RACING IN VICTORIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 229, 28 September 1931, Page 4

RACING IN VICTORIA

MOONEE VALLEY MEETING WIN FOR PRINCESS BETTY. Received Sept. 27, 5.5 p.m. MELBOURNE, Sept. 27. Results at the races at Moonee Valley were as follows: Quality Handicap.—Princess Betty 7.3 (Percival) 1, Waterline 8.13 (Winks) 2, Darpuna 7.11 (Bevis) 3. Sixteen started. Length and a-half. Time I.3oA—a course record. Tullamarine Handicap.—Miss Arrow 8.2 (Courtenay) 1, Whitsome 7.8 (Egan) 2, Thrawn 7.0 (Bones) 3. Fourteen started. Length. Time 2.29 i. TURF IN AUSTRALIA RACES POSTPONED. ’ ' SYDNEY, Sept. 26. Owing to continued steady rain the Hawkesbury races have been postponed until Monday. NOTES AND COMMENTS (By “Kestrel”) From Awapuni Figuring in the Puhi Maiden on the opening day at Otaki are four Awapuni representatives in Chief Line, Royal Orense, Tegucigalpa and Celeste. The first-named is a full-brother to Princess Bettty, who is now in Australia, and has had the benefit of some racing. Royal Orcnsc is a four-calr-old mare by Royal Divorce —Spain who has figured under silk but four times, while the other pair are products of Star Stream and Sky Blue respectively who have still to carry the colours. * Pike’s Birthday J. E. Pike, who won on Phar Lap on September 9, celebrated his 39th birthday on the previous day. He was born at Newcastle in 1892. It was there that Pike began his career as a jockey. He was only 12 years old and weighed four stone. His first employer was E. Connors, who trained horses for Pike’s uncle. For about 18 months he was with Connors, and then went to Sydney, where he was attached to J. W. Noud’s stable for three months. Later Pike became apprenticed to W. Kelso. It was not long after that he began to make a name for himself. His first victory for that trainer was on Victoria Cross at Matiland in July, 1906. In 1908 Pike was taken to England by Kelso. While there he had 17 mounts for two wins, and three minor places. It would be interesting to know how many winners Piko has ridden in his career. In later years increasing weight has limited his opportunities, but he has earned a place as one of the most artistic and clever horsemen ever seen in Australia. Meaning of Phar Lap Informed while present at the Moonee Valley meeting recently that the impression prevailed in Australia that the name Phar Lap was a Cingalese word meaning lightning, Mr. D. A. Pestonji, a foundation member of the Bangkok Turf Club, and who is travelling the world to study race conditions, replied that the name was not Cingalese but was Siamese, and meant in that language “sky wink,’’ or metaphorically “lightning.” The fact that Entreaty, dam of Phar Lap, was by Winkie, suggests in view of the visitor’s explanation, that whoever was responsible for the naming of Phar Lap, otherwise Sky Wink, was fully informed concerning the nomenclature he was drawing upon for a distinctive and appropriate name. Relatives of Winners

In the field for this year’s New Zealand Cup are three horses whose full relatives have previously succeeded in the race. Gustavo is the own brother of Count Cavour, the 1926 winner, and Riri is the own brother of Chide, the 1929 winner. Concentrate, the third of the select trio, has an even better family name to uphold, for bis dam, Oratress scored in 1920, and his own sister, Oratrix, in 1928. Only one horse (Nightmarch) was capable of preventing Concentrate from completing the unique sequence last year. Owners of winning horses who arc having another tilt at tho coveted prize are Mr. V. Riddiford, who with his brother, Mr. E. Riddiford, raced Menelaus (1917) and is represented this year by Historic and Granado, Mr R. J. Murphy, who had Oratrix as his representative in 1928, and now has Concentrate and Martian Chief, and Mr G. MurrayAynsley, whose colours were carried by Chide in 1929, and who has entered Riri for the coming contest.

Good Breding If breeding goes for anything, Mr C. Haldane, of Hastings, should possess a two-year-61d of class in Swift and Sure, a bay colt by Bold and Bad from Chelae, for whom ho paid 140gns. at the last National sales at Trentham Bold and Bad is a half-brother to Tea Tray, while Chalao is by Cyklon (by Spearmint) from Deneb, by The Welkin (siro of Gloaming) from Teppo (dam of eight winners of over 30,000 so vs.), by Ladas. Chalae won the South Australian Jockey Club’s Juvenile Handicap, and was second in tlie V.R.C. Hopeful Stakes and the. Williamstown Juvenile Handicap. She is a sister to Cyden, who won the V.R.C. Mimosa Stakes, Ascot Vale Stakes, A.J.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes, V.A.T.C. Stanmore Two-year-old Handicap, and Albury Sires’ Produce Stakes, while he was placed in the V.R.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes, Maribyrnong Plato and V.A.T.C. Debutante Stakes. Chalao is also a sister-in-blood to Trivalve, who won the two Derbies, the Melbourne Cup and other good races. Swift and Sure’s grandam, Deneb, won the V.R.C. Ascot Vale Stakes,. tho Flemington Stakes and the Criterion Handicap. She was a sister to Isa, wao annexed the V.R.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes and Ascot Vale Stakes, and also a sister to Thrice and Trey. Thrice won the V.R.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes and the A.J.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes, A.J.C. Champagne Stakes, and Ascot Vale Stakes, while Trey -won the Maribyrnong Plate. Swift and Sure, therefore, comes from a family that showed early speed. Ho is reported to be going along the right wax in his education at Hastings. Mr. John Donald, of Melbourne with a colt foal at foot and Melbourne wtih a colt foal at foot, and that colt is identical with Swift and Sure.