IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 4029, 2 June 1931, Page 53

IN A NUTSHELL.

Glenrowan will be amongst the runners on the second and third day at Wingatui. Hector Gray has been retained to ride Merry Damon in the Cornwall Handicap. The Smuggler will carry some Southland coin at Wingatui this week. Ballance has been doing a good deal of work in company with Salmo Salar. Camisader shows indications of developing into a good hurdler. Fair Weather is getting through useful exercise at Wingatui. Craigmore is again in work at Wingatui, and has built up during Lis spell. High Gear has been shaping fairly well in his schooling over hurdles. Rin Tin Tin seems to be improving, and «o does Caterpillar. All Smiles and Dressy are amongst those doing useful work at Wingatui. A. E. Eastwood will have the mount on Night Maid in the Birthday Handicap. The Timaru horse Inevitable has been doing well since his arrival in Auckland. The Southland ’chaser Squatter has arrived at Wingatui. Overhaul continues to get through halfpace work, and keeps sound on his legs. Gallant Fox was treated to a couple of eprints last week, and shaped well. Rag Tag walked a bit sore after schooling at Wingatui on Saturday morning. Royal Saxon, may saddle up favourite for the Tradesmen’s Handicap. Kapuna gave a good display over hurdles at fences at Wingatui last week. Cultivator has been showing improvement in schooling over fences. Nominations are due on June 12 for classic events to be run at Wingatui. Greenaway was responsible for an attractive gallop on Saturday morning. Town Major and Star Shooter may dispute favouritism in the Birthday Handicap. The rainfall which took place early on Monday morning did not seriously affect the state of the going at Wingatui. Tractarian did steady pacing work over three circuits yesterday morning, and seemed perfectly sound. - A Hack and Hunter Steeplechase is included in the card for the Oamaru meeting to be held on July 4. Reports from the south state that The Smuggler and Mem bo both galloped well on Saturday morning. Sailing Home and Wingatui have both been working well, but do not always race up to track form.

The winning double on Adelaide Cup day paid £3 9s 6d on the totalisator in a pool of 4050sovs. At the Adelaide Cup meeting Prince Paladin won the Baker Handicap with 8.12 and ran a mile in 1.41£. Tuki figures in the Otago Steeples at 11.1 in the New Zealand Referee, and not at 11.11, as issued to the local papers. Aspiring has been standing up to a good deal of strong work, and may, with her brilliancy, show up during the week. Kerbside has been getting along quietly in her work, and on Saturday showed a dash of speed in a sprint over half a mile. Francolin is amongst the active brigade again, and sprinted a good half mile on Saturday. Snowfall, with W. Cooper in the saddle, gave a very pleasing school at Wingatui last week. June 12 is an important date for those with horses to be engaged in future events.

Some good jumpers and promising hurdlers will be seen out at Wingatui this week.

Handicaps for the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting are due on June 10 and acceptances on June 15.

Heather Lad again seems quite sound, but may not be at his best until the end of the week.

Ranelagh if. fit and fancied will probably start favourite for the Winter Handicap. Wingatui never looked better than she does at present, and if she reproduces track work may trouble the judge. Assemble looks in good order for her engagements at the Dunedin winter meeting.

Membo reads the pick of the field in the June Hurdles. He shaped well in both engagements at Invercargill. At Randwiek on May 16 the Tea Tray gelding Gibsontea was beat a head in the James Barnes Stakes run over 11 furlongs. West Dome schooled well over the Wingatui steeplechase course last week, and also put up a good gallop over seven furlongs. The conditions attached to the Melbourne Cup provide that winners of 1000 sovq are liable to be re-handicapped, but not beyond 101 b.

The South Canterbury Jockey Club received a very pleasing response from owners for the winter programme. The nominations seem to be a record.

Matu and Antrim Boy both looked fit and well when taken north for the Auckland winter meeting. They should both shape well in their engagements.

. Hard Prince has been getting a fair amount of work, and when that is so cau be relied upon to set the pace over hurdles.

Tractarian has been treated to a lot of hill work, and may be short of a gallop for the opening day at Wingatui. He will be assisted by his jumping. The ex-New Zealander Sir Roy, with Roy Reed in the saddle, started favourite for the Geelong Gold Cup run on May 13, but could not do better than finish fifth. Rameses and Chptain’s Gift have both been shaping promisingly in their schooling over hurdles at Wingatui, but may be handicapped by lack of experience. They should both improve with a race. ’lhe Wellesley Stakes, the Wellington Stakes, and the North Island Challenge Stakes have each been reduced from lOOOsovs to 750sovs. They still retain a value well worth capturing.

A recent winner at Randwick is a four-year-old gelding named Anchor, who was got by Wedge from Doucement, by Solferino—Adour, by Danube from Perle d’Or, the sister to Golden Slipper. It will be a matter of regret if Deportment is unable to race at Wingatui this week, as his absence would deprive the meeting of a very good young performer over fences.

Deportment is regarded as the besthandicapped horse on the first day at Wingatui. Reports from Timaru, however, state that he was sore a few days ago as a result of striking himself in a Next season the Geraldine Racing Club will give the same amount of stakes as this season. A silver cup will be attached to the Geraldine Cup, and the club will again pay part railage on horses taking part in the meeting. The principal flat events to be decided at Oamaru Jockey Club’s meeting dated for July 4 will be the President’s Handicap, of 125sovs. and the Winter Hack Handicap, of llasovs, one mile and a-quarter. The sweepstake formerly attached to the Melbourne Cup has been cut out. Nomination costs 2sovs, second payment 3sovs r and third payment 45sovs. The payments go to the club and not as formerly to the winner. At Perth on May 16 the Demosthenes gelding Jarlath, who is trained by C. Christie, won the hurdle race on the card. Jarlath started a short-priced favourite, and the success marked his third consecutive win. The death is reported from England of Mr Harvey Patterson, whom it will be remembered established a big stud in Canterbury some few years ago. He brought a large number of the mares over from Australia, but bred nothing of note, and the stud was dispersed. The imported stallion Cottingham is to be returned from Australia to England, arriving in time for the commencement of the next stud season in England. Cottingham is by Lemberg from Rosedrop, dam of that good racehorse and successful sire, Gainsborough. It is understood that Deportment struck himself when working a few days ago, and was for a time regarded as a doubtful starter, at Wingatui. He, however, appears amongst the acceptors, and apparently the trouble was not a deep-seated one. St. Germans, the sire of the Kentucky Derby winner Twenty Grand, is a halfbrother to Buchan, the sire of the imported colt Lord Buchan, now in train-

ing, at Timaru to carry Mr J. M. Samson’s colours. St. Germans ran second in the Derby to Sansovino. The totalisator has not contributed anything so far to the support of racing in. England. At the Easter meetings a total of over 100,000sovs was handled, but a staff of 1858 people must have absorbed a good deal in overhead expenses.

Starting favourite in a 15 that went to the post for the Tattersiill’s Stakes, one mile and a-quarter, run at J an< *. wlc t 0 9 May 16, the Paladin filly Stately carried 8.6 and ran the distance in 2.6. Limelight is’the dam of Stately, who ranks as her first contribution to the Stud Book.

New Zealand-bred horres were much in evidence at Moonee Valley on May 16, when three of them won during the" day. The Catmint gelding Catkin won the hurdles. Pembroke, by Limond—Anklet, by Absurd—Bronze won a division, and King Mart, by King Mark, scored m a welter.

At the annual meeting of Mie South African Jockey Club what are described as the evils of leasing were discussed, and Mr J. W. Langerman submitted a motion that no lessor of any racehorse shall receive from the lessee any share of place money in any race, except the stake is of the advertised value of £lOOO or more. It is the leasing system as a whole that one wants to see overhauled, for to that system can be traced most of the ills that beset the turf of the Union. The leasing system introduces to the turf an undesirable class of so-called “ owner,” and is the cause of the running of so many “ dud ” horses to the grave detriment of the sport (says a writer in the Natal Advertiser.) No finality could be reached at the meeting in question, since, as the chairman announced, the matter would involve an alteration of the rules, and to effect any such alteration a special meeting must be summoned. Eventually, after an interested and spirited debate, the motion was put to the meeting as a means of testing feeling on the subject, and was carried by 26 votes to one.

Mr E. C. Studholme has been elected a life member of the Canterbury Jockey Club. The name Studhohne had appeared among the officials of the club for about 50 years. In 1870 (January) and 1870 (December) Mr M. Studhohne won the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap with Knottingly. The same owner also won the Canterbury Cup on two occasions with the same horse.

In the early part of the month over £500,000 had been subscribed to the Irish Sweepstakes on the Derby, and about double that amount would be in hand when it closed. The-Calcutta Sweep had over 500,000sovs. in hand on the same date, but this was about £250,000 short of the previous year ’s record. Apparently the Irish • Sweep has gathered a lot of the money that formerly went to India.

Some years ago a New Zealand jockey who had been riding in England declared that there were horses in the Old Country capable of giving a stone to Gloaming over a mile. Fr. Becker recently said that Phar Lap, on his breeding, might be a decent “plater” in England. But, says “ Pilot,” there would be plenty of Australian money (not necessarily of tiic “ fiduciary ” species) (o back Phar Lap if he could land fit and well in England. In England, as elsewhere, owners and trainers occasionally strike a bad patch. It is reported that Kiug George has some promising horses, and he will need them to wipe out last year’s margin between expenditure and receipts. His return was £2BB for two wins, and trainer W. Jarvis must be even more anxious than the King for a change of luck. It would be interesting to know what it cost to win that £2BB.

Most racing men seem to be agreed that the best class English horses are superior to Australians. It has been contended that when Merman and- other Australians were racing in England the form there was at a low ebb. But it should not be overlooked (says an exchange) that the Australians had to meet French horses, too. No doubt it would be harder to win important races in England now’ than at the end of the 19th century. R. M'Donald paid a visit to Wingatui on Saturday morning with three rising two-year-olds. One of them is a wrellgrown brown fill}’ by Shambles from Glimpse, an imported mare by Blink— Faverolle, by Gallinule—rMaisie, by Minting—Summer Belle, by Hampton. A much smaller filly is one by Shambles from Murihiku. The third is a likelylooking black gelding by Lackham —Late Bloom, by Rangatira—Desert Rose, by Wool aw a. In English papers of last month it was stated that there was to be a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into the whole question of sw’eepstakes. The inquiry was to cover not only the question of legalising sales in England of sweepstakes organised in Ireland or elsewhere, but to consider whether the law in England should be altered to legalise the organisation of sweepstakes in the latter country. About 60 members of Parliament of all parties signed a memorial to the Home Secretary for England, suggesting that the sweepstakes needed clarifying. The'record time for the English Derby at Epsom is jointly held by Call Boy anil Felstead, with_2.34 2-5. When the Derby was. run at Newmarket during the war Ponnnern won in 2.32 2-5 in 1915. The two courses are vastly different, the first half mile at Epsom being a stiff elimb. The Oaks record is the 2.34 3-5 made by Beam the year Call Boy won the Derby. The best times for the other classics are: Two Thousand Guineas. 1 mile—Neil Gow, 1.37 3-5; One Thousand Guineas, 1 mile— Crcsta Run, 1.38; St. Leger, 1J mile 132 yards—Coronach, 3.1 2-5. Doncaster, where the St. Leger is run, is a splendid course for a long race. Recent performances by the pony Valoria have led to discussions as to w’hich is the greatest pony that has raced in Victoria. Most people give the palm to the Buckwheat mare Cornflower, who in addition to winning in open company, was successful in a pony race at Warrnambool in 1926 with more than 14.0 in the saddle. Other great weight-carriers among the ponies were Raratonga, who won an Ascot 14.2 Thousand with 9.10.

Carwelkin, sire of numerous brilliant ponies, and Scratcho. On Monday Valoria won the River Handicap at Ascot with 10.8, this making his sixth w’in in his last seven starts. Valoria, who is trained by T. M'Grath, was bred in New Zealand, his sire being Valkyrian. In a recent note a list of great winners who were bought for moderate sums as yearlings was given. A trio included among the progeny of Martian who figure among the bargains, and who captured a large amount of prize-money, are Sasanof, Rapine, and The Hawk. The folllowing table (says “ Phaeton”) shows the amount for which they were bought when yearlings, and the sum each won in prizemoney : —

Horse-breeding is a game of ups and downs, and that was exemplified at the Dublin sales in January. A few years ago Hasta who in her racing days was described as a beautiful Spearmint filly, was purchased by Lord Woolavington from Lord Derby for 2300 guineas. Lord Woolavington bred two small winners from her, and she was passed on to Mr J. C. Baird for 400 guineas and taken to Ireland. There she was sold at the recent Dublin sales for 11 guineas. The next mare to enter the ring was Sun Worship. Like Hasta. she was bred in 1912, so both marcs had just celebrated their nineteenth birthday. Sun Worship is the dam of the St. Leger winner, Solario, whose list is full for the 1931 and 1932 seasons at 500 guineas a mare. Yet the dam of the most valued sire in England to-day realised only 13 guineas. At no previous stage in the history of the thoroughbred family in Australia and New Zealand have so many- sires of high lineage been at the command of breeders. In view of this it might be expected that there would be no falling away, at least of a pointed character, in the standard, but whatever the cause the fact has to be recognised that the sprinter is very much more in evidence than the stayer. Indeed, the paucity of the latter may be termed alarming. There can be no doubt (says “ Phaeton ”) that with the majority of owners races of a mile and a-quarter are more popular than events beyond that distance, but should that be cultivated? In these days no doubt races are run at a very much more solid pace than was the case a quarter of a century ago, and that has to be taken into account in surveying matters on the staying question. The troublesome point, howover, is that there is far too great a preponderance of sprinters over stayers, and it would be heartening to be able to recognise that there was a solid movement to cultivate long distance events. Scientists tell us —or perhaps it were better to be on the safe side and saysome scientists —that man is not descended from a monkey, but is descended from the same ancestor as the monkey. In other words (says a Sydney’ paper), the monkey’ is not. our great-grandfather; he is our distant cousin. Imitativeness is the outstanding characteristic of the monkey tribe, and who is more imitative than the average racing man? Take, now, the little matter of selecting a favourite for next month’s big A.J.C. hurdle race. A few weeks ago a novice hurdle horse called Dal Lad surprised everybody by running second in open company in the hurdle race at City Tattersall’s meeting, and he followed this up by’ running second in a very’ weak field at Moorefield, when his rider displayed so little of the “ will to win ” that he was awarded two years’ disqualification. On these two very- mediocre performances the bookmakers put Dal Lad at the head of their lists for the big hurdle race. The public, always imitative, followed their lead, and for a time this novice jumper was actually’ first favourite for a race in which he would have to meet seasoned jumpers of the highest class. Even allowing that present-day conditions would have made the success he achieved much more difficult. Fred Archer was a wonderful rider. Discussing his career, “ Audax ” wrote as follows in the Horse and Hound (London): —“I knew Fred Archer well, and how he kept himself down to the weight he did was a marvel. He stood sft 9in, and during the hunting season would go to lOst. About a fortnight before the flat racing season he would begin wasting operations, chiefly by- purges and Turkish baths, and towards the end of his life he took the fofmer at a strength which would have killed any ordinary’ person. In this way he so undermined his powers of resistance that in a fit of delirium, while suffering from typhoid, he killed himself, when only’ 29, on November 8, 1886. He was a very highly- strung and wonderfully intelligent fellow, and during a race used often to glean more about the capabilities of the horses opposing his mount than did the jockeys bestriding them. In 1877 Archer, as he had done since 1874, headed the list with 218 wins to his credit, and up to 1886 was- always on top, his greatest feat being when he rode 241 winners out of 577 mounts in 11JS4. During the other years from 1877 onwards he rode 229, 197, 120, 220, 210, 232, 246. and 170 winners. Diming the 13 years he was leader, from 1874 to 1886 inclusive, he steered no fewer than 2608 winners out of 7325 rides.”

Sold as Yearling • Gns Won in Stakes. £ Sasanof . . .. 400 .. 20,770 Rapine .. 450 .. 21,040 The Hawk .. .. 180 .. 26,441 1030 . . 68,251