RACING NEWS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 413, 21 April 1937, Page 7

RACING NEWS

DESERTED TRACKS. Quiet at Trentham. The Trentham tracks bear a deserted appearance these mornings and it will be some time before there is an appreciable change, says the Wellington Post. Apart, from the Marlborough meeting, which opens next Saturday, the next fixtures at which there will be any representation from Trentham will be the Dannevirke Racing Club’s Meeting at Woodville the following week. Some good winners are turned out at Trentham each season, but it is not a favourite spot during the winter months with trainers, and the work carried out there, except on the eve of the big July meeting, is not much of a magnet even for the most persistent of the “rail-birds.” * ’ -X- * CLUB’S SUCCESS. After a hard struggle against adversity over a long period, the Oamaru Jockey Club has not looked back in recent years, and judged by the excellent nominations received for its meeting, which opens at the end of the month, the progressive North Otago Club can look forward to another highly successful gathering. A feature of the entries is the excellent response made by Riccarton trainers, both in respect to numbers and quality. * -X- * C.J.C. HANDICAPPER. A good deal of interest is centred I in the appointment of a handicapper to the Canterbury Jockey Club to fill the position made vacant by the resignation of Mr. J. E. Henrys. * * * JUMPERS AT RICCARTON. There are a nutaber of promising ! jumpers in work at Riccarton and the ! southern centre should be well repre-.' sented in the preliminaries to the big jumping events of the winter. Streamline, a very likely sort, was given a trial over the steeplechase fences on Thursday morning and shaped pleasingly. Giggleswlck, a useful performer on the Coast, is also making progress as a jumper. * * KTOOLEY STREET FOR AUSTRALIA , It Is the intention of H. Rama to take Toloey Street to Australia next month. Rama will remain in Melbourne throughout the winter in order to prepare . Tooley Street for the spring meetings at Flemington and Caulfield. * * * UNUSUAL IN A DONCASTER. Three mares in the places in a Doncaster Handicap was something unusual, says the Sydney writer “Pilot.” In 1922, when Julia Grey won, Tressady Queen was third, and in 1930 Venetian Lady was first and Raisin third. On one occasion there was a winning sequence of four mares—Wedding Day, Dame Acre. Hem and Sydney Damsel —but it is likely to be a long time before we again see all the places filled by mares. • * * * THRIVING IN JAPAN. Racing is thriving in Japan. At the Kyoto Club meeting at Tokyo, which lasted eight days, the average attendance was 60,000, while 14,214,980 yen (approximately £826,000) was wagered on the totalisator. pn the last day of the meeting a totalisator record was established with approximately £138,000, * * * JUMPING CAREER. The Jericho gelding Trumpet Blast, who is owned in Central Otago, has been placed in E. J. Ellis’s stable, with a view to being educated as a hurdler. Another addition to the team is Bella Lake. ■a- -K- -xTIME LIMIT. A time limit is rarely fixed in connection with a classic event of any importance. However, such was included in the conditions attached to the West Australian St. Leger, it being laid down that if the time recorded exceeds 3min. 7sec., the stakemoney be reduced by 25 per cent. In the recent race, won by the South Australian colt Brave Lad, the official time was 3min. Ssec., and as a result the stake was reduced in accordance with the conditions.

NEW TAKANINI TRACK. An important improvement is under way on the Takanini training track, situated a few miles from Auckland. When the track was originally laid out, the plans provided for a plough on the inside, next the rails, and a wide grass on the outside. Just inside the rails a ditch was dug for drainage purposes. When heavy rain fell it had the effect of washing the plough away, and filling up the drain. A contract has been let, states a writer in the “Herald,” and the drain

redug, the spoil from which will be replaced on the plough, and grass sown, making a grass gallop of 100 ft. in width. This will be a great improvement, as not only will there be extra grass available, but horses, especially green ones and two-year-olds, will have the benefit of galloping next to the rails. The cleaning of the drain having been completed, the laying down process will be started immediately, and the track in use by next spring.