TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1939, Page 11

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE AUSTRALIAN STEWARDS ON THE WATCH FOR DOPING ASHBURTON IMPROVEMENTS COSTING £15,000. (By “CARBINE.-”)

Rumours that a gang of dopers is operating in Sydney is probably unfounded, says an Australian report, but the stewards are not disregarding the possibility that horses are being given stimulants, whether by outsiders or by the trainers themselves, and they are taking all precautions. At Hawkesbury recently, Mr G. Wil* liams, chairman of the stipendiary stewards, interviewed the trainer of a horse that entered the mounting enclosure in a lather and obviously in a nervous condition. The trainer was able to prove that the horse had not been interfered with, and that it was inclined to break into a sweat before a race. But the fact that Mr. Williams bothered himself to make inquiries shows that he and the rest of the stewards are keeping a close watch on the runners. Undoubtedly a certain amount of this practise does go on in Sydney, and a prominent veterinary surgeon declares that during any day’s racing he can pick out many horses which have received some aid to their speed. At one time the position was so bad that backers used to wait until the horses were in the official enclosure when they could tell by their antics whether or not they had been given a stimulant. Then they would her confidently and they seldom lost. But so that this disgraceful state of affairs does not return officials have to be ever on the alert. Improvements costing £15,000 will provide patrons of the Ashburton trotting meeting, to take place on June 5, with all the accommodation designed for up-to-date requirements. The new stand will seat 1000 persons and the terrace in front of it gives standing room for over that number.

Epsom Derby Record. . The time record for the Epsom Derby is held by Pommern, who ran the mile and a-half in 2min 32 3-ssec when he won in 1915. The record for the Victoria Derby is 2min 3rfsec, held jointly by Hallmark (1933) and Feldspar (1935); for the Australian Derby by phar Lap (1929) 2min 31Jsec.; for the New Zealand Derby, 2min 31 l-ssec„ jointly by Runnymede (1925) and Bronze Eagle (1931), and the Great Northern Derby by Sasanoff (1917), who won in 2min 32 3-ssec, and Karapoti (1931). Remarkable Recovery. The stallion Windsor Lad, who was recently operated upon for a tumour near the brain and for whom little hope was recently held, is now reported to have made a remarkable recovery, The son of Blandford won the Derby for the Maharajah of Rajpipla in 1934 and shortly after his success was purchased from the Indian Prince by Mr Martin Benson for £50.000. For Mr Benson, Windsor Lad won the St. Leger, and later was retired to his owner’s Beech House stud at Newmarket at a fee of 400gns. According to “Sporting Life." Windsor Lad has made good progress after his operation, which was performed by Professor O’Connor on Sunday, April 30, and four days later had a spell in the paddock behind Professor Bailey Reynolds’s surgery at Newmarket. He grazed quietly and looked extremely well. At the annual conference of the Irish Veterinary Medical Association. Professor O’Connor expressed the opinion that Windsor Lad had good prospects of making a complete recovery. Recently Windsor Lad was represented by his first runner, a colt named Sovereignty, and this son of the Colorado mare Scotch Gold defeated a field of smart youngsters in the Grove Park Plate'at Warwick. Sovereignty is owned by Mrs. R. C. Evans, who purchased the colt for 500gns. as a yearling. New Zealand Personals. Because of increasing weight, the Invercargill apprentice, C. A. Ward, has decided to seek employment in another line. The Invercargill trainer, J. McLennan, has accepted a position as private trainer for the Wyndham owner, Mr H. Hunter, whose team includes the classic winjier, Ned Worthy. McLennan left for Wyndham on Wednesday. ANNUAL MEETING OF iRACING CONFERENCE. INTERESTING PROPOSALS. An interesting proposal sponsored by the executive committee will come before the next annual meeting of the Racing Conference. If carried, it will mean that during the progress of a race meeting an owner or a” trainer will not be able to change the jockey of a horse without obtaining the permission of the chairman of the Judicial Committee and the stipendiary steward. which shall be granted only on good and substantial grounds. A breach of the rule may result in a fine of £5, and the disqualification of the horse for the race> Some of the suggestions coming before the Racing Conference create the idea that racing is more and more becoming surrounded with an atmosphere of suspicion. As a matter of fact, less suspicion exists today than at any part of the history of racing in New Zealand. The reason is due to the fact that owners art? more anxious to win than indulge in the cunning, but not clever, business side of racing. At the request of the New Zealand Racing Owners. Breeders and Trainers' Association, the executive committee of the conference has a remit on the order paper for July to approve of a horse racing in blinkers. The Manawatu Racing Club is also supporting this proposal. The longest sequence of wins on a racecourse was established by an Austrian horse Kincsem, who remained unbeaten in 54 starts. In Ireland a mare named Nancy Till won more than 100 races, but the record is probably held by the American trotter Goldsmith Maid, who was successful 121 times and won stakes totalling approximately £70,000.

' SPORTS OF KINGS OVERSEAS. PERSONAL AND OTHERWISE. The Sydney trainer, R. Skelton, has got a flyer in the Veilmond filly Novice. At Richmond on May 13 he said that if she did not win he would retire from racing. She won. According to reports Novice has done some sensational trials, and one critic said she won with at least a stone in hand. The dam of Novice, who is a first foal, is Monastery, by Cictercian —Foalfoot, by Galeazzo from Clayleaf, by Minting. Allunga has run his last race, and will return to Mr E. Hunter Bowman’s property at Muswellbrook, where he will commence a stud career' next season, states the Sydney “Sunday Sun." Mr. Hunter Bowman already owns the imported sire, Achcullen, but Allunga will be given the opportunities that his outstanding race performances have warranted. Without ever rising to champion heights, Allunga proved himself one of the gamest and hardiest stayers of recent years. He had more racing than most horses, but he had never looked better than .during the recently concluded Australian Jockey Club meeting and his future should be unimpaired. Allunga built up a good record. He dead-heated in the 1935 A.J.C. Derby, won both the A.J.C. and V.R.C. St Legers, and added several Randwick weight-for-age faces to his credit. Probably his finest performance was his fourth in the last Melbourne Cup with 9.0, when he was practically at the encl of his racing career.

In an attempt to make wagering on racecourse more popular, and to make it less attractive in registered betting premises, the Adelaide Betting Control Board has framed several new regulations. which came into force on Thursday, May 25. The principal innovation will be a rule requiring all grand stand bookmakers, as well as those in the Derby and on the flat to exhibit on boards the odds they are prepared to lay about every horse in the race. Derby and flat fielders on metropolitan courses have always displayed their prices on boards, but grand stand men have objected to do so. Bookmakers in registered betting, premises on the day of .races - will be allowed to bet only at starting prices, and only one'"reading of betting odds on each race will be permitted in betting premises. ' The Betting Board will in future exercise control as to the extent and type of seating accommodation to be provided in shops. Mr. Don Reid, who resigned as stipendiary steward''for Thfe' Northern District Racing Association to accept a similar position in Bombay, has returned to Melbourne on holiday. Ho states that the racing in Bombay and surrounding districts was of a high class, and the horses competing were equal to those racing at Flemington and Saulfield. Imported horses from England and Australia were classified into four grades, and they could only be entered in those sections. Arabs and Indian-bred horses were treated similarly in three grades. The appointments and conduct of meetings were excellent. Asked how he would compare Finalist with Ajax, Mr Reid said it was impossible to compare them, but there was no doubt that Finalist was a champion. It is unusual to read of any club of importance including in a programme a race restricted to horses owned by ladies. However, at Hurst Park (England), on May 29, there was a mile handicap, the Golden Apple, open only to horses which, from Apri 25 to the time of running, were the property (unconditionally and free from contingency) of a lady or ladies. The race was worth £205, including a cup, valued at £25, to the winner. The Siegfried colt Siegift, which won the South Australian Stakes at Adelaide. outstaying his more fancied opponents, was purchased at the national sale at Trentham last year by Mr. G. Wheeler, of Adelaide. This colt was knocked down to Mr G. Fulton, for 120gns. Mr Wheeler was one of the bidders for him, but turned his head to give the next yearling on the list a look over and to his consternation the colt was sold to Mr Fulton. Mi - Wheeler immediately sought Mr Fulton out and offered him 25gns more on his price, but there was no acquiescence until 50gns proved a tempter. Mr Fulton did not like the colt after looking him over on his return to his stall and was very pleased to be able to drop him at a good profit but no doubt his new owner, Mr M. Young, of Adelaide, has a bargain, as Siegift has given every indication of being a stayer, and is now considered a Derby proposition. Memories of his first visit to Adelaide with a team of horses were revived during the recent Adelaide Cup meeting by the veteran Flemington trainer, J. Scobie. He said that it was in 1884 that he first came to South Australia as a trainer. He travelled by boat from Melbourne with Ringwood and Euchre, and was one of a party of six prominent racing men. including Mr J. O. Inglis and Teddy Weekes. All of them excepting Scobie have since passed on. Scobie said he hoped to win the Adelaide Cup with Ringwood, winner of a Hobart Cup but the brilliant Malua proved too good. Mr Inglis owned Malua. who, Scobie says, was one of the greatest horses of all time in Australia. Euchre was a steeplechaser, and he was the first horse to win a race for Scobie at Morphettville. He took £9OO to £3OO about Euchre the night before the race, but had a shock when the horse broke down at the last fence. However, Euchre struggled on gamely and won. India’s leading trainer, R. Higgins, has a string of about 50 horses under his care in Bombay. He is at present on a month's visit to Australia. In an interview the trainer from the Far •East mentioned that his charges included the New Zealand-bred Synagogue. who won several races last season, one of the number being the last event for first class performers decided during the concluded turf term.