Punters' NOTEBOOK

Evening Star, Issue 23681, 14 September 1940, Page 8 (Supplement)

Punters' NOTEBOOK

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Last week’s track work at Riccarton was disorganised to an unusual extent for this time of the year, and galloping, which was not possible all the week, was resumed only last Tuesday. The tracks were subjected to a soaking rain, and although this was welcomed from a growth point of view, the going on Tuesday was very soft, and only a few horses appeared able to handle it to any advantage. Fortunately, most of the horses engaged at the Ashburton meeting were well advanced, and trainers had no reason to complain of the interruption.

The Geraldine Racing Club’s annual race meeting next week will draw a big contingent from Riccarton, while there is promise of the local stables responding liberally to the call for nominations by the Kurow Club, which will hold its annual race meeting at Oamarn at the end of the month.

Riccarton stables are represented in the New Zealand Cup list of nominations by The Wrecker, Royal Chief, Capricious, Dictate, Lockit, Pink Lad, Settlement, Winning Rival, Willie Win, Wardress, Guilder, Wagner, Great Night, and Night Hawk. Two of these, Wagner and Guilder, must be considered doubtful starters even in minor events during the spring. Both pulled up very lame after galloping on Tuesday. Royal Chief is booked to have his next racing after Ashburton at the Wellington meeting next month, and a similar plan will _bo followed with Willie Win. Capricious is to race at the South Canterbury meeting next month and at the Banks Peninsula meeting early in November, and many of the others will probably have the same programme, while some will be a Wingatui.

Mr F. A. Jarrett, who has acted as judge for the Banks Peninsula Racing Club and the North Canterbury Racing Club in recent years, has resigned on account of attending an officers’ training class at Trenthain, and Mr A. O. Wellwood, of Christchurch, has been appointed to fill the position.

Lady Leigh will hold the honour of being one of the first New Zealand 1 mares to be mated with the Derby winner Coronach, who arrived at AuckI land this week. She was sent to . Wanganui this week.

| F. D. Jones is at present training a two-year-old' colt by Lord Warden from Jaol, dam of Rabble, for Mr ,H. " D. Hamilton, of the West Coast, and an English bred two-year-old filly by Blan- , donian for Mr J. Porter, of Abaroa.

j Mungatoon is once again a visitor to ; the tracks. He was purchased last | year by Mr H. D. Greenwood to act as i a companion for Defaulter on the Aus- | tralian trip, and since his return lias I been turned out on Mr Greenwood’s J property. It is now intended to try I him as a hurdler, and in some private ! schooling he has shaped exceptionally [ well.

| The Hororata Racing Club proposes i to hold its annual race meeting at Hic- ' carton in December. The club has | made several improvements to its own 1 course, but owing to its isolation, ami the prevailing restrictions, it was not considered advisable to attempt racing at home. The fixture will be appreciated by Riccarton trainers, as it will j fill in a gap between the New Zealand ■ Cup meeting and the holiday programmes.

Included in a list of licenses recommended to be granted by the Canterbury Jockey Club was one for J. J. Lewis, of Ashburton, who is probably the oldest trainer in New' Zealand today. He retired from the game a good few years ago. but when lie was recently offered a horse to train, he decided to apply for reinstatement in his old occupation. The many friends of the veteran throughout the South Island will wish him well.

The nominations for the New Zealand Cup totalled 61, or eight short of last year’s total. As has been the case generally, there are no three-year-olds in the field. Eighteen are four-year-olds, 16 are five-year-olds, 11 six-year-olds, 11 seven-year-olds, two eight-year-olds, two nine-year-olds, and one 10-yoar-old. The last-named is Limbohm, winner of this year’s Grand National Hurdle race. Of the total, 33 hail from the North Island, and of the 28 from ttho South Island, 16 are trained at Riccarton. Interesting entrants include Royal Chief, Willie Win, Capricious, Dictate, The Buzzer, Siegmund, The Cardinal, Sparkle, Yogi,

Beaurepaire, Royal Appellant, Little Robin, Sly Fox, Classform, Anita Foe, Peerless, and Te Kawiti.

The two-year-olds at (Riccaron have not yet been put to any serious tests, the recent wet weather causing a break in their preparations, while the cancellation of the John Grigg Stakes, which was to have been held at Ashburton this week-end, also caused a change of plans with the trainers who had intended to race their youngsters in that event. Now the M'Lean Stakes at Wingatui will provide the first opportunity for juvenile racing, and several Riccarton youngsters arc likely to go south, but tbo strength of the quota will not be known for a while yet.

The Dunedin Guineas should also attract a fair representation from the Canterbury end. This nifty include Don’t Forget, Shikari, Pleading, Atrens, Retrogression, Stylosa, and Doria.

The useful Southland hack, Royal Lancer, is now in A. S. Ellis’s stable at Riccarton, and will be in that trainer’s charge until the Dunedin meeting, at which ho will he taken over again by F. W. Ellis.

In a letter received from Mr O. Loo, stud groom at Mr 10. Steele’s Windsor Park Stud, Oamaru, the following information regarding foalings and matings is supplied: —Merry Miss, by Son-in-law, has foaled a filly to Phaleron Bay and will visit Defaulter; Homedale, by Rossendale, dam of Home Secretary, by Solicitor-General, is in foal to Siegfried, and is to visit Defaulter; Gobble, by Tea Tray, dam of Skyrena and Adviser, is in foal to Siegfried, and is to visit him again ; First Cast, by Salmon Trout, is in foal to Bulandshar, and is to visit Siegfried; Falcon, by Flamingo, is in foal to Defoe, and is to be mated with Phaleron Bay; Doretta, by Foxlaw, is in foal to Defoe, and is to visit Phaleron Bay; Karlova, by Clarissimus, bred in France, is in foal to Bulandshar or Siegfried, and is to visit Broiefort. Mr Steele paid some high prices for his imported mares, and should in time build up a first-class stud. He intends to sell his yearlings at the Trenthain sales each season.