RACING.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15272, 23 June 1923, Page 15 (Supplement)

RACING.

SEASON’S FIXTURES. a New Zeeland. July 7, 11, 14.—Wellington Racing • Club. July 21, 23. —Franklin and Matamata Racing Clubs (combined meeting at Ellerslie). Australia. July 7, 11 14—Victoria Racing Club. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “Martian,” Hamilton.—(l) First Line finished second to Red Cent in last year’s Hawke’s Bay Steeples. (2) Flying Abbey was much the better supported when the dead heat occurred with King Quin at the Te Aroha meeting. “Wallaby," Huntly.—(l) You are right. Printemps is by Autumnus. (21 Kahikatea made his first appearance in open company at the Hawke’s Bay meeting on Wednesday. “Blue. Bird," Newstead.—Complex, the winner of the Ahuriri Hurdles at Napier, will be eight years this foaling. Canary Creeper, his dam, was by Patronus from Kenari Kreepa, by Day Star from Creeper by St Leger. JOTTINQB. The cross-country horseman, S. Walls, is riding in good form'at present S: Anderson,, the Taranaki lightweight jockey, has taken to riding over the hurdles. It is reported that Comical Is under offer to an Australian buyer, but the price has not transpired. The Canterbury horseman Harold Young has been granted a license to ride trotters. The Levin Racing Club is agitating to be allowed to get in a meeting on the Trentham course, with a view to strengthening its finances. Although 23 horses have been nominated, it does not look as if the field in the Wellington Steepleohase will be a strong one. Owing to heavy losses, chiefly as the result of excessive taxation, the Braokenfleld Hunt Club has abandoned its meeting for this season. A reoent visitor to Adelaide states that the introduction of the half-orown tote on the course there has considerably (increased the attendances and almost abolished street and shop betting in that city. Nominations for all events at the Franklin -■Matamata meeting will close »n Friday next at 5 p.m. with the secretary (Mr W. S. Spence) at Auckland. Tinokaha will be sent on to the Wellington meeting where the Quin Abbey gelding will take a place in the Helds for the principal hurdle races. Alan McDonald has been the most successful rider over fences this season, having 25 wins to his credit. The Wingatui-tralned gelding Pampalona, winner of the Otago Stefeplechase this month, is being talked of In the, south, as a horse with good 'prospects for the Grand National Steeplechase. Omahu will not be a starter at Wellington, which points to his being reserved for duty at Riccarton later on. By the Sydney boat to Wellington this week there arrived the wellknown Caulfield trainer, J. McCann, who is best known' as the mentor of that good horse, Harvest King. Mr McCann is ostensibly on a health seeking trip, but while here he will endeavour to pick up a couple of good horses. Included In J. S. Jamieson’s team at Woodville is an English-bred mare, Marla Hereford, of whom great expectations have been formed. She is said to be very like Glentruin in conformation, and is to be given every chance to become acclimatised. General Raven lost his rider when going well in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase. However, he has been in only a couple of weeks and cannot be ready yet. The Toff, who won among other races the Canterbury Derby in 1916, is now racing in West Australia, but is not showing much form. He was a , starter in the principal event at the Kalgoorlie meeting last month, but finished last in a field of twelve. It has been reported that Silver Peak, one of the best handicap horses in commission, will be given a special preparation for the New Zealand Cup. When he won the June Stakes, a mile and five furlongs, at Randwick recently, Purser carried 10.7, and was ridden by H. Cairns. The New Zea-land-bred Dialogue, by Demosthenes — Tete-a-tete, who ran second, only had 6.11 in the saddle. . Nothing jumped better at Napier Park than First Line, who later decisively accounted for his field in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase. If Arch Salute is started in the Parliamentary Handicap at the Wellington meeting he will bo ridden by A. J. FcFlinn, who has piloted him in the same event on previous occasions. Nukumai was a good sort of a hack hurdler seen out at Napier Park. He is trained at Foxton with First Line and Otauru Kid. Joy Ride pulled up sore after his racing at Napier Park and the prospects are that he may require easing up in his work for a time. Sea Dell will have a versatile job at Wellington. The first day he will tackle steeplechase country, on the

second the High Weight Handicap V claims him among the Held, while the Hurdles will be his mission on the concluding day, if nominations are adhered to. \ King Abbey, Snake, Royal Abbey and Tinohoro have been freely nominated for the Wellington meeting. King Abbey Is in the Hack and Hunters’ Steeples, Snake and Royal Abbey in the big cross-country events, and .Tinohoro In sprint races. Ranui’s.work at the Napier Park meeting was such that he is expected to do wet} at Wellington. Although he risked some of his fences, he jumped well in the Napier Steeplechase, and is a horse that is on the Improve. The reduction of the suspension of _/ six months imposed on R. Hunt, the x rider of Vociferate in the Great Northern Steeplechase, to the shorter term extending to July 16, will meet with approval. Vociferate, who lost third money by the way, has boring-in habits of which the rider was not f aware. “Carbine,” of the New Zealand Times, is of the hope that the Racing Conference will alter the rule relating ! to the distances over which two-year-j olds may race. There is no sound I argument in favour of -lengthening | their journeys in the earliest portions | of their careers. I There seems to be quite a lot of

luck attaching to gift horses, and to A horses bought “sight unseen,” says 1 “Pilot.” Gloaming was bought by mail

order, and Mr Greenwood never saw him till long after the sale. Mention of Gloaming recalls the faot that Mr Dick Mason is hack again on his annual trip. Mason has one stereotyped explanation of his visits here. “I don’t expect to win any races; I only come over to get away from the New Zealand winter." Mason reckons that his young horses do better here than they would in New Zealand while the cold weather is on, and if his charges can pick up any trilling race, such as a Derby or a Graven Plate —well, that is so much to the good. One of Mr Greenwood's unseen purohases is the Demosthenes —Scotch Light yearling bought for him by Mr Joe Burton at last yearling sales. They say “lnck follows money,” and perhaps Mr Greenwood will have the luck to get a good horse in this fairly cheap yearling. When sold, he looked a great bargain at the price, 425 guineas. It is 'remarkable the dodges worked by those who make a living on what is termed starting-price wagering (says a Sydney -writer). ( Despite all Government warnings and acts, Sydney is honeycombed with what are termed starting-price shops, conducted by unregistered people. Those who do business with them are sharp and shrewd. They have their commissioners, who wager as late as possible on a race, and it is the “gang’s” main line to prevent the bookmakers wiring to the course and 'backing the horse back, thus shortening the starting price. Several times of late there has been an unaccountable interruption of the wires to ihe course. Recently during the running of a pony race meeting at Menangle, such happened. On a search being made, a coil of silver wire was discovered outside thd racecourse. By throwing this wire over the telegraph line, and bringing the ends of the wire to earth, the gang succeeded in short-circuiting the line and causing an interruption, thus preventing messages from-Sydney reaching the course until 'after a race had been run in which they were mostly interested.,