TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1940, Page 9

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Willie Wins Form DODGES HOODOO AT RICCARTON

(BY

“THE GRAFTER.”

Many winners or near winners',of the Melbourne Cup have afterwards faded into the vale of obscurity, and such might well have been the fate of Willie Win, which followed The Trump home in 1937. Since that day the Peninsula owner, Mr I. L. M. Coop, and Riccarton trainer, Mrs J. Campbell, have had little success with the eight-year-old staying son of Poiazel and Miss Florence, and his return to winning form in the Midsummer Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday was well received, despite the fact that he was one of the outsiders. It was Willie'Win’s sixth race this season, all of them since the Christmas holiday period. He is a bad-legged horse in front, and Mrs Campbell has spent,a good deal of time in keeping him sound, as he has to be taken along carefully in work. In the Midsummer he took tho lead after three furlongs and was never afterwards extended, winning easily by.a length. It is apparent that Willie Win' has now dodged the hoodoo. Willie Win will now have to be reckoned with in the Dunedin Cup.

After Race Gallop. After the final event at Riccarton, Defaulter and Capricious, with colours up, went down to the six-furlong post, and from a moving start ran six furlongs in about Imin 13 4-ssec. Defaulter went' a shade wide at the turn, and Capricious finished with him. Defaulter pulled up well after the gallop and will be in good order for the Dunedin Cup, as he appears to be nearly ready to race. Capricious also pulled up well, but appears to be a bit big in condition. Effort Too Late. Settlement is not too sound, but pulled up all right after the Midsummer Handicap. It is said he must be allowed to run his own race, but if a risk had been taken, with him and a stirring up administered he might have won. As it was, he came from last a furlong from home to put in a fast finish, but too late. Why Short Races Are Popular. In his book “Admiral Rous and the Turf,’’ the author publishes an interesting correspondence between the admiral and Lord Rosebery regarding the popularity with owners of shorter distance races. In the early ’seventies Admiral Rous, in replying to a letter of Lord Rosebery’s in “The Times,” said: “Reverting again to my Lord Rosebery—he professes a dislike to short races. So do I. But racing committees and stewards must consult the taste of horse-owners. ‘The Times’ talks of the injurious effect which breeding for the purpose of running immature horses over shorj courses has produced on the national stock. Nobody breeds for that purpose. The great object is a colt that can run two miles and is worth £3,000. If one has the misfortune to breed jades, and inferior stock, then the only chance is to run them at an early age before the big ones can master them. In the event of a threatened invasion, the Government could seize a million horses, and no army in the world could show such cavalry. Racing is like theatrical performances. We must suit our programme to the genius of the actors, and if possible add variety to the entertainment.” Alma Particularly Well. Alma looked particularly well when she went out for the Craven Plate. In fact, she never looked better. She was prominent inside the distance, but then dropped back. It transpired that she got galloped on about a furlong from home when travelling like a possible winner.

Counterblast Shows Good Form.

Counterblast showed something like her best form in the Craven Plate, in which she was prominent all the way. Her stablemate, Paper Slipper, just beat her a head for a place.

An Exploded Idea. The win of Concertpitch in the Craven Plate at Riccarton, is another instance of the fallacy of contending that a horse must have a race or two to tune him up after a long spell. Omapo Shapes Well. The Nightmarch—Azalea gelding Omapo shaped well enough in the Middle Park Plate to suggest that he would be hard to beat if raced in the class for which he is eligible. C.J.C. Meeting. The programme of the Canterbury Jockey Club's autumn meeting next month was considered yesterday, and it was resolved that the same stakes as last year be given. The brush hurdle race each day is to be changed to a race over open hurdles and the distance of the Courtenay Handicap, a maiden event on the first day, is to be« increased from six to seven furlongs. For the Great Autumn Handicap a proviso is to be added to the effect that the winner of the Sockburn Handicap, run on the first day, will not be rehandicapped. The Addington and Templeton Handicaps, previously the the seventh and last races on the second day, will be transposed this year, and the distance of the former will be increased from six to seven furlongs. RACING FIXTURES February 8 and 10— Egmont. February 10 and 12.—Poverty Bay. February 10 and 12—Gore. February 10 and 12—Rotorua. February 16 and 17. —Winton. February 17. —Tolago Bay. February 17. —Opunake. February 17 and 19. —Waikato. February 22 and 24. —Dunedin. February 24.—Waiapu. February 24 and 26—Westland. February 24 and 26.—Te Aroha. February 24 and 26. —Woodville.