RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 9, 2 September 1931, Page 5

RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

AUCKLAND TROTTING MEETING. WIPE OUT SCHOOLING LIST(Speeially written for the "Post" by "The Judg-e").

With the stake money for the Wanganui Jockey Club's spring meeting cut right down to rock bottom, much curiosity was evinced as to how owners would respond when it came to entering their horses. The nominations now published reveal that the lists are fairly strong, but the principal handicap the first day will fall very flat, for there are but five entries, and those are much of a muehness so far as class is concerned. Indeed of the quintette, only Merry Damon and Royal Game are out of hack class, the others being Little Doubt, Cessation and Spear Lad, the last named being a maiden. It is a weak field indeed, and instead of being as in the past the biggest betting medium of the day it will be the weakest- The other events have not filled so well as in the past, which is only to be expected, but still they are not bad and will furnish some interesting racing. The Guineas. It is indeed f ortunate for the Wanganui Club that it has such a fine drawing card on its programme a fortnight hence as the three-year-old classic, the Wanganui Guineas, for it is that raee that is going to raise the fixture above the commonplace. The Guineas is going to be one of the best ever staged at Wanganui, both in the point of number of starters and as a race. In addition the two-year-old parade the first day and the race for those juveniles the second day (for which two dozen have entered) will lend added interest. According to those who were at New Plymouth last week, the three-year-old Eastertime was not quite ready for serious business when he was defeated in the Member's Handicap. He had had an interrupted preparation, but the race should work a big improvement in him and he ought to be at his best to-tackle all domers in the Avondale Stakes a little over three weeks hence. On Sa-

turday Eastertime led into , the straight, so that was encouraging, but the Taranaki representative will have a difficult task in front of him to beat good ones like Bronze Eagle and High Comedy, not to mention Croupier and Aspian. Good Gallop. A brilliant gallop over six furlongs by Taneriri at Ellerslie last Saturday will draw pointed attention to this fellow's chances in the big early spring handicap, particularly the Avondale and Mitchelson Cups. He will be the fittest horse in the field at both Avondale and Ellerslie, for he has raced right through the Winter, and raced consistently too- It will be interesting to see how he is rated with Historic and other good horses by the handicapper, and in this conneetion it is interesting to note that Historic and Lady Pam are both under orders to come north for the two big meetings here shortly. I ncomprehensibleThe racing world was considerably surprised to find the name of Aberfeldy on the schooling list when the official announcement of the fact was published last week. It is incomprehensible that a horse, whose racing these days is confined to jumpers' flat events and jumping races should so stir the powers that be to place Aberfeldy on the black list. One would think that such action was absolutely unnecessary. At the same time it is said by those who saw Aberfeldy in his one start at Riccarton, in the Jumpers' Flat, that his waywardness was not such as to warrant his being black-listed. Considering this incident with others that have been recorded, one can only come to the conclusion that there is a law for the big man and

another for the small man in racing. In a recent artiele anent the "secrets of the schooling lists," the writer commented: "Within the past nine months there have been two rather famous cases — one might almost be tempted to refer to them as 'notorious' instances — in connection with the schooling list- One was that of the well bred Lucky Light, who at the last New Zealand Cup meeting gave an extraordinary exhibition of equine pferversity perhaps unequalled in the Dominion's turf history. Yet Lucky Light was never listed in the black list, and it was given out at the time that her owner had undertaken to retire her from the racetrack to the matrons' paddock." Whole Principle Wrong. Doubtless on that assurance of her owner that Lucky Light had seen the last of the race track, she was not put on the schooling list. As one sarcastic commentator put it, "Lucky Light belongs to a member of the Executive of the New Zealand Racing Conference; Aberfeldy belongs to an owner-trainer not classified as a 'big' man." The whole principle of the schooling list is wrong when such an event has to be reckoned. The latest instance, of Aberfeldy, should satisfy most that it is time the schooling list was wiped out, the matter being left to individual clubs to say whether they would aecept the entry of any horse or not. Many years ago the wrter urged the institution of the schooling list, and the suggestion was later adopted. Now I suggest that the whole thing be wiped out, for the reason that it is not being administered as it ought to be. Low Admission ChargesThere is not the slightest doubt at all that the Auckland Trotting Club has won the way to the , hearts of sportsmen and sportswomen by its low admission charges and small unit of totalisator betting. This in part was responsible for the large crowd that patronised the Club's August fixture at Epsom last Saturday, the

attendance being very large, with a consequent satisfactory totalisator turnover. The admisison charges at Alexandra Park these days are one shilling to the outer, and six and four shillings respectively ■ for gentlemen and ladies j to the lawn. On the outer, five ; and j ten shilling tickets are sold at the j machine, and ten shilling and higher I denominations at the lawn totalisator. } These innovations have undoubtedly caught on, with the result that the Auckland Trotting Club has achieved a greater measure of popularity than would otherwise have been the case under the old rigid ideas. Outstanding. Quite the outstanding performer at Epsom last Saturday was the Canterbury pacer Arymont Chimes. Always favourite for the August Handicap, the only doubt existent in the minds of his admirers was the question oi his ability to handle the soft turf track. There was no cause for the slightest worry, however, for the odds on favourite hit his straps quiekly and was always in the firing line. Two furlongs from home Bryce let him go, j and he finally won comfortably by a couple of lengths. There was not much pace on for the first mile of the August Handicap, but they were at top over the last lap, j and the fact that Ayrmont Chimes cut out his last half mile in 65 3-5ths shows that he at least had the edge on the opposition for pace in the final dash. The son of Four Chimes was landed at the post in rare fettle, and it should not be long before he again leads a good handieap field home. When he was brought out again later in the day, in the mile and a quarter event, Ayrmont Chimes was penalised from 36 yards to 60 yards, but so brilliantly did he begin that he was within striking distance in the first furlong and a half. Then he trailed the leaders to the home turn, when he shot out at the bottom of the straight. He was well clear a little farther on, but then Great Parrish came at him with his irresistible dash and cut him out of the big money, Bryce did appear to be a bit impetuous when he made his run a fraction of a second too soon, enabling Paul's horse to get the drop on him-

Hot Favourite. The mere fact that Great Parrish was considered fit enough to start caused him to be sent out a hot favourite for the Massey Memorial Handicap at Alexandra Park last Saturday, and he had to be fit and extra good to pull it off like he did. He did not begin well, Ayrmont Chimes from farther back heading hina, but Paul did not bustle his horse and he was well back half a mile from home. Gradually he made up leeway, and erossing the top into the home stretch he was on the outside of several horses. It seemed almost impossible for Great Parrish to overhaul Ayrmont Chimes, for the latter had a lead of quite four lengths on him less than a furlong from home. The Mangere horse came with a rattle, however, and just got up to win by a head. It was a slashing performance, for it is only reasonable to assume that Great Parrish was not thoroughly tuned up, so that even better things can be expected of him this term. Before the season ends it is right on the cards that he will be with the real classy two-milers, and more than holding his own at that. j Promising. Enawah was always prominent in the August Handicap last Saturday, but she never really had a chance of beating Ayrmont Chimes- Consistency is a feature of the performances of the daughter of Peterwah, and as she is in nicfc-order to commence the new season she ought to win a nice prize or two. The chestnut has yet to prove herself as a stayer, so it was at least promising to find her running

on behind Ayrmont Ghimes last week. Auto Machine was the unlucky runner in the August Handicap last Saturday at Epsom- His rider either drove an out and out bad race, or he might have been too confident. He tailed the field all the way to two furlongs from home, too late altogether to have a chance of winning. At the finish he was running over everything, travelling faster than the winner, and then he was nearly four lengths away from first prize.