RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23687, 21 September 1940, Page 8

RACING NOTES

[By St. Clair.]

RACING. September 28.—Kurow Jockey Club. September 28.—Foxton Racing Club. September 28, 50. Ohinemun Jockey C October 3, s.—Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. October 12.— Otaki-Maori Racing Uub. October 12, 14.—Dunedin Jockey Club. October 12, 14.—Auckland Racing C üb. October VI. 19.—Masterton Racing Club. October 19. South Canterbury Jockey Club. ■'V tc— October 19.—Rotorua and Bay'oKFlenty Hunt. . , October 19.—Stratford Racing Club. October. 24. 26, 28.—Wellington Racing October 26.—Poverty Bay Turf Club. October 26. 28.— Gore Racing Club.

JOTTINGS

Reason for Withdrawal. Land Raid was withdrawn from the hurdle race at Orari on Thursday on account of his usual rider, E. J. Jennings, not being available. Change of Starter. Owing to Mr A. J. Hastings having to do tbo starting at the Wellington trotting meeting to-day, Mr I • D. "M*Nab was iu charge of tho starting barrier at Orari this afternoon. Pulled Up Sore. Dunstau finished last in the Geraldine Cup, and on returning to the enclosure appeared to be favouring one of Ins I®B S - He does not look like surviving the first payment for the New Zealand Cup. Handicapper Present. Mr W. Russell, handicapper to the Dunedin Jockey Club, was present at the Geraldine meeting on Thursday. Mr Russell will declare the handicaps for the New Zealand Cup .next Friday. A Cup Specialist. The success of Night Dress in the Geraldine Cup on Thursday marked his fourth success in cup races. Disappointing. Taxpayer was slow to find his feet over the early stages of the Raukapuka Handicap on Thursday, and was never travelling like a winner. Though he did finish third there was little merit in the placing. Consistent. Another second placing was scored by Master Dingle in the hurdle race on Thursday, and he has raced very consistently during the past two or three months, but just lacks that brilliancy at- the end of his races to be able/to win. ( Not Good Enough. Airline, who is engaged in the New Zealand Cup, was very confidently supported in the Raukapuka Hack Handicap on Thursday, and though ho only carried 7.1 and had a good run throughout the race had no chance with Halt. He does not look a New Zealand Cup proposition. Class By Himself. -Recollection stood out in a class by himself among the hurdlers seen at .Orari on Thursday, and could have made his winning margin much wider had it been necessary. Always well placed, he made the opposition look very cheap over the last two furlongs. Aptly Named. Halt, who returned a sensational divi- > <lend when he won the Raukapuka Hack Handicap, is by Nightmareli from Peho, and the, aptness of his name will appeal to all old" soldiers. He is owned and trained by Mr " r ‘ Kenny ” Sutherland, who supported him with some confidence ou the totalisator. ' „ Oamaru Trained. Green Gables, who was first out of the barrier at the start of the Ohapi Handicap on Thursday, is a three-vear-old filly by Vermeer from Ann Acre, and carries the same colours as The Raker She was haying her first race, and looks like making good. Green Gables is one of N. J. Dwyer’s team trained at Oamaru. Requests Declined. It is'reported that the executive of the Racing Conference has declined ,the applications of the Ashburton County Racing Club to change the date of its summer meeting to the King’s Birthday, the Hororata Racing Club’ to hold its meeting at Riccarton, and the Tapanui Racing Club to race at Wingatui. Not Improved. Interest was taken in the appearance of Crack o’ Dawn in the hurdle raw on Thursday. As a two and three-year-old she showed a lot .of promise when carrying _Dr Nigel Smith’s colours. Now racing as a five-year-old, she has not filled out as expected, and after hitting the second hurdle hard dropped out of the contest. Juvenile Parade. Three rising two-year-okls were paraded and sprinted down the straight at Orari on Thursday afternoon. They were Damascus, a gelding by Paper Money from Aspiring: Prince Shad, a gelding by Paper Money from AVanaka; and Dancette, a filly by Speardanee from Carette. The two first named are owned by Mr F. C. Christie, and the other bv Mv J. Mitchell. Damascus and Dancette showed to the best advantage.

TROTTING. October s.—Mclhveu Trolling Club October 12.—New Brighton Trolling Club. October 26, 28.—Greymoutb Trotting Club. October 26. 30.—Auckland Trotting Club. October 28. —Oamaru Trotting Club. November 2.—lnvercargill Trotting Club. November 2.—Wellington Trotting Club. November 12, 14, 15. - New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. November 23, 23.—Forbury Park Trotting Club. . November 30, December 7. Waikato Trotting Club.

Schooling Has Improved Him. Since he last raced Dranoel'has been given several lessons over the schooling hurdles at Riccarton, and it has certainly improved his manners at the barrier. In the Belfield Hack Handicap on Thursday he was unlucky to lose some ground at the far turn, which cost him more than the margin Iceland Spar beat him by at the finish.

For Patriotic Purposes. The Geraldine meeting this week is being run for patriotic funds, and in consequence there was a heavy curtailment ou complimentary tickets, but this did not affect the attendance, which was easily the largest seen on the first day of this fixture. Race cards were sold out early in the day, and the gate receipts showed an increase of £3O

Racing Well. Petersham, who has not won a race for over a year, ran a good race in the Geraldine Cup. the best he has run for some time. He carried nearly 21b overweight to secure the services of C. T. Wilson, and was only beaten by a narrow margin. His return to the winning list should not he far away.

First Win in Present Owner’s Colours

Night Dress, who is now trained by S. Barr at Riccarton, won the Geraldine Cup well. He was purchased by Mr W. Parsons last autumn, and scored his first win in that owner’s colours. Ni£ht Dress looked well in the parade before the race, being much lighter than when he last raced. As he is now nicely handicapped Night Dress should score again before long.

Won Nicely. Hearth was inclined to be on her toes before doing her preliminary at Orari on Thursday, but when placed in the barrier she stood well. AV. F. Ellis, who had the mount on the Paladin filly, was quite content to let Gay Parade, Skyrena, and Kilrobe set the pace over the earlv stages, and once in the straight Hearth very easily cub them down. t Geraldine Totalisator Turnover.

Last year the Geraldine meeting was held shortly after the declaration of war, and the totalisator turnover on the opening day fell from £9,400 10s in 1938 to £7,873 10s. Thursday’s turnover, however,; was £2,447 better than in 1938. Judging from the number of cars in the motor enclosure there was no shortage of petrol in South Canterbury on Thursday.

Failed To Stay. With only two furlongs to go Combat was stil well clear of the field in the Geraldine Cup, and it did not look as if the field would catch him, but just after entering the straight Petersham van up to him and Combat was done with. He had every chance, but it looks as if a mile and a-quarter is too far for the IRosenor gelding. An Attractive Performance. '-All Night, a four-year-old gelding by NigTitlyArom Oloraue, put up a very attractive performance to win the Ohapi Handicap at"Orari on Thursday, Starting from almost the outside of the . line at the harrier, All Night lost nearly a dozen lengths at the start and then won. He is trained by the veteran, “ Billy ” M'Donald, and will win again in much better company than he beat on this occasion. Totalisator Management. There were complaints, and, from inquiries made, not without good cause, regarding the pay-out arrangements made at the Geraldine meeting on Thursday. An increase in the turnover of over 50 per cent, on last year’s figures was evidently not provided for by the management on that side of the totalisator, and the delays caused by insufficient staff caused a lot of inconvenience to dividend collectors. •'

A Good Apprentice. If tuition counts for anything in the making of a good jockey, AV. F. Ellis should climb high in his profession. A son of F. AV. Ellis, himself a good horseman, and nephew of two of the Dominion’s leading horsemen in A. E. and L. J. Ellis, young Ellis can surely bo said to be bred to the game, and his father and uncles have given him the best of tuition. His handling of Hearth at Orari on Thursday was equal to that of the best of our jockeys, and one good judge, a trainer of many years’ experience, remarked after the race; “ That lad is the best light-weight apprentice riding in New Zealand today.”

Unlucky. On tho good work ho had been doing at Iliccarton Forriby was a paddock tip for the Belficld Hack Handicap on Thursday, and was unlucky to ho beaten. About half a niilo from homo he met with sonic interference and dropped back from second to second last. Ho was standing up tlio loaders a good deal of ground at the home turn, but had his apprentice rider elected to go up on tho outside of the leaders, instead of trying to force his way between Iceland Spar, Great Night, and Dranocl, lie would have probably won, as he appeared to bo checked twice during th'e run down the straight.

Good Horsemanship. L. J. Ellis was seen to advantage in hip two winning rides at the Geraldine meeting on Thursday. In the Ohapi Stakes he drew No. 11 at the barrier, and owing to the field not being properly set when the harrier was released his mount was badly left, and after a furlong had been covered was about a dozen lengths behind the leader. Ellis did not bustle All Night, but let him find his legs well before setting out after the leaders. Getting within striking distance at the home turn, he then put in a well-timed run to score well. In the concluding event Ellis rode Iceland Spar, and it was his vigorous riding over the final furlong that landed him a winner.

Badly Mannered. Happymau, who finished third in the first trotting race at Orari on Thursday, is a live-year-old by Man o’ War from Dillon Maid, and has more than tho average pace, but Ims yet to learn something about maimers, lie left the bander smartly, but with less than a furlong to go from tho mile and three furlongs barrier on the Orari course there is a sharp turn into the straight. Despite the, efforts of his trainer-driver, Happymau ran right out to the fence on the outside of the course, and it was not until well after making the next turn that his driver was able to get him back on to the course. He then ran up into second place, and lost more ground again turning for home. The extra ground Happymau covered was very much more than the margin he was beaten by. When he learns to take the shortest course Happymau should do well off the limit. Question of Rules. The Geraldine Racing Club on Thursday apparently committed a breach of tho Rules of Trotting when it allowed 20 horses to start from the limit of tho Geraldine Trot Handicap, of one mile and three furlongs. A table compiled by tho New Zealand Trotting

Association gives tlic safety number of starters at the mile ami three furlongs post at Geraldine as 10, but to this number may ho added throe horses. It is hard to understand why the club and its stipendiary stewards did not insist on the race being run in divisions, as was expected by many keen followers of trotting. Had the race been run in divisions the Geraldine Club would have bad to increase the stake by 50 per cent. The failure of the club to run the race in divisions will probably bo the subject of a discussion at the meeting of the board of the Now Zealand Trotting Association on October 2. A Promising Pacer. Haughty won both light harness races at Orari on Thursday very easily. She is a five-year-old mare by Nelson Derby from Regal Voyage, who in her day held a record of under 4min 20sec for two miles. Haughty, who is one of Air 13. Grice’s team, did not appear to have much in hand at the finish of the first race, won in Amin Bsec, equal to about 2min olsec for a mile and a-qnarter. In the second race Haughty was backed down to a very short price, and started off a mark equal to Amin Iscc. She was not hurried over the early stages,

and at the cud of two furlongs the only horses behind her wore two that failed to go away correctly. Her driver, O. E. Hooper, was content to stay at the, rear of the field until about five furlongs from homo, then moved up on the outside, and on the turn for borne was outside four sulkies. Rut in the run borne nothing was able to foot it with Hanghtv, who won easily in 2min 45 4-sscc. Haughty was not engaged in to-day’s races, and like many other good ones from this stable, promises to bold her own in much better classes than she raced in at Geraldine.