DIVOTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 163, 28 July 1937, Page 15

DIVOTS

"The-Belver.'')

(Bug by

It is probable that F, E. Baker will have the inount on Nocturnus in the Grand Natipnal Steeplechase. The rido Was Offered to A. E. Ellis, who, however ,is likeiy to confine his ridihg at the nieeting td flat, wkick wili include the inount of ConcertpitGh in the Winter Cup. * • * It is interesting to observe, says the Wellington Post^ how the Trentham winners, Santof t and Burglar, have been placed in tbe CJrand National Steeplechase-. Both these southe'rners scored at Trentham off the minimum, and the Wellington SteepleChhSe winner, San^ toft) has iioW been placed at 9.13 with Burglar at 9.10. Santoft, as winner earlier in the season of the Great Western Steeples at Riverton, has earned all his weight. Burglar, on the othef hand, ia pfobably a shhde unlucky to be up qiiite so close to Santoft. Santoft was not weighted again at Trentham after winning on the first day. • s • Black Batmef, who "wott the Tesche1 inaker Steeplechase at the South Canterbuty meeting On Saturday, also has important engagements at the Grand National meeting. This gelding has perforined well over country this SOasOflj ahd should add to his reeord befofa 'the Winter racing is through. At th Riverton meeting last Easter he won tho Waiau Steeples and the AntUMii SteeplSS, and in his next effort he Whs ruUner-Up to Shillelagh Wood in the Ri'tehie Memorial Steeples at Southlandt Going on to the Birchgood Hunt meeting, he was second to Trisox in the Turi Steeplechase, about two miles. He reversed positiOhs with Trlsoir in the Otautau Steeplechase, also held on the Southlaud course, a little iater. At the Bunedin winter meeting he was second to Nocturnus itt the otagd Steeplechase, ftbout two milee and ta half. ia his last eight etarte he Uas been out of the money only twice. Black Banner is by Balbrta, * % « Apart frorrt Wotan, who won the MelbourUO Cup, aiid FOrseli, Who won the Kew iSealand Cupj the most ilupoftafit fetake-wihners in the Taranaki provinco this SfeasOil were Taitoru; Friesland, and Bon Erma in their respedtive departmentS; With a retord of nine wins in 26 sthrts bindd Octoberv T9itoru has won mcire raUes tliis sdason than atiy other liofse in the country. iie Whs alfeo ieven tiiiies second and sii times thirdj ajtd, winning £1970 in stakes, he brought his aggregate earnings iri five years of racirig to £2315. Ffieslrihd, a five-yehr-old, had 12 starts for six Wins and tWo thifds, yielditig £1283, arid compiling his grand total of £2428: Dori Etma was aged before he began racing, and in forir years he has started 41 timds for sik wins hrid 17 minor places. He has won £1347, of which smn £1103 whs eafned this term t'rom . four vins hrid 10 placings. '

Billy Boy, who has arrived at Riccarton to undergo another campaign at the Grand National meeting, but is ndt among the accdptors for the big crosscountry event} is well acquainted with the Riccarton country. He woii the Grand National Steeples with 11.13 iri 1932 in 7min llsec, he finislied fotirth in 1933 with 12-5, when Thurina Won under 9.12 in 7inin. 2 l-5sec. Thefi ciune third to V alpfeeri 11.0 and Menibo 9.2 with 11.13, six lengtlis beliind the witirier, in 7min. Ssec. Billy Boy, with 11.5, was third .again in 1935 to Yalpeen 11.13 and Punchestown 10.1, eight lengths away frotti the wlniidr, in fmin-. 4sec. Last season Billy Boy 11.5 whh second to Royal Limdrid 10.8, eiglit iengths away in 7min; 9 2-5sec. Tliose bfeiiind him iricluded High- Speed 9:0, MkriaWatu 9.3, Pahu 9.6, hrid Fcxest Glow 10.'3. This year Billy Boy has 10.6, Valpeen 10.8, ManaWatli 10sO, Pahu 9.6, and Forest GloW 9.7. # « • A good deal Jias been written cdncerning the disparity betwden Santoft's fdrm at Washdyke Und Wingatui fcarri* pared with What lie reVealed iri the Weh-. lington Steeplechase. A lot of tommeilt has been based ori impdrfect knowledge (Sriys TliO Timaru Hefald). After Winning tho Great Western at Riverton, Santoft did not appear again uritil the Squthi Canterbuty nieeting, where he finished third, and WaS a really good thing beaten. He hit the Secoild leg Of the stand' double, and on landing had to be nearly pujied up to avoid a fallen iiorse. The result was that seten furlongs from home he was at lea'St eighty yards behind the iOaders, arid still he finished third, only two Iengths away, With tifty yards further td go he would have won. His tiext run Was in thd Otago Steeplechase, in Whieli he slid into and fell over the fifst ferice. He was fdeling the effects of this inisadventure when he finished , third on the second day, arid his traindr was kept busy iri gettirig him ready for the Wellington trip. Judged ori. his performarices ovdr hurdles, Santoft ieems a moody horse, but there has ridt yet been much to cavil at in his record as a 'chaser. « # * ln 1920-21 the record sum of £7,979,-: 595 was handled by the racing clubs of the Donlittioii, The riext season the total dropped to £6,154,854. A mea-sui-e of stability followed, and in T92930 the aggregate for racing clubs WUs £5,312,484. Then the depresSion set iil, and low-water mark was reached with £2,585,142 iri the 1932-33 seasdtt, The improvement to over £4,500,000 this season is therefotd a notable forward step, and with Very llttld further' progress the new season should return tbe figures to the £5,000, 000 mark. * » Recently Mr H. E. RusBell, oWnef and trainer of the. three-year-old colt Maia was awarded £1500 damages by a jury agairist the Sydney Transport Board, for injuries received by the cojd thi-ough a tramcar colliding with him at ltandwidk on the mornirig of the last A.J.O. Derby, Octbber 3. A stay of proceedings for fourteen days was granted by the Couft to allow the board to appeal, but rid appeal Was lodged, arid the board dedided to pay the damages.