TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1939, Page 9

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Harold Badger Leading Victorian Jockey RECORDED FIRST WIN AT SMALL MEETING 17 YEARS AGO TRAINERS’ PREMIERSHIP ANNEXED BY “BILL” BURKE (EY “CARBINE.”) A Victorian, now resident in the Wairarapa, writes asking who were the leading jockeys and trainers in his native state for the 1938-39 season just concluded. The leading jockey was Harold Badger, with 481 wins, 32 seconds and 33 thirds. The leading trainer was W. Burke, who gained 28 wins, 18,1 seconds and 18 thirds. Badger recorded his first win in a small race at a country meeting about 17

years ago, and this is the first time that he has headed the winning list. A good horse will sometimes “make” a jockey, but, although Ajax assisted him materially to gain the premiership, Badger made a name for himself long before the advent of that brilliant galloper.

Badger rode consistently throughout the season, his strength at the finish characterising many of his successes,, and wound up with 48 wins and a dead-heat for first, or 6J wins ahead of the runner-up, Arthur Dewhurst. Like many other good riders, Badger served his apprenticeship with R. Bradfield, with whom he was associated from 1921 until 1927. No outstanding success came his way during that period, and later he transferred to Adelaide where his numerous wins included the Adelaide Cup on Stralia. the S.A.J.C. Derby on Mount of Olives, and the Goodwood Handicap on Ben Lomond.

A visit to Tasmania yielded wins in the Newham, Launceston and Deloraine Cups, among other races, and later he returned to Melbourne to record the greatest triumphs of his career.

Prinpical among his handicap wins are the Caulfield Cup on Northwind, and the Newmarket on Ajax. “Bill” Burke was an easy first among the trainers in respect of number of wins, though Frank Musgrave, trainer of Ajax, led him in respect of prizemoney won. Burke’s 28 first yielded £10,581 in added money, and Musgrave’s 16 wins were worth £11,819. Principal among Burke’s winners were Green Cape and Giant Killer, winners of the recent Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase double. Other leading jockeys were: —A. Dewhurst, 42 wins, 29 seconds, and 24 thirds; W. Elliot, 361 wins, 344 seconds, and 36 thirds; R. Baily, 30 wins, 24 seconds and 24 thirds.

Other leading trainers: F. W. Hoysted, 20 wins, 20 seconds and 21| thirds; F. Musgrave, 16 wins, 3 seconds and 6 thirds; H. Freedman, 151 wins. 16 seconds and 12 thirds.

PERSONAL

Owing to the serious illness of his father, who accompanied him to Engi land, the Auckland jockey, N. Vaughan, is returning to New Zealand with Mr Vaughan, and- they will arrive at the end of the month. Vaughan will be in the saddle at the Avondale meeting. M. McCarten soon got on the winnings list for the new season, as he rode Seven Fifty, by The Buzzard, to victory in the Metropolitan Handicap, of £l5OO, one mile and a-half. at the Queensland Turf Club's meeting at Brisbane held recently. A. E. Ellis has left for Sydney. It would be interesting to see him give a display over hurdles and fences to the Australians and then see if anyone could outride him on the flat. RICCARTON COMPARISONS TIMES PAST AND PRESENT. Judging the merit of form over the Riccarton course by comparison of times of recent years with those recorded about half a century ago is about on a par with a comparison between candles and electric light. In Liberator’s time and later horses were not set out on a speed mission, but merely to get the country at a fairly sound pace. The same remark applies to hurdlers.

When Record Reign carried 12.12 and created a record of 3min 46 4-ssec he had Coeur de Lion, 10.0, to keep him up to his work. Coeur de Lion won the Manawatu Cup the same year with 8.12 and was also second in the Wellington Cup with 8.10. There was nothing of the Coeur de Lion calibre behind Padischah. Coeur de Lion won the Great Northern Hurdles of 1901 with 11.8. Record Reign carried 191 b more than Padishah and travelled at about the same rate of speed, and on his Auckland Cup form the extra distance would not have troubled him.

Record Reign’s form on the flat reads better than that of Padishah, who had far more experience than the Castor gelding and without the slightest desire to depreciate the great merit of this year's hero he is not such a good horse as Record Reign. Nor is the flat form of Liberator, who won a Dunedin Cup with 8.3, over two miles and a distance, the Timaru Cup with 8.12, the Wanganui Cup with 8.9, third in the New Zealand Cup with 7,10 and also won other races on the flat. He won a two mile and a-quarter hurdle race at Forbury Park with 13.5 after winning earlier at the meeting with 13.0. Liberator did not succeed in winning the Grand National Steeplechase, .in which he started twice, once under 12.7 and again under 12.9.

SPORT OF KINGS OVERSEAS

PERSONAL AND OTHERWISE. A rare combination of veterans was successful with Jollyheart in the Elvaston Plate, run recently in England. The three-year-old belongs to the 81-

year-old Duke of Portland. The Hon George Lambton, who trains him, is 79, and Carslake, the rider of Jollyheart, will be 52 this month. The present Duke of Portland owned the undefeated St Simon, who won the Ascot Gold Cup as far back as 1884, later to become the most successful stallion in the history of the thoroughbred. Most horses in training have more than one line of St Simon in their pedigree, though his direct male line has few representatives at stud in England today. Noble Star is the most successful of them, but the French-bred Derby winner, Bois Roussel, may contribute to the revival of the line. The Duke of Portland won the Derby of 1888 with Ayrshire and again the following season—so years ago—with Donovan. From 1890 to 1900 he won the Oaks four times —with Memoir, Mrs Butterwick, Amiable, and La Roche. All were daughters of St Simon.

Defaulter, Royal Chief, Beau Repaire and Beau Vite have been favourably commented upon since their arrival in Sydney. Defaulter is an immense four-year-old, and it is as well that the Melbourne Cup is practically three months away, so that his trainer, F. A, Roberts, has plenty of time to prepare him. Australian race-goers have been interested to learn that the versatile A. E. Ellis will be Defaulter’s rider. The ability of Ellis is not questioned, and he has shown in Australia that he is a strong and accomplished horseman; but in races like the Melbourne Cup the very best New Zealand jockeys have none the best of it.

There are two instances on record in England, of a dead heat for first being declared between four horses. One concerned a two-year-old race and the other a steeplechase. At Moorefield (Sydney) three horses twice deadheated in a mile and a-quarter handicap before a division was agreed upon. There have been numerous cases in Australia of two horses dead-heating twice. At Barcaldine (Queensland) Mooreso and Peerless dead heated for first, and Squire and Ben Bit for third; while Moooreso and Peerless ran another dead-heat in the run-off. At a northern New South Wales meeting there was at triple dead-heat between Tom, Yellow Plush and Syndicate. In the run-off the judge could not separate Tom and Yellow Plush, but in a second run-off he declared Tom the winner by half a head.

High Caste is developing into the most commanding type of three-year-old, and good judges expect him to be the horse of the season. His first clash with Reading, who defeated him in the Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick, will be interesting, but apparently J. T. Cush, trainer and part-owner of Reading, has the highest respect fc« High Caste. Cush went to Jamieson's stable recently and was so impressed with the appearance of the Bulandshar colt that he and the other part-owner of Reading coupled Reading and High Caste for the Caulfield and Melbourne) Cup double for £30,000. This is an unusual double, for three-year-olds seld-1 om run in the Caulfield Cup, trainers of good colts preferring to run in the Caulfield Guineas, after contesting the A.J.C. Derby and then saving their young horses for the Victoria Derby, decided on the Saturday before Melbourne Cup day. As Cush and Mr Luscombe have supported also the Read-ing-Defaulter double for the two Cups, it would appear that they have seriou.* designs on the Caulfield Cup.

ABOUT HORSES

YOURS TRULY RECOVERS. Slayer will be brought south with the other members of P. T. Hogan’s team for the Otago Hunt meeting, and will be used as a hack until after the summer. Now rising six years old Slayer is not likely to grow any. but should fill out and be better able to handle the imposts he is likely to have awarded him next season. Since Easter Slayer has won five races, been second once, and third twice, his total stake winnings amounting to £2.100. Yours Truly has made a complete recovery from the pastern soreness that prevented his racing at the C.J.C. meeting, but he is having a fortnight’s holidaj' before being set on another, preparation. Yours Truly was fancied for the Winter Cup prior to going wrong. The damage is not deepseated.

RACING FIXTURES

August 31—Egmont-Wanganui Hunt. September 2—Taranaki Hunt. September 2—Otago Hun,t. September 7, 9 —Wanganui Jockey Club. September 16—Foxton Racing Club. September 16 —Ashburton County Racing Club. September 16, 18 —Avondale Jockey] Club.