Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 56, 28 May 1927, Page 8

Turf Notes

Anchor’s Pilot H. Gordon will ride Anchor in the Penrose Hurdles at the Great Northern meeting.

To Ride Ngata B. H. Morris will go to Auckland for the Great Northern meeting, and will have the mount on Ngata in the Cornwall Handicap, and will also ride Mr. V. Riddiford’s horses.

Good Mounts at Otaki L. G. Morris will be riding at the Otaki meeting, his mounts being Avro in the Maiden, Orchid in the Huia Handicap, and either Merry Day or Diogenes in the Raukawa Cup. Rain and Mud

The very heavy rain of the past couple of days has made the tracks at Ellerslie very heavy, and the going will be bad for the Great Northern meeting, which opens on Friday next. In fact, it is anticipated that the course will be softer than is usually the case, and more so if the deluge lasts into next week.

Surprise Withdrawal A surprise defection from the Great Northern Hurdles was that of Nukumai, who was given out as a sure starter after he had run third in the Century Hurdles at Wanganui. The Manchineel gelding struck the last hurdle hard when making his run, and probably it was afterwards discovered that he had injured himself. He had recently come into favour for the big Ellerslie race.

A Cornwall Candidate A horse that has been galloping very consistently of late without burning up the tracks is Lomint, and that he should find the conditions to his liking is not surprising, for he is one of the Catmint tribe, and they love the mud. Probably Chamour would have been the elect of the stable in the Cornwall Handicap next Friday, but for that unfortunate affair that brought about his end at Ellerslie. S. Henderson is to ride Lomint in the Cornwall Handicap.

Kawini or Zircon? Kawini stands his ground in the two Great Northerns, and if he shapes at all well in the interim he will go out favourite for both events. He has done particularly well since winning at Te Rapa nearly a month ago, his gallops and schooling at Ellerslie being worthy of the favourite for two such important races. Kawini is given a good show of capturing the double; if he is beaten in either event it may be by Zircon, who is on the up grade. Auckland Winter Meeting

The winter meeting of the Auckland Racing Club will open next Friday, June 3, King’s Birthday. The fixture will be continued the following day, and is to be concluded on Wednesday week.

For Melbourne Cup A report that Piastoon was to go to Melbourne to be trained is unconfirmed yet. W. Kelso, who trained the horse for his recent Sydney Cup win, has had no word of an intended change. However, it is understood that Piastoon’s next mission will be the Melbourne Cup. The trainer mentioned as his next mentor is at Flemington, he may go early to that course to be trained there for the Cup. Piastoon is out of the Brisbane Cup, and latterly has had an easy time since his win in the Sydney Cup, but is still at Wm. Kelso’s stable.

Behind the Times Many a day has gone since shop totes were abolished in Australia. Even when they flourished, they were beyond the pale of the law, and the last of them kept going only behind strongly-guarded doors. Imagine then the English conditions of the day, which allow people to advertise in London sporting newspapers that their totalisators and pari mutuels are open on certain events. They run, separately, straight-out, place, and double event totes, on important races. Harassed Government It is understood that there is not the slightest chance of any gaming legislation coming down during the coming session. Many sections of the community are interested from many points of view, but it is pretty certain that by the time the Prime Minister and his Government have wrestled with dairy control and one or two other weighty matters, there will be no time left to get anything else done. Encouraging Apprentices In France the racing authorities do their best to get trainers to give opportunities to their own apprentices. Recently the Societe d’Encouragement passed a rule that all apprentices when riding for their own masters (trainers to whom they are articled) should be entitled to an allowance of Sib, instead of 51b, which is the usual allowance for apprentices in races not exceeding the value of about £l6O. There are also first and second prizes of cups at the end of each season for trainers whose apprentices have won most races on the flat.

Striking Contrast J. Toohey’s record of five wins in the Wagga Cup is a striking contrast to the experience of the late Tom Hales, one of Australia’s greatest riders, in that race. Hales was particularly anxious to pilot a Wagga Cup winner, but although he had several good mounts, and was placed on more than one occasion, success was denied him. It was one of the few events of any importance in N.S.W., Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania that Hales did not have to his credit. His great rival. W. Yeomans, however, steered three winners of the Wagga Cup. Like a Gold Rush

Now that Heroic, Windbag, Manfred and Spearl'elt have left the racing stage an invasion of New Zealanders next season may be expected. Their dash after Australia’s rich stakes will probably be almost like a gold rush. F. D. Jones has intimated that he will be back in the spring with Limerick. Last, week at the Awapuni meeting Mr. W. H. Gaisford was asked if he contemplated a trip to Australia with the dual Leger winner Commendation, and he replied, ‘*Y r es, unless something goes wrong.” New Zealanders are anxious to see a meeting between the two Limonds, Limerick and Commendation, who have not opposed each other since they were two-year-olds. Limerick’s quality Australians know something about, and Commendation is said to have developed into a fine horse, who will be a great attraction in Australia. Going Back to Blighty

Rumour has it that Frank Wooton, who a few years ago rejoined his lather in Australia, contemplates returning to England to take up training says a London writer. Frank, who is a year or so older than his brother Stanley, who controls the Treadwell House establishment at Epsom with such conspicuous success, came to this country over twenty years back, when quite a boy, and soon made his mark as a jockey, on several occasions heading the riding list. Among his patrons was Lord Derby, for whom Wooton won the St. Leger on Swynford, and other important events. Later he put cn considerable weight,

and as a consequence turned his attention to riding under National Hunt Rules. He was equally successful in this branch of the sport, and on one occasion might have topped the table but for meeting with an accident. Wooton is now in his thirty-fourth year.

Southerner May Do Well A horse that has also done well since arriving at headquarters is the Southerner, Sun Up. He has benefited by the two races he had at Hawera, and he will strip very fit at Ellerslie. Sun Up figures in the open sprint on Friday next, and although he should be prominent it is expected that he will do better later at the meeting, either in the King George Handicap, seven furlongs, or the York Handicap, one mile. These distances will suit him better if he is not beaten by the going. Sun Up, who filled the position of runner-up in the last Winter Cup, one mile, has been sprinting well since his arrival.

Enterprise Succeeds Few people have any idea of the large amount of illegal betting that is done on races throughout the Dominion, nor the many different methods the bookmakers have to safeguard themselves and clients against prosecution, writes “St. Clair” in the Dunedin “Evening Star.” One bookmaker in a southern town has devised, a scheme, which apparently gives him a degree of safety that is not enjoyed by many of his fellow-pencillers. He makes house-to-house calls on his clients each morning there are races, driving a well-appointed car, and books their bets at the back door just as if he were booking an order for groceries. Among his clients there are many “silver bettors”—women and boys—who put their half-crowns and crowns on. In fairness to this bookmaker, it should be stated that he also calls on those who win from him, and pays over the dividend due. But it is quite safe to say that this enterprising penciller receives more than he pays out, or he would not continue this method of conducting his business. Derbies Galore

In reference to the turf in the United States, the Bloodstock Breeders’ Review (published in England) had the following: “There is now a swarm of Derbies in the United States. Every racecourse promoter seems to think it desirable tljat the title should be associated with his mushroom track. The Kentucky Derby, run at Louisville, is, however—and seems likely to continue to be —the only one that makes a nation-wide appeal. Even this great event is not a Derby in the real sense of the word, because the course on which it is decided measures only ten furlongs. There is a woeful dearth of stayers in America. The system of racing there is very different from the one we have in England, and still further removed from that adopted in France. A horse that keeps sound is generally requested to take part in from 20 to 30 races in the course of a season. This is the chief reason why races over greater distances than ten furlongs are so few and far between. The few there are receive but little support.”

DROPPED OUT

BIG JUMPING EVENTS WHOLESALE DEFECTIONS FROM GREAT NORTHERN HURDLES The following are the horses that declined their engagements in the two principal events at the forthcoming meeting of the Auckland Racing Club: Great Northern Hurdles.—Comical, Ngata, Nukumai, Koauau, Euchre, Enare, Brigadier Bill, Lucullent, Llewellyn, Kawa, Perle de Leon, Kendal, Rangi Sarto, Glument, Mahgoloire, Master Noel, Wiltshire, Gold Jacket, Lucilius, Tall Timber, Gold Rain, Vexatious, King of the Air, Passionate, Pentagram, Beau Cavalier, Kalakaua, Dead Sweet and Star Shell—there are 15 left out of 44. Great Northern Steeplechase.—Nukumai, Archibald, Enare, Lady Comet, Brigadier Bill, Rangi Sarto, Lucullent, Vexatious, Passionate, Kamehameha, Glument, Mahgoloire, Advent, Master Noel, Greekson. Hazelburn and Goldpiece. There are now twenty left in out of 37.

The acceptances received for the various events are as follow:

Green Lane Steeplechase .... 6 Jervois Handicap 29 Penrose Hurdles hj Great Northern Hurdles .... 15 Cornwall Handicap 21 Hunt Club Hurdles 17 Members’ Handicap 2S Second Day

Great Northern Steeplechase.. 20 For the first day the acceptances total 132 for seven races, representing an average of just on 17 per race. This is a fine response for a mid-winter fixture and testifies to the popularity of the Auckland Racing Club.

OUT OF HOSPITAL

INJURED JOCKEYS RECOVER

Fully recovered from injuries sustained as a result of falls at the Wanganui Jockey Club’s winter meeting last week, two jockeys were discharged from the Wanganui Hospital yesterday.

F. Corlett was suffering from concussion caused by his fall when Brigadier Bill crashed in the May Hurdle Race on Saturday, and M. Conway also sustained concussion when Lady Spalpeen threw her rider at the hencoop m the straight in the Grandstand Steeplechase the same afternoon.