TURF TOPICS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 90, 20 November 1939, Page 8

TURF TOPICS

ANOTHER RESTRICTION ! In the running" of this year's New Zealand Cup il was readii'y acknowledged that some of the better class per formers .were badiy hampered by horses of moderate calibre not being able to go the pace and consequently obstructing faster candidates in the endeavour to get through the unwieldy field. Suggestions have since been made in regard to big handicaps that in order to lessen the number of contestants restrictions should be given cfTect to. The first to adopt such a new order in racing is the Wellington Racing Club, ■which in respect to the Wellington Centennial Cup. of £3000, has decided to restrict the starters to three year olds and upward who at the time of starting have won a race of the value of £350 to the winner, or races to the value of £500. A NEW ZEALAND RECORD Dark Flight is the first horse in New Zealand to equal or better a time record this season. This was in the Avon Handicap at Riccarton, when the six furlongs was traversed in 1.9 2-5 sees with the winner easing up. SPIRITED INVESTMENTS The totalisator pool on the New Zealand Cup was £12.<532 (£6386 on the win machine and £9516 on the place). VALUABLE IMPORTATIONS What should in due course become valuable accessions to the Dominion arc five highly bred fillies that last week were landed at Lyttelton from England, and sent to the Inglewood Stud, Rangiora. They are the property of Mr Rundle Breman. of Esstro. England, and will be offered for sale at the Trentham thoroughbred sales in January next. They comprise a bay filly by . Young Lover (son of Son in Law) a brown by the French Derby winner. Pearl Weed, a bay by Tommy Atkins ("son of Spion Ivop) a bay by Manna and a brown by Empire Budder (son of Son in Law). A BIG TURNOVER. In its tAvo day's meeting the Avondale Jockey Club's totalisator registered £73,709 compared with £59,386 last year, an increase of £14.323. Yet another fine win for the Treasurv.

RELATIVE TO PHAR LAP Capricious, the runner-up in the New Zealand Cup, in record time, Is by Night Raid, the sire of Pilar Lap, Night March and many other good performers. She is said to be quite the best of the few good Night Raid mares. In the Metropolitan Handicap she was considerably knocked about in the early stages of the running, but with a very fast finishing run was close up third. TO BE RETIRED The brilliant Paper Slipper is now to be retired from the turf, and will be located at the Clifford Estate's Stonyhurst property. ANOTHER SALE BARGAIN Only a few weeks ago the. Oration gelding Orate was sold by public auction for the munificent price of £50. Since that time although particularly Avell looked after by the handicappers, he has Avon £970 in stakes | money, so the purchaser may be said ! to have had the best of the bargain, Although a satisfactory prize winner, Orate is not a good betting proposition, for occasionally lie becomes lost in thought at the starting barrier, and stays there in more or less serious meditation after the field has left the mark. FOR THE WELLINGTON CUP The Hunting Song mare. Centrepoise, winner of the Metropolitan Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting, is now en.jojing a well earned spell, but in due course will be re-commissioned in view of the Wellington Centennial Cup of £3000 in January next. SPORTY SPORTING NOTES

Racing as she is wrote would be applicable to the following par by a fully up-to-date reporter, who evidently had latelj- done a round of spirited boxing matches. "Bay punters got it in the neck at Riccarton. On Sternchase twice they took it heavily on the jaw, and then tried to get it back on Wings of Song, but that was a complete K. 0., and while they were stretched out the referee, beg pardon, the ''tommies" counted in tens of fifties, in fact some are still counting.