PARLIAMENTARY HANDICAP

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 3, 4 July 1939, Page 13

PARLIAMENTARY HANDICAP

TRENTHAM'S MIDDLE-DAY CARD

FRESH HORSES ENGAGED FOR MOST EVENTS

(By "Rangatira.") „ The Wellington Racing Club"s Winter Meeting, which was opened today, will be carried Into its second clay on Thursday, when anothei] excellent card is set down for decision. There are only two jumping^ events on this day's programme, which caters more for the flat performers than the other two days of the meeting, but the f range of events is one that will maintain full interest, and*many fresh horses will be coming into action. The liWting will be concluded on Saturday, when the jumpers will again be to the forefront.

The principal item of the middle day is the Parliamentary Handicap, a mile and a quarter event carrying a stake of £600 and sharing with the Whyte Handicap the distinction of being the leading flat event at the meeting. The Parliamentary is an old-established race dating back to the early nineties, when the club first staged winter fixtures, but its distance has been changed from time to time, though the first contest was at its present distance. Until the club instituted the Whyte Handicap under its various titles, the Parliamentary was decided on the opening day. MANY SURPRISES. The result of the' Parliamentary has often been a big surprise, as the first day's form does not always give such a clue as it did last year, when Quadroon simply reversed Whyte placings with Arctic King. And even they were at good prices, as Quadroon was fifth favourite in the straight-out betting and Arctic King fourth favourite, the favourite, Enge. being unplaced. It is thirteen years now since Rapier last won the race for the favourites, and in the. interim only two second favourites in Nukumai and True Blood j have been successful. Tenth favourites and thereabouts have often figured as the winner, and two years ago Enge was seventh favourite when romping home four lengths ahead of the botn-way selection, Arctic King. The Parliamentary Handicap is one of the races that figured in Nukumai's famous Whyte-Parliamentary-Winter Hurdles treble in 1927. It is not often that a hurdler can beat the open flat performers at a metropolitan meeting such as Wellington. Huskie, after running a good fourth for the Parliamentary two years ago, took on the big hurdles on the final day and was sent out both-way favourite, but he made a poor showing in that event. King Rey and De Friend are a pair in this year's Parliamentary also remaining in the Winter .Hurdles. , The Parliamentary, as usual, is likely to introduce some fresh horses, and among these may be Hunting Mint; who won at Dannevirke last Saturday, Liane, who was unlucky, that her saddle broke when she was going well ru Otaki ten days ago, Arctic King, and Reipar, fourth at Dannevirke. as well as some horses who were racing in events other than today's. Whyte Handicap, * including Catalogue, Centrepoise. Jewelled Girdle, King Rey, and possibly also De Friend. There are also several others in the nomination, but they do not appear to becoming to the meeting.' The two horses who fought put the finish twelve, months ago, Quadroon and Ai'ctic King, are in the list of nominations. Quadroon, however vie performed today, is likely to be among the better-fancied horses, as he. has run some of his best races at Trentham. and he is on his way back to form Heavy going,? does • not trouble him. Arctic King, on the other hand, is hot a Jikely runner, as he has been suffering lately from foot.••.•trouble- and- has had to miss work during the past week: but the change in the weather may possibly influence his present trainer to produce him. as there will be no jar in the ground, f Hunting Mint ana Liane are a pa-r. who/like bad ground. Hunting Mint is not' very big,* but she has been racing well lately, with three, recent wins, and, though she pulled up lame at Dannevirke, this is nothing uncommon with her. . It, is not known whether she is coming on to Trentham' but if she does she will have friends because. of her ability to act in heavy.going. Liane has been vi forward order for some time and waiting for heavy tracks.,, She was going well and pulling when her saddle slipped and broke at Otaki, and she will have the advantage of the minimum weight in Thursday's field, which will mean something in the going that is now certain to rule for the rest o{ the meeting. Catalogue has previously raced we) 1 at ■Trentham, and as this will be his third race since his resumption he should be near ready to show something of "his best again if he is-to recover the form that enabled him to win last year's Melbourne Cup. Centrepoise is a recruit from the hacks who

stays, and, like most of the Hunting) .Songs, he acts in heavy ground. King \ ■tvey is a quality handicapper who alio does,not mind the going bad, and Jew elled Girdle ran a second in the Winter Oats on the final day at Trentham two years ago and then came out and won the hacis mile two races later, the going being so heavy that the best mile of the day took lmin 50Jsec. A line on the rest of the form should have been afforded by today's Whyte Handicap, possibly supplemented by some "of the form in the other events. Horses, however, who should do better over the longer distance are Quadroon Catalogue. Lowenberg. Mcmgatoon, Kena, and Might, and versatile horses who may play a part as well in the decision are* Yours Truly.. Tidewaiter, Sly Fox. King Rey, Alma. Mataroa, Jack Tar, Corroboree, and Jewelled Girdle. MATAI STEEPLECHASE. The item for the cross-country performers is the Matai Steeplechase, which is open to horses who have not won a steeplechase event worth £250 or more to the winner at time of entry. This race was instituted five years ago in place of a hack steeplechase, so as.to give jumping tone to the second day's racing, and it has been a very successful change* for it has so far generally drawn an interesting field, with last year .the first occasion on which there has been a really small field. A good contest seems assured from the nominations for this year's race. This was the event in which Manawatu first displayed hi; quality three years ago, for he went on from that effort to run second in the July Steeples on the final day and then won the Beaufort and Lincoln Steeples at the Grand National Meeting. The winners the last two years, Chang and Kahunoke respectively, did nothing subsequently, but the former was unsound and the latter, an old horse. The entry for Thursday includes three horses who were in today's Wellington Steeplechase, Court Yard, Chile, and Slayer, and six from the Mariri Hack Steeples, Cottingham, Hanover, Bridegroom, Rapa Waiati, Lactose, and, Car Leaf. Also on the scene is the southerner Pandine, a stablemate to Gold, Wren who won on the second day at Dunedin last month; and other possible runners are Lady Callaghan. Thrasher, Iddo, and Southern Blood. It was intended also to start Primak in. this race, but it is probable, that, because he. has not been schooled over the country, he will be produced instead in the hurdles.. Another popular race on the. middle day's card is the Highweight Handicap, for the-hacks and jumpers, to be "ridd°n by qualified jumping horsemen. This is d race that has sometimes afforded a clue to the 'Winter Hurdles on the final day, though generally the hacks have dominated the jumpers in recent years. Last year, for instance, the hacks had it all their own* way, with Lustral. Warehi, arid Settlement paying the dividends, though Lustra] has since begun to make a mark as a 'umper. Fresh horses in this year's field are likely to be Awhiowhio, Dancing Flame, Titter, Chat, Lord Hereford, and Youssipof, and others not racing today who might be on hand are Seyfried; Silk Sox. Devon. Middle. Peach King, and Stella Lux. , . . . .-: Many horses are at the meeting for the aovice events, and the first, of these will be Thursday's. Trial Plate, run over 6 furlongs. 'This race is for horses who have not at finy time prior to entry won a race exceeding the value of £100 to the winner. The weights to be carried are 8.13 by the older horses. 8.11 by. the three-year-olds, and .8.0, by the two-year-olds. The final day's novice event is '■ run over the'same distance under handicap conditions/ Among the . likelier horses who are expected to be in the '■, fields for these races are ; Kahui, Phenome-. ■ nai, Colincamps, High Test, Regicidf, ; Colonel Bogey, Selkirk* Snigger, Malik Kafur,/ Colibri. Eurotas. Laughing Song, Floral R6be, and the two-year-olds Classform. King 'Gustavo,^ Lord Midas, Wings , of. Song, Sir Crusoe, Yogi.;and Lady Twinkle.