Turf Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1517, 22 May 1919, Page 12

Turf Topics

The Wellington Racing Club purpose making a start with the erection of their new grandstand at Trentham after the spring meet’ng.

The five-year-old pacing gelding Chid, winner of the 1917 Great Northern Trotting Derby, will race in the interest of Messrs. W. B. Masham and J. Bryce until December, 1923. Gladful gets his full share of seconds. His second at Randwick makes his fourth in h’s last half-dozen starts, one of which, however, resulted in a win.

Reports from Christchurch state that Adjutant has been sold to a studmaster north of Auckland, and is to be shipped to his new home at the first opportunity. Among the regular workers on the Riccarton tracks is a likely-looking stamp of hunter named Red Kea, by Nestor, who shows distinct promise by the capable manner in which he negotiates the steeplechase obstacles. It is stated that the 1917 Auckland Cup winner Fiery Cross is to be taken in hand again by F. Christmas after a lengthy respite from racing, with a view of endeavouring to capture some further important handicaps.

The taxes, paid by the Forbury Park Trotting Club for its winter fixture were as follows: —General tax £124 Is. 7d., dividend tax £1095 11s., amusement tax £29 13s. 4d., and tax on stakes £32, making a total of £2402 Is. lid.

Did we the best of Euripos at Egmont in his one essay there? If so Munster may have a better chance at Ellerslie. Perhaps the longer distance will suit Euripos, who ought to go near the Century Hurdles at his impost if he is to have any chance in the Great Northern Hurdles at a disadvantage in weight.

Kauri King’s owners were well enough satisfied with the poundage their gelding received at Wanganui, but they made up their minds not to take the trip on for the reason that train arrangements at best would not help them to have the gelding back at Ellerslie before Wednesday of next week if they were to see the two days through. The time lost in going there and getting back would be a hindrance this year. The well-known English sportsman M. R. S. Sievier, who some 35 years ago was a member of the betting ring in Australia, and afterwards came into prominence/ by paying the sensational price of 10,000 guineas for the yearling filly Sceptre, has started the current racing season in England auspiciously by winning the Lincolnshire Handicap and the City and Suburban Handicap with Royal Bucks, a horse of his own breeding, by Buckwheat (.son of Martagon) from Teofani, by Black Duck from Cigarette, by Mar.co. During his three and four years old career Royal Bucks won in the aggregate £994, and his successes in the Lincolnshire and City and Suburban Handicaps this season were worth about £l6OO. Royal Bucks does not appear in the winning list for the last season.

Thrace was scratched on Monday for the Great Northern Steeplechase. Sir Fisher is reported amiss. That reason was given for his absence from the acceptances for the Wanganui meeting. The hard going found a weak spot. Munster and Bore have each incurred a 51b. penalty in the Great Northerns for winning at Egmont. Friday is acceptance and final payment day for the first day’s racing at the Great Northern meeting, and 4 p.m. is the hour of closing. Arch Marella, in getting third in the Sydney Cup, again showed what a consistent performer the son of Marble Arch is.

The first indication in Auckland city and suburbs of a break in the dry weather was the falling of a heavy shower during the early hours of Saturday morning, an easterly wind accompanying, with a drop in the temperature as well. During last week the waterbird, or, as known by the Maoris, the “riroriro,” was heard at Remuera, and a resident wanted to bet oh rain coming within a few days following. He was right. A young Maori, when asked about the bird, said, “You hear the riroriro; well, that the sign the old Maori take for the rain.”

The terraces on the Takapuna Jockey Club’s hill overlooking the track are being extended and multiplied in number to give increased accommodation, it is estimated, for between three and four thousand persons. The club have acquired some land at the back of the boxes, and the road there, it has been arranged with the Government, is to be shifted back so as to facilitate the work. This will help the club considerably. An absentee owner at the war was the owner of the land acquired, and consented to sell the section.

Mr. R. Acton-Adams, the wellknown Dunedin sportsman, has Lochella and Grafton Tot engaged in the Great Northern Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase, respectively, both horses being in at the minimum. The pair are also freely engaged in the minor hurdle and steeplechase events to be run during the winter meeting at Ellerslie. Mr. ActonAdams recently purchased the four-year-old gelding Morisco, by Vasco — Lady Maorina. The four-year-old mare Chimera, by Finland —Landrail, has proved a consistent stake earner for her owner, Mr. C. F. Vallance, president of the Wairarapa Racing Club, during the autumn. Her success in both the open sprint handicaps at the Manawatu Racing Club’s autumn meeting marked her sixth win out of the last ten starts. Chimera won the Russell Handicap (six furlongs) at the Wairarapa R.C.’s autumn meeting on March 14 last, and since then has accounted for the following five races: Flying Handicap (six furlongs), Masterton R.C. autumn; Porangahau Handicap (six furlongs), Hawke’s Bay J.C. autumn; Denbigh Stakes (six furlongs), Feilding J.C. Easter; Wardell Handicap (six furlongs), Wairarapa R.C. second autumn; Telegraph Handicap (six furlongs), Manawatu R.C. autumn; and Borough Handicap (six furlongs), Manawatu R.C. autumn. The horses trained at Rorke’s Drift Lodge by P. T. Hogan have won about £7OOO in stakes during the season now drawing to a close (says “Sir Modred” in the “Southland Times”). The principal winners were: Rorke’s

Drift, £1615; Eleus, £1380; Palladio, £791; Silverspire, £771; Tin Soldier, £706 10s.; Redshire, £545; Golden King, £425; Dardanelles, £212 10s.; Calma, £173; Admiral Talbot, £134; Kilkee, £140; Glenshine, £29. The total amount secured by Hogan’s charges easily constitutes a record for Southland, and it is safe to say that a mixed string of gallopers and jumpers has never before been credited with equal figures in one season in Otago or Southland. The most consistent winner at Rorke’s Drift Lodge was Eleus, who was in the money on eight occasions, winning six races. On the other hand the unlucky horse of the establishment was Tin Soldier, who was in the money on ten occasions—three wins, six seconds (including a dead-heat) and once third.

Desert Gold has a highly creditable record in races which she ’ has contested on the Awapuni racecourse. As a two-year-old she won the Seventh Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes and finished second to Emperador in the Eleventh Manawatu Stakes. The following year she accounted for the Awapuni Gold Cup, and the Twelfth Manawatu Stakes. The only race which she contested at Awapuni as a four-year-old was the 1917 Awapuni Gold Cup, in which she defeated The Toff, Bjorneborg (her stablemate), and Bee, the quartette finishing in the order named. In the 1918 Awapuni Gold Cup she scored her third successive victory in this event, Menelaus and Impediment finishing second and third respectively. At the recent Manawatu meeting Desert Gold was defeated in the Awapuni Gold Cup by Sasanof, while on the concluding day she registered her second win in the Manawatu Stakes, in which she established a fresh record for the event by running the six furlongs in Imin. 13 4-ssec. The previous record for the race was Imin. 14sec., which stood to the credit of Sunburnt (1911), Emperador (1915), Desert Gold (1916), and Hymestra (1918).

Munster’s successes at the Egmont meeting are discussed freely. Their value, bearing on the Great Northern Hurdle Race, may be hard to assess. We know that he is well on in years and that he had experience in jumping hurdles a year or more since, and that he was talked of as a likely candidate for the game long enough ago. He won the same double as El Gallo at Egmont, and did his work well. We do not know him at Ellerslie yet as a hurdler, and whether to take him on trust for so long a journey. We must not forget that he has some good staying blood through his dam as well as his sire, and he has some speed, too. If Munster should win a race at Ellerslie there will be a cheer from more than one quarter of the course, as his owner has tried unsuccessfully a good many times there since Le Beau raced. It is worth mentioning that Munster was well supported with that other Spalpeen, Waimai, in doubles before he had won over the battens. That may appear ominous. It is like a Waikato venture.

Sportsmen will regret to hear of the death, at the advanced age of 76 years, of James Jenkins, who for a long period was a conspicuous figure on the South Australian turf (says the “Adelaide Observer”). When Jenkins retired as a trainer he went to live with his son, Mr. J. Firman Jenkins (the secretary of the Port Pirie Racing Club), but soon after the outbreak of the war he transferred to Glenelg to reside with his daughter, Mrs. Rugless, and he died at her residence on Tuesday morning. The deceased was • born at Caer.marthen, South Wales, and came to Australia when nine years old. His parents died within a few weeks of their arrival, and the lad went to the gold diggings in charge of a carter. Shortly afterwards he was employed by Hector Norman Simpson, an old-time squatter, and while he was on his station he first showed his ability in the saddle. At one of the picnic race meetings he captured five out of the six events on the card. Jenkins, however, will always be remembered as the trainer of Pride of the Hills, the winner of a S.A.J.C. Derby and Champion, and in the former event he rode the colt himself. Other good horses through his hands were Conjecture (which ran second in Malua’s sensational Adelaide Cup), Royal Irishman (winner of a City Handicap), Shootover (winner of an Adelaide Cup), and Brownlock (winner of an Adelaide Hunt Club Cup). For a number of years Jenkins acted as private trainer to Sir Thomas Elder. One of the last horses which he had in his care was Lord Kitchener, which was owned by the late Mr. J. Weatherall.