WANGANUI TRIALS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 701, 28 June 1929, Page 12

WANGANUI TRIALS

TRAINING FOR WAVERLEY WORK NOT ILLUMINATING (Special to THE SUN) WANGANUI, Thursday. With lowering clouds banking up in the west, threatening early rain, prospects did not look very bright this morning for training operations on the local tracks in preparation for the Waverley meeting. The portents were soon proved well founded, for a few minutes after eight o’clock, when the track was opened, rain came down in a tropical downpour, falling continuously for about half an hour. It was not long before the already soaked ground was showing signs of having reached saturation point. Consequently there, could not be expected anything else but heavy going on No. 1 track, on which fast work for the Waverley candidates was done. The chances of Wanganui-trained horses carrying off a fair proportion of the stake money at Waverley appear to be none too rosy. Some of them will not fill their engagements, among them being Auctioneer and Maranga. Whenuatonga, Auctioneer and Mask were to have been associated in a sixfurlong gallop, but Mask, who was cantered along from the mile post, had not reached the other pair when they set off, and as a work-out for him the gallop was useless. Whenuatonga went to the front at once and stayed there, Auctioneer not being bustled to keep with the Grey Acre gelding, cutting out the first quarter in a tick oyer 26, and the half in 52 4-5. Whenuatonga reached the end of his task in 1.22 3-5, with Auctioneer several lengths back and Mask going at halfpace well in the rear. It was not a very impressive effort. Gasform and Alloy were associated in a fair display over six furlongs, taking 1.21 2-5. with the first half-milo being covered in 51 2-5. Maranga did not show much merit in covering five furlongs in 1.10 4-5. It is decided she will not make the trip to Waverley. Royal Acre and Harrogate were seen cut in a seven furlong spin, the last five of which took 1.10 2-5. with not much between the pair. They were timed to cover the full distance in 1.38. On this, and considering the state of the going, it does not appear that Roval Acre’s chances in the Cup are as rosv as one could expect. Others to work were Valma, Potoaform, Pedestal. Thaw, Ceremony and Warflame, but there was of course nothing spectacular. Reports from Waverley tonight indicate that the rain ceased at 3 p.m., and a good drying wind has been blowing since, so the track, which is heaw on top after the rain, will perhaps be not quite so sodden as expected.