RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23701, 8 October 1940, Page 4

RACING NOTES

RACING. October 12.—Otaki-Maori Racing Club. October 12, 14.—Dunedin Jockey Club. October 12, 14.—Auckland Racing Club. October 17, 19.—Mas ter ton Racing Club. October 19.—South Canterbury Jockey Chib. October 19.—Rotocua and Bay of Plenty Hunt. . October 19.—Stratford Racing Club. October 24, 26, 28.—Wellington Racing 26.—Poverty Bay Turf Club. October 26, 28.—Gore Racing Club. October 28.—Waikato Hunt. October 28.—Poverty Bay Hunt. October 28.—Wavcrley Racing Club. October 28.—North Canterbury Racing Club. November 2. —Rangitikci Racing Club.

AT WINGATUI THIS MORNING The weather conditions were unpleasant at Wingatui this morning, showers falling 'and a siiglit. coating of snow on Maungatua made the temperature cold. The outside of the course proper was open for fast work in addition to No. 1 grass and also the plough tracks, which were both slightly siower than on Saturday morning. „ , „ Straightdell and Islay Downs opened the proceedings on the course proper by running seven furlongs in liniu 40 3-ssec, the last half-mile in 58 3-ssec. Chatterbug ran right away from Evomary over live furlongs in Imin lOsec, the last three taking the former 42 2-sscc. Adina ran the lirst two of six furlongs in 26 3-ssec, and the full journey in Innn 23 3-ssec, Nightcalm and Gold Flight finished on even terms at the end of live furlongs in Imin 10 4-ssec, after cutting out the first two in 25 4-ssec. Spanish Lad ran five furlongs in 69 3-ssec, and was picked up at the threc-fur-Jong post by Desert Maid, who took 41 2-sseq* Both moved attractively. Gold Flight sprinted fast down the straight, moving very well. Sir Amyas, on the inside, Bernina and Milton Abbas, on the outside, finished almost abreast at the end of seven furlongs in Imin 39 4-ssec, after taking 40sec for the first three. Neither Combat nor Strip was ridden out to run five furlongs in Irani 12 I-ssec. The former will be ridden by L. Robinson in the hurdle race on Saturday.

On the No. 1 grass track Araboa ran the first three furlongs in 43 3-ssec and seven in Imin 50 2-ssec.

Gay Lancer was easing up to record 68 l-ssec for five furlongs, after running the first two in 25 l-ssec. Taxpayer took 63 3-sseo for the same task, his first two furlongs taking 25sec. Night Pal was going easily throughout a similar journey in 69 3-ssec. On the plough track Georgia took 59 3-ssec and Ferry Happy 56 3-ssec for half a mile. , Crack o’ Dawn (J. Nicholson) schooled well over throe flights of hurdles.

TOTALISATOR TURNOVERS INCREASE

During the first two months of the present racing and trotting.. season £888,646 passed through the totalisator, an increase of £119,535 compared with the corresponding period of last season, and £209,761 with the 1938-39 season. This is equal to an increase of over 15.5 per cent, on last year s figures, and nearly 30.9 on the investments of two years ago. Neither the war nor the petrol restrictions has affected the attendances at racing and trotting meetings, but the gate receipts have not shown similar increases, and it appears as if speculation on the totalisator has grown in popularity out of all proportion. The comparative figures during the past three seasons of the clubs which have held meetings during the period under review

JOTTINGS Dual Engagements. Only Airline, Straightdell, and Twenty Grand claim two engagements on the card for Saturday at Wiugatui. Named. The Paladin—Gharmaine gelding engaged in the Dunedin Guineas has been named Rawhamai. He is trained at Wingatui by J. Harvey for Mr A. C. Mills, who won this race with Tauramai in 1934.

[By Sr. L/i.air.]

November 2.—Banks Peninsula Racing Club. 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 26, 28. Grcymoutli Trotting Chib. October 26, 30. —Auckland Trotting Club. October 28.—Oamaru Trotting Club. November 2.—lnvercargill Trotting Club. November 12, 14, 15.—New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. November 23, 25.—Forburv Park Trotting Club.

November 30, December 7. Waikato Trotting Club.

Southland Summer Meeting. The committee of the Southland Racing Club lias decided to give the same stakes as last year for its New Year Meeting. Taurangi for the Cup. All going well, it is intended that Taurangi will-contest the New Zealand Cup, so that W. J. Mudford will be riding her and not Areas. Barrier Practice. The club’s starter, Mr C. Gieseler, was in attendance at . Wingatui this morning to give the young horses engaged at the spring meeting barrier practice. The Favourites. In tho ante-post wagering on the Churchill Handicap Winning Rival and The Raker are the favourites, with Doria and Don’t Forget in the Air Force Handicap. To Ride Capricious. Tha Riccarton horseman, P. Spratt, was doing riding work at Wingatui this mprning. Ho will have the mount on Capricious in tho Churchill Handicap on Saturday. Mr Herlihy’s Two-year-olds. Mr J. P. Herlihy has named the two-year-old filly by Man’s Pal from Universal Comforter, and her stablemate by SolicitorGeneral from March Off will race as Eviction. Both of these are at present at Riccarton. Stewards' Handicap. ’ Thirty-seven horses have been engaged in the Stewards’ Handicap to bo run on New Zealand Cup Day, including Spanish Lad, Nightcalm, Dark Flight, Gold Flight, Rebel Mate, and Hearth, who are owned or trained on Otago or Southland courses. Handicaps for this race are due on October 22. Big Dividends. Both Regal (wiimey of tho Methven Cup) and Erin’s Lad (winner of the second division of the Mount Harding Handicap on Saturday) started twelfth favourites on the win tolalisator. Regal had only £lB invested on his chance, and Erin’s Lad (who was bracketed with Captain Potts) £26. Both paid out-sized dividends. Early Arrivals. Tho first of tho visiting horses for the spring meeting at Wingatui arrived yesterday. They were Crack o’ Dawn and Solcrity in charge of J. Shaw from Waimate, Spanish Lad and Desert Maid in charge of R. M’Nay, and Mr D. M;y Tweedie’s pair, Gold Flight and GayFlight, both from Riverton. Dunedin Spring Meeting. The acceptances received last evening for the first day of the local spring meeting ensure an excellent day’s racing on Saturday, and the early arrival of some of the visiting horses will stimulate interest in tho fixture. So far any rain that has fallen at Wingatui has only had a beneficial effect on the course, which promises to provide exceptionally good going. English Yearlings Sell Well. Eight British-bred yearlings brought top prices and an aggregate return of £10,600 at tho famous Saratoga (U.S.A.) yearling sales, which lasted about a fortnight in August. Fifty-four yearlings realised £41,710, so that the average of the eight leading lots was £1,325, against £772 for the larger number. Top price was £3,200 brought by a chestnut son of Hyperion. Cup Meeting Rehearsal. The Banks Peninsula meeting, to be held on November 2, will again provide a fulldress rehearsal for horses engaged at the Now- Zealand Cup Meeting, which will commence on the following Saturday The J. F. Buchanan Memorial Handicap, mile and a-quarter, carries a stake of £250, and the Le Bons Handicap, seven furlongs, £l5O. A high-weight handicap, three hack races, and two light-harness events make up an interesting programme. Nominations close on October 18, and Mr W. P. Russell will frame the handicaps for the racing events. An Elusive Double. The Rosehill Guineas has not proved a good guide to the A.J.C. Derby winner, only two horses, Biplane in 1917 and Phar Lap in 1929, having succeeded in winning this double. Tidal Wave, who won the Guineas this year, failed to secure a place in Saturday’s race, and other outstanding gallopers to win the Guineas and fail in tho Derby were Nigger Minstrel in 1924, Heroic’s Derby; Amounts, 1925, Manfred’s Derby; Winalot, 1927, Trivalve’s Derby; •Mollison, 1928, Prince Humphrey’s Derby; Silver King 1934, Theo’s Derby; Ajax, 1937, Avenger’s Derby; Aeolus, 1938, Nufficld’s Derby; and High Casio, 1939, Reading’s Derby. Nukumai Dead. Nukumai, one of the most versatile and hardy horses ever raced in New Zealand, died last week at tho ago of 23 years, in the paddock at Whcnuakura, Patea, where he had been turned out for the last nine years, after having won his last race at the age of 14 years at Christchurch. Ho was bred and owned byDavidson Bros., and trained by A. M. Wright, Wood vi ll*i. Ho won in stakes close on £II,OOO. Nukumai won the Grand National Hurdles in 1928 with 11.11, but his most outstanding performance was registered at the Wellington winter meeting of 1927 when he won on each of tho three clays. On the lirst day he won the Whyte Handicap with 9.12; on the second, (lie Parliamentary Handicap, with 10.9; and on tho final day was successful in the Winter Hurdles with 11.8.

are: — RACE MEETINGS. 1938. 1939. 1940. £ £ £ 171,716 176,219 193,244 Pakuranga Hunt 35,760 46,405 50,321 17,453 15,547 22,144 33,109 27,105 34,543 Wanganui 35,332 29,563 37,036 15,232 11,942 18,094 16,146 15,763 21,190 62,910 86,710 107,110 23,681 19,271 27,897 12,295 18,410 21,356 Ohinemuri 50,775 55,741 61,430 Kurow , 3,983 8,081 13,561 Totals 472,388 518,186 606,492 TROTTING MEETINGS. 1938. 1939. 1940. £ £ £ Metropolitan 113,903 138,415' 164,174 29,747 49,158 49,472 New Brighton 33,797 34,427 31,031 Wellington 29,050 28,925 37,477 Totals 206,497 250,925 282,154 Grand totals ... 678.885 769,111 888,646