Racing at Wanganui Opens To-Morrow

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 279, 15 February 1928, Page 10

Racing at Wanganui Opens To-Morrow

Eden HalVz Ccnsibtsncy May Be Rewarded

THE old established Wanganui Jockey Club will hold its autumn meeting to-morrow and on Saturday, the Cup and Flying Handicaps being the chief events on the opening day, while a great field of sprinters will line up for the six furlongs classic, the Jackson Stakes, on Saturday.

TT is rather surprising to find that despite the reduced stake money the fields for to-morrow are every bit as good as in past years, and this can be taken as striking evidence of the popularity of the fixture, which first had its birth in the good old days, over 70 years ago. No pains have been spared to attend to the track by constant watering, for the Jockey Club pointed out to the civic authorities that under the rates they paid they were entitled to over three million gallons of water per annum, and up to a fortnight ago not a tenth of that quantity had been used. The City Council waived the restrictions, and the sandy tracks are now receiving their daily and nightly showers. The first event on the programme tomorrow, at 11.45 a.m., is the 12.0 MAIDEN RACE Of £150; 6 furlongs Thrift ... 8 0 Vexillium . . S 0 Double Mint . 8 0 War Wings . 8 0 Hosiery ... 8 0 Marica ... 8 0 Gasnapper ..SO Service ... 8 0 Rangiutu ..80 Merxcis ... 8 0 King Mart ..80 Lethal 8 0 They are a bad lot even for this class, with one or two unknown quantities to make the position at least intriguing. From what we have known of Double Mine she should win, and further down there are King Mart, who finished second in an equally poor field at Hawera; Gasnapper, Vexillium and War Wings, both in W. H. Dwyer’s stable, and therefore to be considered, not to overlook Fred Tilley’s representative, Thrift (the Beilina filly), who is to have her first run, and finally Merxcis, a promising two-year-old who raced promisingly at New Plymouth. DOUBLE MINT and KING MART may be the fancied pair. A useful field will parade for the 12.40 STEWARDS’ HANDICAP Of £300; 84 furlongs Civility ... 9 0 Rouex .... 7 9 Tiega ... 8 10 Waicullus ..76 Ruanui ... 8 5 Hipo 7 5 Lady Limond 7 13 Glengariff ..70 Paitonu ... 7 12 Hallowmoon . 7 0 Damaris ... 7 11 More than one good horse has won this event prior to going on to greater deeds. Civility is nicely weighted and now that the autumn is approaching these mares who failed in the summer will have to be taken into consideration. Flying Juliet at Rotorua was a

case in point, by the way. The top weight has not raced since going amiss during the holidays, and may want an outing. Ruanui and Tiega both appeal at the weights, the latter particularly being the form horse. Lady Limond is good if a bit unreliable, and then there are Paitonu, Damaris and Rouex to further complicate the situation, not to mention Waicullus and Hipo. It is a race full of possibilities, in which the public may decide in favour of TIEGA and RUANUI. The jumping race has been reduced considerably by scratchings: 1.20 WESTMERE HURDLES Of £200; about 1 % miles Nucleus . , . 10 10 Mountain Pink Rose . . 10 5 Bell .... 10 0 Matu .... 10 5 Elysianor . . 9 13 San Pedro . 10 4 Kilburn ... 9 0 It has been a small field year after year, but the club loyally sticks to the jumping race, upon which it is to be congratulated. The top weight may be called the backers’ latest love, and what is going to beat Nucleus is something

that may prove impossible of discovery, for the ex-Aucklander is said to be a topnotcher at the game. Pink Rose, Matu and San Pedro have done nothing of late, and Elysianor and Kilburn are recent winners. On form it tfr o t°P and bottom weights, NUCLEUS and KILBURN, and they will be fancied in this order. Next comes a contest inaugurated to celebrate the Great War victory, the 2.0 VICTORY HACK HANDICAP Of £200; 1 mile ana a distance Royal Acre . 813 Some Lad ..75 Capitulation . 8 5 q nvPTl . - o ■• J Barryanda !7 0 Eady Killer . 7 12 Arnnpta 7 o Whisogne ..77 Ar °P eta - ..70 This race bears a very open appearance, for Royal Acre, Capitulation, Discourse. Ladykiller, Whisogne, Some Lad and Sovena can all be given chances, and of them perhaps CAPITULATION (T. Green) and ROYAL ACRE (B. H. Morris) will be accorded most support. Then comes the principal event of the day, and one that should provide an excellent contest, the

2.45 WANGANTJI CUP Of £600; 1£ miles. Eden Hall (T. Green) 8 3 Yoma (A. McCormac) .. .. .. 8 2 Mandane (H. Wiggins) SI Mint Leaf (R. Reed) 7 11 Joy Bird (J. Barry) 7 7 Atareria (W. H. Jones) ...... 7 3 David Garrick (E. Dunn) .... 7 3 Novar (T. Metcalf) 7 2 Henna (A. Broughton) 7 0 Of the above Novar is already a winner of the race, for he scored in a very weak field twelve months ago. The top weight, Eden Hall, has been shaping very consistently, and his recent form is encouraging. It will be remembered that he finished a good fourth in the Auckland Cup, and he subsequently won the Takapuna Cup. so that he will be well seasoned. At the finish of the Taranaki Cup last Thursday he appeared to be weakening, but perhaps it was more the pace

that Yoma was going that made this appear to be the case. Eden Hall should have no difficulty in seeing the long journey out. Yoma is a puzzling sort, unless the explanation is found in the fact that the tracks are too hard; all the same he has run well under these conditions recently. He will see it out. Mint Leaf will have the services of Reed, who has quite a record in the Wanganui Cup, and the horse will be a likely proposition, too, if handily placed. Joy Bird finished a really good fourth in the Wellington Cup, run over a quarter of a mile shorter journey, and the round course here may not prove to be much further. Atareria has been carrying big weights at Gisborne and is obviously a much improved horse. Now that he has gained confidence he should run a great race under his light impost. David Garrick is a good one, despite his failures. Novar is a possible lightweight, and so too is Henna if the right rider is in the saddle. It is not a great field, but what it lacks in the way of champions is made up for by its evenness. EDEN HALL and MANDANE are two that will be heavily supported. The babies will be seen out in the 3.30 JUVENILE HANDICAP Of £175; 5 furlongs Tea Miss . . 8 13 Egeria ... 7 0 Freehold . . 8 10 Gold Bag ... 7 0 Flying Hero . 8 4 Time Will Banket ... 7 8 Tell 7 0 Moorgas ... 7 4 Lady Quex . 7 0 Footpad ... 7 2 Calapat ... 7 0 Freehold was obviously not himself during the holiday meetings and here he may show it. Tea Miss was consistent at Hawera and New Plymouth, and she and Freehold read very nicely. Others that the well spoken of are Fly-

ing Hero, Banket, Moorgass, Footpad and Lady Quex. FREEHOLD, FOOTPAD and TEA MISS are a useful trio. The hack sprinters are catered for by the 4.15 PETRE HACK HANDICAP Of £175; 6 furlongs Paul Lucerne 9 0 Eka 7 9 Polydectes . 812 War Flame 7 6 The Raider 811 Le Champ . . 7 5 King Midas . 8 10 Resinous ..70 Helotis ... 8 10 Dimmer ... 7 0 Limosa ... 8 0 White Vigilance . . 713 Ringlet ... 7 0 Kawhakina .79 Lethal ... 7 0 Paul Lucerne has his share of the weight, and in this company he may not be so successful as at the Taranaki meetings. Polydectes was one of the trio of deadheaters at Trentham last month, when he came from the back, and with a better spin to-morrow he looks the goods. The Raider, King Midas. Helotis, Limosa, Vigilance, Le Champ, Dimmer and White Ringlet

may be the best of the remainder, but the favourites will probably be POLYDECTES and HELOTIS. The concluding item on an interesting card to-morrow is the 5.0 FLYING HANDICAP Of £350; 6 furlongs. Kiosk (R. Reed) 9 3 Paganelli (R. McTavish) 8 8 Limited (H. Wiggins) 8 2 Shirley (F. Waddell) 8 1 Oration (G. Goulsbro) 7 9 High Finance (T. Green) .... 7 6 Melissa 7 3 Covent Garden (W. H. Jones) !! 7 2 Tip Tree (L. McMahon) 7 0 It is a handy sized field. Kiosk will be all the better for the two hard races he had at New Plymouth, and he should go well. Paganelli is the “iffy” horse, for he might start and yet again he mightn’t. In the meantime racing clubs accept his acceptance fees willingly. If allowed to take his place Paganelli will be the hardest to beat for he saw six furlongs out at Takapuna and he should do so here on this circular track. Lady Cavendish (who was scratched yesterday) surprised her party by winning at Ne® Plymouth,

and if she has freshened up she may do it again on Saturday. Limited should be a different horse to what we saw at Ellerslie at Christmas, and he put up particularly smart time before the Railway Handicap was run. Shirley is like Lady Cavendish, and if in the vein will be difficult. Of those on the other side of the handicap Oration, High Finance and Covent Garden promise to be the best. If started Oration and Melissa will be bracketed, but it is likely that one of the pair will be reserved for the second day; probably 1 “ k 0 Melissa. Four that appear to Sta i l<^ out are Kio sk, Paganelli, Limited Covent Garden, and of this quarbacked will probably be PAGANELLI and KIOSK. Some riding engagements for tomorrow are: and' Teatnl« lint Leaf * TieEa ’ Kiosk Capitu l r a e S^n~ Eden High Civmtj?' Morris Acre and LiSern^ TaViSh '~ Paganelli and Paul L a E V a 6ave°nSsr ßUanUi - Fr6eh ° ld and Jov £ a 7 y «- L , ad / Lim ond, Some Lad. M w ' ? anke . t and King Midas. Lady Que?." 3 ’ Mandane, Limited and to^. McC ° rmac — Toma ' Eka and paithJh ® i ’? eetil ? s ' concludes on Saturday,