RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22451, 23 September 1936, Page 5

RACING NOTES

[By St. Clair.]

RACING. September 24, 26. —Geraldine R.C. September 26.—Marten Jockey Club. September 26.—Napier R.C. October 3.—Kurow J.C. October 3. —Otaki Maori Racing Club. October 3, 5. —Taumarunui Racing Club (at Paeroa). October 8, 10.—Dunedin Jockey Club. October 10. —Dannevirke Racing Club (at Waipukurau). October 10, 12. —Auckland Racing Club. October 16, 17.—Maslerton Racing Club. October 17.—South Canterbury Jockey Club. . . October 17, 19.—Dargaville Racing Club (at Avondale). October 22, 24, 23.—Wellington Racing Club. October 24, 26.—Gore Racing Club. October 26.—Waverley Racing Club. October 26.—Waipawa County Racing Club (at Hastings). THE GERALDINE MEETING Many years ago the Geraldine Meeting attracted the best horses in training in the South Island, and the Geraldine Clip was looked upon as giving a good line to the chances of most of°the South Island horses engaged in the New Zealand Cup. This annual fixture will be commenced to-morrow on the Orari racecourse, a track about a mile in circumference, and with fairly sharp turns. Eleven New Zealand Cup candidates are engaged, seven of them —Wino, Rona Bay, Golden King, The Surgeon, Tout le Monde, Queen Dorothy, and Gold Cross— in the cup, and Tnnneller, Willie Win, Epris, and Carfex in minor handicaps. The course will be in good order, and the following horses should be fancied in their respective engagements : First Hurdle Handicap, 1m 5f. — Vitaphone, Redolent, Chrysology. Ohapi Hack Handicap, 6f.—Calotte, Fog Peak, Shawlette. Geraldine Cup, lira.—Queen Dorothy, Rona Bay, The Surgeon. Geraldine Trot, Class 3.5. IJm. — Janet Gaynor, Zincali, Grattan Girl. Squatters’ Handicap, 6f.—Grey Honour, Bay Duke, Metal Bird. Raukapuka Hack Handicap, 7f.— Fiord, Poniard, Rose of Tralee. Orari Trot, Class 3.2. 11m. —Marseeres, Fay Rey. Dual. Belfield Handicap, 1m 100yds.—Alatoru, Carfex, Queen Dorothy, (if reserved). DUNEDIN GUINEAS CANDIDATES Several Dunedin Guineas candidates raced at the Ashburton Meeting. In the Novice Stakes Thermidor was the first to run Calotte down, after this speedy four-year-old had led to the straight. Thermidor looked a winner when she ran to the front, but her stable-mate, Trench Fight, then came on the scene with a telling run, which soon settled the issue. The winner is a well-grown Winning Hit colt, a brother to Fracas. He was having his first start, and if he remains sound lie may prove quite up to the class' of his well-performed relative. Thermidor, a half-sister to the Auckland Cup winner Minerva), had run only once previously, and she will be an early winner. The Southland gelding Fog Peak showed speed, but failed to stay, while Aggravate was unlucky at the start, but will do better. Sir Hugh ran a good race when he was second in the Penscroft Hack Handicap. The winner. Jack Ahoy, is a promising four-year-old, due for even better deeds. Sir Hugh beat the rest of the field in impressive style, as he was badly placed early and had a lot of ground to make up. Double Gift will improve on his form in this race, but may never be more than useful. Pelmet disappointed in the Spring Handicap, as she _ faded out quickly after being prominent to the home turn. Sir Hugh and Trench Fight came through Ashburton with bright prospects. RIDING AND DRIVING FEES At Monday night’s meeting of the Canterbury Owners’ and Breeders’ Association a discussion took place on driving and riding fees. Mr J. S. Shaw said he considered the scale of fees paid altogether too low and he thought they should be on the same basis as those paid in the galloping sport. The profession—and he considered race driving a profession that demanded a long apprenticeship—was not a profitable one, and if time were taken as the basis the remuneration was not 3d an hour. It was as much as some trainers and drivers received, and he also instanced cases of men attempting to train horses at cut rates. In answer to a question Air Shaw said whether the trainer was the rider or driver or not, he should still be paid for his services. The rider of a galloper was paid £2, where the fee for an outside driver was £l. A trainer was in a had way when the cost of gear and sulkies was taken into consideration. Most men who owned trotters or pacers wanted a trainer, to take them on terras, but to his way of thinking this was making the sport very cheap. Air R. Hampton said it was nothing short of a scandal that men should be asked to drive in a field of 20 or 30 horses for a miserable £l.

The Hon. G. R. Hunter, M.L.C., said the whole business of racing was in the melting pot. It was a day. of reorganisation for all. Besides drivers’ and riders’ fees, the condition under which stable boys lived would also be a matter for investigation. He also thought some consideration should be given to the matter of the amount of money wagered off the racecourse. He knew that double the amount of money put through the totalisator was invested through illegal channels. He thought that was the big problem that confronted the _ trotting and racing sport. Organisation amongst the galloping and trotting bodies was go-

October 26.—North Canterbury Jockey Club. , October 26.—Waikato Hunt Club. October 29, 31.— Poverty Bay Turf Club. October 31.—Banks Peninsula Racing Club. . . October 31.—Rangitikei Racing Club. November 5, 7.—Wliangarei Racing Club. November 7. —Hawke’s Bay Racing Club. November 7,9, 11, i-4 ■ —Canterbury Jockey Club.

TROTTING. October 3. —Metliven T.C. October 10.—New Brighton T.C. October 17. —Waikato T.C. October 24, 26. -Auckland T.C. October 24, 26.—Grcyinoulh T.C. October 26.—Manawatu T.C. October 26. —Oaniaru T.C. October 31. —Wellington T.C. . November 10, 12, 13.—N./>. Metropolitan T.C. November 26, 26.—I'orbury Park T.C.

ing along, and when this was completed he thought the sport of horseracing would advance rapidly. Mr Hunter, on the suggestion of Mr T. G. h'ox, agreed to make fuller investigations, but on the motion of Mr Shaw it was also decided to write to the. New Zealand Trotting Conference asking for a restoration of fees to the 1931 standard.

JOTTINGS The first race at Geraldine to-morrow is timed to start at noon. The Oaniaru Trotting Chib has appointed Mr F. Legat, of Winton, starter for its meeting on Labour Lay. The belting at Geraldine to-morrow and Saturday will be on the single-pool system, with two dividends on fields ot five or more chances. The recently formed Wairio Trotting Club has a membership of 142, and intends holding its initial race meeting on December 5. Five lists of handicaps are due to appear next Monday—New Zealand Cup. Kurow, Dunedin, Otaki-Maori, and Auckland meetings. The nominations received the Kurow Meeting, to be he|d on Saturday of next week, are quite satisfactory, and with fine weather the success of this meeting is assured.

Queen of Song must have finished weli in the Spring Handicap at Rosehill. One of the broadcasters did not mention her in the early stages, but placed her fourth at the finish. The run should do the Washdyke mare a power of good.

Ray Duke and Wild Career, the two Riverton representatives engaged at Geraldine to-morrow, were sent north during the week-end. Both are reported to be fit and well, and should get into the money before returning south.

The name Will Shakespeare, claimed by Mr J. M. Samson for his Iliad— Anne Shakespeare colt has not been allowed in Australia, where a three-year-old races under the name of Shakespeare. This should leave Mr Samson free to name another of Anne Shakespeare’s progeny Will Shakespeare if he wishes.

After deducting the latest scratchings, there are still 50 names in the list of first acceptors for the Epsom Handicap and 53 in the Metropolitan. .Final payments are not due until October 1.

The English-bred mare, Half-a-Brnee, dam of Double Shot, has produced a colt foal to Myosotis, and Call Girl, Double Shot’s half-sister by Diacquenod, has foaled a colt to the defunct Shambles. Mr J. H. Prosser is the breeder.

At its two-day spring meeting, to be held next month, the Auckland Racing Club will give £6,350 in stakes, while the total for the four days of the summer fixture is £15.400;, The minimum prize at these two meetings is £3OO, the winner in these minor events receiving £2OO, so that, as was the case a few years ago, the winner of any race at Ellerslie automatically becomes ineligible for entry in back company.

After having seen Gustos fill fourth place in the Canterbury Guineas on September 5, a Sydney critic wrote: Gustos is a colt and a-half. and in spite of only finishing fourth may win both Derbies and Melbourne Cup—a big statement to make; still, that is my opinion after seeing him fill fourth place in view of- what happened. Time will tell.

A year ago, with the introduction of the John Grigg Stakes, a barrier was erected at the half-mile post on the Ashburton course, but its position, alongside the rails, on a turn was not ideal. The weakness was remedied this year, and on Saturday the two-year-olds were started from a freshlyerected barrier, wide out from the rails and giving the horses a straight run before they reached the home turn.

Jack Ahoy and Stolen March will be bracketed iu the Raukapuka Handicap at Orari. and Convivial and Universe will be bracketed in the same race. Royal Grattan and Grattan Girl will be coupled in the Geraldine 1 rot, and owing to the number of acceptors exceeding the capacity of the totalisator. Renew will be bracketed with Zincali.

The following entries have been received for the main event at the Auckland Spring Meeting:—Mitchelson Cup, £7OO and gold cup valued at £o0: one mile and a-half; —Delrain, Silver Brier, Lagoon, Mpngatoon. Royal Appellant, Jonathan. Ferscn. Knight of Australia, Mazir, Tybalt, Calicnte, Gay Rose, Tcddj’ Bov, High Tea, Con Fnoco. King Tut. Red Manfred. Spiral. Master Briefly. Sunee, Rn n 'nrm, King Musk, Horowhenua, Dark Shadow, Flood Tide, Scotland, Bronze Tray, Tradesman. Publication of dividends is prohibited in New Zealand, though Australian papers containing the figures are allowed to circulate here. ft'does not seem to be an offence, either, to announce dividends in an Indirect way (says the Timaru 1 Herald 1 ), but one quite intelligible to the initiated. Thus one winner at Avondale paid “ the price of two racebooks better than J to 1 (£4 2s). Backers of one second horse “ left a fifth of their money in the machine ” (obviously receiving back 10s) ; supporters of another “ lost the price of a drink 11 ( s o collecting 19s in the £) ; and in a third case the ceturii was “ a shilling short of C to 4 ” (£- 19s).

The ex-New Zealand jockey, K. Voitre. has for some time past been the victim of more than bis share or interference in races on Melbourne courses. So much has this been the

case that it is being assorted that the trouble is not all accidental. It is of some interest, in view of this opinion, to note that some Melbourne writers have commented recently on the need of drastic action by the officials. One critic points out that, though riders have been given terms of suspension, the trouble has not abated. Rough and careless riding is as rampant as ever. Fields are disorganised, at times through accident, but more often than not by design. The only cure is a system ot severe penalties, suspension for three months being urged as the minimum. If riders found their living cut off for a term, they might realise that rough tactics did not pay.

Referring to Fersen’s success at Foxton on Saturday, “ The Watcher,” in the ‘ Dominion, ! says: “Backers wisely' disregarded Fersen’s failure at Wanganui, and ridden by an experienced rider, he won the Carnarvon Gold Cup all the way. It was a ridiculously run race, the field being content to let Fersen lob along in front at halfpace for six furlongs, and then, of course, there was a rush by everybody. This should have suited Dungarvcn, as lie was in behind Fersen on the fence all the way, and ho did look dangerous when he made a move entering the straight, hut Fersen went away again very comfortably at the finish, while Dungarveu only just stalled off West Tor. Lapel, Sunee, and Round Score were next. Fersen stripped well, and would probably have won no matter how the race was run.”

The meeting of First King and Chester in the Champion Stakes in IS7B was invested with great interest. Up to that period the fastest time recorded for the three-mile weight-for-age race was 5.31. and it was related that Ettie de Mestre, trainer of Chester, who was on the most friendly terms with James Wilson, owner and trainer of First King, confided to him that Chester could he depended upon to run the three miles in 5.30. Nothing taken aback, the owner of First King countered by declaring that First King would encompass the distance in 5.2(5 if required, which opinion the colt endorsed, and, as he romped home in front in the time quoted, it was made finite clear that he could have reduced the record still further had he been ridden out. For many years First King was regarded as the greatest horse that had graced the Australian turf.