TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1940, Page 3

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE The Starting Question

(BY

“THE GRAFTER.”)

The natural method of breaking a horse into a gallop comes from a walk, trot, or canter. The P,ules of Racintj make it compulsory for horses to break into top speed from a flat-foot start, and hence remarks are heard about “bad starts” when a field has'actually put in two or more strides or has spread out simply because no matter how much a horse may be educated at the barrier it will, with more or less frequency get unbalanced when trying to jump into a gallop from an unnatural method of gathering speed. A field may be brought into a perfect line flat foot at the barrier, but in the first 50 yards will be spread over half a dozen lengths or more, simply because horses almost invariably begin all their fast work from a moving start and in direct contrast to what is required in a race. Hence we have not only an unnatural method of starting horses in a race, but trainers accentuating the trouble by sending horses out for fast work from a moving start. in 99 cases out of 100, a field will not come in and stand flat-footed. The horses invariably begin to twist and turn and so hold up\thc start. The length of delay may then, even in a large field, depend on the behaviour of one or two horses. A common mistake is to allow a field to line up and come in when far too close to the barrier. This results in the first up being kept waiting for the last, and so leading to delays and fractiousness.

WAIKATO MEETING

ACCEPTORS FOR SATURDAY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 25. Acceptances for the Waikato Racing Club’s patriotic meeting on Saturday are as follow. Betting will be win and place:— 11.30 —St John Hack and Hunters’ Steeples, about 2,1 m: Inness Lad 11.2: Sockettes 10.1; Tutor 9.10; Clansman, British Isles. Air Commodore 9.4; Semiarch 9.1; Etcetera. Brandon Hall. Little Scotch, Fat Boy 9.0. 12.15 —Red. Cross Hack Handicap, Gf: Hum a Song 9.6; Trig Station 8.11; Miss Valerie 8.9; Glenbevan 8.7: Star Vaals. Lady Clorane 8.5: Mayfair. Auburn Lu, Tahiti, Sweet Nothing. Miss Eureka. Royal Jay. Phil Vaals, Poutawa 8.0. I.o—Southern Queen Handicap. 1.1 m: Gold Vaals 9.1; Hot Box 8.6: Valmint. Tidewaiter 8.1; Very Glad 7.5; Paddy the Rip 7.4; Philemup. Saccone. Flying Acre 7.3; Jewelled Girdle 7.2; Calorie 7.1; Mon Acre, Raceline. Sunny Downs.. Prival, Silver Glow 7.0.

I.4s—Hack Hurdles, Jack Tar 10.9; Mungacre 9.13; Cappy 9.11; Te Monatekapa 9.10; Allegretto 9.8: King Musk 9.5; Valspear 9.4; Air Commodore 9.3; Vaalso 9.1; Rarotonga, Mio Fratollo, Little Ruse, Mai de Mer. Tavern Song. ’Well Away, Red Appellant 9.0. 2.30 —Patriotic Plate, gentlemen riders, Im: Acreman 11.8: Midland 11.6: Full of Scotch 11.0: Calshot 10.13; Runanga 10.9: Maxown, General Riske, School Song, Romani. Postscript. Rothoon. Spats, Bellaghy,.Comrie 10.7. 3.15 —Hamilton Handicap. 6f: Orate 9.9; Te Takina, Erndale 9.4; Young Paddon 8.7; Te Monowai 8.3; Mai de Mer 8.1; Trilliarch, Bronze Step, Surella. Day Wind. Town Section, Hunting Blood 8.0.

4.o—Farewell Hack Handicap. 7f: Noble Fox 9.11: Hunter's Night 9.3; Monte Cristo 9.1; Wildore 8.12; Trig Station 8.10: Mio Fratollo 8.5; Bronze Trail 8.4; Sieglinde 8.2; Nuipapa. Gas Acre, Acquest. Dark Rose. Tahiti. Valley Maid. Phil Vaals 8.0.

Catalogue Pottering About.

Catalogue has been pottering about at Awapuni for some weeks past. He has been entered for the next Melbourne Cup, but in these times there is no certainty that such trips will eventuate. If he is forward enough, he might be raced at Trentham. Catalogue has not raced since he dead-heated with De Friend for second place behind Royal Appellant in the Auckland Racing Club’s Handicap on New Year’s Day. Winning Rival Galloping Weil.

Winning Rival has the Dunedin Guineas as her only winning efl'ort this season, but the Bulandshar —Rivalry filly has been lightly raced and was not seen at her best. She is galloping very freely now and should show form early in the new season.

Unlucky Horse. Land Raid has been the unluckiest horse in Conza's stable- at Riccarton. The Night Raid gelding has lost some of his dash, but in fifteen starts he has had five seconds and three thirds for the small total of £B7 in stakes. He has shown promise over hurdles and may return to the winning list again in that branch of racing. During the week he shaped very well in a trial over six hurdles. Memories of Record Reign. Padishah’s form in New Zealand, and his proposed trip to Australia, is raising memories of Record Reign. It is nearly 40 years since Record Reign ran in the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase, in which he ran fourth. Record Reign is still acknowledged as the finest all-rounder New Zealand has ever produced. A first-class flat performer, he won the Avondale Cup and other good races as a five-year-old. and the following season put up a remarkable performance to win the Grand National Hurdles with 12.12 in the then record time of 3min. 40 4-ssecs. After his race in the V.R.C. Grand National he was sold for 820gns. to an Indian sportsman, H.H. Hour Sahib Patiala. In those days the price was an enormous one for a jumper, but Re-, cord Reign immediately returned his purchase price by trouncing the best flat performers with 9.0 in the V.R.C. August Handicap. From Melbourne he went on to India, where his outstanding flat form included wins in the King's Cup (weight-for-age) at Calcutta, besidij two valuable races at Bombay. So good was his form that his owner conceived the idea of tackling the Liverpool Grand National. In charge of his trainer, T. D. Scott. Record Reign was Eng-land-bound, but broke his journey ini France. Entered for a steeplechase at Paris, Record Reign was weighted at only 9.G, to the amazement of his connections. As might bo expected, Record Reign made an exhibition of the opposition. However. his next start in a steeplechase was his last, for he fell and broke his neck when contesting France’s richest jumping event, the Grand Prix de Paris Steeplechase.

Roy Bun Doing Light Work. Roy Bun is being kept in light exercise. though he is not of much use under winter conditions. His successes in the Geraldine, Nelson and Marlborough Cups this season place him once again as the leading member of M. Conza’s stable at Riccarton, with £713. A Useful Mare. Skyrena has won £673, most of it on the West Coast. Easily her most impressive effort was in the Glasnevin Handicap at the Amberley meeting at Riccarton. when she beat The Wrecker and Grey Honour decisively after being well back starting the last three furlongs.

Density Nominated for Epsom. Density has been nominated for the A.J.C. Epsom. Handicap, a race that has been won by several New Zealand or New Zealand-bred horses in recent years, including Nightmarch, Autopay. Silver Ring, Synagogue and Gold Rod. Conditions are so uncertain owing to the war, however, that Density is more likely to do her racing in the Dominion next season. Many other New Zealand horses are also likely to be affected. D. Cotton has Density in light exercise and the brilliant Pink Coat mare is thriving on it. Produced in her best form, she should take her share of the feature sprint races.

A Successful Trainer. The result of the war-time Derby of 1940 is a crowning achievement for F. Darling, the Beckhampton trainer, who has saddled up previous winners of the race'in Captain Cuttie (.1922), Manna (1925), Coronach (1926). Cameronian. and Bois Roussel (1938). Bois Roussel was in the stable for the six weeks between his purchase by Earl Beatty and his success at Epsom. Pont I’Eveque, last week's winner, won the Spring Maiden Plate, one mile at Newbury on April 13. Neither of the placed horses contested that race, which gave the -Derby winner his first success. Last year he was runner-up in the Beaufort Plate at the Newmarket Cambridge, shire meeting. Pont l'Eveque's breeding is French. His sire. Barneveldt, a son of The Winter King, after running third in the French Derby of 1931, beat practically the same field a fortnight later in the Grand Prix de Paris. He also won the Prix du President the following week. The Winter King, sire of Barneveldt, was a good performer both on the flat and as a hurdler. He was by Son-in-Law from Signorinetta, a Derby and Oaks winner, but Barneveldt was easily the best of his stock. Ponteba. dam of Pont I'Eveque, is a daughter of another French Derby winner in Belfonds, a grey horse who was an outstanding performer and sire in France, and who is now having a successful stud career in Virginia. United States, where, his fee is 1000 dollars. Coronach. • '

It is interesting to note that Musket came out to New Zealand under much the same conditions that Coronach will be imported. Musket is generally supposed to have obtained his name from the fact that Lord Glasgow condemned him to be shot when he failed to show a satisfactory trial as a two-year-old. Musket might also have received his name from the fact that Brown Bess, the name of his dam, was also the pet name of the musket used in the Peninsula Wars. His sire was Toxophilite (an archer), so that sire and dam also suggest Musket's name. It was Lord Glasgow's custom to shoot all his two-year-olds that did not show promise. Musket could not be sold, and this has been the ease with Coronach.

Although Coronach is 17 years old. he may have several years of usefulness left. Coronach won the Derby. Eclipse Stakes, St Leger and Coronation Cup. He is a chestnut horse, and was got by Hurry On from Wet Kiss, by Tredennis—Soligena, by Soliman. the sire of Solferino. Hurry On horses already in New Zealand are Hunting Song. Defoe and Lord Warden. Previous representatives of the line tracing back to the unbeaten Barcaldine were Vasco, a son of Marco, the grandsire of Hurry On : and Markhope, a son of Hurry On, and Nadjeda, a sister to Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee. Marco also got Swynford, the sire of Iliad. Markhopc did not get much opportunity in New Zealand and only eight of his daughters figure in the Stud Book. Such a very attractively-bred horse as Markhope should make his daughters and granddaughters valuable at the stud. They include Bright Mark, dam of Beam. Cintilla, Verdure and Kippen; Kerb, dam of Kerbside. Trivet. Fireguard and Bad News; March Off. dam of Fleet Off, Last March, Grande Finale, Dismiss. Gold Boa, Valmarch, and Disband; Unawed, dam of Meadow Lark. Island Linnet and Ballad.

RACING FIXTURES

June 29. —Dannevirke Hunt. June 29.—Oamaru, July 6 —Oamaru. July G —Hawke’s Bay Hunt. July 9, 11, 13 —Wellington. July 20 —-Waimate District Hunt. July 20 —Manawatu Hunt. July 27—Rangltikei Hunt.