RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23700, 7 October 1940, Page 2

RACING NOTES

RACING. October 12.—Otaki-Maori Racing Club. October 12, 14. —Dunedin Jockey Club. October 12, 14.—Auckland Racing Club. October 17, 19. —Masterldn Racing Club. October 19. —South Canterbury Jockey Club. October 19.—Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt. October 19.—Stratford Racing Club. October 24, 26, 28.—Wellington Racing Club. October 26.—Poverty Bay Turf Club. October 26. 28.—Gore Racing Club. October 28. —Waikato Hunt. October 28.—Poverty Bay Hunt. October 28.—Waverley Racing Club. October 28.—North Canterbury Racing Club. November 2.—Rangitikci Racing Club. November 2.—Banks Peninsula Racing Club.

JOTTINGS All by Imported Sires. Tho three placed horses in this year’s A.J.C. Derby Pandect, by Pantheon, Lucrative, by Gay Lothario, and Sun Valley, by Manitoba—are all by imported sires. New Zealand Successes in Epsom. Since Nighhnarch won the Epsom Handicap at Randwick in 1929 Autopay, Silver Ring, Synagogue, Gold Rod, and High Caste have been winners from the Dominion. A Good Mile. Capricious is being kept up to the collar at Riccarton in her preparation for the spring meeting at Wiugatui. On Saturday morning she ran a mile in Imiu 45scc after taking 53see for the first four furlongs. M'Lean Stakes Candidates, Two M’Lean Stakes candidates, in Pull Pitch and .Salutation were sprinted over three furlongs at Riccarton on Saturday morning, tho latter having tho best of it at the finish in 36see. Another candidate. Blue Bouquet, took 37 2-ssec,_ and Vergalia was beaten over half a mile in 51seo. A Useful Pair. Mr D. M. Twoedie’s pair, Gay Plight and Gold Plight, worked well at Riverton on Saturday morning. Tho former reeled off three furlongs attractively in 38sec, and Gold Plight took 66sec for five furlongs, after running the first furlong in 12sec and the first two in 25sec. New Zealand Cup Candidates. No horse engaged in the New Zealand Cup has yet rendered itself liable for a penalty, and the winner of the Mitchelson Cup, which carries a stake of £I,OOO if engaged in the Riccarton Handicap, will be the first to be dealt with.' The only New Zealand Cup candidates in the Auckland race are Beau Repaire 8.9, Sly Fox 8.1, and The Cardinal 7.0. Ajax’s Winnings £39,925. When Ajax won the Melbourne Stakes on Saturday he scored his thirty-sixth success and took his stako winnings to £39,925. Now fourth on the list of tho biggest winners in Australia and New Zealand Ajax still has to win £3,175 to equal Gloaming iu third place. Nicely Handicapped. Don’t Porget, with 7.5 in tho Air Foreo Handicap next Saturday, has been . very nicely handicapped in his first race in open company, and promises to start one of the favourites. On Saturday morning at Riccarlon he ran six furlongs in Imin 17 3-ssee, the last half-mile in 50 4-ssec. Doing Good Work. Winning Rival, who has 8.9 in the Churchill Handicap, to be run next Saturday, continues to do attractive work at Ricbartou, and on Saturday ran nine furlongs, the last mile m Imin 44 4-ssec. At Ashburton last month Winning Rival won over a mile and a-quarter under 7.12 in 2min 6 4-ssec. In Saturday’s race she will meet Petersham on even terms, The Raker on 61b and Swordstick on 71b worse terms. Welcome Rain. Trainers will* welcome to-day’s good rain at Wingatui, as it will take the sting out of No. 1 grass track, which was becoming bare of turf and firm. It will also do the course proper good for the spring meeting which opens next Saturday. Best of His Age. Certissimus, winner of the opening event at Methven on Saturday, is a three-year-old by Quite Sure, and recently won at a matinee meeting held at Washdyke. He is claimed as being the best straight-out trotter of his age ever seen in the Dominion. He marred a good performance on Saturday by breaking after a furlong had been covered, but won very easily.

[By St. Clair.]

November 2.—Poverty Bay Turf Club. November 9.—Napier Park Racing Club. November 9, 11.—Avondale Jockey Club. November 9, 11, 13, 16.—Canterbury Jockey Club. TROTTING. October 12.—New Brighton Trotting Club. October 25, 28.—Groymouth 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, 25.—Porbury Park Trotting Club. , November 30, December 7. —Waikato Trotting Club.

Wild Coon. It was reported last week that Wild Coou may not be a starter at the local spring meeting, but he is still doing gqc-d work at Riccarton. On Saturday morning lie and Shikari were mates over seven furlongs run iu Imin 29 3-ssec. Shikari was doing the better at the finish. Should Show Up. Spanish Lad had the M'Lean Stakes candidate Desert Maid as a companion over half a mile at Riverton on Saturday morning, and ran tho first furlong in 13sec and tho full journey in 51scc. Spanish Lad is well at present and should show up in the Air Force Handicap next Saturday. Now a Cheap Horse. Nigger Boy has now evidently become acclimatised to the North Island. On the first day of the Hawke’s Bay meeting he had little to spare at the end of six furlongs, but on Saturday, carrying over a stpne more, he beat a bigger and better field by five lengths. Nigger Boy has now proved himself to be a cheap horse at the 800 gs it was stated his present owners paid for him at the National meeting. Great Trainer Passes. A cable from Melbourne announces the death of tho veteran trainer .James' Scobie on Saturday at the age of 80. Ho retired recently. Winners of almost every important Australian race were prepared by Scobie. He won the Melbourne Cup with Bitali, King Ingoda, Cleansweep, and Trivalve, and secured £250,000 in stako money for patrons. Has Not Affected Attendances. It was considered at one time that petrol restrictions would have a very detrimental effect on racecourse attendances, says a Waikato paper, but so far the motorist is able to secure sufficient petrol to take him to country courses in the Auckland province. As an example of this, there were actually more cars at the Ohinemuri Club’s recent meeting than at any previous fixture of the club. Dark Flight. At the last New Zealand Cup Meeting Dark Plight finished third to Beaulivre 8.10 and Sleeveless 7.4. On the third day, with 7.10, he beat Brunhild 8.7 and Eakabanga 8.0 over six furlongs in 60 2-sseo, and on the last day under 7.11 beat Brunhild 8.1 and Rakahanga 7.5 again by three lengths in 69 4-ssec. With 8.7 in the Air Force Handicap Dark Plight would only have to return to last spring form to be unbeatable next Saturday, but unfortunately he bled again in a work-out and is now a doubtful starter. No Birdcage Parade. The Auckland Racing Club has decided to institute an important departure at its forthcoming spring meeting. In order to * shorten the periods between races and the day’s proceedings, as well as to save horses and riders from being so long in the birdcage and on the race track, the usual birdcage parade will be eliminated and the horses sent towards the “ Hill," from where they will do a preliminary up the straight in reverse direction to that hitherto adopted, and proceed round to the starting point. It is hoped that this will enable the first race to be started each day half an hour later than usual and the last event to be run off at the usual hour. A.J.C. Derby Winners from N.Z. The first New Zealand horse to win the A.J.C. Derby was Nordenfeldt (1885), and the next were Bonnie Scotland 18941 Bob Ray 1885. Ten years later Noctuiform: almost distanced all his opponents except his stable mate Sun God. Multiform’s son sliced several seconds off all previous Derby records. Kilboy 1916, Biplane 1917, and Gloaming 1918 brought the ribbon to New Zealand, but the two last-named were Victorian bred, although raised and developed iu the Dominion. R. J. Mason won his fourth Randwick Derby with a moderate in Cupidon in 1921. Ballymena (1923), Prince Humphrey (1928), Phar Lap (1931), Ammon Ra (1929), and Homer (dead-heat with Allunga, 1935) complete the list. Prince Humphrey, it should be said, was Australian-bred, and his owner was lucky to be allowed to retain the stake. In New Zealand it is certain he would have been called upon to refund it. Two yearlings by Duke Humphrey were brought from Sydney, and for one of them forfeit was later declared. Tho one paid up for won, and subsequently it was discovered that it was the one which had been left out. Thus the Derby was credited to a colt which was not eligible to run, and nothing was done about it except to amend the pedigrees.