Durf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 724, 25 July 1929, Page 12

Durf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

"EAKLY BIHD

The Finals The racing - at Gisborne and Timaru today and Saturday will close the current racing season. The following Saturday, August 3, the new racing year will be inaugurated by the Christj church and Poverty Bay Hunt Clubs at Riccarton and Gisborne respecI tively. Reminders Pakuranga Hunt Club entries close with Mr. W. S. Spence at 5 p.m. on Friday, August 2. Dannevirke R.C. and Hunt Club entries close at 9 p.m. on Friday, August 16. Merton J.C. spring meeting nominations are due on Friday. August 16, at 9 p.m. Entries for the two-year-old parade must be made on acceptance night, August 27. Acceptances tor the Grand National Steeplechase, Hurdles and Winter Cup, also all other first day events at the C.J.C. meeting, are due on August S. Entries for the Avondale J.C. spring meeting, also acceptances for the Avondale Stakes and Avondale Guineas, close at-5 p.m. on Friday. August 30. Nominations for the Wanganui J.C. spring fixture close at S p.m. on Friday, August 10. Discharged Jockey H. Turvey was discharged from the hospital yesterday. He is still convalescent, and it is very unlikely that he will ever ride again. Juveniles Sprint On Saturday morning Alloy, Pedestal and Gasform were associated in a gallop over five furlongs on the hurdle track, which was in decent order, though a trifle heavy, say£ the Wanganui “Chronicle.” They finished fairly well together in 1.5. Alloy is one of those who appears to need time, like most of the progeny of Bronze, while Pedestal is such a big chap that it may be well in three-year-old career that the half-brother to Commendation proves his ability. Gasform may be racing in the early spring and the Gasbag mare should pick up more than one winning bracket for F. Lind, Pony Market Appreciation of the stamina of Australian horses was expressed by Mr. A. E. Young, of Messrs. Julius Gove and Company, who has just returned to Melbourne after a stay of several months in Bombay, where he has been training polo ponies shipped by the company from Australia. Mr. Young said that, beginning in September, the company would ship 1,500 horses to India. The horses would be distributed among the British forces in India, the armies of the native States and private owners. Australian polo ponies were hardy, and were well able to with - stand the Indian climate. In connection with polo ponies, high prices were obtained early this month at a sale conducted by Messrs. I-t. Chisholm and Company. The record price of 500 guineas was paid for the bay gelding Sauce, and another fetched 300 guineas. The principal purchases were made by members of the Australian polo team which will leave early next year for , the United States, and it is probable that some of the ponies will be disposed of there, where prices are much higher than in Australia.

( Paeroa Improvements i ; The lawn slopes overlooking the Ohinemuri J.C. course at Paeroa are being terraced, and it is also expected that the judge’s box will be brought back a bit. These improvements will tend still further to popularise the . club’s autumn meeting. Ring Caught From all accounts, the Sydney bookmakers were caught napping when a rush at the last minute was made for Lorient 11., so that when the Auck-land-owned sprinter duly landed at remarkably long odds the pencillers were made to # x'ealise that the New Zealand invasion had begun in earnest. Oratrix was also a winner last Saturday, but she was by no means so costly to the ring as was Lorient H. Showing Them Advices received from Sydney this week indicate that Aussie had no sooner got on terra flrma than he commenced to show Rand wick critics that he could gallop. The Fortafix gelding is almost certain to start in the big A.J.C. Epsom e Handicap in the spring. One Missing The general entries for the Grand National meeting usually give a good indication of the probable Winter Cup candidates. Among those engaged on i the later days of the meeting are all the first acceptors for the Winter Cup with the exception of Circulation. This would suggest that backers will have to solve a problem consisting of about 25 runners on the day. A horse who can begin well and is served with a good turn of speed early should be the , one to be supported on the day. Koatanui Bred Anyone who has seen the two Koa-tanui-bred juveniles under W. Rayner’s care at Wanganui has been impressed with the pair, the more so perhaps because they are the last of the Absurds, with the exception of the filly out of Valerie. Pomp, who is out of the English mare Pomyris, is a striking colt with a nice action and promises to develop into something extra good. His companion. Drastic, c ut of another English mare, Drax, is also a taking sort though she is a delicate and dainty-mannered filly. She will, perhaps, be not quite so forward as Pomp, but she should not disappoint her owner-breeder Likely Youngsters A Hawera writer says that the coming two-year-olds in J. Brown’s stable belonging to Mr, A. Alexander are doing splendidly. The half-brother to Silvermine, by Chief Ruler—Silver Link, especially is developing into a commanding looking horse. So far this pair have been relegated to road work, and will be ready to make their appearance on the training tracks any time now. The Red Dennis—Redside youngster in O. Cox’s team is being exercised daily and is generally admired. This gelding has had the name of Double Red bestowed on him. Another coming two-year-old in the same stable that pleases the eye is Isa (Absurd —Valerie), a chestnut filly that is doing well in her early essays. Carriage for Starter Aiming to eliminate trouble at the barrier —one of the bugbears of horse racing—two Hawera residents have invented and perfected, in the model stage, an ingenious “travelling starter” for use on racecourses. They claim that it is more up-to-date and more efficient starting and barrier mechanism than any in use in either Australia or New Zealand. The main idea is to have the barrier moving in front of the horses for a distance of a chain or more up to the actual starting point. The starting official keeps an eye on proceedings from his stand on a moving platform equipped with electric switches, foot pedal controls, and hand spring releaser for the barrier. The platform is mounted on railways on the inside of the rails. The starting post supports the barrier arm, which extends over the track above the horses and riders. The platform is driven backward and forward silently by electricity. which is so used and controlled as to allow instant stopping and starting. From a slow walk to a jog-trot the horses are ridden after the moving barrier. This slow motion on the part of the barrier and on the part of the horses, the inventors claim, prevents twisting and turning, delayed starts, and unequal starts. The intention of the inventors is that lines of rails be laid completely round courses to enable starts to be made from any point or points with only one platform in operation. An electric motor of 4£ horsepower Is considered to bo of ample power to run the carriage. As an alternative the carriage can be kept stationary and the barrier operated for a standing start, as at present. The tape is released by a spring trigger out of sight of the jockeys. The effect is instantaneous. A spring trap clutches the barrier arm when the tape has flown up, keeping it from dropping down. Gaming Bill “Carbine” writes as follows in this week’s “New Zealand Referee”: The bookmakers and some ministers of religion once again are arrayed against the racing clubs’ proposals to amend the Gaming Act. The Rev. J. R. Blanchard is said to have preached in Wellington last Sunday against the pending gaming legislation. If the published account of his sermon is correct he was very illacquainted with his subject, but he assumed the role of dictator to the people’s representatives in Parliament by telling them their “duty.” To begin with, he says the Gaming Bill is to be introduced this week. As a fact it was introduced before Mr. Blanchard preached. Obviously. Mr. Blanchard works on the assumption that there is an increase of gambling in New Zealand, or that there has been no diminution of gambling. It is a known fact that there is less gambling on racing in New Zealand today than there has been for many years. Anyone who had acquainted himself with more than one phase of the subject would have known that. One of the evils he fears if telegraphing to totalisators Vis allowed is that of “postal officials falsifying the record of the hour at. which a betting telegram lias been lia.nded in so as to enable the sender to back a horse which has already won.” This amazing piece of ammunition that Mr. Blanchard has released against the enemy is all powder and no shot. Bets which failed to reach the course in time to be recorded on the totalisator before the machine closed would not be on, so the time of presentation of the telegram would not matter in the least. Strange as it is to find one who points the path of duty to others so far off the track himself, ir. is still more astounding to observe his lack of logic. Suppose some telegraphist committed the offence, is that sufficient reason for seeking to prevent the telegraphing of bets? If it is. the banks should be closed, following upon a young bank clerk having succumbed to a few thousand pounds of temptation this month. And church collections should be prohibited by law.

WELLINGTON NOTES

MARKET FOR NATIONAL TREBLE HISTORIC TRENTHAM’S CUP HOPE (Special to THE SUN J WELLINGTON, Wednesday. There has been a slight improvement in the tracks at Trentham and work was a little more interesting yesterday morning than it has been since the conclusion of the Wellington meeting. However, the conditions still fail to offer trainers much inducement to bring their horses out. and it seems probable that on this account there will be a fairly early move to Riccarton with horses engaged at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s winter gathering. One of the more interesting of the Trentham contingent engaged at Riccarton is Matu. The Polydamon gelding was not at his best at the time of the Wellington meeting, but improved with the racing he had there, and now he seems to be making steady progress, at a rate sufficient to allow of his being at his best in time for his engagement in the Grand National {Steeplechase. He is sore when he comes on to the course in the morning, but with gentle exercise this wears off and when asked to gallop he goes very freely. He is expected to be a fit horse when required for the big race next month. Kawini. Waitaunalia and Just John, who have been at Trentham since the conclusion of the Wellington meeting, have not been able to do much on the wet tracks here and are due to leave for the South by tonight’s ferry steamer. They appear to be well in health and should not take long to work into their best condition, as they have had plenty of racing. Royal Game is being kept going. His showing at the Wellington fixture disappointed his party and all who had seen him work, but he is to be tried again at the Hunt meeting at Riccarton early in August. A Good One Historic, who is well fancied for the Winter Cup, has been sprinting well and yesterday he was given three sharp sprints along the back in comwith his stable companion, Roi de Val. They were not timed, but appeared to go well. Historic is put- . ting a lot of dash into his work. Tcheka will go South to contest the \Y inter Cup if he does well between now and the eve of the race. He looks better now than he did when he raced at Wellington, and is hitting out nicely in his work. He has been blistered. Thurnbell is being kept right up to the collar and evidently is intended for further hurdle racing during the winter. The report that Joy King had been shipped to Australia last week turned out to be erroneous. The Comedy King gelding was booked to go, but was *not sent and evidently an eleventh hour change of plans was decided upon. He was passed in for a modest sum at the sale of bloodstock which was held during the Wellington winter meeting. Going To Australia The sale is reported of the hurdler Home Made, from Mr. W. H. Gaisford to an Australian buyer. Home Made had engagements at the coming meeting at Riccarton and was one of those who survived the first acceptance for the National Hurdles. He is a useful sort over the small sticks and is on the improve, so his new owner should not find it very difficult to place him to advantage. Up to the present lie has been trained at Awapuni by L. Knapp, who is a particularly good hand with jumpers. T. Daly, who is now at Trentham, with a big team of Mr. W. R. Kemball’s horses, is confining nearly the whole of his string to pottering about. News received here is that the win of Oratrix last Saturday was not unexpected, and that some of the New Zealanders profited handily by her success. She is to go on to Brisbane now and it is an open secret that her owner is very keen to win the King’s Cup. In Wellington. King’s Guard is favourite for the Grand National Steeplechase, and his stable mate Roman Abbey is also in big demand, notwithstanding that he also has hurdle engagements a*t the meeting. Merry Mint, Gold Cure, Lady Limond, Black Duke. Taboo and Royal Saxon are Winter Cup fancies, and the hurdles favourite is Mister Gamp, with Overhaul next in favour. KING'S CUP WEIGHTS The Queensland Turf Club's Exhibition meeting is to be held on August 10. 14 and 17. The following weights have been declared for the leading event:— THE KING S CUP A handicap of £2,000 and a gold cup of the value of £IOO, the gift of his Majesty the King; li miles.

The New Zealand-bred horses engaged in the King’s Cup are Reonui. Satrap. Concentrate, Seatown, Oratrix and Star God. Their Only Chance Three-year-olds are eligible for only two faces at the Grand National meeting. the Cashmere Plate and the Longbeach Handicap, both six-furlong events. The Plate is a fixed weight affair, three-year-olds 9 stone, four-year-olds and upwards 9.11. Riccarton stables have some likely youngsters nominated in Jaleux, Stately. Leader, and Desert Song, while the older division is best represented by Honeycomb. Bonrose and Night Effort. The speedy Dutch Money, whose two-year-old form against Nedda in the spring was excellent, is in the Longbeach Handicap only. There are a number of others in this event not engaged in the Plate, so that the last day’s handicap may be much more interesting than the fixed weight event. Limerick’s Earnings With Limerick again under orders for Australia—he will leave during the next few days—the time is opportune to compare the Limonel gelding’s winnings with those of Gloaming. Limerick’s net earnings to date have been assessed at £37.811. and as Gloaming’s retirement came about when he had brought in £ 43.100 it will readily been seen that Mr. H. A. Knight’s representative has only to go on the right way to depose Gloaming from the position of the biggest stake-earner in Australasia. -

St. lb. st. lb. Bacchus . . . 9 Snowman . . 9 Paddi Eve . S 13 Star God . . 7 9 Reonui . . . 8 10 Lucy Thrice .7 7 Satrap .... 8 10 Polyglen . . . 7 Concentra te 8 Sheila’s Lad 7 (i Seatown . . . 8 9 Tradeeraft . 7 4 Oratrix . . . 8 8 Brown Pie . 7 Soul ton . . . S 8 Pers. In Petto . . 8 6 Fortune . . 7 3 Valparaiso 6 Speechmaker 7 Canning 1 Crazy AI oily 7 1 Queen . . G uncraft . . 7 1 Deadlight . . 8 4 Moncello . . . 7 1 Sleet Eagle . S 4 Albius .... 7 0 Avant Courier 8 3 Dora Fay 7 0 Brown Apple S Fairdevil . . 7 0 Kitty Paddington S Health . . 0 Marella . . . 8 2 lngton .... .0 Vain King Osric . 7 0 Bachelor 8 Wee Glen 7 0 Royal Mon da in . . 7 0 Flavour . . S 0 Serevale . . 7 0 Dudley Lord Eiffel . 0 Persse . . 7 13 Silvern’s Son 7 0 Trainer . . . 7 12 Lord Herd . 7 0 Astrologist . 7 10 Willow King 7 0 Star Warden 7 10 Kind King . 7 0 Ca rameo . . 7 9 Pearl Charlie B. . 7 9 Prince . . 7 0 Shai‘p Son . 7 9