Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 400, 14 July 1928, Page 6

Turf Notes

(By

EARLY BIRD)

Hoof Trouble Royal Tea was recently attended to by Veterinary "W. J- Miller, for a slight hoof trouble, He lias recovered, and is now in work again at Randwick. One For Next Season Bendower, over the steeplechase course proper at Hastings recently, gave a line exhibition of lepping. Old hands consider this gelding the best jumper of country seen here for many years. Certainly his lepping is a revelation, and when he is backed by another 12 months' condition may win anything. Who Worked the Clock? The timing of the races at Trentham the first day appears open to some comment, says a Wellington writer. It is hard to accept the tact that uma and Roscrea in the Trial Plate ran liscc faster over six furlongs than Taboo and Panther in the btowards Handicap, despite the fact that a iace intervened. Then in the V ellmgton Steeplechase the correction was due to representations from the although it is understood that the clock registered accurately. The time was 7.24 not 6.24. It is only a detail, perhaps, but Trentham prides itsell upon attention to detail. There Are a Few There is a type of betting owner who distrusts everyone associated with him in his racing activities. He is an impossible man to work lor (says an English scribe), which is reflected by the fact that his horses never stay with one trainer more than a season or two. When a ‘ job" goes astray, when he gets nine to four to Ins money instead of ten to one which lie expected, a man of this kind is disposed to think that his trainer lias divulged his business in a greedy and attempt to profit behind ins back. iMino times out of ten such suspicions are entirely unfounded, but the facts that they are likely to arise in a source oi considerable worry and anxiety tp the small trainer, whose patrons are com mercially-minded men with no eat knowledge o£ racing. Looks the Part Nicely put together is Lord Light, a two-year-old son of Lord Quex an Ladv Delaval, who is theretoie a halt brother to Zaza, Clavers and Dappe Boy in T. Quinlivan s Hastings stable, writes “The Squire.” He shows l\is breeding unquestionably, as he is I of quality from head to heel, »ood in front, with strong back, wide acioss the loins, great hanging quarters denoting propulsion of great leverage, hard appearances legs with even open feet He stands over a lot of ground, has great reach from croup to point ot hocks which are truly moulded, and the whole surmounted by a brainy head set on a wiry neck, perfectly aligned to shoulders of the best. If speed can be gauged from observation of construction then the verdict attached to Lord Light is that he is sure to gallop fast and stay on.

Were the Stewards in Error? The stewards of the Wellington Racing Club decided that neither Mark Mint nor Rameses, who had weighed out for the Trial Plate —the former with R. Reed up and the latter with T. Metcalf —was eligible to start. Commenting upon their action, “The Watcher" says that the decision was reached on the ground that neither complied with the provisions of the race, which stated that it was for “horses that have not won a race exceeding the value of 100 sovs. at the time of nomination." Neither horse has won a race worth 100 sovs. actual value to the winner, though both have won races aggregating more than 100 sovs. value to the winner, and in addition the total stale# in some races has been over that amount. The rule of racing on winnings states that winnings mean and include any moneys or prizes actually credited to a winning horse . . . for winning any race or races. Reading the condition laid down by the club in its advertised programme, it would appear extremely doubtful if the decision reached is correct. It definitely stipulates “a race not exceeding 100 sovs. in value," and not race or races, although the club has apparently read this condition into its rule. Clubs should be more explicit with regard to the conditions of events. The owners of Mark Mint and Rameses read the conditions of the Trial Plate to mean an individual race not worth 100 sovs. to the winner, and after going to the expense of bringing their horses to the meeting find that an entirely different interpretation has been put upon It. Coo! Head

Gordon Richards is no tilling like what a jockey ought to be. Physically, he is all wrong. His body is too long, his legs are too short, and, says an English paper, he must take nearly a No. 7 in hats! On a horse he is inelegant and his riding appearance is not improved by his use of a long rein. But everything else is right. Gordon has the maximum vigour and driving force, wonderful balance, a great sense of distance, and, usually, the knowledge of what most of the horses in a race have done besides the performances of his own mount. He is .always thinking about his job, and when beaten wonders what he has done wrong. His social aspirations are nil. He is probably the only fashionable jockey who doesn’t know a night club. His chief hobby is reading boys’ magazines, and even if he does drive a large car he does not fraternise outside his own class. His greatest friend is his fellow-jockey, Sirett. He has spent most of the winter turning down retaining fees for he remains loyal to the men who made him—Martin Hartigan and Captain Hogg. But he will also be seen wearing the Union Jack colours of Lord Glanely this season. So his already large bank balance is going to be enormously increased. Says one of the worst horses he has ever ridden is the Lincolnshire entry, Chichester Cross, and in this race rides Jugo. So far he has not been anywhere near winning the Derby, but hopes to do so this year for Lord Dewar. If he does this he will probably imitate another jockey of recent years and celebrate it by taking his sweetheart to the pictures! If he ever adopts a family motto it will be “Cool Head "Wins."

Has Good Relations Among the yearlings that Mr. D. JBarry, of Gisborne, has running on Ins property is a half-brother by Araujo to Barrier. Pita. King Pita, Carniola. and Fall o’ the Year. Quiet Week There is no racing in the North Island next‘week, but the South Island ! will have two days—Waimate on Thursday and South Canterbury on : Saturday, both hunt fixtures. Gis- ; borne comes off the week after, and that will end the present season. Wayward Back The thre-year-old gelding "\\ ay ward, who did good service for Mr J. M. Samson during the summer, resumed work recently after a spell. He is in R. C. Keeper’s team at Orari, and though he has not been set any fast tasks yet, j he is gradually getting into good order. He claims a Winter Cup engagement, but he may not be at his best by next month He should be ready, however, to make his presence felt at some of the spring meetings. Tresham Looks at His Best A Hawke’s Bay critic says ho has never seen Tresham appearing as he was when the rug was removed from him. Bright of eye and brilliant in coat, the son of Tressady and Lilacre proved beyond argument that he was in enjoyment of perfect health. He has lost that ragged, three-cornered look that was so plainly visible m lum in the past. He is a new Tre well forward# and clothed in muscle. Early spring racing should Sfe the Australian-bred gelding a formidable opponent to master. Millions of Tickets France being the home of the parimutuel. the lightning calculating of the Australian totalisator is much appreciated at Longchamps. The machine has an immense amount of work to ao. For example, investments on the Grand Prix do Paris, run a few days ago, reached no less than £ 60,000. The record for a single race at Randwick is £22,000. In Sydney, with the denomination of the tickets 10 shillings, that means 44,000 registrations. The French denomination is five francs, and, as a franc is worth only twopence, no fewer than a million and a half registrations were needed to put through the money invested on the Grand Prix. Everything is working smoothly with the recently-installed machine, and the celerity with which it announces dividends has caught the fancy of the volatile Frenchmen. The Nationals Next Tuesday handicaps for the Grand National Steeplechase, Grand National Hurdle Race and Winter Cup will be declared. This will give the weight-adjuster of the Canterbury Jockey Club ample time to consider the running at Trentham of those who are engaged in the above trio of events. As has been the case for some time past, the maximum weight to be carried in the Grand National Steeplechase is fixed at 12.7. Prior to the inclusion of the clause in the conditions attached to the event, an excess of that poundage had twice been borne to victory. Canard having won with 12.10 in 1886, and Norton with 12.8 in 1894. The last winner to carry 12.7 was Coalition, when he succeeded in 1921, when he scored his second victory in the race in succession.