WOODVILLE CUP

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 198, 19 May 1944, Page 7

WOODVILLE CUP

Forty-ninth Contest Tomorrow (Bt St. Simon.; The Woodville District Jockey Club will hold its cup meeting at Woodville tomorrow, the main item on the seven-race programme being the Woodville Cup, for which a field of 11 lias accepted. Though the club’s history dates ‘back many years Into the last century, the Woodville Cup race was not established till the club was granted a two-day midsummer meeting in the 18U5-9d season. The first cup was contested by a field of 11 and was won by Mr. P. F. Tancred’s four-year-old gelding, Klng’6 Bowman, by Forrester from Princess Royal. Though he had won seven races for the season, King’s Bowman was not fancied, and paid £l9/7/- on the totalizator. Me beat Mr. J. H. Prosser s The Miser by a neck and Mr. P Martin s Tireuse was third. The field which will contest this year’s Cup is not up to the standard of the best years, but should provide an interesting contest. Favouritism is likely to be disputed between Lady Spiral, winner at Otaki on Saturday: Langue d Ur, who is making his appearance in open company after a sequence of three wins in the hack division, and Lowry Lay, winner of the Great Autumn Handicap.

Lute on the Journos’. The “Dominion’s” Hawke’s Bay correspondent advises that Royal Greek, Hasten, Dozle Boy and Faultless, who are engaged at Waikato tomorrow, and Indian Sport, who is not engaged till the Auckland June meeting, left Napier in the early hours of Thursday morning and arc not due to arrive at Auckland till midnight tonight. It is thus doubtful whether trainer Greene will attempt to go ahead with the Waikato engagements of his quartet, as it Is doubtful whether they could reach Te Rapa in time and also whether they would be able to do themselves justice after such a tiresome journey. ~ Woodville Engagements. Kilmanagh and Haughty Queeu are not fulfilling their engagements at the Woodville meeting tomorrow. Hastings horses with dual engagements at the meeting will run as follows: Atoma, Maiden Piute; Lady Premier. President’s Handicap. Grand Winter Performer. Following an easy time since January. Whackje is to resume racing at "Orville tomorrow, belug topweigbt with J.v In the open sprint event. Whaekie was rested through the late summer and autumn because he does not do well on firm tracks, but he should fiud the going at Woodville to his liking. At his last start he was second, beaten a head, by Sir Bradburv in the Metropolitan Handicap at Trentham in January. He has won only ope race this season, but In his 11 starts he has failed to weigh In only twice. Took No Harm. ' , . - Malik Kafur. winner of the steeplecliasr at Otaki at his first attempt, experienced a fall while schilling at Awapum on Tues day but he took no harm from the mishap and after being remounted be completed the task. He may not be good enough for Arabic in tomorrow’s steeplechase at Woodville but if he Improves with the Otaki experience he should earn some of the money.

The Right Course. , . The’roomy Woodville track with its long straight should suit Brolefleld better than the Otaki track did last weekend, and though he has topweight to carry m the Kumeroa Handicap, be appeals strongly, particularly at the extra distance. Brolefleld has won two races this season, and has been vfcry unlucky In some of his other starts. The class he meets tomorrow Is not strong, and his toughest opponent should be Hakim, who has run two good races at his last two starts.

Good Winter Prospect. Though he failed to finish in a place at Te Aroha, Fortune’s Smile ran an excellent race, being fifth at the finish. It is reported that he looked on the bright side» and the race is expected to improve him. Fortune’s Smile relishes the heaviest or going, and his prospects at the winter meetings are bright. He may 5® the favourites for the Cornwall Handicap. ■ Cheap Horae. . Harris Tweed was scoring his first win when he led the field home in the Roseland Handicap, one mile, at Te Aroha on Saturday. He is raced by .his trainer, S. McGreal, who holds him on lease from T. R. George. Harris Tweed was bought as a yearling at the national sales In 1941 by George for 40gns. He Is a four-year-old gelding by Posterity from Fabric by Limond from Veil by Absurd. Fabric is a full-sister to Vellmond, who was a highclass racehorse in Australia and has succeeded also a® a elre.

Novice Hurdler. - „ An interesting acceptor for the Seqdon Hack Hurdles at the Waikato meeting is Neenah, who has top weight of U.o. la his 12 races this season Neenah has scored two wins, a second, two thirds and three fourths, and has proved himself at distances In the best handicap class from six to 11 furlongs. This will be his first race over hurdles, and evidently it is intended to run him as he dropped out of his alternative flat engagement at the same meeting. Amigo For Hurdling. , ■ Amigo, one of the first of tho Beau Peres to race and one of the most durable of the breed, is now an inmate of F. L. McHugh’s stable at Marton, and is being prepared for hurdle racing.

A Solid Juniper. Malacca is to be tried at Woodville tomorrow as a steeplechaser. He is a good type for cross-country racing and last year ran prominently in some of the bigger hurdle races. He won a hurdle race at Hastings and was placed at Trentham and Rlccarton as well as at some of the smaller meetings. A Transformation. When the Wanganui Jockey Club resumes racing on its own course in the spring patrons will notice many alterations and improvements. Since the army authorities evacuated the racecourse this work has been carried out under the direction of the course superintendent, Mr. W. Price. The removal of sheep pens and buildings at the southern end of the property has permitted an alteration to th® contour Of the straight, and this will now be lengthened, a much-needed improvement on this course, Much of the property has been re-sbwn find the motor parking area at the rear of the stands been levelled and Is now down in new grass. Southern Jumpers, Our Southland correspondent reports that main interest in the work at Invercargill at present Is provided by the jumpers, principally those in W. H. Hazlett’s stable. Anglo-French, winner of the Grand National, has improved a lot since he raced at Riverton, and will be at his best for the Otago Steeplechase next month. Double Light has fully recovered from the leg injuries he received in the Winton Steeplechase and has been schooling well in company with True Range, who works in bandages, but who has shown no signs of unsoundness to date. Spanish Main has been schooling with Anglo-French and has been giving dashing displays. Noko contracted blood poinsoning at Riverton. He has recovered, but is not to be put into work till next week. Aurora Australis is back in work in Hazlett’s team. She put on a good deal of condition during her spell. Trains to Woodville.

Ordinary train services from Palmerston North. Masterton and Waipukurau will be available for patrons of the Woodville rade«s tomorrow. Particulars are advertised.