WELLINGTON MEETING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 August 1939, Page 11

WELLINGTON MEETING

STAKES FOR SPRING FIXTURE INCREASED. Stakes for the Wellington Racing Club’s spring meeting, on Thursday, Saturday, and Monday, October 19, 21, and 23, have been increased by £BOO. On the first day, the Wellington Handicap has been raised by £lOO to £B5O, and the Glen Hurdles, Wainui, Rimutaka, Shorts and October Handicaps each by £5O. The Rimu Hurdles and the Heretaunga, Awatea and Belmont Handicaps, on the second day, have also been increased by £5O. Increases of £5O have also been made in the following five races on the concluding day:—Rona Hurdles,' Tararua, Roseneath, Nainai, and Ruahine Handicaps. Over the three days, the club will distribute £10,400 in stake money.

SPORT OF KINGS OVERSEAS

PERSONAL AND OTHERWISE. In recent years, daughters of the Two Thousand Guineas winner, Clarissimus, have produced three champions in Europe. They are Brantome, Donatello 11, and Pharis, the best colt of the year in France, where he won the Prix du. Jockey Club (French Derby) and came through the staying test of the Grand Prix with flying colours. Pharis is by Pharos out of Carissima, by Clarissimus, sire of imported Claro, winner of the A.J.S. Epsom Handicap, Cantala Stakes and other races.

Clarissimus was by Radium (son of Bend Or and sire of Night Raid; Rebus, and King Ofl'a) out of Quintessence, by St Frusquin out of Margarine, by Petrarch. Quintessence was unbeaten, won the One Thousand Guineas and five other races. Pharos (brother to Fairway) is the sire of the classic winners, Cameronian, Firdaussi, unbeaten Nearco, and Pharis.

The German race which corresponds with the English Two Thousand Guineas was this year won by Wehr Dich, a bay colt by Wallenstein out of Wafi’e, by Majestic out of Wunschelrufe, by Nuage out of Mon Desir, by Saphir. The winner traces on both sides to the famous mare Darkle, dam of Dark Ronald. Majestic is by William the Third out of Masha, by Charibert, son of Thormanby. Desiree (dam of Mon Desir) was by Velasquez out of Darkie, by Thurio out of Insignia, by Blair Athol. Wallenstein (a very good performer on the turf) was by Dark Ronald out of Wiener Madel, by William the Third out of Danubia, by Saphir, son of Chamant.

One of America’s best handicap horses of this year is the four-year-old Cravat (Sickle —Frilette, by Man o’ War). At Aqueduct (New York) towards the end of June he won the Brooklyn Handicap, 9 furlongs, with 9.0. in 1.48 1-5, equalling the track record put up by Discovery in 1935. In Cravat’s race the first half-mile was run in 45 3-ssec, and six furlongs in 1.10 3-5. The prize was a rich one, but there were only eight runners. In America, however, double figure fields for important races other than sprints are unusual. First money was £4,562, second £l,OOO, third £5OO, and fourth £ 250. Another good handicap horse racing in America is Specify. On the day Cravat won at Aqueduct, Specify was successful in the Inglewood Mile Handicap at Hollywood Park. There were’ only four runners, and Specify, with 8.6, made a track record, doing the mile in 1.36 2-5. It was a £2.500 race, of which £1,743 went to the winner.

Brighton is one of the English courses favourable to fast time, and. in winning the Balcombe Stakes at that track on June 21. the seven-year-old stallion, St Andrews 11, ran a mile and a quarter in 1.59 4-5, which was a record for the track. The same afternoon two six furlongs’ races were each run in 1.9. St Andrews actually made a mile and a quarter record for England, the previous best being 2min, by Top Gallant, at Newmarket.

Girl Pat. who has raced unsuccessfully in Melbourne since her arrival from Tasmania, broke down during her race at Ascot last week. She may be retired to the stud.