GOSSIP TURF

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12606, 17 November 1926, Page 10

GOSSIP TURF

FIXTURES FOR COMING EVENTS November, 17, 18—Winton J.C. November: 20—Levin R.C. November 24—Ashhurst-Pohangina E.C. November 27, December I—Takapuna J.C. November 30, December I—Feilding J.C. December 4—Methven E.C. December &—Taumarunui E.C. December 8. 9—Woodville District J.C. December 10, 11—South Canterbury J.C. December 11—Waipa R.C. December 16, 18—Dargaville R.C. December 27—Waipukurau J.C. December 27, 28—Westland R.C. December 27) 28—Taranaki J.C. December 27, 28—Dunedin J.C December 27. 28, 30— Manawatu R.C. December 27, 29. January 1, 3—Auckland December 31, January 1, 4—Greymouth J.C. January 1, 3—Stratford n.C. January. 1, 3—Hawke’s Bay J.C. January 1, 3—Marton J.C. February 24—Waiapu E.C. A subject of discussion by racing men is the decline of the C.J.C., and varied are the reasons advanced as the cause. I do not want to suggest that blame can be laid at anyone’s door, but it does seem to be a fact that the club has lost much of its hold upon the people. The general opinion is that there were not as'many North Islanders at the recent Cup meeting as has been the case in the past. Worse still, there was a lack .of local enthusiasm, while, on the other hand, it was. a treat to . see the , crowds rolling up to the trots. With the relaxing of racing’s grip on Christchurch trotting is tightening its hold. For years it has been said that the C.J.C. is unpopular, and now it is being contended that Riccartoh is not favoured by the people. The latter contention is of general interest, as the reason given is that the course is too big. Uiccarton is a bigger course than Trentham. Trentham is a * mile and a quarter round, and Riccarton a mile and a half. The feeling is growing in the south that the people :n general see too little of the races which are contested there. At Addington, it is said all the people can see all the racing, -as the course is only half the size of that at Riccarton, where only those with field glasses see more than a glimpse of the finish. The suggestion has been made that the course at Riccarton should be reduced in size. Nukumai won a hurdle race at Wanganui and then ran prominently in the chief flat event at Otaki. . After a short absence from the racecourses he reappeared at Uiccarton, where he ;e----gistered a second and a third among the hurdles. N ow he is hack to flat racing, and is an acceptor for Saturday’s Levin Cup, but it is doubtful if the small course will suit him. F. D. Jones returned from Australia with Limerick yesterday. The threes year-old’s foot has not thoroughly mended yet, and he is unlikely to race again before the autumn. . If ‘ this proves the case he will miss the Great Northern Derby. Clarinda had a very hard race in the New Zealand Cup, but she is a solid sort and the gruelling she got did her no harm. Probably, however, she was not quite at her best again when she had. to he ridden out to beat Footfall. She; will itaVe.jm opportunity .to freshen up now, and before the' approaching holiday meetings are over she might ton again. Scores of Welligton people enjoyed last Saturday’s Riccarton racing by wireless. Though “they were not so fortunately situated aa those who were actually at the scene of battle, they were able to follow ' the proceedings with great interest. They were given the riders, some particulars about the betting, the post .positions, l the behaviour of some of the competitors, a brief account of the running of the race, and, before the horses were back to the birdcage they had the result. Both Bonhomme and Inferno have won since leaving F. Tilley’s private training establishment at Fordell, and it is probable that the change to, public tracks has benefited both of them. Much mud has been thrown at Commendation in the past because of his racecourse behaviour, but there is every reason to hope that the Derby winner will completely quieten down before long. He gave little or no trouble at Riccarton, and in the course of a very little while should be as staid as an elderly schoolmistress. Set Sail was one of the disappoints meats of the racing at Riccarton. She was looked-to to run a great race in the Stewards’ Handicap, for which she was well backed, but she failed altogether. She was favoured again on the last day of the fixture, but the company was too good for her, and she returns to Invercargill with debit writ large against the trip. It was thought the heavier going last Saturday would suit Glentruin, but she was beaten again. The imported mare looked well, but years are telling on her. It was evident before.the end of last season that she had “slipped,” and it is plain now that she has not effected a “come-back.” Note, who has a lot of speed, lias been sold to race on the West Coast, and should do well thero, where first out first home is the rule. Fifty-one owners secured a share of the prize money at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. ■ Mr \V. H. Gaisford headed the list with £IBBO, followed by Mr J. S. Barrett £1670, i Mr R. A. McKenzie £ISOO, Mr A. B. Williams £I4OO, Mr A/ H. Fisher £IOSO, Mr V. Riddiford £IO4O, Mr J. A. Ainge £IOO6, Sir G. Clifford £9BO. Mr A. McDonald £B4O, Mr C. E. Elgar £790, Mr J. Frederic £750, ’Mr 1,. C. Hazlett £7lO, Mr E. L. Riddiford £7OO, Mr C. G. Dalgety £640, MrW. G. Stead £640. Mr G. D. Greenwood £570, Mr L. Kelcher £540, and thirty-four others for amounts ranging down to £3O. Twenty-three trainers were associated with winners at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting,—J. B. Pearson (The Harp and double to Taboo) and R. S. Rugby (Killoera and double to Royal Ceres) headed the list. T. Lloyd won with Piutliair and Clarinda, while from other stables with two wins depended on one horse, these being H. and A. Cutts (Centrepiece), J H. Jofferd (Rapine), J- Rutledge (Pink Terrace), and G. Jones (Commendation). Trainers with one win were: T. H. Gillet (Count favour), A. E. Worrilnld (Radinc), S. Waddell (Rascal), J. Lindsay (Gold Mint), H. Neaglo (Cimabue), J. Ross (S'olrose), G. Fielding (Comic Song), O. Cox (Enare), S. J. Reid (Grand Knight), C. R. Standfield (Revel), R. J. and P. V. Mason (Agrion), G. Murray Aynsley (Footfall), J. Gage Williams (Fool’s Paradise), A. D. Webster (Bonhommo), H. Nurse (Ruyiier), and W. Pine (Seatown). F. E. Jones headed the list of winning riders at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting, with five wins, three of which ho secured on Saturday. B. If. Morris was second with four; win*, while R. Peed, L. G. Morris, and R. J. Mackie were' successful

twice. Jockeys with one ..,.i were: 0. CJullum, C. Eastwood, D. Cotton, F. C. Porter, N. C. Dwyer, P. Powell, E. Shaw, H. Lee, A. E. Ellis. J. Barry, F. Voight, T. Butterworth, J. Law, C. Emerson, L. A. Pine, L. Manson and T. Green. Of the sires represented at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting, Solferino had four wins, Taboo winning twice and Count Cavour and Solrose once. Limond had Commendation as a double winner and also Agrion, while Kilbroney had three winners, Piuthair, Clarinda and Killoera; and Absurd three, Radiac, Fool’s Paradise and Rascal. Four sires with two wins each claimed a double winner, these being The Aee (Centrepiece), Flying King (Royal Ceres), Tractor (Pink Terrace) and Martian (Rapine), while the sires with one win each were Catmint (Gold Mint), Leighton (Cimabue), Winkie (Comic Song), Sunny Lake (Ensure,)," Panrmire (Bonhomme), Grand Parade (Grand Knight), Gay Lad (Re'vel), Autumnus ; (Footfall), Our King (The Harp), Greyspear (Rapier) and Archietown (Seatown). The progeny of forty-one sires earned money at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. Solferino headed the list with £2740, followed by Limond £2270, Kilbronie £2015, Absurd £1520, Martian £I4OO, Winkie £IOSO, Tractor £1025, Paper Money £BSO, Grand- Parade £BIO, The Ace £BOS, Archiestown £750, Leighton £6OO, Flying King £560, and Autumnus £550, with twenty-seven others ranging down to £4O. South Australians in Melbourne regard Mr Otway Farmer's purchase of Ragazzo as one of the best deals that the liberal buyer of racehorses has ever made, their opinion being that the colt will prove the finest two-year-old of the season, and train on into a splendid three-year-old. Ragazzo comes of a splendid family, being by S'eremond from Bambina, by Syce from llyhney, by Grafton. A short-backed chestnut, with a beautiful set of - legs, he pleases those who have an eye for conformation, and the general opinion' is that his record of two wins from four starts will be greatly improved upon, before the season closes, says an exchange. As a yearling in Sydney, Ragazzo fell to a 400-guinea bid by C. Wheeler, but Mr Falkiner had to go to 3000 guineas, and agree to pay £IOOO out of the first £SOOO in stakes won by the colt to secure him. Ragazzo has gone into C. T. Godby’s stable. Ragazzo was engaged—-iu the Marybyrnong Plate, but ho did not start. There are few veterans in the racing game who give more encouragement to apprentices than Richard Wootton, and those who know him best will prefer to believe that'he is actuated more by a desire to give the lads a leg-up in their calling than by any paltry consideration of weight concessions, says an Australian writer. Commencing on the lowest rung of the ladder (his first metropolitan racing was at old Lillie Bridge), Wootton, through sheer merit, forced his way to the front as one of the leading trainers of Australia. Then he made a raid on South Africa and England, with equal suqqess, and jdso, had ithe satisfaction' of seeing liis two ’softs leading jockeys, and afterwards following him in his footsteps as capable trainers. Now that he can afford to be generous, his commendable weakness is to give the youngsters who deserve it a chance to win their spurs. At Randwick he sacrificed a good winning chance in Kalloni by putting up a little apprentice. “One of the best performances refistered for a long time was that of e Monanui in the King Edward Memorial run at Ellerslie on' Monday last (says a New Plymouth writer). Burdened with 9.12, on a really had track, and ridden by a rider who earns’ his living on jumpers, Te Monanui had anything but a good run, and even then was most unlucky not to have won. His third was truly a, great performance.” The sum .paid to the Government in the form of taxation in connection with the Auckland Racing Club’s spring meeting amounted to £7752 13s 9d, made up as follows : —Totalisator tax, £2399 5s 3d; privileges, £75 6s sd; dividends, £4319 2s; stakes, £570; amusements tax, £389 0s Id; total, £7752 13s 9d. TOTE INVESTMENTS CHRISTCHURCH’S'SEVEN DAYS Totalisator investments during the seven days racing arid trotting at Christchurch were:— CANTERBURY JOCKEY CLUB. 1925. 1926.'

TROTTING Nominations for all events at the summer meeting of the Wellington Trotting Club dose at 8 p.m. to-day with the secretary, Ilr' W. Short, Box 4. Petone Ten Canterbury-trained horses in Money Spider, Pete Petab, Deanwood, Packwood, Goldfinch, Prince Pointer, Kotuku Jack. St. Maura, Talent, and William the Great, leavo for Auckland this week to fulfil their engagements at the Otahuhu. T.C.’s spring meeting. The Australian-bred pacer, Pedro Pronto, by Don Pronto from Doris M„ has been placed out of commission, and will do a light season at the stud. Shadowland, the winner of the New Zealand Trotting Derby at Addington, was bred by his owner, Mr J. P. Poff, in the Methven district. His dam, Grey Owl, was by Nabocklish from Straybird, a Lincoln Yet mare, who bred the useful trotter Loyal, to Victor. Nabocklish, also by Lincoln Yet, was a good trotter in his day. Grey Owl was a shy breeder, hut after repeated failures she produced two foals to tho Rothschild horse, Diadem. Neither of them, however, was ever tried. Then Grey Owl was mated with the brilliant Australian pacer, Renhn, the Derby winner being the result. Shadowlnnd was a December foal. «o that he is a month short of being three years old vet. Unfortunately, Grey Owl was gored to death by a bull when the foal wns five days old, and ShadowJand was reared on a bottle. He was broken in by his owner, vdio handled him until a little over a week ago, when, following on a win in a slow class rave nt Grcrnionlli, he was ulaced under the care of YV. J. Xom-

kitison, who finished him off and drove him in his classic victory. Fifty-three owners divided the prizemoney at the Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting last week. R. M. Morton secured £1750; Jack and Stewart, £950; C. R. Lindsay, £700; R. C. Fisken, £600; J. L. Webb, £600; T. H. McGirr, £600; T. Butcher, £500; J. F. Poff, £500; A. Anderson, £475; M. B. Edwards, £450; Young and Blake, £450; J. R. McKenzie, £400; N. L. Price, £400; Armstrong and Johnston, £350; W. H. Norton, £350; J. M. Samson, £300; A. Hendriksen, £250; D. Rodgers, £250; E. J. Eathorne, £250; A. MoDougall, £240; 0. Were. £225; J. Payne, £225; J. Bryce, £200; .H. W. Aker, £2OO, and J. Snelling £2OO, with 28 smaller amounts. Mr T. G. Fox’s mare, Queen Ida, figured on the totalisator as a starter for the Whiteleigh Handicap, the first race at Addington on Thursday. When being taken to the course, however, she fell on the road, severely injuring both her knees, as well as her off shoulder and hip. After examination, permission was given to withdraw her, the investments being.refunded. CLUB THE HANDICAPS For Press Association. CHRiSTCHuRGH, JNovember 16. The iollowing handicaps have been deciaivT by. ivu: J. L. Henrys tor the reilding jockey duo’s meeting:— i WAXAUiNA n(J U ni. Jito, ot ouo sovs; about one nme ana tnree-quarters.— it ukumai j2.li, acauau . ii.o, r,nare i 1.2, totar jofieu 10.1, uarawuck lu.o, Comedy prince lo.u, a'eneus 9.15, Liittie River 9.12, jxnlocn 9.19, Benccto 9.2, gauntlet 9.2,iviatu 9a, lAvaeue 9.1, uarzon, lamaisana, Tempean, toir paw, Roman, paitaiata, uurnion 9.9. j) 1 F-iLDIIN G 9UI", OI 600 sovs; one miie and a quarter.—Gienrose y.o, civility e.ii, merry Day 0.9, ivimiette rt. 9, iiupnohium e.i», otar Ranger o.i, Indian oage 0.4, Diogenes 0.3, i'cneuo 1.13, Avoia i. 9, INovar 7.0, Olympic 1 .6, Kniocli 7.4, Kiilairo 7.4, Uienganft 7.3, Kmocra / .2, i'erle lie oeon 7.2, total - Area 7.2,.Modern 7.2, joybird 7.2, iVlint Real 7.2, Alali Jong 7.1, Penman, Aliwariuiba, tounshot, Road Rug, Kiireao, I'antler, utlieu, rsenwure, pauart V.u. RUWiIAi RACK. HANDICAP, of 200 sovs; seven turnings. —Royal Mint 9.9, Great Day 9.3, toottano 9.3, Lady Austrutner 0.i3,- Rlysianor 8.12, Wilderness 8.11, llisox 8.11, Lin Arlington 8.11,. Cerf 8.9, Flying Shot 8.9, Bank Draft 8.8, Partaga 8.5, Vertigern 8.8, Te tvoroke .8.7, • Pangolin 0.6, Ailoway 8.4, PanarCo.4, Asleep 8.4, Kaukura 8.4; General iVai 8.2, Vivo 7.13, Anchor 7.12, Foreign 7.12, IVlolto 7.11, Rising total - 7.11, Boy 7.11, Mountain Star 7.11, Petal 7.11, Lord Killer 7.11, Condamine gelding 7.11, Tea Leaves 7.11, Merry Ann 7.11, Dominion Rose 7.i1, Fiery Comet 7.11, Conviction 7.11. FLYING HANDICAP, of 350 sovs; six furlongs—Orchid 9.0, Deluge 8.13, Nadarino 8.8, Inferno 8.8, Merry Jest 8.1, Decoy Bird 8.0, Avoia 8.0, First Acre 8-0, Royal Damon 7.11, Benzora 7.9, The Lamb 7.8, Nine of Spades 7.4, Bonogne 1 7.4, Lady Bentinck 7.3,' Fipistle, Penman, Gold Box, Birkie, Standard Quillfire, Aeriform 7.0. FITZROY HACK HANDICAP, of 200 sovs; six furlongs.—Black Mint 9.1, Quillfire 8.0, Horomea 8.11, Spode 8.5, Bank Note 8.4, Note 8.1, Polonaise 7.13, Royal Elm 7.11, Te Koroke 7.9, Bank Draft 7.9, Beth 7.9, Hypnotic 78, Tannadice-7.8, Orcades 7.8, Tip Tree 7.7, Sea Star 7.7, Plain Sailing 7.7, Sovena 7.6, Ailoway 7.6, Acred 7.5, Merle 7.4, Hymeetrason 7.4, Addlepate 7.4, Jazzy Babv 7.4; Guadalquiver 7.3, Boyal Land 7.2, Lieutenant Bill 7.1, Calluna, Lethal, Branson, Some Lad, Grand Lupin; Hymill 7.0. KIWITEA HANDICAP, of 250 sovs; one mile.—Polyphemus 9.9. Olympic 9.2 Glengarifi 9.1, Beaumont 9.1, Star Area 9.0, Killoera 8.13, Killoch 8.11, Kilfaire 8.10, The Lamb 8.10, Alaric 8.10, Modern 8.9, Mah Joryt 8.8, Hynanna 8.8, Enare 8.6, Sun Allmarimba 8.5, T Royal Mint t .13, Misgovern 7.13, Bonhomme 7.13, Santonio 7.13, Road Hog 7.12, Kareao, Newbury King, Monoghan, Benannee, Kilmiss, Pantler, Red Bob, Mountain Top, Bay Dighton, Othon, Asleep, March On, Panart 7.11.

£ £ First day 02,922 57,8851 Second day 45,607 41,852 Third day 40,612* 43,038 Fourth day 05,792* 55,0291 Total 207,934, ' 197,305 NEW ZEALAND METROPOLITAN TROTTING CLUB. First day 68,436 07,7411Second day 49,422 40,234 Third day 68,891 i 48,812 Total 177,740* 156,7871 Grand total .. 385.6S3J 354,092.*