COURSING

Evening Star, Issue 23383, 28 September 1939, Page 5

COURSING

NOTES AND COMMENTS DUNEDIN CLUB'S FIXTURE [By Plumpion.] The Dunedin Coursing Club held a successful meeting to decide the Burroll Memorial Cup and the Denys Davy Cup Stakes. The weather was ideal for coursing and there were many excellent courses. The hares were in wonderful racing condition, being well cared for and, above all, from a greyhound owner’s point of view, well trained. The officials, under the guidance of their energetic secretary, Mr E. J. Scanlan, carried out their duties most capably. The club’s judge, Mr A. L. Mitchell, was again warmly congratulated on the excellent manner in which his decisions were given. The slipper, Mr J. Marks, was again seen to advantage, his slipping throughout being first-rate.

MEMORIAL CUP TO PINK LAD. Mr I. Latimer’s Pink Lad (Royal Sovereign—Miss Mannequin) showed great improvement on previous form to win the Cup. His form in winning the Dewar Cup was not to Jbe compared with his form at this meeting. He not only showed improvement on pace, but also a very marked improvement on working ability and determination to go in on his game at the turns. In the first round he defeated Even Money bv 3 points to 2 after leading up by two lengths. In the second round he met Fairy Divot, whom he defeated by 3 points to nil after leading up by a length. In the final course he defeated Hurry Away, who led him up by a length and turned, after which Pink Lad, in most determined fashion, scored three good turns before the hare escaped. The points were 3-2. Mr A. Whittington’s Hurry Away (Invader— Gay Lass) raced in great form ,in the first course especially. In his next two courses he appeared to be a little stiff in his movements. In the first round, when he defeated Determination, he moved up very fast and with an excellent free action. In this course he also worked the hare_ well. Indeed, this was his best exhibition of working to date. To beat Determination he led up nicely by three lengths, after which the working was fairly evenly divided and, if anything, slightly in favour of Determination. The points were 6J-4. Hurry Away next raced a bye, and in the final was defeated as previously stated. If this son of Invader were to be kept on the move after each course and given only half the rubbing down that most greyhounds in work receive, he'would without doubt prove one of New Zealand’s best performers. He is, in “ Plumpton’s ” opinion, the fastest greyhound racing in the country at the present time. Mr J. Wilson’s Fairy Divot (Divot’s Pride, imp.—Fairy Terms) finished out of the money for the first time this season. • He has had five starts for two wins, one second, and one third. Fairy Divot in form is certainly the goods, but at this meeting he raced very much below bis true form. Although this is his third season of racing, he is by no means a spent force and should still race well next season, as he has at all times been carefully handled and at no time over-raced., Mr J. Wilson’s Determination (Happy Tornado—Presentation) is by no means the brilliant bitch seen in action at the beginning of the season. She has not recovered from the accident she met with some time ago, before which she looked certain to be one of the best performers in the. South Island, She is now to be retired to the stud, and if present intentions are carried out she will be mated with Mr Tait’s stud sire, Valarch. Mr J. T. Jarvis’s Even Money (Even Lad—Electric Alma) again raced well for his ago, and, but for terminating the course early, might have won the flag from Pink Lad. With ordinary luck, Mr Jarvis should win a stake with this dog. - EL CAPITAN WINS. Mr D. Harwood’s El Capitan (My Troubles—Greygown’s Image), winner of the Denys. Davy Cup, showed great pace and determination for a dog of 20 months. This was his first outing, and his owner certainly has something to enthuse over in this dog, which gave Tn'm big first win at the sport. In the first round fie led up by two lengths, turned and tripped the hare, to beat his opponent, Atua Rere, by 3i points to 0. In his next course he led up nicely by three lengths, »and worked the hare very cleverly. He also scored two nice go-byes, and won from Electric Flash by 9-0. In the final he defeated Electric Spear by 5 to 1, after leading up by three lengths. Mr R. Fitzgerald’s Electric Spear (Electric Blue—Paddy’s Lass) was a very determined and clever worker. This dog should win stakes next season. To be runner-up to El Capitan she first defeated The Trimmer, who early in the course broke her leg. The judge allowed no points for the lead up, and when the course finished Electric Spear had scored 7 points. He next ran a bye, and was beaten in the final. Mr R. Fitzgerald’s Electric Flash, a brother to Electric Spear, showed signs of having pace as long as his condition lasted. Next season, when in condition, this dog will be hard to head off. Mr C. R. Mark’s The Trimmer (Bold Brigand—Snowbird) showed much promise until she broke her leg and later had to be destroyed. This is very unfortunate for Mr Marks, as this bitch was definitely the most promising greyhound he has kennelled since the days when he owned that great performer, Grey Gipsy (Jolly Tar—Parade, winner of the Australasian Waterloo Cup in 1924). Miss P. Collins’s Atua Rere (Invader—Sylvandale) again showed promise for a 13-xnonths-old puppy. This bitch certainly put heart into her efforts, and it will not bo surprising to see her among the best performers next season. She is already looked on as a 1940 Waterloo Cup prospect. BIG MONEY IN THE GAME. Some idea of what a big business speed coursing has grown into in the last few years may be obtained by a perusal of the balance sheet of _ the Victorian Coursing Association_Limited, the company controlling White City. The paid-up capital of the company is £59,909, of which £44,909 was paid up in cash. Takings for the year ended Juno 30 amounted to £44,361. Stakes, wages, racing expenses, etc., absorbed £37,049, and the company showed a profit of £6,525 on the year’s operations. In their report directors state that, in their opinion, “ the_ year’s operations have not been materially affected by items of an abnormal character,” and they will recommend to the meeting that a dividend of 2s a share bo declared. T-he report must be most

satisfying to shareholders, particularly as a few years ago shares were considered to be practically worthless. In fact, £1 shares which had reached £2 10s fell to as low as 2s 6d overnight when the Government banned betting behind a mechanical quarry.