TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 April 1940, Page 3

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Renewing Old Ideas SUCCESS OF WILLIE WIN IN GREAT AUTUMN (BY "THE GRAFTER.”) No doubt Willie Win's repetition of his 1937 success in the Great Autumn Handicap will claim attention as a remarkable return to form, and it is to a great extent, but it contained one very important factor, which no doubt materially contributed to the result. Willie Win has been more or less under suspicion of unsoundness for some considerable time, and hence it would not have created surprise if he had broken down in his finishing track werk or during the course of a race. If a horse such as Willie Win survives a preparation and races, reducing his handicap, arrives at the post apparently sound enough for a race, then he must constitute danger. Then comes a so-called return to form. It may, however, be claimed that the trainers of almost the entire field in the Great Autumn Handicap materially, although perhaps unconsciously contributed to Willie Win's success, and did so by running their ’horses in the Sockburn Handicap.

Some years ago. during the late Mr C. G. Dalgety's occupation of the presidential chair of the Canterbury Jockey Club, the Sockburn Handicap was the last race on the first day's card of the Great Autumn meeting. The race was run about 5 pan. or later, and the sporting writer in the "Otago Daily Times" drew attention to what appeared, and, no doubt was in fact, a very bad position on a card for a race catering for horses in the Great Autumn Handicap to be run fairly early the following afternoon. It led to the scratching of two or three horses in the Sockburn Handicap that held engagements in the Great Autumn Handicap. Criticism, right or wrong, is almost invariably resented, but Mr Dalgety thanked the writer for the suggestion, and asked for more, and the Sockburn was afterwards moved up to about the middle of the card. It has since dropped back to near the bad position held when a change was deemed advisable. What influenced the change made in Mr Dalgety’s term of office, was the attention drawn to the very bad policy of trainers with horses engaged in the Great Autumn Handicap subjecting them to a more or less severe race in

the evening of the preceding day and only a few hours prior to their being saddled up for their most important engagement at the meeting. A trainer would not dream of submitting a horse to a severe gallop on the evening prior to an important race. It was suggested that a horse with a Great Autumn engagement would be much better served by a race in the Great Easter, because it gave a better chance for recuperation. and the fact has been proved by some on very remote occasions be? ing capable of winning the double. Without paying any particular stress or value on the time put up in the record attached to the Sockburn Handicap won by Wild Talk, it docs at least mean that the horses comprising the field had a hard task on a track that must have been hard to make such fast time. The field for the Great Autumn Handicap contained two fresh horses in Willie Win and a moderate in The Wrecker, and they finished first and third.' The result bore out the writer's contention that the Sockburn Handicap is not judiciously placed on the first day's card. Willie Win came to the post against a field, probably more or less jarred and jaded by a hard race on the previous evening. In 1937 Willie Win Won both the Sockburn Handicap and Great Autumn Handicap, and in another year Queen of Song won the Riverton Cup and Great Autumn Handicap, but in future, when a trainer has a horse with a chance in the Great Autumn, he should think twice about, racing him on the first day of the meeting. If the Sockburn was run as the second or third race on the first card it would.create a different aspect of the conditions and although it may savour of belated wisdom, it has at least the redeeming feature, of an idea considered well worthy of recognition in the past. In the past remote instances have occurred when a horse has won the Sockburn and Great Autumn but they were few and far between.

Ex-Masterton Trainer's Success. Masterton residents will be pleased to learn that Bankshaw, the winner of the Knoll Handicap at the Moonee Valley (Victoria) races on Saturday and National, which was second, were trained by Mr Harry Hilton, a former resident of Masterton. who was studmaster at Mr W. R. Kemball’s stud farm. Mr Hilton has achieved considerable success in Victoria as a trainer. The Best Six Furlongs. At Ellerslie on Saturday Brazilian' (D. Green) was responsible for the best six furlongs in 1.17. going evenly throughout and running the first three in 38 3-5. Good Gallops. Features of the training operations at Ellerslie on Saturday were smart sprints by Blonde Princess and Auburn Lad, a good seven furlongs by Kelly and Kena. and sound efforts over a round by Royal Appellant, Ivy Willonyx and Foxsen, who comfortably defeated Royal Message. The fast work was accomplished on the No 1 grass, where the poles were out five feet, and the going was perfect, the sting being just out of the ground.

A Serious Loss. While the Westland Racing Club’s meeting produced Government taxation to the amount of £407, the club will have to provide for a loss of upwards of £lBO. The totalisator turnover was much below expectations. The club distributed slakes to the value of £770. The loss comes on top of a considerable loss on the February meeting. A Lucky Man. The lucky man in connection with the dual Sydney Cup winner Mosaic has been the Randwick trainer J. H. Abbs. The Limond —Inlaid horse was bought at the Trentham sales by J. T. Jamieson, commissioned by Mr J. H. Crick, of Sydney. Placed in the stable of Abbs (who had won the Metropolitan for Mr Crick with the Chief Ruler horse Sir Regent). Mosaic did not dis, play particular promise, and Mr Crick presented him to his wife. After one run in the lady’s colours he was leased to Abbs, and before long won the St Leger and a Sydney Cup. Last spring Mosaic lost form, but has come back and is now among the five-figure winners.

RACING FIXTURES April 1 and 3.—Greymouth. April 1 and 3. —Avondale. April 4. 6. —Mana wain. April 6.—Clifden. April 6.—Reefton. April 11. 13. —Hawke’s Bay. April 11, 13. —Oamaru. April 12. 13—Whangarei. April 13. 15.-r-Nelson. April 20. —Napier Park. April 20. —Waimate. April 20, 22. —Marlborough. April 27. —Waverley.