RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 7

RACING NOTES

[By St. Clair.]

GALLOPS TROTS March 25.— Westport J.C. . £[? rc || t c _ _ , _ _ ri , . ~ . t/"* March 30, A. pii i 1» xia \\ rift J- .0 • March 30. -Tuapeka County J.C. March 30, April 3.—N.Z. Metropolitan March 30, April I.—Wairarapa R.C. x.C. March 30, April I.—Feilding J.C. April 6.—Taranaki T.C. March 30, April 1.-Aucldand R.C. April 11, 13.-Wanganui T.C. March 30 April 1 R.C. Apr.j Q April I.—Beaumont R.C. April 20.-Ashburton T.C. April I.—Waipukurau J.C. May 4. —Cambridge T.C. April 1, —Kumara R.C. May 9, 11.—Forbury Park T.C. April 1, 2.—Canterbury J.C. a y 18.—Oarnaru T.C. . .. , ... ~_, „ June 1, 3.—Hawke s Bay T.C. April 4. Westland R.C. .June 1, 3.—Canterbury Park T.C. April 6. Middleware!! Races. j uno B.—Ashburton T.C. April 6. —Greymouth J.C. June 22, 24. —Auckland T.C. April 6, 10.—Avondale J.C. April 10.-Reefton J.C. REMINDERS April 12, 13.—Maaterton R.C. April IS, 20.—Whangarei K.C. March 25.—Middleman;)] handicaps due. April T 9, 20.—Hawke’s Bay J.C. March 25.—Riverton K. Club acceptances April 26, 27.—Nelson J.C. due. April 27.—Amberley R.C. March 27.—Canterbury J. Club acceptances April 27, 29.—Waikato R.C. for minor events due.

L. J. -Ellis wont through the Southland meeting without adding to his winning score, which now' stands at 42, or three above L. G. Morris in the list of winning horsemen for the season. ' Waving Corn and Mcmbo’s successes at Invercargill on Thursday brought C. Gieseler’s total to 27 winners this season, and he now leads F. P. Claridge by six in the list of successful trainers this season. About a thousand yearlings will be offered at auction at the Sydney Easter sales. Tho hard track at Oarnaru left Wnterlow a trifle sore, and since her return F. P. Claridgo has found it necessary to sped her. Erin-go-bragli is to be tried out as a cross-country performer. Ho is a speedy non-stayer over hurdles, and probably bis usefulness as a steeplechaser will be restricted to short courses. Since winning at Trentham in January (says “ Vedette ” iu the ‘ Post 5 ), Cimabue has run seven times for four seconds and two thirds. ’lhere was an opinion about a few mouths ago that ho had become ungenerous, but bis failures were due to a good deal of trouble his trainer was having with the gelding’s feet. Ho is a badfooled horse, and wears very big and thick shoes, which arc separated from the foot by thick layers of rubber. These have proved of undoubted benefit, and that is the reason why the Leighton gelding has done so "much better during the last fcw r months than he did in the spring. Australian papers to hand ‘furnish particulars hearing on the running in the River Handicap, at Flemington, which led to tho stewards holding an inquiry into the performance of tho idly My Lady Gay, owned by Mr S. Green. The filly, who started an oddson favourite, got. off well at the start, and she finished in third place. At the inquiry tiie stewards accepted ttie explanations of the owner and trainer, Mr Green proving that he had invested £2,OCX) on the horse. The stewards expressed dissatisfaction with the riding of R. Hones, and intimated that they would make a recommendation to the committee of the Victoria Racing Club regarding Jus permit to ride in races. Mr T. G. Him can submitted nine yearlings at the Melbourne sale this month, and they were sold as follows: —Brown colt by Paper Money—Fulsome, 900 guineas; brown colt by Paper Money—Afterglow, 550 guineas; brown filly by Paper Money—Procrastinate, 700 guineas; bay filly by Paper Money—Philomel, 000 guineas; chest-

nut colt by Tea Tray—Philomela, 150 guineas; bay coll by Tea Tray—La Paix, 025 guineas; chestnut filly by Tea. Tray—Margarethc, 050 guineas; bay filly by Tea Tray—Peirenc, 220 guineas; hay filly by Tea Tray—Bebe, 250 guineas. During the recent meeting at Invercargill a buyer inquired the price of Flying Mist, ami was told that ho could have her at 600 guineas. Mr M‘lvors starting at this meeting left a good deal to be desired. Delays at the post were quite unnecessarily long, and in some of the races he appeared to miss chances of despatching his fields to good starts, hut at these moments he did not have tho releaser in his hand. Mr M'lvor should leave tho placing of the horses into tho barrier to Ids assistant, and remain at his post, releaser in hand, ready to send tho fields away directly they" arc in line. Nowadays, when there is a general desire to reduce the intervals between races, three or four minutes lost at the start makes a big cut into the time allowed for betting on the next race, particularly on those courses where there is not an electric totalisator.

A couple of months ago it looked as if Mr L. C. Hazlett would liave a good team of jumpers for the autumn meeting in Southland, hut again lie has had bad luck with them, all but one, Inductor, going sore. Mr C. E. Hnssall, handicapper to the Dunedin Jockey Club, was present at the Invercargill Meeting each day. Though no rain fell during the afternoon of the first day of the Invercargill Meeting, the temperature was very low, and several visitors remarked that it was one of the coldest days they ever remember spending on a racecourse. The secretary to the Oiautau Racing Club informed the writer during the Invercargill Meeting that his dub’s annual race meeting held on th© 16th insfc. would only just about pay its way. The Autumn Meeting of the Southland Racing Club generally is run at a small loss to the club, but this year’s loss, estimated at from £9OO to £I,OOO, will easily' be the worst meeting the club has ever experienced For the past twenty-five years this club has had an unbroken period of financial prosperity, and has fortunately built up a good reserve in its freehold course and unencumbered buildings, etc.

The hold up of the express from Dunedin on the night prior to tiie llrst diiy of the Southland Racing Club's Sleeting prevented several who were interested reaching the course before tho programme was halt through. Amongst those inconvenienced were Mr VV. T. Hazlett, tho president of the dub, and the riders L. J. Ellis and A. ft. Eastwood, each of whom missed riding engagements. His many friends were glad to sec ‘‘Dick” M'Donald about again, ana the turn of fortune’s wheel in bis favour when Wiagatni won at Invercargill was popular with all. Ark .Royal looks as if he is coming back to form. In the Winter Oats Handicap on Thursday he was well up with tho leaders for over five furlongs, and the race is sure to do him a lot of good for his Riverton engagements.

It was an unfortunate coincidence of circumstances that spoiled tho Southland Racing Club’s Meeting from being the usual success all meetings held on this course are. In the lirst iplace Southland has had ample racing to satisfy most of its residents since New Year time, and only a few days prior to last week’s meeting the Eastern District had had a big trotting meeting at Wyndham, and tho Western District a race meeting at Otautau, Four days’ racing in Sauthland within a week is too much excepting at holiday time, more especially with cho Easter ‘ holidays and the over-popular meeting at Riverton a little more than a week ahead. The Hood in the Otago district kept many away on the first day, and on the second day Southland farmers were looking after their stock, as the Hood waters had then reached most of their farms. The secretary informed the writer after the meeting that tho loss on the fixture would be between £9OO and £I,OOO. This is particularly had luck for the club, as the profit on its New Year Meeting was only about £3OO this year, and the big cost of maintenance nowadays means that there will be a big deficit in the profit and loss account at tho end of the season.