus-, tralasia.” Right. I>et us apply his remarks to Gloaming and that magnificent galloper no longer holds the Australian stake-winning record. Ho won only £16,775 in this country and £26,325 in New' Zealand. The two combined give a total of £43,100, and Australians, not being insular, have accorded him the honour of being the greatest winner. They have not even used the term “Australasia” in this connection, but it may be suspected that Sir James Parr considers that it is like their impudence to make the greater country include the lesser one. Only a few days ago a local correspondent questioned whether it was correct to concede “Australian” supremacy to Gloaming. According to Sir James Parr it isn’t, but Australian sportsmen are not the least likely to depart from their custom of years, and take New Zealand as well as Australian figures into account when computting money won by a horse that has raced in both countries. Racing men in the Commonwealth realise that Australian stakes must blaze like a Koh-i--noor before the eyes of New Zealand owners, who find the game so tax-rid-den that they rush their best horses over here. This opposition is, however, welcomed. It has added many a fragrant spice to an already rich Randwick dish. Think what Sir James Parr may, when horses of the standard of Gloaming, Desert Gold and Rapine are beaten here, Australians claim that they have the champion of Australasia at the moment

HEAVY BETTING

PLUNGES ON THE NEWMARKET GOTHIC AWAY FROM PRYING EYES. MELBOURNE, March 1. Really we will have to take back some of the things said about the Melbourne climate. You cannot beat perfection, and that was what Sunday was here. All the same, the perfect day was a bit of a nuisance if you wanted to get in touch by telephone wit> a racing identity. Everybody was away 1 golfing, swimming or fishing, as the i case might be. i A Sydney bookmaker had something Ito say on Saturday, which seemed to ■be worth the re-telling. “I call my- ' self only a small man,” said he. “You | know what I mean. Though I come over here fairly often, I regard myself as a Sydney man, and my connection is really there. Yet I had a £3OOO book on the Newmarket, and bet O. R. —not a loser. It was a wonderful betting race.” Nice Wagers. Some wagers on the Newmarket may be of interest. For instance, Bob Jansen laid Mr Ned Moss £3500 to £5OO Chrystal. The same owner had £lOOO to £lO Lady Thrill. Another of Jansen’s efforts was £2BOO to £7OO Valicare. Here are some other bets £6OO to £49. and £5OO to £35 Gothic; £5OO to £5 Star D’Or; £lOOO to £250 Heroic; £lOOO to £5O Perspective; £3OO to £6O Valicare; £lOOO to £4O (twice) Baringhup; £lOOO to £3O Manacre; £l3OO to £2OO Chrystal; £2OOO to £6O Waranton; £5OO to £5O and £2OOO to £2OO Fuji San; £lOOO to £3O Bravado, a £lOOO to £3 (twice) Lace Girl. Wallace laid the £6OO to £49 wager against Gothic, and the odd amount was the outcome, of a friendly wrangle as to whether the backer should have £6OO to £5O, or £6OO to £4B. Winner Trained Privately. There cannot be much argument against the assertion that Lou Robertson has something on the racing public and the press. The Bonny Vale horses of James Wilson are trained privately, but they conclude their preparations at Flemington, and thus their condition can be ganged. Mentone is a busy track, and while work there is not represented in the press, it soon becomes public property. But Lou Robertson has almost the exclusive rights to training facilities at Aspendale Park. That is a proprietary course, and no outsider. press or public has the right of entry It was this factor that enabled the stable to spring Top Gallant on racegoers in the Futurity Stakes last year. I am told that early in his preparation, Gothic was not pleasing, which accounts for his relegation to the background for a time, after having been one of the shortest priced horses in the early lists issued. According to Robertson it was only in the last week that the stable supported him for the Newmarket. Robertson was naturally vety elated in breaking his run of bad luck so markedly. Not A Good Track Horse Mr Sol. Green drove me out to a parade of yearlings on Sunday afternoon. He told me that in his preparation for the Newmarket, Gothic never went further than half a mile, and that the horse’s best effort was four furlongs in 50. Mr James Hackett backed Gothic for the stable, and Mr Green says about £lO,OOO was secured, of which Lou Robertson had £2OO, a relative £5OO, and other folk some. To the statement that he had gone a bit light, Mr Green replied that he was no longer a dasher. “I have got it now, and I have to hold it.” Gothic will not be four years old until May 17, and Mr Green is a little apprehensive about overdoing him. For a horse of his age he carried a big weight on Saturday. “ I may take him to Sydney, and run him in the Doncaster, and on the other hand I may send him to Adelaide for the winter. That would give him his chance,” Mr Green. RACING SPEED FORTY MILES AN HOUR SPE A RFELT ’S DA SH MELBOURNE, March 2. Over the full distance of the Australian Cup (2| miles) yesterday at Flemington the horses raced at an average speed of 35 miles an hour. At the finish, when Spearfelt was putting in his winning run, he must have been travelling nearly 40 miles an hour. Calculated on the time for the first six furlongs (1.181), the horses were doing better than 30 miles an hour. The next half-mile was a little faster. Then the pace slackened for half a mile, and over the last halfmile it gradually increased until it culminated in Spearfelt’s brilliant dash which established an Australasian record for 2} miles (3.511). “EXPLOITING VICE” TOTE AND BETTING TAX MELBOURNE, Marell 4. Describing it as a proposal to exploit vice to gain revenue, a report to be submitted to the Methodist Conference, now Bitting in Melbourne, strongly oppoEes the introduction of the totalizator or of a betting tax. The report is also strongly against easier divorce and the relaxation of the liquor laws.

MANFRED FOR A SPELL

TO RACE IN THE SPRING. MELBOURNE, March 2. Mr Ben Chaffey stated this morning that Manfred would not go to Sydney for the A.J.C. autumn meeting One of the reasons that decided him to keep the horse home was that his trainer, H. McCalman, is in hospital, so that the horse could not have his services in his preparation. McCalman knows Manfred as no other man does. Asked what his other plans were, Mr Chaffey said that Manfred would be given an easy time now until the approach of the spring, when he would be prepared for another campaign. This seems to dispel the belief that he would be eent to the stud. It is a great pity that the horse should have to forgo the whole of his autumn engagements as he was probably never better than he is now.