CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 March 1940, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE

Death of Raipara. The colt by Tiderace from Slackline, who was purchased at. the Trantham yearling sales in 1939 by the Hon A. Crofts, of Melbourne, for 575 guineas, and later named Raipara. died recently. Raipara was being trained by the former New Zealand J. Fryer and was highly regarded. . “Curtailing” His Betting. Mr Alan Cooper, owner of Gold Salute, who was bred in New Zealand, stated that he was curtailing his betting. This did not preclude a tilt at the Caulfield betting ring recently on Gold Salute in the Oakleigh Plato. Shortly after betting opened Mr Cooper went along the rails in the official enclosure and took three bet's of £lOOO to £3O and one of £lOOO to £35. Mr Cooper also took some smaller wagers, but if he were acting for himself he got a poor run for his money. Gold Salute, who started on the outside of the field, was never among the leaders, and. although he made up a little ground at the turn, he dropped back in the straight and finished fifteenth. The Hawk. The oldest horse ever to win the Taranaki Cup was The Hawk. One of the most brilliant and durable gallopers New Zealand has produced, the Martian gelding won altogether 31 races and more than £23.000 in stakes. As a two-year-old he established a re- « cord of lmin 10 l-ssec. and at three was credited with lmin 9 4-ssec. He won numerous weight-for-age races in Australia as well as in the Dominion. At 11 years of age he was nominated for the Taranaki Cup, one mile and a half, and was given 7.0, being regarded as a worn-out sprinter. Carrying 51b over-weight he beat a strong field, which included Pegaway. Vertigern. In the Shade. Corinax, and Piuthair. Even then The Hawk was not finished, as a year later he won the Danncvirke Cup.

A Stud Success. Ac-htoi, a very successful stallion by Santoi. died recently at the age of 28 years at the stud of his owner. Major Victor Parr, in. Ireland. He was pensioned off a few years ago. Achtoi, who cost 1300 guineas as a yearling, was. a fair-class winner at two and three years of ago. but he achieved greater renown as a stallion. He sired winners of 336 flat races worth £lOB,OOO in Great Britain and Ireland, plus winners of 235 events over jumps worth £36.000. A large number of his progeny were winners in other countries. His stock stayed well, among his best being the Cesarewitch winners Nitsichin and Arctic Star. He began stud life at a fee of £ 9 19s, but before retirement from service commanded a fee of £149.

Trotter’s Unusual Feat HEADS LIST OF WINNERS IN AMERICA TWO-YEAR-OLD’S WONDERFUL RECORD (BY “THE GRAFTER.”) For the first time since 1931.-a trotter heads the list of winners in America. And it is the first occasion that a two-ycar-old has stood out in front of the season’s best winners. During the 1939 period the two-year-old trotter Pascha Volo won the honours, his record being thirteen victories in eighteen engagements. The pacer, Hi Pat. was his nearest rival with twelve successes. By securing thirteen victories, Pascha Volo joins Shirley Harvester as the greatest juvenile trotter. In 1927, Shirley Harvester won thirteen events in fourteen starts. The winning of ten or more races by a juvenile is still one of the toughest of all feats, for the records show that but a mere handful of youngsters have accomplished such a performance. All of Pascha Volo’s achievements were registered on half mile tracks. His only appearance on a mile course was at Syracuse, where he ran second to Spencer Scott (2.5). Hi Pat, 2.01, was the most improved performer of 1939. He was in the thick of the fight in his eighteen contests. After being placed in his two first contests, he won eight races on end.