Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 352, 12 May 1928, Page 6

Durf Notes

(By

EARLY BIRD)

Last Before Northerns The Wanganui winter meeting is to be held next Thursday and Saturday. The acceptances received last night are satisfactory. Interested Parties During the hearing of a protest at Morgan, South Australia, it was discovered that several of the honorary stewards sitting on the case were pecuniarily interested, and the hearing had to be adjourned until the selection of a fresh tribunal. This was formed by the judge, starter, and president of the club. Looked After Him The other day when an apprentice was having his first ride, lie jubilantly mentioned the fact, and was highly pleased when one of the experienced jockeys said: “Don’t be nervous; I’ll look after you,’’ says an Australian exchange. The youngster duly rode, ahd after the race remarked to his employer: “You know that chap who said he’d look after me. Well, he did. As soon as the barrier went up he ran his mount under the neck of my horse, and I had to almost pull up.’’ That youngster is now certain the expression, “I'll look after you,” can be taken more ways than one. Boycott of Country Clubs in Victoria. The threatened boycott by some trainers of country racing clubs, in Victoria that take acceptances before the day of the meetings was a strange situation, and one in which it was only natural to expect the V.R.C. to take a hand. Particulars of this were given some days ago.. It was a serious affair, and rightly deserved intervention on the part of the State. The V.R.C. Committee held a special meeting, and issued the following statement: “At a special meeting it was decided to intimate to those trainers, through the Press, that the committee thoroughly disapproved of their action, and that persistence in any such boycotts would be dealt with in the severest way. McNamara, who admitted that he had taken the lead in this attenuated boycott, was brought before the committee. He was reprimanded, and notified how seriouslx the committee regarded his action.” Dislikes Floats

The ex-New Zealand pony Ransack had her first and last ride in a horse float recently, when she was taken to the races at Richmond from Sydney. The mare kicked and plunged about going up, but besides knocking a deal of hair off her hind quarters, she escaped further injury. On the homeward journey, however, Ransack refused to settle down, and she bruised herself considerably, besides injuring a hock. The driver of the float took the horses out on three occasions and placed Ransack in a different compartment. The mare, however, kicked and plunged so wildly, that, fearing further damage, she was removed from the float when half the trip was over and brought back later in an empty float with the partitions out. Her trainer, J. Smith, stated that the mare practically kicked her way out of the float. The Total.sator in England As I have reepatedly written, totalisator supporters in England will get a shock if the machine is installed on courses in that country, writes an experienced racegoer in Australia. Much the greater part of betting in England is don© by stay-at-home backers at starting price, and attendances at many meetings are comparatively small. The other day a Sydney racing man told me he had received a letter frim his brother to the effect that betting on English racecourses was never worse than at present. So much business was done away from the courses that betting on them was light, and it was impossible to execute a fair commission at an average meeting. If there is little money for the books, the outlook for the tote is anything b.ut bright. The only possible chance it has of real success in England is the suppression of shop betting, and that is unlikely to come about. I have always been a totalisaior advocate, but existing conditions in England do not favour it. At least, that was the opinion I formed after seeing racing at nearly all the principal courses. Money from Hobart!

The official announcement now to hand contains the report that the first prize of £IB,OOO in a recent big Tasmanian venture had gone to a Blackhead (Hawke’s Bay) resident, to whom the name of “Winalot” will henceforth have no delusive meaning. The big money was well spread abroad, the second prize, £5,400, quite a ‘Tangible” amount, going to South Australia, while the third, £3,600, went to someone in Bloom J »ntein, South Africa, who may recall from his schooldays that some 750 years ago there was a certain Earl of Pembroke, who was Governor of Ireland, and popularly known as “Strongbow.” In a minor undertaking on the same event. Strongbow brought £“i00 to Dunedin, so that New Zealand seems to have done pretty well on this occasion. Still it has to be remembered that, on the average, out of every £1 surreptitiously sent to the little Island State, hunting for these good returns, no less than three half-crowns stick there.

Black Watch and the Derby Black Watch, who we all hope will win the Derby, \v J j not engaged in the Two Thousand Guineas. In a letter which the “Weekly Press” racing contributor received from Mr. J. B. Reid last week, he states that Black Watch lias wintered well, and is a. grand looking colt, “but whether he will win the Derby is a different matter, for it is a verjf difficult race to win with so many starters all trying to race for position at the start. As a matter of fact he should have won all his races last season easily, but got left at Ascot, and at York Richards thought he had the Gimcrack Stakes won and eased him in the heavy going, and only then just won on the post. A horse I have very much regard for is Ranji Singh, \s he can go fast and stay as well, but Black Watch if fit on the day will take some beating. The other three-year-old. Black Friar, is also very good, but he met with an accident, falling on the road, and I allowed them to cut him. Gilpin writes to say that Ambry, by Black Gauntlet Kilrea, shapes like a first-class filly, and that Parting Kiss, by Somme Kiss —Kilcullen, is also going well. Punka has a grand foal this year by Sinnatus. by The Tetrarch—•Sceptre’s daughter, by Swynford—Sceptre. I hav,e also three fine yearlings by Sinnatus, but unfortunately he died when I was in New Zealand last year. He was a great loss to me as his stock are splendid. Fortunately, Punka held to him and has a January foal.” Mr. Reid adds. “We have had a lot of work over the totalisator, but they say it is safe now.”

Marathon Meetings The Roseberry Cup, to be run at Sydney to-day, has drawn a field of 54, and the race has been cut up into five divisions. There are no less than 12 races on the day’s card. Gaze Doubted Not a few critics are predicting that Gaze will do well over fences this season, but after having a good look at the All Black gelding recently a Hastings writer is still of the opinion, expressed some little while back, that all is not well with this horse behind and that he will prove anything but a safe conveyance between the flags. Five from Fordell The Fordell mentor, F. Tilley, arrived in Wanganui on Thursday with Glenross, Shining Armour, Limited, Consent and Avro. The quintet are to complete their preparation for the Wanganui winter meeting on the local tracks. Neither Glenross nor Shining Armour has been asked to negotiate the minor obstacles as yet, though it is intended that they should receive the necessary education in the near future. His Best Retainer - The ex-New Zealand cross-country horseman, J. N. McGregor, erstwhile of Auckland and now of Melbourne, has been awarded £I,OOO damages for libe) against the Melbourne “Herald” and “Weekly Times,” the alleged libel being contained in the statement that McGregor took into his confidence a New Zealand bookmaker when he rode Wingarara to victory in two hurdle races in 1912. The article referred to one published some weeks ago dealing with turf reminiscences. The defendants have appealed against the decision. Club Keeps a Memento An interesting feature in connection with the Onkaparinga Steeplechase at Adelaide, South Australia, is that the Onkaparinga Racing Club has kept a memento of the winners of the above race, dating back to the inception pf the event many, many years ago. It has always been the duty of the secretary ofthe club to approach the connections of the winning horse and endeavour to procure one of the plates worn by the successful candidate during the actual contest. The plate, suitably inscribed, is then placed with the mementoes of the pre-winners on an oak mount, which decorates the racing club’s office. Will Take Up Training

For some time now C. Carmont, a jockey well known throughout the North Island, has contemplated applying for a trainer’s licence, and recently put the thought into action, with the result that he is now in possession of a brief for that department of the game, in addition to his jockey’s licence. During the 17 years he has been associated with racing, Carmont has gained valuable experience, which will stand him in good stead when he assumes his new duties. That he will enjoy success will depend a great deal on his own ability, but he. will only need to follow in the footsteps of his father to ensure a successful patronage. However, Carmont has already received a couple of offers from sportsmen who wish to place their charges under his care. For Australia

Goshawk has fully recovered from the kick received prior to the start of the last Thompson Handicap, and is just in from J. Cameron’s farm to rework at Hastings, records the Tribune.” Being . a light-fleshed horse, the son of Magpie has not filled out as one of the robust kind would after a spell. All going well Goshawk will .go to Sydney about July next. Courtsey, the four-year-old mpre by Limond from Salute, who fell foul of a wire fence a few months back, has also been brought in by J. M. Cameron. The mare carries a very ugly scar on the off knee, and it is very doubtful if her owner-trainer will attempt a serious preparation. The brood mares’ paddock may be her destination this spring. Commencing Their Career.

The coming two-year-old son of Limond and Tivoli and the colt of the same age by Leighton—Statuette, the property of Mr. W. H. Gaisford, who some time back were added to the list of geldings, recently were dispatched from Havelock North, where they had been attended to bv Mr. F. Donnelly, for * Palmerston North, to join the team that George Jones has in work for Mr. Gaisford. The Limond —Tivoli gelding cost Mr. Gaisford 600 guineas to become possessed of. His dam, Tivoli, is by Absurd - Roscom mon, and was imported from England. She was got by the English Derby winner, Common, from Rosamonde, by Hermit —Enguerran. The other youngster, who was bred at Hastings by Mr. G. D. Beatson, can lay claim to higli-class descent, got as he is by imported Leighton—Statuette, the latter mare being a daughter of Marble Arch and Seatonella, who goes back to Phoebus Opollo (son of St. Simon), Traducer and Seaton Delava 1. Money in Hurdling Who wouldn’t own a good hurdler? asks a Sydney writer. Many decent gallopers struggling to pay their way in open company on the flat could earn a great deal more if their owners put them to hurdling, but for some reason or other the idea does not appeal to them. Grosvenor, the State’s leading hurdler, was a dud on the flat, and a number of others could be named as haying won more prize money in one jumping race than they would have picked up on the flat in a lifetime. Take Really as an example. In his last five starts over the hurdles he has been beaten only once, and has won prizemoney totally £1,627, yet how much could he have won in flat races during the corresponding period? Really, however, has an excellent winning average both on the flat and over the jumps, even allowing that each of his flat successes was at the Forbes picnic meeting. He raced only once in 1924, once in 1925, and once in 1926, and was successful at each start. z •