Strong Awapuni Team To Race At Riccarton

Chronicle (Levin), 4 August 1949, Page 10

Strong Awapuni Team To Race At Riccarton

A dozen horses from Av/apuni are down to race at Riccarton on Saturday and it is expected they will give a gooa account of themselves. Enfield Steepiecnase Baksoon, Specialist and Homespun are aceepted for the Enfield Steeple ehase. Baltsoon has not raced since the Wanganui ineeting early in June but he has had a solid preparation. He won a highweight at Woodville at"the end oi February, dead-heated with Captain Jesse in a 2^ miles and 15(1 yard steeplechase at Otaki iii May and won . the KenneL Haek Steeplechase at the Manawati ■ Ilunt ineeting on May 28. Specialist raced over hurdles at Has ti'ngs on June 25. That was his la.start. He started seventeen times las season and although he did not win . race he was placed on eight occasions Before leaving for Riccarton he wa schooled over the big fences and O; each oecasion jumped brilliantly. Homespun is another likely to take part in the Enfield Steeplechase finish At Marton on Saturday in very lieav\ going he finished very strongly to win the Glenmore Maiden Steeplechase. He jumped well all through and his effoH A-as a very good one. Jumpers' Plat Race Aristea is in the Jumpers' Flat race. She raced ' at the Christchurch Hunt meeting last Saturday and beat all bui ReLampago in the Longbeach Hurdles She started 21 times last season for fon: vvins, two seconds, five tliirds and fou fourths. The Paparua Handicap Brightside is in the Paparua Handi cap and is likely to be one of the fav ourites. His last start was on July lh in the Members' Handicap at Trentham. He ran a good race that day and at Awapuni on June 18 he beat all bui Renowned in the Palmerston NortL Handicap over a mile and a quarter. The G.N. Steeplechase Gaiety will represent Awapuni in the New Zealand Grand Natiojial Steeple chase and she is expected to be one o the hardest to beat. She started 1 times last season and won five . Sh won the June Steeplechase at Hasting on July 2. That was worth' £500 to he owners. A week later she won the Wei lington Steeplechase and £2275, and oi July 16 she beat all but Page's Raid ii the Riddiford Steeplechase, her shan of the stake money being £600. She wo. £3375 during July. Trial Hack Hurdles Gav Fellow, Tribute aud Hinewak" are in the Trial Hack Hurdles. Gay Fei low and Hiuewaka raced at Trentham and Tribute raced over seven furlong. at the Christchurch Hunt meeting lasi Saturday. All have been schoolin^ vvell and it would not surprise if the;> took part in the finish on Saturday. The Winter Cup Ivippo, Playtos and Sparlcling Scho !ar are among those listed fpr t.he ter Cup. Kippo's last * wins w'ere " a" Wanganui where he was very imprer sive. Since then he raced twice at Has tings; and once at Trentham. He was in: great ordcr vvlien he left for Riccartou ; •Playtos raced twice at Trentham bu: was not placed. He beat all but Lndiai: Song in the seven furlong HaveloeM . Iandieap at Hastings on July 2 and htj oeat some good horst-s that da\'. Play ; tos looked a pieture before he left t'o j the Soutli and he eould surprise. Spark ling Scholar raced at Marton last Sat lrday but was never prominent. He liai drawu 32 at the barrier for the Winte Cup. DIVISIONS ARE DRAWN FOR CASHMERE PLATE AT RICCARTON CASHMERE PLATE, £500; six fu? lougs. — Eirst Division: Acme, Barrv, Belgravia, Fyxen, Cronadun, Earl King .Suprerne Command, Marcus, Racedale Reformed, Talent 8.5, Deep Statie, Ln centive, Lady Goldwyn, Paper Spy Southeru Speoial, Winning Gem 8.0. Second Division: Ambergris, Beau Espi'it, Boost, Rosun, Dissenter, Hobgoblin (ndiana, Nutcraeker, Radical, Royal Scrip, Upshot 8.5, Eantasy, Kamet, Miss Sunshine, Social News, Spice 8.0. FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN TRA1NER TO RETIRE J. Holt, one of the leading trainers in Australia for the last 50 years, has not applied for a renewal of his training licence with the Victorian Racmg Club for the new season. 5 Unless his health improves he is not likely to return to training. He has helrl an unblemished record. Many great horses were prepared by Holt, who has won practically everv event of importance in Victoria as well as many in Sydney. A long succession of class weight-for-age performers were prepared by him (irst at Mentone and later at Epsom, and records show that he won almost 100 weiglit-for-age races in Sydney and Melbourne for stakes worth more than £85,000. Horses trained by him won between -350,000 and £400,000 in prize money. Some of the notable ones that passerl through his hands were Eurythmic, Heroic-, Hall Mark, Young Idea, Royal Cliarter, Highland, Tangaloonia, Heros, David, Easingw old, Higli Syce, Second Wt'nd, Sir Ibex, Lilypond, Englefield, Noble Prince, Mistico, Pure Gold, Higli Brae and Manrico. Important races won by the Hoit establishment inelude the Melbourne Cup with Hall Mark, Caulfield Cup with Eurythmic, Maple and Higli Syce; Sydney Cup wfth Eurythmic and Lilypond; Victoria Derby with Hall Mark and Nuffield; and A.J.C. Derby with Hall Mark, Nuffield and Avenger. CAMERA'AT TE RAFA A photo-fmish apparatus is being installed at tlie Waikato Racing Club's course at Te Rapa, .and is expected to be ready for use at the November meeting. A tower 60ft higli, is being erected through the members' stand, and is similar to the one in use at Ellerslie. GOING WILL BE HEAVY- AT HASTINGS All traek work at Hastings on Tuesday morning -vvas conducted in persist ent drizzle and the course proper, whieh was used for fast work/ was soft and. eutting out. The goiag ia expected to

be heavy for the first day of the combined hunts ' meeting on Saturdav. TROTTING PREMIERSHIP TO C. R. BERKETT & M. HOLMES C. R. Berkett and M. Holmes annex ed the trainers' and drivers' premier Oiips respectivelv in New Zealand dur-•Ing.-the tfbtt;ing.seas()ft^tjust closedi Ber .tett built'up a substantial lead before the term was half qyer, and, barring a phenomenal run of- luck by another mentor, it was obvious that he would win the title. The driving honours, were, liowever, much more keenly contested. R. Young, C...^. JBerkett and J. Bryce all appeared •■o •hkiVe cliances of overliauling . Hol mea^h uls.Onth or ;twd before the erid of the rjseason, but thougli Youiig rednce«i the "de'ilcit slightiy by virtueof winning two ftices With Realm Again at llu Ashburton meeting, he wgs still tliree points to tlie bad at the wind-up of'th term.