TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 August 1938, Page 9

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

SANTOFT SET A BIG TASK

(By

“The Cynic.”)

Once again Santoft is to be set the solid task of tackling a big steeplechase without first having a trial run, as when he was allowed to drop out of the Homeby Steeplechase on Saturday the last opportunity for a final race before the Grand National disappeared. - F. Trilford, trainer of this good jumper, stated earlier that Santoft would fulfil his engagements at Ciiccarton'and that he was progressing well in his preparation. But the fact that he was withdrawn from the Christchurch Hunt meeting suggests that Santoft is still not as sound as might be wished. When he was set -the task of winning the Wellington Steeplechase for the second year in succession Santoft had only had one previous outing this winter —a successful start in. a steeplechase at Washdyke. At Trentham the task was just beyond him, the more seasoned Erination beating him comfortably. Santoft has not started since and there is always the danger that the seasoned horses will have too much in reserve for him at the end of the National. On the other hand his one run at Trentham can be expected to have brought him even nearer hard racing condition and he may go one better this time. In any case, there is little doubt ■that he will be one of the favourites on the day. There was a big return associated with the totalisator double when Bois Roussel won the English Derby. He was the first and Shipstoll the second leg. Each was at 20 to 1 in the ring', and the tote double dividend was £728 15s for 10s. On the, straight-out tote Bois Roussel paid a trifle less than 45 to 1, and Shipstoll 30 to 1. Investments on the Derby totalled £53,081 16s, and the double pool amounted to £11,144 10s. War Admiral, whose last-moment withdrawal from the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park (New York) at the end of May created so much adverse comment, ran in the Queen’s County Handicap, at Aqueduct (New York), a week later. There were attempts to-boo and hiss him, but these were drowned by the cheers and handclapping of a larger section. There

were only four starters, and War Admiral, who carried 9.6, and was at about 2 to 1 on, won by a length from Snark (9.0) in Imin 36 4-ssec for the mile, which is four-fifths of a second worse than the record for the track. The value of the race to the winner was £llO6. C. Emerson has had an addition to his team, having taken in hand a yearling filly by Lord Warden from the Clarenceux mare Palestrina. The filly is owned by the Southland sportsman, Mr A. C. Mills, who has had some bad luck lately, in losing the services of Quinopal and Last Post, two useful steeplechasers. The Robespierre gelding Rebellion had a reputation for being able to gallop when in training early in the season. He went sore and was treated to a spell. He ran third in the Maiden Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday. Essex has been blistered and turned out. Fit and well with 8.3 in the Winter Cup, he was what the Americans term a dangerous contender. There is a distinct leaning at Trentham towards Great Hope in the Winter Cup. Gleucos, in charge of A. J. Griffen, of Blenheim, made his appearance at Riccarton yesterday. He is a wellgrown four-year-old gelding by Rabbi from the Masterpiece mare Clicquot, and is owned by his breeder, Mr C. O. T. Rutherford, of Blenheim. ' Guapo had his first race in the Hunt Cup Steeplechase at Riccarton on Saturday. He is a seven-year-old gelding by Crown Star from an unknown dam, and is owned by Mr G. H. Loffhagen, of Ndrth Canterbury, owner of Top Rank. Guapo is a bold jumper, but naturally lacks experience. Bonvellum, who figured in the Maiden Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday, is a four-year-old unraced gelding by Paper Money from a Boniform mare, and is trained by D. O’Connor for Mr O. F. Watson, owner of Raeburn. He as" likely to be taken to Australia with Raeburn early in September. How the fortunes of ’ racing stables can vary has been well illustrated, in the last two seasons, in the results achieved by the horses trained at Riccarton by H. and A. Cutts, from the well-known Chokebore Lodge stable. When the 1936-37 season ended, a year ago, the big team controlled by the brothers had gathered in £10,703 10s. Eighteen horses contributed to this result, which came from thirtyfive wins and forty-one places. Sir Charles Clifford secured £9581 10s, earned by thirteen horses, which had thirty wins and were placed a similar number of times. In the season just closing, fourteen horses earned £4BOB, as a result of fifteen wins and twenty-five places. Sir Charles Clifford got £4370 of this amount, eleven horses having thirteen wins and being placed twenty times. The greatest contrast in the results of the two seasons came from the performances of the two-year-olds. In 1936-37 the stable had eight different two-year-old winners, in addition to one that was placed. These nine juveniles got twelve stakes and nineteen lots of place money, worth a total of £3049. In the season now closing Scuffle,'with a win and a third, worth £l2O, was the only two-year-old winner produced by the stable, while Good Passage contributed £260 in place money.

Paper Slipper was the stable’s best performer of this season. He had three wins and two seconds, for £lOBO. Trench Fight, for three wins and a second, earned £940. His was a good record, as unsoundness sent him into retirement before half the season was over. Wild Chase, the biggest winner of the previous season, had to be content with £5BO, all earned in the first half of the season. His form was disappointing, but he may come' back, after a good spell, looking in good health. Paper Slipper, Trench Fight, and Wild Chase will be five-year-olds next season and the stable record will be greatly affected by the manner in which these three perform.

Haughty Winner, for two wins and four places, got £6BO and then was sold. So far he has not done much for his new owner.

Great Bramble was the best of the others, earning £215 for a win and three places. Royal Hit opened the season well with a win, worth £175. Then he was sold for Australia, at a big price. Great Memory earned £ll5 for a win and a place, Mob Rule £lO5 for a win, and Nightdress £lOO for a place. These were Sir Charles Clifford’s lot that got into the money. Among them they won a total of £4370. Two that did not have much racing were Every Port and Keen Sight, a pair that only need to go on the right way to earn good money in the new season. For Mr G. R. Macdonald, Lazybones earned £275 for two wins and a place, while Guinea Fowl got £l3 for two places. Both were disposed of before the season ended, but Mr Macdonald may be ready soon for a fresh start with some home-bred youngsters. Mrs H. B. Douglas was unlucky to get only four places, with no wins, Mulatto winning £l5O. For several years past Sir Charles Clifford has headed the list of winning owners, with one break, when he was in second place, and by comparison the record of the past twelve months has not been quite so good. Although Sir Charles won less than .half the stakes this season that came his way in the previous period, he sold Rival Hit, Haughty Winner, Nightdress, and Great Memory, and the substantial total realised by these four horses helped to make the season quite satisfactory. Many of his best performers of this season will be available again. Counterblast (unable to race this season) is again in work, and with Every Port and Keen Sight, also some promising juveniles, the Clifford colours should be well to the fore in the new season.

M. Carroll’s trio Bryce Street, Hunting Blood and Kilberis showed unmistakable signs of their racing through the Trentham mud when they arrived at Riccarton. They began immediately to improve and should be as fit and as well as ever again for the National meeting. Although their engagements at the South Canterbury Hunt meeting were forfeited, there is nothing amiss.

Willie Win seems to be better than ever in himself and he is carrying a much brighter appearance and is bigger in condition than he has been for a long time. He is to be given a race, possibly two races at the Grand National meeting on the second and third days of that fixture.

Among the four Auckland candidates in the Grand National Hurdles is Inness Lad, an improving young horse who has done a good winter’s racing and is now thoroughly seasoned. If he runs kindly through the race, he is likely to be one of the hardest to beat among the lightweights.

Sigurd has been entered for hack races at the Grand National meeting. He was spelled after the Easter meetings and reappeared only on the final day at Trentham where he showed up until his condition gave out. Sigurd had a consistent record earlier in the season and he showed good form on the Riccarton track in the spring.

The Peach Brandy three-year-old Cuisinier is improving with racing, and is now finding his feet earlier in his races than he could formerly. He was saddled up twice at Marton, and in each event he was in the firing line less than a furlong from the post. He

is a solidly built horse who looks capable of standing up to any amount of racing. R. C. Penman intends taking Gay Hunting to the Grand National meeting. Placed in his last start on the final day at Trentham, Gay Hunting is a big and promising Hunting Song colt who always shows his best form on roomy courses, and his third to Gold Glare and Advance Plane provided evidence of improvement on his first day effort which was his first for a month. Whatever he may do at Riccarton, Gay Hunting looks likely to develop into a useful horse in the new season. Tautau Maid, who has raced only twice over hurdles for a win and a second placing, looks as if she will add to her record in the near future. She was responsible for an attractive effort in filling second place to McHeath at Timaru. E. Parker, who is gradually getting a fairly, large team about him may win a hurdle race with Proscenium, who had his first experience of hurdling in public at Washdyke. His fourth was an encouraging effort, especially considering he carried 71bs overweight. Wild Irishman set up such a break on the Hadlow Hurdles field that it seemed almost impossible for the opposition to catch him in a mile and a half race. To be eight or 10 lengths clear at the end of three furlongs, he pulled up badly in the next three and he was beaten before the home turn was reached. Even so, he gained third money and with the experience of another race or two to settle him down he should earn a winning bracket. Rebel thief is likely to return to the tracks at an early date, as he has made a good recovery from the lameness which affected him at Easter. In the meantime, his owner-trainer, F. Hall, has been confining his attentions to Rebel Leader, a big Robespierre gelding which looks as if a jumping career seems the best. Rebel Leader is a full brother to Rebel Lad. Wild Talk, after good track gallops, failed to show up in her first race which she had at the Westport meeting, but there is no doubting her ability to gallop, and she may be all the better for her experience. On the other hand, her full-sister has always been a great track galloper, but her race form has not been in accordance. Trench Fight is in great nick for this period of his preparation. He has never looked so big and well as he is at present, but of course is too burly yet to be expected for a while. Possibly he will be given a run over a sprint course before the conclusion of the National meeting and this should fit him for early spring events.