DIVOTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 134, 23 June 1937, Page 13

DIVOTS

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The stakes won by Sky Pilot in his two successes at the recent meeting at Ellerslie amounted to £400, which pUts him out of hack class . # « • JEt. CoVeny has decided to give up trainiag, and his pair, The Sandwichman and Free Bose, have been takou over by A. j. Griffin, who is now stationed at Blenheim. Coveny will now coneentrate on riding, and is again to make his headquarters at Riccarton. 4 # « Dating from 1921, eight wimiers of the Great Nortliern Hurdles have traced through the sire to St. Simou — uamely, Fisher, by Maniapoto; Laudbird, by Finland; Wedding March, by Quin Abbey; Beau Oavalier, by Chesterfield ; Prince Lu, by Lucullus; Landniark and Make Up by Surveyor; and Prince of Grange, by Valkyrian. The Gre'at Northern Steeplechase has had eight winners tracing to St. Simon, namely, Bol, by Soult; Beau Cavalier, by Chesterfield j Glendowie, by Lucullus; Aurora Borealis and Irish Comet, by Day Comet. # # « No lesS remarkable than the consistent failure of the favourite division at the Auckland Trots on Saturday was the repeated succesS of horses carrying No. 2 saddle-cloth. They won the first, second, fourth aud fifth events, and in the third race No. 2 was second. Large dividends wero the order of the day, the only win dividend declared that was not of two-figure dimensions was that of Native Tree in the Stewards' Handicap.

j » * * Advice has been received by Mr. C. M. Emanuel of Auckland, that his two-year-old Aero King was successful in a division of the Maiden Juvenile Stakes, of £150, 4f-furlcngs, at the Rosehill Racing Club.'s meeting on Saturday. Aero King is a bay colt by The Ace from Charis, hence a half-brother to the Epsom Handicap winner Capris. He did his early racing in Auckland, and was second to Airam in the Oakley Handicap at Avondale in April, after Which he was sent to Sydney to be trained by G. Price. # # * There were several surprises at the Opotiki Racing Club's annual meeting, held at Tauranga on Saturday, Dutch Girl, who won the K. S. Williams Memorial High-weight, returning the longest price, which was over a score. Poland ,the winner of the second division of the Novice Handicap, Day Wind who annexed the cup, and Miss Lu, who aoounted for the Farewell Handicap, also paid very remunerative dividends. The last-named had started in the cup earlier in the day and failed to get into the money on that occasion. Several other horses started twice during the afternoon, Bonnie Song running seoond in both her outings, while Killadar , after bedng unplaced in the Highweight Handicap, contested the succeeding race, the Otara Hurdles, and ran second in that event. * ' * # Taxation connected with the Auckland Racing Club's winter meeting amounted to £16,341, made up as follows : — Totaiis&tor tax, £7434 ; dividend tax, £81'31; stakes tax £93 10/- and amusement tax, £683 . The total taxation for the club's four meetings during the seascn amounted to £58,484, made up as follows : — Totalisator tax, £29,906; dividend tax, £26,166; stakes tax, £379 ; and amusement tax, £2033. • • * • Three rjsing two-year-olds are sheltered in F. W. Ellis's stable in Invercargill. They are a colt by Mgger Minstrel — Queen Balboa, a gelding by Nigger Minstrel — Night Lark, and a geldang by Nigger Minsfirel — Pretty Maiden, whicli lias been named Gold Robe. All three are engaged in the McLean Stakes at Wingatui. # • • The Racing Conference table shows a total of 1670 galloping races. The Auckland district had most, its total being 396 ,Hawke's Bay taking second place with 224, then Wellington 208, Wanganui 193 ,Canterbury 183, Dunedin 145. Taranaki 116, Southland 106, and Greymouth 99. In many of the districts, however, there are trotting events to be added. Canterbury had 33, Southland 30, Dunedin 26, Greymouth 24, and Wellington four. For these 117 trotting races, the stakes totalled £12,108, while the totalisator investments Wero £143,514. It is interesting to npte that there were trophies valued at £3,379 attached to races during the season. Dunedin did best in this respect, with £654 (ineluding £58 15/- in trotting races), Then came Auckland £561, Hawke's Bay £435, Wanganui £418, Wellington £366, Taranaki £300, Southland £256, Canterbury £215, and Greymouth £115. • # • Money Matters. For the nine months of the present racing season ended April 30 last the Racing Conference Abstract of Statistics shows that there were 262 days' racing as compared with 264 in the corresponding period last year. Stakes amounted to £365,890, as against £308,749, totalisator investments to £6,076,112, as against £3,849,998, and the amounts paid in dividends, £4,191,225 ;as against £3,177,619. The Goveniment taxes were £203,046 on investments as against £153,999, tllose on dividends £222,006 as against '£168,364, and on stakes £8659 as against £3089, making this season's total £428,711, as compared with £326,452. The percentage of. the investments retained by the clubs was £431,470, and the refuhds on taxation on investments to clubs amounted to £86,389. Tlie unpaid fractions amounted to 1.34d. in each £1 invested.