TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1941, Page 3

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Egmont Club’s Opening Day SPECTACULAR FINISH TO CUP EVENT PIASTRE WINS BY HALF A HEAD

(BY

"THE GRAFTER.")

The Egmont Racing Club was favoured with fine weather for the opening day of its summer meeting yesterday. The track was in excellent condition. The Egmont Cup event provided a spectacular finish in which the Trentham-trained and Wellington-owned Piastre won narrowly from the favourite. Friesland. Veldette, the outsider of four runners, beat Gold Dale in the open Sprint, and the open welter went to Red Cat. The totalisator handled £20.275. as compared with £16.288 10s on the opening day last year, which was wtt Results are!— _

Ohawe Hurdles, l‘.m: 1/1 Kaiwaka, 11.5 (L. Dulieti) 1: 7/7 Debretts. 9.0 (W. Grindlay) 2; 2/4 War Lap 9.11 \ (J. H. Mcßae) 3. Also started: 4 2 Aussie Ra; 6/6 Riotous; 3/3 Rollicker; 5 5 South-

ern Blood; B'B One Whetu. Half a length; three lengths. Rollicker was fourth. Time. 2.46 2-5.

Flying Handicap. Gf: 4 Veldette. 7.5 fJ. Williamson) 1: 1 Gold Dale 9.0 iR.

J. Sargent) 2; 3 Screen Star. 7.10 <D. Redstone) 3. Also started: 2 Valiant Lady. Length and a quarter; four

lengths. Time. 1.14 3-5. Trial Handicap. sf: 6/6 Night Ray, 8.7 (W, Thomson) 1; 2'2 Minvaal. 8.7 (W. J. Broughton) 2; 5/5 Valtour. 8.9 <T. Kilgour) 3. Also skirted: 2'2 Miss HalInmet. coupled with Minvaal: 8/8 Caplain Bligh; 3/3 Ocean Breeze: 1 1 Ruapehu: 4/4 En Voice: 7 7 Silver Gold. Half a head: length. Miss Hallomct was fourth. Time, 1.3 2-5. Egmont Cup. l‘m: 2/2 Piastre, 7.1 <H. P. Stewart) 1; 1/1 Friesland, 9.0 (B. H. ' Morris) 2: 7/7 Homily. 7.3 (J. Williamson) 3. Also started: 4 3 Dark Eagle: 3/4 Cheval de Voice: 9. 9 Hunting Cat. lost rider: 6'6 Clinch: 5 5 Ruatili: 10 10 Notium; 8/8 Mountain Fox. Half heads each way. Clinch was fourth. Time, 2.8. Juvenile Handicap. sf: 2 3 Star Mark. 8.5 (C. Cole) 1; 1 1 Air Flight. 9.7 (W. J. Broughton) 2: 3/2 Barry Boy. 8.0 (W. J. Mudford) 3. Also started: 6 7 Scafoe; 8 8 Plato Boy; 5/5 Battledress; 4/4 Come True; 9/9 Miss Phaleron; 7 7 Hard Frost, 11/11 Young Jim: 10/10 Avelone. Head: four lengths. Come True was fourth. Timo. 1.3 1-5. Tokaora Hack Handicap. (if: 2 1 Scandal. 8.9 <W. J. Mudford) 1: 3'4’ Mahaina. 7.7 <T. Kilgour) 2; 41'7 Lcj Marquis, 7.7 (K. Chote) 3. Also started:] 1/2 Cheval de Balaille: 4 3 GitimrJ

Lass, coupled with Pretty Lass; 5/5 Miss Clipper; 6 6 Captain Gale: 7 8 Vivacious; 10.9 Bidens; 9'lo Advance Plano. Length; two. Miss Clipper was fourth. Time. 1.16 1-5.

Wharcroa Handicap, 7f: 1/1 Rod Cal. 8.13 (W. J. Mudford) I; 7 8 Sporting Gift, 7.13 •N. Vaughan; 2; 3/4 Colincamps. 7.13 (W. J. Broughton) 3. Also started: 4/2 Noble Fox; 7 7 Dainty Sue; 9 9 Taitoru; 5/6 Lord Cavendish; 6 5 Colossal Chief: 2/3 Stencil. Half a length: head. Stencil was fourth. Time 1.28 3-5.

Waipapa Hack Handicap, li'f: 1 3 Sanction, 7.6 <J. Williamson) I; 5 6 Misr. Leighon. 8.3 <B. 11. Morris) 2; 8 It Boden Park. 8.0 (S. Waddell) 3. Also started: 4/4 Last Acre; 3 1 Gold Card: 6'5 Segra: 11/9 Red Chief; 10 11 Goldburn; 22 Martene; 7 7 Alexcelia; 9HD Filbert; 12/12 Royal Talkie. Four lengths: half a neck. Martene was fourth. Time. 1.47 3-5.

Close finish. There was a very close finish in the Egmont Cup at Hawera yesterday between five horses. Piastre was tailed off at the half mile with Clinch but gradually improved round the turn, though he was still several places back coming into line, at which stage Notium. Friesland. Cheval de Voice. Ruatiti and Mountain Fox were the leaders. Friesland was in charge at the last furlong and did not forfeit the lead till the last 50 yards when Piastre. Homily and Clinch all came at him with late runs. Piastre did best and got up just in time from Friesland, who held Homily at bay by half a head. Clinch war. a fine margin away fourth and there was only a neck to Cheval de Voice, who was followed in by Dark Eagle and Mountain Fox. Hunting Cat lost his rider passing the judge with a round to go.

Judge's Assistant. The Australian Jockey Club has appointed Mr lan Peaks clerk of the scales and judge’s assistant in place of Mr T. Nicholson, who has been appointed assistant secretary to the club. Mr Fcaks also acts as judge’s assistant at other meetings.

Sold Out. At Randwick recently the race books were sold out before the first race. It was stated by the secretary that as many as 11.000 unsold books had been destroyed after a day’s racing. It is the first time a shortage has occurred nt Rand wick.

A Bargain. Amongst recent winners at Randwick is Endcrby, who won over a mile and a quarter. Enderby, who has won three of his last four starts, cost only 40 guineas at the sales of 1939 owing to having his head slightly twisted ns the result of an accident. He was got by' Salmagundi—Alicia by Duke Foote.

Riding Out Rule. Melbourne stewards take a serious view of jockeys not riding their mounts out in races, and are imposing seven* penalties for the offence. At Mounce Valley on January' 4 J. Maher was suspended for two months for not having ridden Ronalla out in the Banyle Trial Hurdle and at Flemington A. Brcasley. rider of Royal March, was fined £lO for not having ridden his mount out at the finish of the second division of the Novice Stakes. Royal March was beaten by Colonel for third place. The riding out rule can bring about ridiculous results, as for instance a rider using the whip on a horse finishing a furlong behind the rest of the field.