TURF GOSSIP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1522, 26 June 1919, Page 16

TURF GOSSIP.

Merunqua, who won the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race in 1917. has gone amiss again, and is not likely to race again this winter.

The Dunedin trainer, C. Giesler, who now owns Sedd-el-Bahr, is now training on his own account, and already has Margery, Calauria, Linden and Bebehead under his charge. H. Coker, who sustained a fractured collarbone when Nita fell with him in the Wingatui Steeplechase on the second day of the Dunedin meeting, has decided to relinquish riding over the fences for good.

The well-known Sydney fielder, Mr. Silver Bryant, intends to present the winner of the Commonwealth aviation prize of £lO,OOO, with an open order for a trophy valued at 100 guineas. He feels confident that the flying feat will be done this year.

The Victorian Racing Club has decided that from August 1 every jockey shall wear a skull cap, when riding in any race under its rules. In future, also, leases of horses will have to be on a form that has been approved of by the V.R.C., and which is procurable at the office of the club.

Killiney and Moneymusk, who deadheated in the Domain Handicap (six furlongs) on the concluding day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting, enjoy a unique record in that when the pair met in a fivefurlong sprint at the Beaumont meeting on Easter Monday the judge declared a dead-heat between the pair for second money.

The death recently occurred in America of the former champion trotting mare, Sweet Marie (2min. 2sec.). The mare, who was bred in San Francisco, was owned for a time by Edward T. Stotesbury and was developed and first raced on the grand circuit by Robert Smith, junr. Sweet Marie was 23 years old, and had been retired to the breeding ranks since the days of her usefulness on the turf had passed.

Myles Connell, the well-known Sydney jockey, who recently rode his 1000th winner, describes the occasion as the “proudest moment of my life.” The same afternoon he also rode My Laddo to victory at the Moorefield Park races, and it is his intention to still follow his calling for some time. After his narrow defeat by Gazique in the Winter Oats Handicap on the opening day of the Gisborne Racing Club’s steeplechase meeting, the Auckland-owned Sir Ralph was backed with every confidence for the Waikanae Handicap (one mile) on the concluding day of the fixture. Sir Ralph was quickly out of the barrier, and led the field for a couple of furlongs, when he was headed and dropped back, never afterwards showing up prominently, his form being distinctly disappointing. The speedy English-bred horse Rebus is at present enjoying a spell from activity. He ricked himself while playing during exercise, just before the A.J.C. autumn meeting commenced, necessitating his retirement from all engagements. He showed signs of lameness for a while and his trainer, Z. Murray, thought it best to give him a spell. Since then he has recovered, and after a couple of months will be brought in again.

Nearly all of the Auckland horsemen who journeyed to Gisborne for the Gisborne Racing Club’s and the Poverty Bay Hunt Club’s meetings succeeded in catching the judge’s eye on one or more occasions. H. Goldfinch, A. J. McFlinn and J. Roach each succeeded in riding two winners, while B. Deeley, H. Robinson and E. Warner scored a victory apiece. Other successful riders were: H. Lorrigan, R. Thompson, R. Reed. S. Howard and E. Manson, who as a result of the three days’ racing were each astride of a brace of winners, while Jennings and M. McCarten secured a victory apiece.

Considering the number of years there has been a fund for the relief of distressed jockeys, it is rather surprising that something of a similar nature has not been started for trainers in trouble (says a Sydney writer). However, the New South Wales Owners, Trainers and Breeders’ Association has the matter

in hand, and the Australian Jockey Club is sympathetic with the proposal. Probably a race meeting will be held at Randwick if a date can be secured to provide a nucleus to the fund, and it will be worked up by subscriptions from the trainers themselves. It has been suggested that £1 be subtracted by the A.J.C. from each win scored by a trainer at Randwick to go towards the fund, but this sum could easily be increased, and the smaller amount applied to the suburban winners. Goldenmore, a nine-year-old gelding by the New Zealand sire, Gold Reef, from Kilmorey (imp.) has achieved considerable success at the pony meetings in Sydney, Melbourne and Queensland, where altogether he has won 19 races, aggregating £llOO in stakes. Goldenmore was bred by Messrs. Main Bros., of Bethungra, N.S.W., and was sold at the yearling sale when only nine months old for 65 guineas. He is at present owned by Miss Linda Foy, “the wonderful child actress,” who is touring with the Ben. Fuller Company of dramatic artists, and has already won about £7OO for that young lady, whose colours he has carried to victory on no less than ten occasions in the last twelve months. If an illustration of the uncertainty of two-year-olds retaining their form was required, the last A.J.C. Derby gave a good one. Six weeks before the race Outlook was considered by good judges to be the likely winner, then Finmark came into the market, and another colt fancied was Woorawa. At that time R. J. Mason came from New Zealand with a brace of youngsters, Gloaming and Molyneaux, which had not faced the starter. The pair worked at Randwick a month or so before the Derby, and it was known that Gloaming could gallop out of the ordinary, but few expected him to prove the champion he subsequently did. He won the Chelmsford Stakes at his first start, and afterwards spreadeagled his field in the A.J.C. Derby. This may prove the advisability of letting two-year-olds mature. Gloaming and Outlook’s sire, The Welkin, had, previous to last year’s Derby, failed to produce stayers, but when the dam’s breeding is suitable it seems that the combination may produce a first-class racehorse.

The Te Hapara course was exceptionally fast for the recent Gisborne Racing Club’s and Poverty Bay Hunt Club’s meetings, its ideal condition being responsible for the excellent times recorded in the majority of events. After Bjorneborg had won the Gisborne Hurdles (Ig miles) on the concluding day of the Gisborne Racing Club’s steeplechase meeting, his time was posted as 3min. 10sec., and many keen patrons of the sport who realised that the moderate son of Finland —Warscare had thus been credited with an Australasian record were to be found expressing surprise. Soon after it transpired that an error had been made in hoisting the time, which proved to be 3min. 20sec., giving a totally different complexion to Bjorneborg’s achievement. The success of the Gisborne train-, er, Frank E. Loomb, who, by turning out Cynic, the winner of the Great Northern Hurdle Race at Ellerslie on May 31, came prominently into the limelight in racing circles throughout the Dominion, was not interrupted during the three days’ racing carnival in Gisborne was strongly evidenced by the excellent form displayed by members of his useful team throughout both the Gisborne Racing Club’s and Poverty Bay Hunt fixtures. At the former meeting, Happy Valley won the Second Hack Flat, while Cynic Ohoreka and Orateur each secured a second. At the Hunt Club fixture, Carlysian captured the Hexton Handicap and Orateur accounted for the Rapanui Hack Flat.

The statement to the effect that W. Young, who over 12 months ago was disqualified at the result of Ibex being badly left at the post in the Woodhey Hack Handicap at the Manawatu Racing Club’s autumn meeting, has been granted permission by the Wanganui District Committee to ride work, has been given an emphatic denial by a Wanganui correspondent. The mis-statement probably arose from the fact that at the last meeting of the Wanganui District Committee an application was received from W. Andrews, who was disqualified by the Marton Club some two and a-half years ago and fined £5, for permission to ride work, and this was granted, his term having expired and the fine having been paid.