THE EXTRA DAY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 192, 10 May 1940, Page 13

THE EXTRA DAY

Granted To Matamata NOTES AND COMMENTS Great Northern Weights

(By

The Watches.)

The Matumata Racing Club has been granted the use of the day’s racing which the Levin Racing Club found it impracticable to utilize, and, subject to the approval of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the permit will be used at a meeting to be held on Saturday, June 29. The programme for the meeting has been approved by the Auckland District Committee.

Oamaru Date Changed. The Oamaru Jockey Club has been granted permission to change the date of its winter meeting from June 29, to July 6. Dannevirke Hunt at Woodville. The Dannevirke Hunt Club, which has hitherto held its annual race meeting on the Dannevirke racecourse, will hold its next meeting on June 29 on the Woodville track. The Dannevirke racecourse has been sold. Trainor’s Licence. E. J. Adams, of Stokes Valley s has been granted a provisional trainers licence. He has his own filly Gurilla and also War Cloud in his stable. The Great Northerns. Just over half the held, 23 out of 44, in the Great Northern Hurdles, have been handicapped on the minimum, and another 14 have been weighted _ under lOst. In other words, the handicapper suggests that there is only about a dozen

or so whose chances can be seriously considered. It is no surprise to find Clarion Call top-weight, and with all his 12.0 he should take beating. His last two hurdle successes were achieved under 12.1 and 12.9, in the Rona Hurdles at ’ /ellington and New Year Hurdles at Auckland respectively, so he is a proved weight-carrier. Erination at 11.11 has the same weight as he carried into. third place last year, while last year s winnei, Charade, also on 11.11, has gone up a stone. However, she has only lib. more than she carried when she won the Remuera Hurdles on the second day,, and . she meets Erination, who was again third, on only 31b. worse terras. Gt the other horses handicapped as equal to the class, King Rey, Enjoyment. Streamline, Loombination and Aussie Ra will appeal. Junes Lad, who separated Charade and Erination last year, under 9—, is now on the minimum.

Valmint Is Due. . Valmint has run second in the Cornwall Handicap last three; years in succession, with 4.4 in 1937, 7.6 in 193<_, and 7.3 last year. This year he. has 7.0. Roval Appellant, last year’s winner, has 9.o‘this time, a stone more than his winning weight. Jack Tar, third last year, has gone up from 7.2 to 8.9, but his subsequent form is better than that of the other pair, and one of his wins was in the Whyte Handicap at Wellington Tidewaiter is not badly placed in the Cornwall with 7.10. He won the W.R.C. Parliamentary Handicap last July under . i.o and subsequently participated in the triple dead-heat with Lowenberg and Settlement in the Islington Handicap at the Grand National meeting.

G.N. Steeples. None of the placed horses in last year s Grand National Steeplechase, Survoy, Power Chief and Smiling Thru, are engaged this year. En Tour, fourth with 10.3, has 10.7 this year, while All Irish, winner of the Winter Steeplechase with 11.2, in which he beat En Tour 10.3, has 10.12. All Irish subsequently failed in the Wellington and July Steeplechases, but after a long spell he appeared again at Avondale last month and ran third in the hurdles with 11.5 to Enjoyment and High Delight. As All Irish appears to

be a better horse at Auckland than elsewhere, he may be one of the G.N. Steeplechase favourites. An interesting feature of the Great Northern weights is the fact that Enjoyment, who is a comparative recruit to the jumping game, has been labelled a distinct possibility by the handicapper with 10.1 in each race. From Australia. S. J. Green, who served six months’ apprenticeship in Australia and came to New Zealand with F. A. Roberts, has been, granted an apprentice jockey’s licence. Gentleman Rider. Mr. F. C. Christie, owner of Nightcalm, etc., w’ho is now training his owu horees at Orari, has taken out a gentleman rider's certificate. Aji Interesting Race. There is a very interesting field in the Tararua Hurdles at Otaki tomorrow. Duugarvan, Aurora’s Love, Rustem and El Meynell are due to make their debut at the game. Kaiwaka is also an acceptor in the Huia Handicap and as the stable has El Meynell in the hurdle race it may be decided to run Kaiwaka on the flat. Bred At Okawa. Considering his breeding, Garonne was not a success on the flat, but, as his easy win at Invercargill indicates, he may do well over hurdles, as he is only a five-year-old. Garonne is a product of Mr. T. H. Lowry’s stud, being by Gascony from Orozino, by Finland —d’Oro, a sister to Desert Gold, Egypt, and Nigger Min 7 strel. Names of winner-producers in this family include Pure Gold (dam of Gold Trail) and Oreum (dam of Gold Rod). Garonne is now owned by Mrs. J. W. Spencer.

Donald’s Injury. C. S. Donald, who fractured an arm when Accountant fell in the President’s Handicap, is a patient at the Oamaru Hospital. At one time it was feared that he had received internal injuries, but an X-ray examination revealed nothing more serious than the arm injury. Bred in New Zealand.

Among the recent winners at the Balaklava Racing Club’s meeting in South Australia was the three-year-old Croupland, by Croupier, who won the second division of the Achilles Novice Handicap. It was his first start of the season after being gelded, and his victory was registered in a manner which suggested better things to come. Croupland was purchased with his dam, Snowland, when a foal at foot by Mr. C. A. Haigh, who passed him ou to Mr. A. E. Gratz, in whose colours he now races. Croupland ranks as a half-brother to Arctic King and Arctie Star, their dam, Snowland, being a daughter of Kilbroney from Snowstel, who traces back to the famous Mermaid taproot.

Costly to Owners. Some trainers are keen on putting up apprentices to give them a chance to learn. The opportunities granted in that direction can prove rather expensive to the owner (says “Sentinel”). _ This season some results in the principal events on a card might have been different if experienced riders had been in the saddle. It is for this reason that apprentice allowances should be barred in the two principal events on a flat- racing card, irrespective of the value of the stakes. Apprentices should receive opportunity, but not in the principal events, until they show ability. In two of the principal events decided at the Amberley meeting, not only was the apprentice up, but such races also selected for a first mount in public. If such a state of affairs continues to exist and grow it may be taken as a sure method for curing punters.

Pink Lad. ■ ■ ■ - It has taken Pink Lad some time to strike winning form. He has started 15 times this season .before recording a win. Pink Lad failed to stay seven furlongs in moderate company at Waimate, and showed that he has trained on by winning over 10 furlongs at Riccarton in 2.5 4-5.

Changes in Team. After the Egmont meeting R. Johnson’s team at New Plymouth underwent some changes. Lexden and Davilia have been eased in their work preparatory to spelling, while Ned Cuttie has rejoined the active brigade. Johnson is also handling a two-year-old by Wheriko from Arvada, Majority and Minority are being kept going with a view to racing at Te Rapa and Ellerslie.

Acceptances Closing, Acceptances for Manawatu close tonight at 9 o’clock. Acceptances for Waikato close today at 5 p.m.