TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 July 1939, Page 9

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE

Improvement Wanted in the Jumping Ability

of Horses POINT-TO-POINT MEETINGS SHOULD BE DOUBLED JUMPS SHOULD BE NATURAL OBSTACLES (BY “CARBINE.”) In New Zealand there are somewhere within the vicinity of a dozen point-to-point meetings. They should be doubled. They are the purest remainders of the “steeplechase” which once was a cross-country race with a prominent object such as a church spire for the finishing mark. Nowadays steeplechases are run over artificially prepared courses, (usually upon recognised tracks. Point-to-point meetings retain all the thrills of this most ancient of sports. Readers are no doubt aware that the first public horse races in England were held in Chester in 1512, though for hundreds of years before that matches were common. When such matches were made they were naturally over some definite route of road and field. When fences, however, had also to be jumped, the “point-to-point” race came into its own.

The first ideal for those conducting this type of race meeting is to restrict the riders to amateurs. Soon we shall have more riding events at shows and kindred gatherings, which will be crowded with enthusiasts anxious to compete in skill with their rivals of all ages and both sexes. The situation should be helped by the inevitable improvement in quantity and quality of the utility horses in New Zealand through the premium-stallion scheme. The point-to-point is the fine flower of the amateur side of horse racing. Everyone competing should be a horselover and all those present should have some special interest in the thoroughbred. The jumps should be the natural obstacles which a horse should encounter in carrying its mount over any region. If this type of meeting were held regularly all over the country we should hear a little less about more “lean” in hurdles and such ideas as making the steeplechase obstacles a uniform series of brush fences. “Carbine” quite sympathises with the idea of making hurdles less dangerous in races run at breakneck speed, but it is idle to rate them as tests of jumping ability. It is doubtful if there are many clubs who adhere in their set-ting-up of the smaller battens to the New Zealand Racing Conference definition. This calls for a lean of two inches; and in most instances it varies in practice from six inches to one foot. One does not altogether agree with the idea that a big slope would make jumping so much safer. Horses would take off more closely and speed would be increased. Fast jumping is good to watch, but it has its inevitable penalties when a fall does take place. Fences with a substantial lean need less watching than perpendicular ones and there would be an increase in headlong carelessness. In any case, the merit of a good jumper is in his ability to see and appraise the difficulty of the obstacle. What is really wanted is an improvement in the jumping ability of the horses and the riders’ skill in management. Such events as point-to-point meetings contribute to both of these factors.

h ABOUT HORSES

Catalogue won his first Winter Cup under 8.13, and last year under 9.10, so that he cannot complain of 10.3 this year. He has not had the same amount of racing as in previous years, but he appeared in good order in his only start at Wellington. Majority will be one of the favourites despite his 10.2. He is a good weight-carrier. Haughty Winner is in a few pounds better than he was at Wellington, and his forward showing in the Whyte Handicap places him well up in the list of possibilities. He will meet Ned Cuttle 131 b better, and the latter will not have his great advantage of being able to run in mud as when he won at Trentham.

Erination, who is accorded the hon ■ our of top weight in the Grand National Steeplechase, failed last year ; under 11.0. falling early, but on the ; third day he won the Lincoln Steeple-I chase with 11.3. In his only race over country since then he ran of!, but he has been carrying big weight with distinction over hurdles, and finished | fourth in the Winter Hurdle race at Trentham under 11.5. Erination has conclusively proved that it takes a Jot of weight to stop him. and as he has won over Riccarton country. his chance cannot be lightly regarded. Survey’s sire and also the sires of his first’three dams have boon responsible for some of the best jumpers that [have raced in New Zealand. Surveyor, his sire, got Landmark, Makeup, and Revision, among others. Lucullus. the sire of his dam. got Glendowie, Prince Lu. and Carinthia. Penury, the sire of his grandam. got Penury Rose. And Leolantis. the sire of his groat granddam. got Capitol and Red McGregor, winners of the Great Northern Steeplechase. In his maternal lino, he traces back to Wood Nymph, a sister to the Melbourne Cup winner. Martini Henry. En Tour will not be sent to Ih>Grand National meeting. He has been qualified as a hunter and has been at Cambridge since the Waipa meeting. King Rey was taken home after the Wellington meeting, but R. Martin will probably take him to Riccarton about a week’ before the Grand National meeting. He suffered no harm from his fall at Wellington and has been doing well since.

RACING FIXTURES July 29—Christchurch Hunt. July 2.9—Manawalu Hunt. August 8, 10, 12.—Grand National

meeting. August 19 —Pakuranga Hunt. August .31— Egmont-Wanganui Hunt. September 2—Taranaki Hunt. September 2—Otago Hunt. September 7, 9—Wanganui Jockey

Club. September 16—Foxton Racing Club. September 16—Ashburton County Racing Club.

MANAWATU HUNT MEETING

ACCEPTANCES FOR SATURDAY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N.. July 24. The acceptances for the Manawatu Hunt meeting on Saturday are:—

PRAISE FOR ROYAL CHIEF

Will Find Ajax Stiff Proposition.

It is pleasing to know that F. Jones is a certain visitor to Sydney in the spring, with Royal Chief as one of his team, writes "Pilot" in the Sydney ■Referee."

"Royal Chief appears to have sufficient weight to put another Metropolitan win beyond him. but weight forage races will give him opportunities, and. if only in minor place money, he should pay the expenses of the trip. "Up to a mile and a half he Will again find Ajax a stiff proposition, and at longer distances Defaulter and Spear Chief will be added to his troublesome opponents. "Defaulter is sure to put in an appearance. and there is also a chance of Beaupartir corning over. Although a winner up to a mile and three-quar-ters in a St Leger. it is possible Beau partir is better at a shorter distance.

"New Zealand may not be strong in numbers in the spring, but it will bo in quality, and that is the main thing.

"Looking further forward. Beaulivre is likely to be one of the Dominion contingent in the autumn. Bought recently for 2,900gns by Mr E. Harnett, of Wellington, he should, on his pre sent season's form, have a mortgage on all the important New Zealand three year-old races run in the spring. "If he comes through those satisfactorily an Australian trip for him next year should be assured.”

12.0— LADIES’ BRACELET HANDICAP. One mile and a quarter. Ohanga 12 9 Hethers 10 7 Kohika 12 3 Ngaitahu .. .. 10 7 Umpire 12 1 Moonlight Gladium .. .. 11 9 Bay 10 7 Lacan' 10 13 Park Acre .. 10 7 Ruenzori .. .. 10 12 Rover's Joy .. 10 7 Petrarch .. .. 10 10 12.40— MAIDEN RACE. Six furlongs. Amyas Leigh 8 10 Tarffra 8 10 Big Wave .. . 8 10 The Smiler .. 8 10 Colibri 8 10 Vaals Queen 8 10 Fine Gold .. . 8 10 Bronze Latjs 8 5 Israel 8 10 Fauvette .. .. 8 5 Modern Way 8 10 Flying Flag 8 5 Mon Ace .. . 8 10 Kehua 8 5 Onahau 8 10 Moradabad .. 8 5 Patahi 8 10 Royal Sign .. 8 5 Parian 8 10 Royal Talkie 8 5 Royal Lack . 8 10 Split Second 8 5 1.20— HACK AND HUNTERS’ HURDLES. One mile and a half. Bing Boy .. .. 11 0 Princess Artful Isabel 9 5 Dodger 10 4 The Tramp .. 9 5 Royal King .. 10 3 Hunting Lore 9 2 Contact 10 2 Stargono .. .. 9 0 Ohanga 9 13 Sunbeam .. .. 9 0 Toper 9 6 Tigreterre .. 9 0 2.0— OPEN HANDICAP. Seven furlongs. Gay Chou .. . 9 0 El Meynell .. 7 12 Lady Montana 8 12 Liane 7 8 Old Surrey . 8 8 Dorado 7 8 Tidewaiter 8 3 Cuisinier .. .. 7 7 Hunting Mint 8 1 Reipar .. .. .. 7 7 Winsome Lu . 8 0 Lucullus Boy 7 7 Mataroa 8 0 Flying Acre 7 7 2.40— MANAWATU HUNT CUP STEEPLE CHASE. Two miles and a quarter. Glenvane .. .. 11 8 Royal King .. 9 7 Petrarch .. .. 10 0 Gaswyn .. .. 9 3 Wykerflist 9 10 Sir Acre .. .. 9 0 Lady Blue Steel .. 9 0 Callaghan 9 9 Vesty 9 0 Royal Toast 9 9 Nightrunner 9 0 3.2C— HACK CUP. Ono mile and a quarter. Royal Tinge . 9 0 Golden Seyfried 8 12 Memory 8 0 Auto Sweep . 8 12 Little Robin . 8 0 Aurora's Star 9 Gaiwind .. .. . 8 0 Peach King 8 8 Renascor .. . 8 0 Warehi 8 5 Richelieu Gladium .. .. 8 3 Pearl 8 0 Haile Selassie o 2 Hunting Mother-in-Moments 8 0 Law 8 2 Laughing Yed Prior .. o 0 Chief 8 0 4.0— HACK HANDICAP. Six furlongs. Lord Moutoa 9 10 White Rajali 8 3 Hagen .. .. ... . 9 8 Thrasos .. .. .. 8 2 Liberal’s Mint 9 6 Cherry Picker 8 2 Flying Acre . 9 2 Conversion .. o J Shining Hours 9 1 Golden Screen Star . 9 0 Entcrpris e 8 C Raeburn 8 11 To Ore .. .. .. 8 0 Reasonable . 8 9 Inchkeith .. .. 8 0 Lindrum .. .. . 8 9 Maturity .. .. .. 8 0 Donegal .. .. 7 Wee Lap .. .. 8 0 Guiding Light 8 3 Girl Pat .. .. 8 0