TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 March 1941, Page 3

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Are Horses Pampered Today? (BY "THE GRAFTER.") A question often discussed in racing circles in the 'Dominion; Is the thoroughbred of today as hardy as in years past? This opens a question that is debatable, as members of the old school have one version, while the younger racing men hold a different view with each as adamant as the other. A comparison of the horses that raced 40 years aoo with those of the present time points to the former being hardier, but horses on the racecourse today are not put to the tough tasks they were a few decades back, writes “The Barb.’’ The training methods are different, and the breeding, too, makes the answer more difficult to arrive at. The fact remains that horses have been bred for speed, and the recorded times prove that success has been attained. _ :

Many instances could be quoted in the past of owners who thought nothing of starting their horses two and three times a day, and over long courses at that, but nowadays seldom is a horse saddled twice in the one day to race. Why? Take an athlete. He will contest his heat in the 100 yards and also the final, the 220. both heat and final, and would think nothing of coming out later in the afternoon to run in the 440. That makes a total of five races in the one afternoon and if a man can accomplish this without harm why cannot a horse? The old time trainer was more thorough in his training methods than perhaps the younger school is. The former would take his charge to the track in the early morning, trot him a few | 'times round and later give him his pace work on slow mornings and when! dried off two hours walking exercise would be indulged in and home for breakfast. His attendant would then go i 7 the stall and spend the best part of two hours dressing the horse, which would be left alone until lunch time and fed and his door closed until the afternoon when he would again be taken out for a couple of hours walk. Today not half the work is done on the tracks by the majority of trainers while perhaps half an hour’s walk is given. The rest of the day they (the majority) are content to place their horse in a yard until it is time to shut her up for" the night. They win races and go even faster than horses of years ago but we have not the quantity of horses showing the stamina of the old ’uns. Nelson, who won three Auckland Cups in succession, is one of the old time tough ones. Trainers of the old school have often told “The Barb about this horse's first preparation for the Auckland Cup. The day before the race he was galloped two miles and the same afternoon was taken back to the track, and galloped a mile. The morning of the race he was sent at top over a mile and a half to come out and win the big race in the afternoon. Can anyone imagine many of our horses surviving that ordeal today? Carbine is known all over the world as a champion yet his owner and trainer raced him twice a day when at the height of his fame. At Randwick he took on one afternoon the best weight-for-age milers in Australia, and licked them, but he had done only half a day’s work as later he took on the best two-mile w.f.a. horses and beat them too. What would they say if trainer Jamieson asked High Caste to tackle such a contract today? Many would say he had qualified for the mental hospital. Sent Home. Princess Minerva has been sent home to her owner by D. E. Cotton, following her continued failure at Motukarara. Pearl of Asia. Pearl of Asia, formerly in T. R. George's stable and spelling since November. has returned frojn her holiday and is now a member of E. Fryer's team at Hawera. She has come in looking a much-improved mare. Fate of Field Trail. Advice has been received from London by Mr H. G. Raymond, part-owner with Mr H. B. Rankcn of the St. Alban's Stud. Geelong, that the stallion Field Trial, bought in England on their behalf, has been lost as the result of enemy action. Mr Raymond went to”' considerable trouble and expense in securing Field Trial, with whom he had hoped to further improve Australian bloodstock. Field Trial possessed an excellent pedigree. having a double cross of Carbine and being out of a half-sister to Magpie. Successful Innings. Mr. W. E. Hazlett had a successful innings at the Cromwell meeting with Colonel Rouge and Noko, who won three races between them and £l9O in stakes. Colonel Rouge started three times for a first, a second and a third and Noko made a similar number of appearances for two firsts and an unplaced performance. The Lowburn Handicap, won by Noko on the first day, carried a cup of the value of 20 guineas to be won twice in succession or three times at intervals, and a miniature cup of the value of £2 10s. went to the winner. This was Mr. Hazlett’s first visit to Cromwell with houses. Southland horses were much in the limelight at the meeting. Besides, the successes of Colonel Rouge and I Noko, the Gore-trained Aravane won j the principal event on each day, the President’s Handicap fell to another Gore representative in Phalanx, and the Riverton-trained Irish Queen won a double on Saturday. Seven of the eight events were won by Southland stables on Saturday. i

Manual Machines. The Auckland provincial meetings have shown what can be handled with a manual totalisator under the win-and-place system, even under the several disadvantages evident at several of the meetings. Recent figures include £54,347 10s at Pukekohe, £97,810 10s at Te Aroha, £87.915 at Te Rapa. £54,273 at Rotorua, and £31,976 at Matamata. The Matamata and Pukekohe meetings were one-day fixtures. Valtour. Valtour, a mild surprise maiden winner at Taranaki. is a five-year-old mare who did not race till this season. In November last she was received by Mr A. W. Cole, of Motunui. as a gifi. and she preceded her initial win with a couple of thirds. She is by a littleknown sire, the Valkyrian—Fraisette horse Valette, who has also left another useful sort in The Dozer, and her dam is the Chaminade —lona marc Royal Tour, who was bred by Mr J. A. McEldowney and had a few races round Taranaki meetings without achieving any success. Fraisette. the dam of Valette, was an imported English mare by Valais, who later was sold to go to Australia, and the only winner she left in the Dominion was the South Islander Potent. Two-year-old Honours. Up to last weekend there were 54 two-year-old winners in the Dominion this season, the latest to join the group being Ring Chief and Miss Phaleron. Honours have been well spread, and Route March and Payroll, with four successes each, head the list. Those who have won three times are Bird of Prey, Blue Border. Corn Prince. Par Avion, Soutane and Lady Acora. Those who have won twice include Cambria. Erinscourt, Babrow, Ex Pupil, Sports Flash, The Whippet, Foreign Coin. Golden Moon, Kaimanawa. Panoni. Monetary, Premature, Prince Plato and Ring Chief. Some 40 two-year-olds have so far started only once.