RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21742, 9 June 1934, Page 8

RACING NOTES

RACING. Ju«« 14, 16.—Hawke’s Bay J.C. Jua» 16.—South Canterbury J.C. , June 21, 23.—Napier Park R.C. / June 23. Ashburton C.R.C. Jun# 30.—Oamaru J.C. July o.—Dannevirko Hunt Club. July 10, 12, H.—Wellington R.C,

JOTTINGS. Nominations for the Oamaru Jockey Club’s Winter Meeting close on Wednesday next. f Gold Knight and Silver Streak,' who each raced unsuccessfully at the Auckland Winter Meeting, are expected back in Oamaru to-morrow. It is reported that the operation for wind infirmity carried Slit on Doiran is likely to prove successful. At 8.6 Waterpower has been nicely handicapped in the Prince Edward Handicap to be run at Washdyke next Saturday. After their strenuous racing efforts last week all the horses at Wingatui are enjoying a let-up for a few days. An apprentice jockey, R. Parsons, recently won iiis third Newcastle Cup on Broccoli. His previous successes were gained with Sarsanides and Circus Star.

It is reported that up to the end of last April Irish hospitals had benelitted to the extent of £6,378,048 from the Irish swefepstake funds. Peter Pan, who has been enjoying a lengthy spell, was to be taken in hand again this week to be prepared for his spring engagements. The decision of the Canterbury Jockey Club to make the minimum weights in all flat race handicaps at the Grand National Meeting Bst will bo welcomed by most owners and trainers, and all horsemen. P. T. Hogan has Waterpower, Gustavo, and Chrysology each engaged in the mile and a-quarter and six furlong open races at the South Canterbury Meeting to be held next week. Mount Boa is set down to make his reappearance in the Pukaki Hurdles to be decided at Washdyke next Saturday, and the handicapper in awarding him 10.7 has taken no risks with the Balboa gelding. Mr R. Derrett, one of the most interesting figures at Riccarton, is at present in hospital, where he is making good progress; after being indisposed for a few days. Graball may be sent to Riccarton to join the stable of D. O’Connor. He competed last Saturday in the Otago Steeplechase, and though he did not show sufficient pace for that company he may be seen to advantage in hunters' steeplechases, as he is a good jumper. . . Last year’s Grand National winner, Thurifia, is duo to make his reappearance this season in the Pareora Steeplechase at Washdyke next Saturday. He has been handicapped at 12.0. and will not be sufficiently advanced in condition to be seen at his best. ' As early as the middle of April some of England’s leading advertising bookmakers were so “ full ” with Colombo for the Derby that in their, lists of prices on that race they did not even quote him. , _ ~ When Contucci and Zelma won the “ daily double ” at Newbury (Eng.) on April 13, the four who selected that combination received £496 18s each for a 10s investment. Zelina was a rank outsider for her race, and Contucci was a 10-1 chance. Most jockeys have hobbies of some kind. In Sydney it runs mostly to golf, but in England Gordon Richards and his brother; Clif, share the unusual one of long-distance pigeon racing. Both breed birds, and are vice-presi-dents of the Newbury and District Homing Society, to which each has presented a cup for competition. America has a number of women who race in a large way. One of these is Mrs John Hertz, of Chicago. She has twenty-seven horses in training seventeen two-year-olds, eight three-year-olds, and two five-year-olds. Twenty are by Reigh Count, so she is . giving that horse every chance of proving Ins worth as a sire. He was a good race'addition to riding in England, W. Johnstone continues to do so in France. At Saint Cloud on April 16 he won the Prix Miss Gladiator on Viscount Rivaud’s El Lando, who started at 6-1. As the unplaced runners included Admiral Drake, who was mentioned as an English Derby possibility, El Lando must be a good colt. The Waimate Hunt Club’s programme for its meeting to be held on July 26, distributing £345 in stakes, has been issued. The stakes are small, but many trainers will give their. horses a run preparatory to the National Meeting, which will commence less than three weeks later. - ~ . Reports from Auckland show that Speakeasy was beaten a long way from home in the Great Northern Steeplechase, . in which he hit several of the fences very hard. He should be more at home over the Washdyke country next Saturday. As a winner of. the Great Western Steeplechase at Riverton last Easter, he appears to be leniently handicapped at 9.7, Callamart and Make Up were the main disappointments m ■ the Great Northern Steeplechase, as they never looked dangerous. Make Up was very tired when he reached the top of the hill in the final round, and he had a life when he hit the. fence near the mile post the first time, W. Rennie making a clever recovery, after being out oh the horse’s neck. After the running of the King George Handicap at Ellerslie on Monday, H. N. Wiggins, the rider of the winner, Tradesman, was called before the Judicial Committee for changing his position at tho post. Tradesman drew Iso. 7 hut actually started from No. 2, after backing out of line a number ot times. Wiggins attempted to take Tradesman into his correct position, but was pushed out, and under the circumstances the stewards decided to take no action. , . , , • The caretaker at Wmgatui has a big task ahead of him in repairing the damage done to the track at the Winter Meeting. Since Wingatui was first established over thirty years ago the course has never had such a breaking up as it got last week-end, and, as it is four months before the club will race again, Mr Ruthven has plenty of time. It is quite on tho cards that the track will, ultimately, he all ' the better for the chopping Up it received. A reference to Winooka in a recent issue of a Lexington paper said that, as he would probably go to the stud in America, his appearance and pedioree were important. It said that Winooka’s pedigree was satisfactory, and that the only possible objection to his looks was his showhorse head and n6 Mate, a good performer in America, and who is to run in the Ascot Gold Cup. was an interesting competitor, for tho Newbury Spring Cup, Im, at Newbury (Eng.) on April 14. He was not fancied, and with 9.7 (minimum 6.7] did well tn finish sixth in a field of fifteen. F. Fox, who had the mount,

[By St. Clair.]

July 21.—Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club. July 26.—Waimate Hunt Club. July 28.—South Canterbury ■ J.O. July 28.—Manawatu R.C. TROTTING. June 20, 25.—Auckland T.C. June 24-.—Hawke’s Bay T.C.

said be was well pleased with him, his only fault being that be was a little too keen. Evidently Mate is something of a puller. In America they do not spare their horses on the training track. Over a fortnight before the running of the Kentucky Derby some of the candidates for that race were doing remarkable trials, one being a mile by Discovery at Havre de Grace (Baltimore) in ■1.37 4-5. It sounds a remarkable effort, and any Australian trainer who had a three-year-old capable of doing that would think be had any race for horses of that age well in his pocket. And Discovery did not win the Derby. _

In winning a two-year-old division at Moonee. Valley recently, Chelandric put up a course record of 1.7$ for five and a-lialf furlongs, and comfortably beat the second horse, Fersen. Chelandric was the highest-priced yearling at the 1933 sales in Sydney, Mr C. B. Kcllow paying 1,400 gs for him. He is a brother to Top Hole, being by Heroic from Green Peach, by Greenstead from Cygnea, whose half-brother, Erasmus, ran second in Poitrel’s Melbourne Cup. Scotland’s Grand National Steeplechase, of £I,OOO, was run at Bogsido on April 14, and was won by Southern Hero (11.5), who at 4 to 1 shared favouritism with Kellsboro’ Jack (12.0), last year’s Liverpool Grand National winner. The distance was three miles seven furlongs, and Southern Hero, who made all the running, won by ten lengths from Ready Cash (12.0), who summarily defeated Kellsboro’ Jack. Only four of the eight runners finished. It was only after a very thorough investigation that the Florida Racing Commissiori (Miami, TJ.S.A.) recently ruled off seven men—one being the superintendent of the pool room—for pari-mutuel frauds at Tropical Park meetings. The men worked together to increase the number of tickets on winning horses, and managed it so that the tally sheet would show the same number of tickets 3old, and the same amount of cash received. This meant manipulating the investments on losing horses. On an up-to-date totalisator such procedure would be almost impossible, but not with the pari-mueutl. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Racing Conference will be, held on July 13, and one of the remits that will concern Otago country clubs is the proposal put forth by the Tuapeka Jockey Club asking ;that clubs be allowed, if they desire, to include three trotting races on their programmes. If this is allowed it would greatly help ■ such clubs as Cromwell, Vincent, Tapanui, Beaumont, and Tuapeka, which at the present time find it diffiout to attract a sufficient number of _ gallopers to provide good fields in six races. Granting this permission would not in any way affect owners of race horses, and would be of great _ help to the country clubs named, which would then be able to put eight races on each dav’s card.

Bogus tickets for sweepstakes drawn in Dublin and Calcutta have found ready sale in America, and this year the racketeers printed and sold Kentucky Derby tickets bearing _ the name “ American Turfmen’s Association ” in order to give the impression that a sweepstakes on the Kentucky Derby was being promoted by the American Turf Association, of which Churchill Downs is a subsidiary. Colonel M. J. Winn, president of the American Turf Association, issued a warning, advising the public that his organisation had nothing to do with the scheme, and cautioning everybody against patronage of it.

The campaign against “dope” is being carried out all over America. At Louisville last month the , Kentucky State Racing Commission decided > that the saliva test should be used in an effort to stamp out the use of narcotics in stimulating horses. A_ veterinarian appointed by the body is to select horses believed to be doped, and these, on the advice of the stewards, will be submitted to Jhe test. The commission also decided that in an effort to stamp, out doping, trainers, jockeys, and other stable employees licensed by the commission should be compelled to give their entire life history. Those who have been questioned by other racing commissions and Federal authorities regarding the use of narcotics will be denied licenses. At New ■ Orleans on April 12 an owner-trainer who raced horses at the New Orleans meetings was convicted of having possessed and administered narcotics to one of his horses. He was sentenced to serve a year and a day in the Atlanta Penitentiary. In nearly every State the racing commissions have warned “ dopers ” what is in store for them if they are caught. An interesting story centres round Valpeen, the Great Northern Steeplechase winner, who is owned by Mr Gordon Campbell, a young farmer, whose sporting instincts, apart from racing, include boxing and football, while this is the first racehorse he has ever owned. Valpeen is by Valkyrian, his dam being an unnamed mare, believed to bo by Spalpeen, a high-class hurdler and the sire of many great jumpers, including El Gallo, twice winner of the Great Northern double. Mr Campbell bought the Spalpeen mare a few years ago, and he bred Valpeen, who is treated as a family pet. One of Ins peculiarities is that he will drink nothing but milk, half a gallon being given to' him in his mash each night. All that Mr Campbell expected of his horse was that he would be a good hack. A year or two ago he started to take Valpeen to the meets of the Waikato Hunt, and it was as a result of his excellent jumping that it was decided to try him as a racehorse. He looked a fit horse when he started in the Great Northern, but, according to the story of his breeder-owner-trainer, he has had an unorthodox preparation for racing. His main exercise up to a year ago was chasing the cows on the farm, but more earnest wprk has naturally been given him during the present season, topped off with visits to the Matamata trade, where he has been schooled from*time to time over the fences. These visits have entailed walks of fourteen miles each way, but »Valpeen is so hardy that apparently the distance has meant little to him.