RACING DATES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24902, 15 June 1946, Page 4

RACING DATES

SOUTH ISLAND MEETINGS The to rati on of racing dates after the se3son had been in progress for a few months led to meetings clashing. The South Canterbury Jockey Club and the Oamaru Jockey Club have been the wo?st sufferers in the South Island, the South Canterbury club being unfortunate last month in its meeting coinciding with a trotting meeting at Addington, and incurring a loss of £5OO. To-day, the Oamaru Jockey Club is similarly unfortunate, as its meeting coincides with the Ashburton meeting. The first day of the Oamaru autumn meeting coincided with the visit of the Australian cricket team to Dunedin. Unless mid-week racing is permitted, clashing will be unavoidable, even with the allocation of dates for the coming season. No 111-Effects Apparently Master Meruit suffered no ill-effects from his fail in the Great Northern Steeplechase, and a Hawke’s Bay report states that he may start in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase next Saturday. There will now be several opportunities to fit Master Meruit for the Grand National. The Metropolitan Steeplechase, run on the first day of the Manawatu meeting on July 6, with a maximum weight of 12st. is an ideal race for a National candidate; and the Homeby Steeplechase, at the Christchurch Hunt Clubs meeting, could be used to finish off a preparation, particularly as the winner does not incur a penalty for the Grand National. An Overdue Success The former Riccarton trainer Mrs L. Campbell recently succeeded in winning a double with the well-bred five-year-old gelding Griffin, which is by Lang Bian from La Poupee. Griffin raced unsuccessfully as a two-year-old and a three-year-old, and did not. race at all last season. Before winning twice at Napier, he had had seven starts this season for one third placing. However, the manner in which Griffiths won his two races suggested that he had found form in keeping with his breeding, arid he may yet make a name for himself. His dam, La Poupee, was a good performer, winning nine races, including the Wellesley Stakes and the C.J.C. Welcome Stakes. However, at the stud she has succeeded in producing only one performer that matched her own ability. This is the filly My Bonnie, which won the Avondale and the Great Northern Guineas. Another of her progeny is the two-year-old Majestic Fox, which has not shown up in his races to date. At this year’s sales a colt by Neptune from La Poupee was sold to Mr P Louis for 2000 guineas. Turn Overdue Depth Charge, which is engaged in the Bumside Hack Handicap at Oamaru today, has several times shown promise of winning, and at his last start in the Domain Hack Handicap at Dunedin he just failed to get up into third place after a slow beginning. Depth Charge is by Wild Chase from Back Thrust, a Rapier mare that was a half-sister to- the useful hurdler Recollection. He was one of a draft of untried Stonyhurst-bred horses sold at auction in 1943, and was sold for 400 guineas. At the time he looked one of the most likely sorts in the draft, but so far he has run several good races without success. Psalm Out of Luck After racing on the third day at Dunedin, Psalm was found to be suffering from a bruised foot, and that might account for her disappointing display. On the first day Psalm suffered interference at the start, when Sterling Lad collided with her. She has been an unlucky mare. It is reported that she is to be kept going for winter racing, and that she may later make an appearance in Canterbury. A Long-Priced Winner

Airborne, the winner of the Derby, received little consideration in the betting market on the race, starting at 50 to 1. He Was the longest-priced outsider since the sensational success of Aboyeur, Which was placed first after the disqualification of Craganour in the jostling finish of 1913. Mr John Ferguson, who owns Airborne, did not give his colt much chance and told his friends, too. His only bet on the race—£soo to £lo—he described as one made "juft for fun.” Winner of only one race previously, a three-year-old event in May, Airborne brought his owner £8415 through his success in the Derby Airborne’s win confounded everyone except the bookmakers, who had one | of the biggest Derby clean-ups on record. I A few women backed the colt because j he w*as No 13 on the card, and some ; because he was the only grey horse in ' thu field. Most of his supporters were i veterans of airborne divisions who fought' at Arnheim and in Normandy. Airborne ; was mentioned on the eve of the race i as a possible outsider, and two bets laid ; against him were £BOOO to £l2O and £lO,OOO to £l5O. * I