RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19781, 3 February 1928, Page 9

RACING NOTES

RACING FIXTURES. February 4.—Egmont R.C, .February 4.—Gisborne R.C. February 4.—Matamata R.C. February 9, IX.—Dunedin J.O. February 9, 11.—Taranaki .J.O. February 9, IX.—Poverty Bay Turf C. February 11, 13.—Rotorua R.C. February 15.—Clifden R.C'.

THE FORSURY MEETING , Last week-end the old-established Forbury Park Trotting Club held one Of its most successful meetings, and provided two afternoons of high-class sport, which was thoroughly enjoyed by; the large crowds present. . The innovation of commencing at 1 o’clock each day was not the unqualified success anticipated. The investments on the first race each day showed no increases, a decrease of over a thousand investments on Saturday was noted in the opening event, and visitors from Southland, who are amongst the loyalist supporters of the Forbury meetings had to miss the last three races each afternoon if they wished to catch the train home. On the second day this must have’ accounted for a large amount that did not go through the totalisator. The light harness sport has a great hold of the racing public, who can see the horses at close range throughout the races, and a meeting like last week’s, with so many thrilling finishes, will further add to its popularity. The weather was, if anything, too hot, but a most agreeable change to that experienced for the Spring Meeting two months ago. Throughout the meeting the fields were good, and though no sensational times were recorded the majority of winners, as the following table will show, improved on their handicap times. The good racing reflected credit upon Mr F. Brinkman’s work as a handicapper, and though tho Judicial Committee found it necessary to administer punishment to one driver for interference during tho meeting, the majority of the races were cleanly driven, and there was no suspicion of "team work” which so often spoils harness racing. Form shown on the first day showed up fairly well on Saturday, and the meeting_ was free from any suspicion of inconsistent running. Several horses showed up as winners on the second clay that were not prominent on Friday, hut the luck was against .them one clay and with them the next.

The following shows the times each ot the placed horses were handicapped on, and the times they recorded in their races;—

THE TAPANUI MEETING Fortunately, the Tapauui Meeting was favored with fine weather, for it was only the fine clay that prevented the meeting from being a failure. The club, since last meeting, has spent a good deal of money in adding to the totalisator house so as to accommodate a 10s machine, and als6 a stand from which »-he stewards can watch the race without being surrounded by the general public. The latter expenditure was fully necessary, and should have been done long ago; but the increased accommodation for the totalisator was not necessary, and had half the money so spegt been u&ecl in doing up the track probably the meeting would have been better patronised by owners. For nearly two furlongs of the seven-furlong circuit the track was very rough, and the executive is only standing in its own light by not remedying it. Holes made by horses working on it when the track lias been wet, and the natural slope of the ground away from the rails round two bends make the course a dangerous one, and that, no doubt, is largely the cause of the poor class of horses that race at tho meeting. The installation of the 10s machine, always a dangerous move for a country club, did not pan out profitably for the club, us the turnover was down £1,781 on last year’s figures, a decrease of over 25 per cent.; but, owing to the smallness of the fields, only three races having fields large enough on which to pay out two dividends, the trial was barely a fair one.. In this connection the management .may have lost a good few investments on each race by apparent carelessness in long delays in holding up the pay-out orders, and the starter’s long delays at tho start of each race in marshalling his horses into the barrier after getting the signal that the totalisator had balanced. These are litle matters which limited the time for betting between the races that were costly to the club, and can easily be rectified in the future. ' The two trotting events On the programme provided excellent fields, good betting races, and good finishes. When the elub’s honorary starter got his fields into tho barrier he made excellent starts, tho best work I have seen Mr Quin do for many meet* ings. the general management of the meeting there was a whole lot that could be improved oh, but an afternoon’s sport was provided for many residents of the district who do not see other meetings, and, not being ,of a critical nature, were apparently well astisfied. . ‘

[By Sx. Claib.]

TROTTING FIXTURES. February 4.—Cheviot T.G. February 11.—N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. February 18, 22. Otahuhu T.C. February ’2s.—Kaitoura T.C.

JOTTINGS The sincere sympathy of all sportsmen, especially those of Otago, who knew Mr Armour, Mr -Biggins, and Mr Wilkins personally, is with the three ladies who are widowed by the terrible motor accident on Wednesday night, and with those who are left fatherless. Those who attended Mr Armour’s funeral at Dunedin this afternoon—a large party, representing not only racing but the community at large—were genuine mourners, deeply sorry for the loss of a man who was highly respected. The same remark is no-doubt applicable to the burials of Mr Wilkins and Mr Biggins. They, were of good standing, and recollections of them are not tinged with unpleasantness of any sort. Mr L. G. Hill, who so far is not well enough to be informed of the particulars concerning the mishap from which ho emerged: so luckily, is expected to recover shortly, though he has had a serious shake. In the meantime the oversight of Ins office duties in connection with-the Dunedin Cup Meeting is being attended to by Mr Harry L. James, the previous secretary to the club. Old sportsmen are dehghted to once more welcome Stuart Waddell, who is paying another visit to Otago, the province of which he graduated as jockey and trainer. Ho is a wonderfully wellpreserved man, contemporaneous with R, J. Mason. They both rode in Lurline’s Cup, the first at'the Forhnry— Mason on the winner, Waddell on Atlas.

Dunedin Cup will be run next Thursday. The Hazlett Memorial Slakes will bo run on Saturday week. Limerick’s appearance at Wingatui on the second clay is sure to draw a crowd.

The Wingatui track lias improved a great deal during the past .month, and promises to bo in great order next week.

Owners and trainers are reminded that acceptances for the first day of the D.J.C. Summer Meeting close this afternoon at 5 o’clock. Nominations for the Gore Racing Club’s Spring Mooting close at 5 p.m. on Monday. Good as Gild is not a likely starter next Thursday.

The Otago horses returning from the Wellington Meeting are reported to have had a rough time crossing over in the steamer.

The Wyndham Trotting Club’s programme for its annual _ meeting on March 14, giving £1,050 in stakes, has been issued. The principal handicap is worth £240, and flo stake less than £IOO.

Camisader picked up a nail in one of his feet during his trip to Wellington, and is not likely to race again for a few weeks. C. Gieseler added three more wins to his total at the Tapanui Meeting. Can he head the list of winning trainers three seasons in succession?

Dr Rogers informed me at Gore on Wednesday that he is very doubtful about Strathpeffcr, the dam of Set Sail, being in foal this season to Solferino. During the Wellington Meeting a North Island stud master made a most tempting offer for. Solferino, but Mr Georgo Kain replied he was not for 1 sale.

Despite the fact that she will be top weight, Set Sail should rim well in next week’s Dunedin Cup. She has already won the Geraldine, Oamaru, and Invercargill Cups this season, and she has returned from Wellington none, the worse for the three hard races she had there.

Pink Note continues the local favorite for the Dunedin Cup. L, J. Ellis was suspended for seven days at the Tapanui Meeting for careless riding and interference. If lie was guilty the sentence is not consistent with that meted out to his elder brother and B. H. Brodie for almost similar offences hy other clubs during the past two seasons. The stipendiary steward at the Tapanui Meeting had a busy time, no less than four inquiries being held. Two riders of winners were each fined £1 for looking round when leading in their respective races, another was suspended for seven clays, and a trainer, who under provocation used somewhat strong remarks to a jockey, was called on to apologise to the rider in question. Mr 0. Jones, hanclicapper to the Tapanui Racing Club, though indisposed, was present at the meeting on Wednesday. From to-morrow morning until the Cup Meeting commences the training work at Wingatui should be interesting. tn the five handicap racing events on the Tapanui race card there were thirty-four acceptors, but only twentyone starters, no fewer than thirteen being scratched. Corinthia, who won a double at the Tapanui Meeting, is a big, well-grown three-year-old gelding by Lncullus from Minsk, and races in Mr J. M. Samson’s nomination. He is an attractive galloper, a bit on the lazy side, but looks like developing into a good one. After racing at the Vincent Meeting, I, selected the Greyspear—Lady Victoria mare. Lady M'Kenna, to improve. She was very soro when raced at that meeting, but since joining Geo. Feilding’s stable at Wingatui she has done well, and, though the field behind her was a poor one, she won nicely over ten furlongs at Tapanui on Wednesday. Real Glad raced well at the Vincent Meeting, and looked like winning the first time she was placed in a weak field, but she ran'two bad races at Tapanui. Eyed Ova ran very disappointingly at Tapanui on Wednesday in the Tapanui Handicap. Evidently ten furlongs is just beyond his tether just yet. Puff gob badly dealt with when Didham attempted to squeeze her through on the rails about two and a-half furlongs from home in the President’s Handicap at Tapanui on Wednesday, and her rider did not persevere with her afterwards. From the stand it looked ns if Didhatn was inviting trouble by trying to get through on the rails.

The Tractors go on winning. Yet another came to light at Tapanui. This was a three-year-old gelding from Bothnia, a mare that once beat Glcntruiu in a hack race at Otautau. Valvas belongs to Mr A. S. Jones, ot Timarn, who frequently acts as stipendiary steward at holiday fixtures in the south.

Karitane, who, when trained at Oamaru, wus i credited with going very fast for half a mile, is now an inmate of Prod Shaw’s stable. She ran second to Valvas in a weak field at Tapanui. and showed what speed she has at the end of tho race rather than over the early stages. • The, recent Vincent, Jockey Glub’s Meeting resulted in a surplus of nearly £4OO

The Southland Racing Club’s Summer Meeting showed a surplus of about £1,250. Monej; ■ Order,, if ho comes down next week, will he one of the hardest to beat in the Publicans’ Handicap next Thursday. ,

Thessaly, who won the Trial Plate at the Tapanui Meeting, had a good second to Traction at Wyndham on Nay/ Year’s Day to recommend her. She is by Sutala from Waitifors, a very successful mare in Southland a decade ago, Thessaly is home trained about Wyndham, and was started twice later on in the afternoon, but without success. Punters next Thursday should remember that Jack o’ Lantern is an improved burdter.

FIRST DAY. Horse. Handicap. Time. Peter Fashion (1) ... 4.31 3.591 Peter Boy (2) 3.592- • 3.55s Wattle Patch (3) 4.32 4.01 Omaha (1) 2.17 2.151 Desert Star (2) ... 2.15 2.13| Pointalena (3) ... ... 2.17 . 2.16s Sea Queen (1) 4.48 4.52| Fairlight (2) 4.50 4.55 Pieter Timmerman (3) 4.50 4.551 Concliff (1) 4.29 4.29! Bonny Logan (2) ... 4.29 4.301 Machine Gun (3) ... 4.2S 4.29| Ileal Light (1) 3.571 3.47s Athalone (2) ... ... 3.571 3.49s Firebrand (3) 3.551 3.471 Engagement (1) 4.38 4.39 4.38 Blue Thorpe (2)' 4.40 John Mauritius (3) ... 4.34 4.36| Jackie Audubon (1) ... 4.41 • 4.37 La Sonnette (2) 4.41 4.371 Okoura (3) 4.42 4.38t Logan Park (1) 2.12 2.101 Desert Star (2) 2.15 2.14 Brentloc (3) 2.12 2.111 SECOND DAY. All Peters (1) ... ... 4.3J 3.57 s Audalie (2t) 4.32 3.581 Quickfire (2t) ... ... 4.3| 3.581 Kate Thorpe (1) 2.17 2.15| Fashion Queen (2) ... 2716 2.14b Pointalena (3) 2.17 2.16s Sarsaparilla (1) 4.47 4.48 Sea Queen (2) Pieter Timmerman (3) 4.4(1 4.47s 4.50 4.521 Terence Dillon (1) ... 4.29 4.30? Bonny Logan (2) ... 4.28 4.30| Machine Gun (3) ... 4.28 4.31 Dundas Boy (1) 4.50 4.43S Royal Authoress (2) 4.49 4.441 Cardinal and Blue (3) 4.50 4.491 Engagement (1) 4.35 4.36s Duke Bingen (2) ... 4.39 4.401 Cannonball (3) 4.37 4.39 3.421 Daphne do Oro (1) ... 3.431 Ira Sonnette (2) 3.461 3.46 Diamond Child (3) ... 3.451 3.45b Brentloc (1) 2.12 2.131 Concliff (2) 2,10 2.11? Jean M:Elwyn (3) ... 2.15 2.161