TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 September 1938, Page 11

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

GUIDE TO FUTURE CLASSICS

(By

“The Cynic.”)

Wanganui leads the way with classic races for three-year-olds each season, the Guineas, run on the second day, attracting widespread interest. It is a race with an historical background and has been won by many horses which have played a leading part in enriching racing history in New Zealand. Riccarton’s lone representative in the race to be run next month will be Wild Talk, but many of the smart northern youngsters of last season are engaged and their form will be of general interest. Tigress, owned by Captain Russell, outclassed two opponents in the first race for the Wanganui Guineas run on October 5, 1898. Prior to that time the race was known as the Wanganui Derby and was for many years one of the most important classic races in the country. The Wanganui Club was then in a much better condition financially than it is today, the Wanganui Cup, first run in 1880, carrying a stake of £looo—the biggest in the Dominion. Class Horses. Among the Wanganui Derby winners were such good horses as Fusilier, Manton, Tirailleur, and St Paul. Manton won the C.J.C. Derby, the New Zealand Cup, and the Canterbury Cup, but fell in the Auckland Cup and was well beaten by Cuirassier in the Great Northern Derby. Tirailleur won the New Zealand and Canterbury Cups and Great Northern Derby, but was killed two years later in the Melbourne Cup race won by Glenloth. When the change of name was made from Derby to Guineas the distance was reduced to one mile. Among the winners are RenoWn, Achilles, Treadmill, Lady Medallist, Danube, Counterfeit, Bon Reve, Reputation, Estland, Gloaming, Duo, Razzle Dazzle, Cylinder, Red Manfred, and Royal Chief, all of which were good three-year-olds. Winners of the race which later won the New Zealand Derby were Renown, Danube, Bon Reve, Duo, Cylinder, and Royal Chief, last season’s victor. Winners of the Guineas and Great Northern Derby are Renown, Danube, Counterfeit, Bon Reve, Reputation, Estland, Gloaming, and Red Manfred. Achilles, a class galloper, was bred in Australia and was not engaged in the Derbies. Reliable Guide. It will thus be seen that the Wanganui Guineas has proved a reliable guide, to later classic races, but, since Red Manfred’s year, the fields in the race have not been- up to standard. This year’s field promises to be much stronger than for some time past. The field is likely to include Peerless (third in the list of winning two-year-olds last season), Amigo (fourth), Russian Ballet (seventh), Gay Son (tenth) and Taurangi (thirteenth) . It is a pity that Defaulter will be missing, but the race may serve as a guide to show some of the Defoe colt’s most dangerous opponents for later in the season. Wynwood. The best form that Wynwood put up last season was two seconds out of five starts, and on each occasion there was not much in front and not much behind. In the season of 1936-37 W.vnwood started three times and was placed third in one race and again with a poor lot behind him. In 1935-36 Wynwood won a Trial Stakes at Winton and a High-weight Handicap at Gore. Hostile. Not much had been seen of Hostile prior to being sent out favourite for the Hunters’ Flat Handicap. Last season he had one start and finished third to Maori Maid and Our Pal in the Novice Stakes run at the Waimate Hunt meeting. Away back in 1934-35, when racing as a four-year-old, Hostile was placed three times in 10 starts. Mated With Foxbridge. Gay Sheila, by Gay Shield from Lady Marie, who was a smart sprinter a season or two back, and who was sent to Australia to do her racing, returned to the Dominion last week. She has been retired to the stud and was sent to Cambridge to be mated with Foxbridge. Novice Hurdlers. Several young jumpers are being schooled regularly at Riccarton, and it is probable that some of them will be racing over hurdles before the season is much further advanced. Dividend, Patuma, and The Sandwichman may be seen among the jumpers at

Ashburton or 'Geraldine. Aymon will require some more education before he is ready for hurdle racing. Manetho is another horse that will be an early candidate for jumping. He showed a good deal of proficiency when schooled last year, and after a race on the fiat at Ashburton, he may be tried again as a hurdler at Geraldine. He is being trained by his owner, Mr R. G. Westenra, and he looks well.

Stable Changes. F. Christmas (Riccarton) has made some changes in his team. The hurdler, Jolly Beggar, is out of commission, having started on a spell which will last until it is time to get him ready for another jumping campaign next winter. It is probable that steeplechases will be his chief concern when he resumes.

The four-year-old, Glenogil, has come in after a rest and may be ready to race again in November. She showed promise last season of making a useful stayer. Christmas will have The Sandwichman and Gay Parade racing at Ashburton, while Teak, a six-year-old by Tea Tray from Kilcalm, will be added at Geraldine.

Smart Youngster. A smart youngster for early racing will be Not Out, by Winning. Hit, from the Paper Money mare, Dutch Money. He is a most attractive colt and closely resembles his sire. He will not be raced in the John Grigg Stakes, but will make his first appearance in the McLean Stakes at Wingatui in October.

Standing Up to Work. The four-year-old mare Counterblast, who in her first season won two races and was second in her other two starts, is standing up to work at Riccarton. Unsoundness kept her off the scene all last season, but provided she remains as at present, she will be a good winner this year. Counterbias,t who is by Jericho from Counterscarp, might have been the best two-year-old of her season if she had not gone wrong.

Claim Not Justified. The win of Padishah in the Grand National Hurdles while still a maiden over obstacles, received wide publicity, but the claim that he was the first maiden to win the race was not justified.

Royal Arms, the winner in 1914, had started only once in a hurdle race before he contested the Grand National, that being at the Wellington meeting, where he ran second to Immensity in the Winter Hurdles, After having a spell, he reappeared over hurdles in June, being unplaced in the Great Northern, and then winning the Remuera Hurdles. The following season he contested three races, all over the jumps. He won the Okehu Hurdles at Wanganui and ran unplaced in the Brunswick Hurdles on the second day. His third outing that season was an unplaced performance in the Brighton Hurdles at Auckland, which brought his racing career to a close. In all, he started in seven hurdle races, for three wins and a second. Maiden Winner. General Advance, successful in the Grand National Hurdles in 1923, was another maiden to win the race. He started his career as a jumper at five years, when he was unplaced in the Vittoria Hurdles at Trentham. At six years all his racing was done on the flat. The following season he started in the Trial Hurdles at the Grand National meeting, in which he ran third. He was not seen again for nearly ten months, when he contested the Great Northern and Campbell Hurdles at Ellerslie, in both of which he was unplaced. Commencing his 8-year-old season he competed in the hurdle race at the Christchurch Hunt meeting. He was unplaced in the Jumpers’ Flat Handicap, on the first day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting, and this was followed by his Grand National success, jvhich was his final appearance over hurdles that season. Another interesting performance was that of Defiance, a horse that was raced by the late Hon J. D. Ormond. He had his first race as a jumper when he won the Trial Hurdles, at the Hawke’s Bay meeting in June. Two months later he was sent to Riccarton, to win the Grand National Hurdles with 11.0. Third place was filled, by Evening, later to become the dam of Morning, another winner of the race. RACING FIXTURES. September 1. — Egmont - Wanganui Hunt Club, at New Plymouth. September 3. —Taranaki Hunt Club. September 8, 10. —Wanganui J.C. September 17. —Ashburton C.R.C. September 17. —Foxton R.C. September 17, 19. —Avondale J.C. September 22, 24.—Geraldine R.C. September 24. —Marton J.C.