RACING

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 57, 30 May 1927, Page 6

RACING

BY “EARLY BIRD.” This Week’s Racing The Dunedin meeting is to be held on Wedesnday, Friday and Saturday. Otaki races on Friday and Saturday next. The Auckland meeting opens on Friday (King’s Birthday), and will be continued on Saturday and the following Wednesday. In The Fashion After the Great Northern meeting at Ellerslie, R. Reed will leave on a visit to Sydney. It is rumoured that he will take up his residence there, but as Australian sportsmen have not been impressed with his riding in the past, is quite likely that he will return to the Dominion after a short holiday.

The Small Totalisator At a meeting of the committee of the Marton Jockey Club it was decided that in view of the expense in installing and working the 10s windows and in consideration of the expenditure the club is faced with in connection with the improvements being carried out at the racecourse, the committee could not see its way to instal 10s windows. It is stated that the installation would cost £SOO. Ecuador Well

The ex-North Island gelding, Ecuador, who has improved very much since he raced at the Riverton R.C. Easter fixture, was treated to a gallop over six furlongs on the outside of the Southland course proper on Tuesday, writes “Sir Modred.” Striding out strongly, he ran the first half-mile in 53 2-ssecs, and the full distance in lmin 22 3-ssecs. A. McKenzie has evidently handled the hero of many muddy land bouts very cleverly, and he may race well if produced over hie best sprint course of three-quarters of a mile at the D.J.C. winter meeting. Otautau Cup

For the Otautau Cup on Wednesday Full Swing was made a warm first selection, carrying about 530 chances more than Bilbo, with Francaise 130 supporters off as third fancy, eight followers ahead of Set Sail (states the “Southland Times”). At the home turn Parader, after making the running carried Baldowa and Full Swing out and Cupidon got up on the rails. Cupidon headed for home in front to stall off Full Swing’s challange and beat her by half a length, with Parader third three lengths off, and Bilbo close up fourth, then came Baldowa, while Set Sail was at the rear of the field. C. Low complained that J. Pope (Francaise) crossed Set Sail going out of the straight. No action was taken. Scion weighed out for the race in the colours of F. Shaw, but his withdrawal was ordered under part 17. rule 3, part 32, rule 1, sections E and M. Scion was originally entered in the name of Mr. C. Hazlett, who was concerned in a recent wagering case in the north. Recognising that the owner of Cupidon has been an enduring sportsman with the son of Martian the general public and hard and fast racing participants alike tendered the Otautau Cup winner and his connections a hearty reception. Mr. H. Mason’s gelding, who is trained by R. McKay on the local tracks, was ridden by J. Cotten, a promising indentured

jockey attached to the stable presided over by F. W. Ellis. Full Swing ran up to her track form and gave a brave display, while Parader appeared as an improved galloper. Weight and trouble by the way settled Set Sail, and Baldowa and Bilbo found it difficult to give away heavy poundage on a typical southern winter track. Establishing a Precedent

The South Island stipendiary steward, Mr. G. E. Curry, was in attendance at the Otautau meeting, says the same paper, and spent a busy afternoon, one of his duties being to assist at a unique meeting of the Judicial Committee which sat to consider the eligibility of Scion to start in the Otautau Cup. The case was probably the first of its class under the latest Rules of Racing and it probably caused its investigators some anxiety, as it had to do with complicated interpretations in connection with a competitor and its connections effected by recent bookmaking prosecutions in regard to alleged illegal wagering. It was a case of which more may he heard when the New Zealand Racing Conference meets in July and the Otautau R.C. executive were distinctly unfortunate in having to adjudicate on such a far-reaching technicality.

Tall Horses A few weeks ago Sydney racegoers were struck by the immense size of the two-year-old Royal Feast, who measured 16.2*. In England recently they have been commenting on the size of Treat, a Tetratema colt, who was described as “our biggest horse.” As a two-year-old Treat stood over 17 hands, and when he came out to run at Newmarket in April last “he looked bigger and more ungainly *han ever.” In the race he started to “roll” coming down the hill, and could not get near the leaders. One of the troubles with these extra big horses is that they are all right as long as they can bowl along with an uninterrupted run, but. if anything happens to put them out of their stride they will easily go to pieces. A.J.C. Jumping Doußte

Not yet have Sydney bookmakers cottoned to the jumping events of the A.J.C. winter meeting, run on June 6 and 11, as a vehicle for the making of double books. Primarily there is no disguising the fact that the fielders are scared of jumping races in Sydney, as they share the belief of many racegoers that prospects are determined less by form than by considerations over which the riders have most influence and which can only be guessed at by those “not in the know.” There is less reason for this scare when several Victorian horses enter the lists, but the fact that there are only three weeks in which to operate has decided most of the ring-men to wait until the days of racing to bet. A few small double books have been opened, but the Vg men are not bothering.

VALAIS ON TOP

SUCCESSFUL SIRE AGAIN LEADS IN AUSTRALIA The list of Australia’s winning stallions for the first three-quarters of the current season, which ended on April 30, as prepared for the “Australasian Turf Register,” has been published.

The leading sires are:— N o. of No. of Amount Winners. Wins 46i 49 J Won. £38,796 27.S55 Spearhead (imp.) 23 25,598 21,336 Rossendale (imp.) 6 18 St. Anton (imp.) 45 86 J 19,163 King Offa (imp.) 13 23 J 15,297 Tracery (Eng;.) . 7 13,803 Comedy King (imp.). 24 13,155 24J 33 Chrysolaus (imp.) 20 10,996 Cooltrim (imp.) • S2 £9 10,689