Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 694, 20 June 1929, Page 10

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

"EARLY BIRD"

Is It Fair? There was some discussion last spring as to the result of the steeplechase run at Te Rapa, which was "for hacks and qualified hunters.” It was contended by the stipendiary steward present that horses who had nioved out of the hack steeplechase class, but were qualified hunters could not compete, but they were allowed to do so. It was announced later, as an outcome of this race, that the Racing Conference was going to move in the direction of debarring any horses except hacks from running against hacks. This is quite reasonable. Apparently, however, no action has been taken, for the First Hack Steeplechase on the Wellington programme next month is "for hacks and qualified hunters.” Under this clause many good horses could participate, for in this province a large number of successful ’chasers are qualified. Glendowie is one, and he has been nominated for the Trentham hack ’chases, as well as for the big events. Quite apart from the fact that on his Great Northern form Glen- { dowie would not beat many of the hacks engaged, it is obviously unfair that those hacks should have to take on a horse of this calibre. Perhaps Mr. H. Rothery had two reasons for entering Glendowie for the Hack Steeplechase. (1) That the unfairness and absurdity of the conditions of the I race should be brought to notice with ] a view to obviating it in future; (2) That on his Ellers!ie showings Glen- I dowie should be relegated to the hack ranks. The latter reason, of course, need not be taken too seriously. However, there it is, and the sooner the Racing Conference moves in the matter the better it will be. The position is one of peculiar interest to Aucklanders. Looked Worse When jumping Scrap Iron in company with Corbel at Awapuni on Tuesday morning, T. Stokes suffered a nasty fall when his mount crashed through the second of the brush double. The rider momentarily appeared to be hurt, but lie had been merely winded, and later resumed his task. Corbel made quite a favourable showing over the big fences for a novice, it being her first essay. Accepted

A wedding of much interest in racing circles was contracted recently, the parties being Miss L. Doyle, the well* known Riccarton trainer, and the horseman, James Campbell.

The Straight Dope If there is anything that arouses the wrath of Myles Connell, erstwhile leading jockey of Sydney, it is the boy who persistently has a cigarette in his mouth. "They are absolute dopes,” he says, "and I do not know how they expect to make competent jockeys.” Well Bred Among the Trial Platers at the Wellington meeting will be the rising three-year-old Australian-bred gelding Rasouli, by Bernard—Gipsy’s Warning, by Bardolph—Bright Siren, by Bright Steel. Rasouli was purchased in Australia last December by Mr. C. Boyle, of Wellington, % for £450, and has made good progress* since his arrival here. A feature of Rasouli’s breeding is a doubling of St. Simon. Bright Steel was by St. Simon, who was also the maternal great grandsire of Bernard. Still Going Strong Sunart, who is due to compete over the fences at Waverley, is once again a member of the active ranks at Awapuni. The old fellow looks remarkably well and the other morning strode over seven furlongs in 1.44& in good style. Commendation continues to get through his training operations in attractive manner, the Limond gelding running the last five furlongs of his second circuit on the grass in 1.9. . Locarno, Red Fuchsia and Mister Gamp finished in that order at the end of a mile gallop on the grass in 1.53 after a slow jump out at Awapuni on Tuesday. Mister Gamp, who was under a hard pull, went on to complete another round, while Red Fuchsia appeared anxious to go on with it.

Tiega appears to have made a good recovery from the injury he received when Gala Day fell at Wanganui, and the old fellow left seven furlongs behind on the grass in 1.45. A Psychology-Lovelock filly, who is a, half-sister to Son o’ Mine, has been taken over by J. P. Coyle at Awapuni. Although she has not shown a great deal of promise as yet, she bears a racy appearance. In company with the Acre—Sleeping Beauty youngster, she was worked on Tuesday. The latter is a solid-looking customer. King Acre, who had been out spelling, has also linked ui> with Coyle’s string. Interesting Return A report will bo presented to the Racing Conference next month by the president, showing reasons why several clubs were permitted to give in stakes a less sum than 90 per cent, of the average net revenue from the totalisator during the three previous years. Permission was granted to the Christchurch Hunt Club to give not less than £990 in stakes (next season), owing to reduced totalisator receipts and the necessity of conserving its funds; to the Matamata Racing Club to give not less than £9OO, owing to the club desiring to erect loose boxes and stalls and to plant trees for shelter; to the Franklin Racing Club to reduce its stakes by £159 on account of diminution in number of days’ racing; to the Thames Jockey Club to give not less than £2,600, owing to having held its previous meeting at Ellerslie, and the fact that it has spent a large sum in acquiring additional land and laying down a new course; and to the Te Kuiti Racing Club to give not less than £2,600, owing to its previous meeting being held at Ellerslie. Coference Finance

Th© salaries of the racecourse inspectors cost the Racing Conference £2,612 10s during the past year, while deputies’ fees absorbed £471 16s 10d and travelling expenses £555 12s Sd. A levy of one-twentieth per cent, on gross totalisator investments provided £2,513 13s 7d revenue from racing clubs and £1,007 12s from trotting clubs, while hack levies of £156 0s 5d were recovered. The account was in credit £770 7s 2d a year ago, and the present credit is £1,063 10s 2d. The accident fund of the New Zealand Racing Conference is in a healthy condition. The income for the past year was £6.250 Is Bd, the principal items being accident fees £375 10s and commission on riding fees £1.324 0s 3d. Claims for accidents absorbed £3,885 18s 3d, and there was an excess of income over expenditure of £1.398 4s Id. The accumulated funds are shown at £11,718 11s lid. The stipendiary stewards’ account of the New Zealand Racing Conference is in credit £SS4 19s 2d, compared with £9Bl 6s 6d a year ago. A levy of one-thirteenth per cent, on gross totalisator investments provided £4,213 16s lOd, and hack levies £264 13s lOd. The expenditure included salaries £2.986 10s. deputies’ fees £325 10s. and travelling expenses £5Bl 7s lid, while a donation of £7OO was made to the New Zealand Sports Protection League.

Riding At Hastings R. Reed will ride Rich Harvest, Mangaheri, Moutoa Treasury and Balloon 1 on the opening day at Hastings, while r he will pilot I’m Alone in the Trial on c Saturday. T. Green went through to r Carterton yesterday morning to ride t a candidate for Hastings. Two of his t mounts at the fixture will be Piuthair t and Rioghail. * a South Canterbury Meeting fc In view of th© fact that the open- 1 ing day of the South Canterbury meet- s ing has been put off until tomorrow, e the suggestions for the first day are 0 reproduced here for reference purposes:— * | ( -j To Kapo Hurdles, — Overhaul and i Aberfeldy. a Smithlteld Handicap.— Black Duke, if h absent, First Raid and Tripaway. h Otipua Steeplechase.— Fabriano and e Radiate. 1 Electric Stakes.— Bon rose and Red \ Boa. r Timaru Cup.— Black Duke, if absent, t Malmsey and King Balboa. Gladstone Steeplechase.— Handy and Lord Ranald. Rosewill Hack. — Best Policy and c Briarthorn. ' . Doncaster Handicap.— Fairy Herald and Wayward. A Nassau Colt J G. Jones has taken in hand the c ! Nassau colt purchased some little time A 1 back at Melbourne by Mr. W. PI. Gaisford. The yearling is a compact sort , who should live up to his breeding when his time comes. r For Australia Statuary, a former inmate of G. 1 Jones’s establishment, who has been ] out spelling for some time past, ( will be taken across the Tasman by ] A. D. Webster, the Otaki mentor. In • all probability Statuary will pass into ] new hands on the other side of the ; Tasman. Better Than Schooling List The stout six-strand starting gate introduced to English courses this year does not find favour with many jockeys. Steve Donohue had hardly finished telling the Press what a wonderful thing it was when he struck trouble at Newbury. His mount, John’s Son, and Yellow Underwing, ridden by Wragg, became entangled in the tapes and the webbing had to be cut to free John’s Son, who was on the ground for some time. Eventually the gate was taken away and the race started by flag—lS minutes late. Friendly Rivalry There is a great amount of cross purposes among English and American sportsmen in regard to the merits of equines bred in the respective countries, and it is refreshing to read the remarks of Mr. Stanley Harrison, an American, upon the subject. Pie writes as follows;—"Friendly rivalry is the life of sport and unfriendly rivalry is the death of it. Surely too much has been written in inimical vein about tho relative merits of English and American tho rough beds. Comparisons are particularly odious when made without an accompanying smile in tone or fact. On both sides of the Atlantic there are those who, by persistent and insidious suggestion, would undermine our natural good feeling for each other, and one is sorry to see it, for the spirit of the sport should unite us as can nothing else.” Cleared the Course In Adelaide the other day there was trouble over an enthusiastic mounted constable dispatching a horse before the racing club’s veterinary surgeon could be hurried to the scene to ascertain the nature of the animal’s injuries, but a post-mortem established the fact that a leg was badly broken, so the matter was smoothed over. Nevertheless it is not a constable’s duty to shoot an injured horse, and one made a very bad job of it at Feilding some years ago, taking at least half a dozen bullets to dp the trick. Another, at a course in the "Auckland Province some twenty years ago, missed the horse altogether and drilled a neat hole in the bowler hat worn by a spectator! After that the constable had the paddock to himself. Awapuni Notes Conditions were excellent for early : morning operations at Awapuni on ’ Tuesday, but the tracks were some--1 what heavy as the result of rain and 1 frosts. Malahat, a winner at Napier 1 Park on Saturday, was nominated for ,Hastings, as was Lucky Bag, but the stable may have Great Lady as its only representative. The Trial Handicap candidate went a steady [ seven furlongs in 1.45., .but was npt . asked to gallop. Lucky Bag will probably wait for Trentham. The Lucullus filly had Wanderlust as a companion over seven furlongs, the ’ pair finishing on terms in 1.43. . Wanderlust is looking more like his old self. ! Mrs. A. McDonald will be repre- | sented by Mountain Crag, Grand Na- , tional, Calluna, Glyn Dhu and Blue , Paper, tho last named having been ; entered for the Trial on the second day, but ground conditions will govern , whether the Paper Money filly will be : given a run or not. R. E. Hatch has • Askari, Piuthair and Rioghail entered > for Hastings, but the ’chaser may not > make the trip. Piuthair had Brilliant t Light as a companion over seven fur- ; longs on the course proper, the flags being some 20ft. out. The Kilbroney t mare got through her task quite nicejy ' in 1.362;. Rioghail will figure in the . Trial on the second day. ; Atareria, Rangi Sarto and Aurora Borealis are already on the scene of action, but Frisco Jack wa§ brought home from Napier Park, the Sir Frisco ■ gelding having gone lame. In all ‘ probability he will not race again this i season. Moutoa Treasury will be l taken through to Hastings by motor. • The Paper Money filly is very well at i present, but she Was not asked to • show her paces yesterday morning, ■ being restricted to pace work. Novar > does not claim any engagement on the l opening day at Hastings, but the Sarto i gelding will be a competitor in the 1 hurdles on the second day, when he will be piloted by C. Robinson. Adventus and Rioghail, both of r whom will be given an outing in the t Trial at Hastings, slipped over fiye 1 furlongs in I.6jt. Both are likely 3 sorts to make good in the future. 1 1 Very Useful [• The practice of tacking on valuable 1 cups to events at unimportant meetings is dying out in the South, and in E their stead useful trophies are being 5 handed out. Mr. F. Davies, a steward i of the Levin Racing Club, is following f the new move and the committee has - accepted with thanks his offer of a 5 silver coffee service for the owner of . the next Levin Cup winner. For a Place > There was once a bookmaker who i had absconded from the course and arrived at the station a good furlong ahead of his creditors. As the train moved out of the station the welsher J thrust three ten-shilling notes into the . hand , of a startled porter, saying, c "Give these to the first three home.”