Summer Meeting Opens Tomorrow

Chronicle (Levin), 10 January 1947, Page 6

Summer Meeting Opens Tomorrow

L.M

.M.)

S. Banking of Track Great Improvement

(Special — From

WELLINGTON, This Day. , After an enforced spell from raeing in Wellington for ten months because of alterations and improvements to the course proper at Trentham, racegoers are to enjoy for the first time in that period a local meeting when the Wellington Raeing Club opens its four day summer meeting at its headquarters at Trentham tomorrow Since , the course was. closed great improvement has been effected to the course proper, the curves having been banked up to avoid the fields crowding on taking the bends. Visiting jockeys who used the course in trial gallops yesterday are more than pleased with the improvement, and praise the club stewards for their forethought.

At time of writing the sky was cloudy, but very little rain had fallen. ' Prospects are that the weather will be fine for tomorrow's raeing. The track is in excellent order. Three horses in strong demand for the Dominion Handicap are Merry Robin, Bruce and Longsword, while near the minimum there will be good support for Riverview. Fancy is for Longsword. In the York Handicap Yasda has come into strong favour, while there is also solid following for Derene, Theocritus alid Peter Gazelle. The speedy Derene, on her present form, catches the eye as a good prospect. Betting will be win and place. A brief review of the fields follows. Battile Chiefs southern hurdle form during the holidays was above the average, and as he has shown marked- improvement since last season he is likely to be one of the favourites in the Linden Hurdles. Skyhawk showed good form by winning at Ellerslie. His success was full of merit. Red Glare, the topweight, is returning to his best. Mynet finished a good fourth on the opening day of Manawatu, giving the impression that he is returning to form. His turn cannot be far off. Rink, a proficient hurdler in form, is an excellent lightweight prospect. Well handled in the Apprentices Hack Handicap the successful South Island hack, Indian Dawn, looks like making it three on end. She has merged into open class, but will run out her Trentham hack nominations. Other form horses are Emerge and Czarina, while Clvde Bridge, who is also engaged in the Halswell Hack, has been consistent but unlucky in his recent raeing. Patunui is gradually returning to form and success cannot be far off. Although he failed to get on the winning list at Auckland, Howe showed consistency to be in the money in each of his three starts. He will be hard to beat in the weight-for-age Wellington Stakes with W. J. Broughton in the saddle and will go out a firm favourite. Julius Caesar has not been raeing as v/ell as expected lately, but his third in the sprint at Tauherenikau on the first day is an indication

that he is returning to his best form. Repudiate and Robin's Reward are a form pair as also are Thimble, Colorado Maid and Lady Christine. Battle Abbey is likely to be reserved for the Juvenile Handicap. The Muritai Hack Handicap has a very open appearance in that more than half the field has form to recommend it. Good hacks like Tanith, Frances, Cipher, Lincoln > Fair, Castlebrae and Beautiful should make an interesting race of it. Lincoln Fair will appreciate the shorter distance than was the case at the N.Z. Cup meeting and with Tanith will in all probability earry the bulk of public confidence. Frances is a genuine hack with good prospects, while Beautiful is expected in the south to v collect some stake money at the meeting. Longsword's Wairarapa Cup success has earned him strong support for his Trentham engagements', including the Dominion Handicap tomorrow. He is at the peak of his form. Bruce, one of the best middle-distance performers in the Dominion, -ts well forward and will be a difficult proposition for the topweight. He is likely to dispute favouritism with Merry Robin and Longsword. Merry Robin, by his-two successes at Awapuni, has earned a host of followers for tomorrow's race. Imperial is very fit, but is reaching the top of the weights, and it is thought the distance mignt prcve a disadvantage. Catterick Cridge will be better suited by the Wellington Cup distance. Hormuz, Barrage, Dink's C>wn, Carnforth, Flying Ace and Riverview are not without prospects. The best of these, however, might be Riverview — an excellent lightweight chance. In fact the stable feel confident he will give a good account of himself. Form is well disclosed in the Juvenile Handicap with such good performers as Garry, Ultimate, Battle Abbey, Deep Sea and Sir Royal, all of whom have already reached the winning list. Sir Royal is good class and should win at the meeting, the same also applying to Ultimate, a big upstanding youngster who impressed when he won on the opening day of the Wairarapa meeting. If fully recovered from the slight injury sustained at Awapuni during the holidays, Sea Lad is not without prospects at the meeting. The favourite division will be Ultimate, Battle Abbey, Sir Royal, Garry and Deep Seav and the winner is likely to come from this bunch. Taking a line through her South Island form Derene will be respeeted in the York Handicap. Her latest success at the Waikouaiti New Year meeting was impressive and

stamped her as one of the smartest sprinters in the country. Bruce is to start in the Dominion Handicap. If the going is firm the topweight, Master Dash, is not out of it, even with his big impost of 9.13. Battle Dance is consistent and always a good bet. Al-Sirat.'s southern form is good, while^he speedy Theocritus is in on a handy weight, and being in form must be respected. Yasda, Lady Nahleen, and Peter Gazelle are form lightweights. The best of these might be Yasda, who looks particularly fit after the holiday raeing. With Broughton up Yasda has come into strong favour and will go out favourite, As a result of his smar't winning performance in the Toko Hack Handicap at Stratford meeting last week King Tissa has earned many r'riends for his Haswell Handicap sngagement, in spite of the fact Dhat the field is much stronger bhan the one he defeated last Saturday. With such good milers as Rahine, Persuade, The Stormovik, Sage King, Carmelita, Sergeant. Jack and Clyde Bridge engaged patrons are going to have a problem confronting them. Rahine ran a good race for a mile in the Hazlett Gold Cup at Dunedin, which was good enough to give her excellent prospects here. The Stormovik is fit, as also is Sage King. Carmelita is raeing back to form. Clyde Bridge and Sergeant Jack have been urfiucky 'in recent raeing. Horses expected to race prominently are: — 11.10 — Linden Murdles (14 miles). —Battle Chief, Skyhawk, Rink. 11.55 — Apprentices' Handicap (1 mile). — Indian Dawn, Czarina, Emerge if Clyde Bridge scratched. 12.40 — Wellington Stakes (6 furlongs) . — Howe, Robin's Reward, Julius Caesar. 1.30 — Muritai Hack Handicap (6 furlongs). — Lincoln Fair, Tanith, Frances. 2.20 — Dominion Handicap (1 mile 3 furlongs). — Longsword, Bruce, Riverview. 3.10 — Juvenile Handicap (6 furlongs). — Ultimate, Sir Royal, Battle Abbey. | 4.0 — York Handicap (7 furlongs). — Derene. Yasda, Theocritus. 4.45 — Halswell Hack Handicap (1 mile). — King Tissa, Sage King, Rahine.