WELLINGTON RACES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 143, 5 July 1937, Page 13

WELLINGTON RACES

"The Barb.")

Heavy Going for Opening at Trentham TO-MORROW'S PROSPECTS

(By

The Wellington Winter meeting com mences at Trentham to-morrow and will continue on Thursday and Saturday. Hastings and Greenmeadows stables will be represeuted by Tractile, Wykemist, Hunter' s Mom. Joviality, Royal Mins'trel, Iddo, Unexpected, Blue Tiger, Lady Wessex, Blue Shirt, Pakanui, Passion Fruit, Kahikitoa, High Grader, Journet, John Charles,' Padishah, Tiger Gaixi, Fossicker, Nelumbo, Sir Nigel and Roya.1 Feast The latter trio axe not acceptors the first day but in all probability will race on the second and third days. Following is a review of the fields. — 11.30: MARIRI HACK AND HUNTERS' STEEPLECHASE. Lucidus' moderate third to^Brigta-dore and Padnos on Saturday was disappointing. All Irish performed well enough at Auckland last month to be considered. Hunting Go has been racing consistently in the other island. Arctic Star is only fair while High Speed has not won for some time but raced well at Trentham 12 months baclt. Croydon won a hack 'chase at Wanganui. Wykemist is a possibility while Snowy Dawn won at Dunedin this jumping season. Burglar is an experienced chaser. Chang is an Aucklander that is expected to do well on the trip. Battleground-Padnos read well as a bracket. Gay Boa is another lightweight that may appeal. The iavourites may be ALL IRISH, HUNTING GO and CHANG. 12.9: WOBOURN. HACK HANDICAP Hunter' s Morn will have his work cut ' out at 9.10 in the going. Square Acre is a proved mudlark but has don« very little racing of late. Double Gift does not read as well a,s Joviality, who has been galloping well of late at Greenmeadows, Royal Record succeeded at Otaki in the heavy going but the Hastings gelding Royal Minstrel did not shape too well at the Hastings races when the gioing was cut up a little, also the chestnut pulled up lame on Satxirday morning. Rebel Mate and Te Huia wiil attract attention as also will Gladium at 41b s. above the minimum. Two at the bottom of the list, Young Paddon and Maori Song, may prove as good as any of the others. The.favourites may be GLADIUM, JOVIALITY and TE HUIA. 12.48: VITTOR1A HACK HURDLES. A very fair and equal crowd. The top-weight, Giggleswiok has been racing promi%ingiy and consistently. Iddo, the way he won the Hawke's Bay Hurdles, m.ust attract attention, more espeoially as he can handle the gping. The plain looking gelding Silver tiight was second at Ashburton a fortnight back with The Grasper third, so that this pair will have to be considered. For a beginner Donegal went a fair race when running a close second to Trackman at Dannevirke. Unexpected won at Hastings but in the Hawke's Bay Hurdles went an indifferent fourth; he likes the heavy goingj. Blue Tiger was third the first day at Hastings last month and is a better horse now. The favourites on the niachine may be IDDO, GIGGLESWIOK and BLUE TIGER. 1.30: STEWARDS' HANDICAP Never did Pakanui look better and what is more is working impressively, but he has stiff opposition. Bay Duke has recent winning form. Gold Mission is in winning vein. Passion Fruit is not fancied over much while Notium, when thought the best of good things on Saturday could only run third to Catalogue and Passion Flower; Royal Dance reads better than Grey Honour on the same mark. Merial proved that she can handle this class of gping by winning from a smart open sprint field the last day at the A.R.C. winter meeting Kahikatoa on track work will not appeal. Greek Gold may do best of the o'.haos, The public may teau towards PAKANUI, MERIAL and GREEK GOLD. 2.9: WELLINGTON STEEPLECHASE Tudor, as good as he is, has a big task ahead of him to win under the conditions with 12.0 on his back. Valpeen, with 181bs below must be oue to seriously porutu r over as he was second in the Great Northem. Billy Roy, the veteran «.f tl- field wears w-:>i ?.i;d

despite his age no risk can. be taken with him. Manawatu is another v/ith just ciaxms to favouritism. Streamliue is reported to be in excellent conditiou aud this half brother, by Day Coniot, to Fast Passage, certainly reads well. Black Marfin went amiss prior to the A.R.C. meeting when cme of the fgAourites and now fully recovered must again be fancied, while Sky I'iiot too, has ci'edentials entitling hioi to recognition. The lighter weighted division consist of one or two promising sorts in Don Erma, Sporting' Song, and Brigadore. This is not going to be an easy race to win, 1 and the favourites may be STREAMLINE, BLACK MARLIN, VALPEEN and BRIGADORE. 2:52: TRENTHAM HURDLES. A preliminary to the Winter Hurdles. Red Sun is not too forward and is expected to be a, better horse by Nationai time. Clarion Ca-11, a brilliant fencer and able to handle the Trentham going. Lord Val, on Auckland form may be favourite. Colhsion has not been fully tested yet, having done in a most impressive manner all that has been asked of him. Ethiop, the Wanganui double winner, is on the upgrade-. Highgrader has a better field to contend with here than what was opposed to him at Awapuni on Saturday. To date Journet has failed on holding tracks. Signaller is a recent winner in the far south. Master Musk and John Charles, on the minimum, are both good sorts. The favountes may be LORD VAL COLLISION and CLARION CALL. 3.32: WHYTE HANDICAP. A good sort is Davolo but Padishah will have his work cUt out to give weight away to all but one in this field. Arctic King is going well and is at home in holding go/ng. Korero is another that likes it aoft. Pukeko is in form. Wino and Pouty were place gietters (first and third) in the Winter Cup last year also run over a mile. Catalogue, by winning over seven furlongs on Saturday tn the mud has drawn attention to his. chances. Tiger Gain is better when the going is not holding. If Enge has a "pet" distance tlien it is a mile and at 4ibs. above the miniinum reads particularly well. Valmint was twice second at the recent Auckland meeting at which Boomerang surprisingly won the Cornwall. Alby and Brazen King are very oapable sorts, which only helps to maka this event very open. What will be better backed than YALMINT, ENGE and ARCTIC KING? 4.12 : TE ARO HACK HANDICAP Jewelled Girdle was second vecently to Day Wind up north in open company. Huskie is having his dress rehearsal for the Winter Hurdles in this event. Fossicker is an unknown quantity over a. middle distance but in his races has always finished strongly at the end of six furlongs. Miriam likes Trentham. High Test is a gooa sort, while Cape Gabo has been racing consistently down south. Hunting Maid is overdue but Miraele, one of Mr J. S. McLeod's breed, has won twice recently. Corowa failed agwin on Saturday. Tractile is fit and well. Southern Biood on recent form cannot but help to appeal. Blue Shirt is not fancied. Galteemore, The Sandwiciiman and Tidewaiter may do best of the remaining lot. Three that may appeal ino--*:: JEWELLED GIRDLE, MIBACLE and FOSSICKER, "EARLY BIRD'S" SUGGESTIONS £ The winter meeting of the Wellington Racing Club, to open at Ti'entham to-morrow and to be continued on Thursday and Saturday promises very well, and the fields are good even if not up to the number seen out 12 months ago. This is rather strange, for there are more horses available for racing now, but the explanation probably lies in the fact that most of thern have been kept going right up to the present and now they must be spelled. The ground conditions at Trentham ai'e going to be reaily bad, so the mudlarks will take charge. Betting will be under the win and place system. Tomorrow' s big event will be the Wellington Steeplechase, while the Parliamentary Handicap is run on Thursday, and the Winter Hurdles on the closmg day, Saturday next. Racing and Trotting Conference delegates will meet in Wellington on Wednesday and Friday respectively. The Steeplechase. More often than not the Auckland form dominates in the case of the Wellington Steeplechase, and horses from the northern province have had a good innings. This time their big hopes are Black Marlin and Tudor, and perhaps a previous winner in Valpeen may surprise. However, as good as these are, there is a South Islander, who r.evealed great promise at Ellerslie, who will command a lot of attention. That. is Sky Pilot, who is handily placed and will be ridden by the best cross-coun-try jockey of to-day. Only a young liorse as 'chasers go, Sky Pilot stays well and handled the Ellerslie going in fine style. He won two haek steeplechases at Eliersiie last month, but the manner in which he acoomplished tliis i'eat was very impressive. Tudor's Prospccts. Good horse that Tudor is, he is always meeting oue just too good for him at the weights, and this brings one to the 331b. he has to concede to Sky Pilot. That he should re abt1 to aceomplish this seems unlikely if Shy Pilot fulfills his Ellerslie promise. Manawatu is one that may cause a ffutter in the Sky Pilot 'and Tudor dovecots, for he is on the up grade and he is in line for a Grand Nationai. His recent win indicates that he is going on the right way and he is still handily placed in the weights. Streamliue is another good jumper from the south of whoni big things are anticipated, while Black Marlin will carry a lot of Auckland support; ho was the favourite for the Great Northern Steeplechase until he was stopped in his work an'd that threw him back. Don Erma, Sporting Song, Pahu, Brigadore and Santoft will be among tlie fancies, but it is expected' tliat tlie winner will eonie from the first section of the handicap. Promising Hurdler. All eyes will be on collision in the Trentham Hurdles, and success in that ( eveufc will place him ri^jht in line for

the Winter Hurdles on the last day; In to-morrow' s contest this fine jumper, who created a big impression in the Auckland district during the past few weeks, is likely to carry heavy support. Boomerang is very nicely placed in the Whyte Handicap,, but it is rather against him that he has not, in the past at least, been an every day horse. Valmint, Padishah and Arctic King may push him along. Merial and Pakanui read well in the St&wards' Handicap. The other events are all filled very well, and will be productive of very keen contests. The following may be the best supported. — 11.30: Mariri Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase. — All Irish, Wykemist, Hunting Go. 12.9: Woburn Handicap. — Maori' Song, Royal Minstrel, Square Acre. 12.48: Yittoria Hurdles: Iddo, Blue Tiger, Unexpected. 1.30: Stewards' Handicap. — Merial, Pakamii, Legatee. 2.9: Wellington Steeplechase. — Sky Pilot, Manawatu, Black Marlin. 2.52 : Trentham Hurdles. — Collision, Lord Val, High Grader. 3.32: Whyte Handicap. — Boomerang, Padishah, Tiger Gain or Valmint. 4.12: Te Aro Handicap.— Tractile, Southern Blood, Myriam.