Wanganui Hopes for the Railway

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 226, 13 December 1927, Page 10

Wanganui Hopes for the Railway

LYSANDER’S DASH BEATS CIVILITY IN SMART SPRINT (Special to THE SUN.) WANGANUI, Monday. With the big holiday carnival at Ellerslie only two weeks distant, Aucklanders naturally will be anxious to learn as much as ’ possible about the form of those engaged at the fixture, as much interest will doubtless be evinced in the doings of Wanganui candidates for the two principal events, the Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap. Mask is our only Cup hope, and his brilliant gallop over a mile and a-half in 2.39 on Saturday was reported in a previous message. It is in the Railway Handicap that Wanganui claims the strongest sentation, for in the big sprint event Kiosk, Lysander, Civility, Limited, Paleta and Covent Garden have been given a chance to complete the big double for this part of the Dominion, something after the style of that performance of 1916, when Depredation and Bisogne won the Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap respectively for Taranaki. WHERE WILL THEY BE? However, several of those engaged in the Railway Handicap will be racing elsewhere on Boxing Day, and therefore must be discarded. No definite statement has as yet been made as to Kiosk’s mission, but it can safely be taken for granted that the speedy son of Tea Tray will be at Awapuni on Boxing Day, though it may not be until next Friday that there will be anything tangible to back up that promise. Of course Paleta would not be expected to line up for the event, as the Great Northern Guineas winner has done nothing since returning from Riecarton. Of Limited, who is trained on the. private track at Fred Tilley’s establishment at Fordell, nothing much can be said, except that lie will take his place with the other starters and should give a greatly improved display on his Feilding Stakes performance. This leaves three —Lysander, Civility and Covent Garden—and a worthy trio they appear to be. The last-named may go to Awapuni. They were all seen out this morning, and all pleased with their performances, which are here given in order to let Aucklanders judge for themselves. LYSANDER BEATS CIVILITY Lysander, with a light-weight up, and Civility (J. Head), were sent over six furlongs on number one track, the owner of Civility being present to see her gallop. Civility had the outside running, which would be a slight disadvantage. They were both kicked out, so that it may be accepted each was doing the best that could be produced. Jumping away smartly together the pair ran down the first furlong in 12 2-5, and the quarter in 24 3-5. The half mile was left behind in 48 2-5, and they ran home in 1.15 for the full distance, with Lysander having slightly the best of it at the post, though there was no more than a neck difference. This was a great effort on the part of the pair, and would point to the fact that Lysander must be accorded a chance in repeating his usual Ellerslie brilliance on Boxing Bay. It must be remembered that he is still susceptible to improvement. As far as Civility is concerned it would be wise to await a decision during next week. Though her owner is desirous of giving her a chance to repeat her Easter Handicap victory, F. Lind, the trainer, is anxious to pay a visit to Awapuni instead of making the- trip North. One could perhaps hazard a guess that the Palmerston North fixture will be Civility’s mission.

EPISODE AND COVENT GARDEN Not a very severe task was asked of Covent Garden, who went three furlongs with Episode, which the pair covered in 37, the initial furlong taking 12 3-5. Covent Garden should also run prominently in his holiday engagements, while Episode, whose brilliance at Feilding is still fresh in memory, will take on Childsplay, Ridgemount and Co., in the Great Northern Foal Stakes. It may be that the filly will be seen to better advantage after having had a race, but there is no denying her speed and she will be hard to beat at the meeting. Walter Rayner will not leave for Ellerslie until Monday, December 19, thus arriving within a week of the fixture, but he desires to take advantage of the exceptionally good tracks available in Wanganui rather than risk the Auckland weather, which is noted for its fickleness. TILLEY’S BIG STRING The Fordell team on the contrary will go North by the special train leaving Wellington on Thursday next. F. Tilley will have in his team Laughing Prince, Ruanui, Mandane, Limited, High Falutin’ and a Paladin two-year-old, and it would indeed by surprising if the team returned without some tangible token of their trip North. Taking everything into consideration, Wanganui, with representatives at half-a-dozen race meetings during the Christmas and New Year holiday meetings, should be rewarded with a fair proportion of the stake money offered.