RACING

Evening Star, Issue 24284, 27 August 1942, Page 2

RACING

[By St Claik.] News and Views. The Now Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday will be the only sporting fixture this week-end. This meeting in previous years has extended over three days, and been heid during the Grand National' Carnival Week. Indian Clipper, Chatmos, Coquette, and Haughty are the best fancied for the National Handicap (2m), to be run at Addington on Saturday. The Winter Cup winner, Bashful Lady, may not be seen in public again until the spring meeting at Trenthara in October. Though it may be early in the season for some of them to show their best form, the field of 11 engaged in the Fice-for-AU (lira) at Addington on Saturday, is a high-class one, and the race is creating a lot of interest in Christchurch. Nominations for the Dunedin spring meeting c.ose on September 21, before the Geraldine fixture, and should any horse become ineligible to start in the Novice Handicap through winning at the Geraldine meeting the nomination fee will be refunded. The Otago Hunt Meeting next week will conclude the winter racing in the South Island, and the spring campaign will commence at Ashburton the foliowing Saturday, to be followed by the Geraldine meeting on September 26 and Dunedin meeting on October 10.

Messrs C E Hassall (handicapper), A. O. Wellwood (judge), and A. J. Hastings (starter) have been re-appointed by the Ashburton Racing Club for the ensuing season. Though the club lost £3BO last season, it took up £I,OOO in War Loan, and invested £2OO in the Liberty Loan. Invoice (Paper Money—Philomela), engaged in the hurdle race at the hunt meeting next week, is now 11 years old, and has not raced since the 1938-39 season. He scored his last win in the early part of the 1936-37 season when he started 24- times for one win. five seconds, and three thirds. With strong representation from both northern and southern stables engaged at next week’s Hunt fixture at Wingatui it is anticipated that big fields will be left in after the acceptances close this evening. The publication of the probable fields will stimulate interest in the meeting • The death occurred yesterday afternoon at Invercargill of Mr Ernie Govan. for many years mine host of the Te Anau Hotel Mr Govan took a keen interest in thoroughbreds and racing, and from Te Anau Maid bred several good winners in Te Anau Lad, Salmo Salar, and Milford. He also owned Doubleack when he won the Wyndham and Dunedin Cnps. Deceased will be missed by a very wide circle of friends, who will extend their deepest sympathy to his widow and family. There are two kinds of backers—one who goes to the races to enjoy the sport' and adds to his interest in the racing b,y investing on the horse or jockey he fancies, and the other the man who goes to the course with the sole object of making money The latter is not often really interested in the sport, and rarely enjoys a day’s racing He generally has one or two hard-luck stories to tell his friends after the races, and sees more “ dead ‘uns ” and foul riding in races than the average impartial and good judge of racing sees in a whole season. Bets on racing and breeding of racehorses made over drinks at the bar are only one of the many worries a sporting writer has to contend with, and the latest question referred to the writer of this column is: “ Was a protest lodged against Nelson when he won the Dunedin Cup in 1886?” I am indebted to the late Mr Tom Walker for the following story of that race, which shows that no protest was lodged His story reads “ Nelson, who had v"*;i the Nelson and Auckland Cups, was let into the Dunedin Cup at 8.5, much lighter than was expected, and was at once made a shon-priced favourite in the ante-post betting on the Cup, which was considerable in those days. When it was announced that both Necklace and Dorringei were to be brought down from Auckland for the race it was hoped that at least one of them would extend Nelson, but which one? I saw as much as anvone could see of a gallop at Forbury just Wore the break of day between ibis pair over a mile and three-quarters but all I could be sure of was that the horse that carried a neck rug had won the gallop. Striking a match as the pair passed me I saw that the winner was a mare, and announced that fact in that night’s ‘ Star.' That caused the public to tlimk a little, but still Necklace remained at a good price, and on the day Nelson started a hot favourite. In the latter stages of the race Nelson and Necklace drew right away from the others About half a furlong from home Nelson, who was tiring and rolling, leaned right over on to Necklace, who was on the inside of him. Nelson won, but it was afterwards said that if Mr J Marshall, her owner, had pro tested Necklace would have been awarded the race. He did not protest, and it was always thought that in return for not doing so Major George pulled Nelson out of the remaining principal handicaps at the meeting, all of which Necklace won Alex Sutherland the rider of Necklace, returned to the enclosure after the Cup with Ins left riding boot half wrenched off, owing to being pressed on to the railing of the course.”