Turf Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1473, 18 July 1918, Page 12

Turf Topics

Some good ’chasing at Trentham last week.

It is again rumoured that Crib’s wind is thick.

# * * * The flying Woorak has his list full for the coming season.

Fleetham, winner of the Kia Ora Handicap at Trentham on Saturday, is an English-bred one by Picton. :s * r •

Rosy th, by AVallace from Cruciform, now six years old, won a minor jumping race in Victoria recently.

Mr. J. AVren has named his Kilbroney gelding Kildennis and his colt by the same sire Kilroy.

Sleight of Hands’ legs were encased in bandages when he raced last week at Trentham.

Gladful and AVishful have each won jumping events for Mr. Kemball, whose luck is deserved.

A post mortem after the death of Gluepot revealed that his heart had been ruptured and his liver bruised. 3 s 3 s

Form Up was not long in returning some of his purchase money to his new owner.

Mr. S. Greenwood, who is 70 years old, has been appointed judge to the Kalgoorlie and Boulder Racing Clubs. * * * *•

• Sir Agnes and Bon Reve were solid favourites for the two chief races at Trentham, which they won on Saturday.

Three horses won at Trentham on Saturday carrying 9.3. They were King of the Valley, Sir Agnes and Thrace.

It is just 17 years since Record Reign carried 12.12 into fourth place in the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race.

King of the Valley was badly left on the first day at the Wellington meeting. He made amends on Saturday by winning.

Master Strowan has won six out of seven of his last jumping engagements and was second in the other event.

An average of twelve per race stepped out at Trentham last week for the concluding meeting of the season of sixteen events. * * =*= * In six racing days the Ascot (Sydney) pony meetings provided 77 events, and 38 were won by first favourites. sfc 3« 3* * Westcourt, winner of the Melbourne Cup, is reported to have built up wonderfully as the result of a short spell and is expected to race well in spring events at Randwick. * * V ♦ Hyllus, notwithstanding that he has paid two fine dividends this winter, meets with bad luck in starting or in running, as he did when raced by the late Hon. J. D. Ormond. s»s 3« 3 s F. S. Fox was leading jockey in England up to the end of June with 11 wins. Carslake, the ex-Australian, was third on the list with eight victories to his credit. * * * * An attempt is being made by a number of local bodies and some residents to get rid of the Richmond racecourse near Melbourne. The ground is sought for other purposes. $ $ $ * Horses for courses. Sir Agnes winner of the Winter Oats Handicap at Trentham on Saturday, has ’ won a number of times at Trentham in soft going, but this was his most important achievement. * * * qc The tote turnover at Ascot on 11 races was £12,605, and at Warwick Farm (Sydney) on seven races reached £5268. The Ascot meeting is a pony one and thus beat the horse meeting, which clashed. * * * * “Pilot” says that it is surprising that Victoria has better jumpers than New South Wales, mentioning that the prize money for jumpers at four meetings in July and August totals £10,600.

Piano, who was third in the Kia Ora Handicap, the final race of the season at Trentham, was backed to a good tune by away-Jrom-the-course punters. sjs 3: * ♦ Stan. Reid further increased his winning total over obstacles at the AVellington meeting, and has beaten all New Zealand totals for a considerable time.

The death of the stud horse Flavius, who, a few years ago, was looked upon as a coming sire and whose progeny have been winning for some time, is announced from Australia.

A “masterful” trio at Trentham were Master Hamilton and Master Strowan on the opening day, both favourites, and Master Boris on the second day, the greatest outsider to succeed.

Bon Reve has been referred to as a game little son of Boniform, but it is a stretch of the imagination to call the very shapely and solidly made and rare conditioned brown little.

Master Boris paid one of the best dividends of the season when he scored on Saturday in the Talavera Hurdles, beating old Undecided. Last year he won a maiden plate in the AVairarapa, beating a moderate field.

Cobram, winner of the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase, is by the Carbine horse Bundook, half-brother to Seahorse, a New Zealand Cup win, ner. New Zealand Derby winner, and a winner in England over hurdles and country.

Judging from the way St. Elmn ran at the AVellington meeting he has still a kick left, but his form is far from good. The big gelding may do better at Riccarton. He oversha.dows most of our ’chasers in size if in no other respect.

The All Black gelding Yellow and Black was evidently in very forward condition at the Hawke’s Bay meetings, and may probably not show the improvement a lot of people have been expecting this season, but still may land a good stake.

The motor accident which befel Mr. O. C. Cooper, a prominent man of affairs in the AVairarapa, when on a visit to AVellington last week, ended in the death of that gentleman, and is much to be deplored.

Hector Gray’s total of winning rides for the season is a really good one, especially as the number of race meetings held during the season showed a big reduction. Gray certainly made the most of his opportunities, and his score stands at 63 wins.

After most of the races had been run at Richmond, near Melbourne, the police advised the management to stop as they considered the track unsafe owing to heavy rain. AVhether the management would have gone on taking the risk of accident is not stated.

Thrace, who won the Final Hurdle Race at Trentham, would likely have won a much more important race if he had had a proper course of schooling work. He had the very liberal allowance of 371 b from Gladful, who has been fitted for his business. Friends were pleased to see his owner get a decent, win.

King of the Valley started eighteen times last season without a win, and a number of times this season and without better results than getting a little place money in about 25 starts. It showed a bit of pluck to take him from home so far to run in “Town Hall” company. His win at Trentham was well deserved.

Sixty thousand pounds were being raised in Kentucky from licensed racing clubs, £32,000 from horse owners, £15,000 from breeders, £BOOO from jockeys and trainers, and £5OOO from racing club employees, these amounts representing 10 per cent, of gross receipts, sales and earnings. This is the way money is got for the Red Cross iff America.

In the nominations for the V.R.C. Maribynong Plate appear the names of youngsters either out of New Zea-land-bred mares or by New Zealandowned sires. They number about 20. Mr. E. J. Watt has four entered, two being colts by Beragoon and imported Roseworthy respectively, the others fillies by Wolowa. A number of Kilbroney’s stock appear in the list in different ownerships.

Six first favourites won at the Wellington meeting. They were Kahumanga, Master Hamilton, Master Strowan, on the 'first day, and Sir Agnes, Ormesby and Bon Reve on the second day. * * * * Twelve months ago Gladful ran second in the Winter Hurdles at Trentham to Leonta and second to Tararu Jack in the Final Hurdle Race. This year he won the Winter Hurdles and finished second to Thrace in the Final Hurdles. # $ # * The totalisator turnover at the Wellington winter meeting was a record for a two-day meeting at this season of the year. On the first day £42,306 was handled, and on Saturday £57,657 10s. was put through. Nearly £lO,OOO was invested on the concluding race, won by Fleetham. # * * * ** The judges appointed by the Racing Conference have dismissed the appeal of W. S. Young, jockey, from the decision of the AVanganui District Committee in regard to the horse Ibex, and have ordered that further investigation be made by the Manawatu Racing Club. * * * * Last year the July Steeplechase at Trentham was won by Master Strowan, who went on to Riccarton and won the Grand National Steeplechase. Will Bon Reve, this year’s winner, do the same? St. Elmn was third last year and second this in the same race. :’fi * * V The Soult mare Soultoria, one of the best of the Winnie family while racing in New Zealand and who was sold for the thick end of 1000 guineas to an Australian buyer, is now in foal to the imported horse Eaton Lad. Soultoria was placed under offer to an Auckland breeder during the week.

The interest is sometimes taken out of big meetings by the racing at small meetings preceding them, sometimes increased, however. The week before the V.R.C. Grand National meeting, at Williamstown 17 Grand National Hurdle and nine Grand National Steeplechase candidates started there, but neither of the winners were amongst the number.

The entries received by the Australian Jockey Club for the Breeders’ Plate, Champagne Stakes, Derby and St. Leger show a falling off in the aggregate of 110, and in the case of the Gimcrack Stakes and Sires’ Produce Stakes an increase of 20, while the December Stakes by a coincidence has 264 nominations, the same as last year.

Detroit, by Sir Frisco from Fishermaid, who ran second to Sir Agnes in the Winter Oats at Trentham on Saturday, has a half brother at or near Opotiki, by Sylvite. He traces back on his dam’s side to Fair Helen, a Traducer mare who won amongst other events the Rangitikei Handicap in 1875, when that race was two miles and a-half.

In Australia horses in commission for jumping events have been fairly numerous this season. In addition to the loss of Caibye and Gluepot, who were engaged at the V.R.C. meeting, Royal Precedent, a Grand National Hurdles candidate, died after doing a gallop. At Randwick H. Rayner lost a two-year-old by John o’Lorne from Sweet Form, who collided with the fence after work when leaving the track and had to be destroyed.

Polydamon, who has had no special training for jumping, was given a run over hurdles at Trentham on Saturday. He won at his only previous start over hurdles in England. He is to go to the stud at Gisborne next month after his return from Canterbury. Two English-bred mares the property of Mr. De Lautour await him there, as well as others already booked. The mares owned by Mr. De Lautour are Slipstitch and Heather.

Referring to the liberality of some New Zealand owners in giving funds for patriotic purposes, “Pilot,” in the “Referee,” says: “To those who can find no good in any totalisator country it must be galling that New Zealand has some owners who lead all ours in this respect. Perhaps those of Australia’s owners and breeders who have delivered themselves on closeness of New Zealand owners in some matters will try to equal their liberality in others during the coming season. They could afford to.” Surely it is not anticipated that the totalisator will enable owners to accumulate more wealth or open their hearts or purses more freely.