OHinemuri’s Annual

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 921, 14 March 1930, Page 12

OHinemuri’s Annual

ALL CLASSES CATERED FOR Review of Tomorrow’s Fine Card A SPLENDID racing programme is that to be staged at Paeroa tomorrow and on Monday (St. Patrick’s Day) on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Ohinemuri Jockey Club, an enterprising body that every year presents a bill of fare which for stake-money and also for its value as a means of catering for all branches of the sport—flat racing, hurdling and steeplechasing—is not attained by some metropolitan clubs. The picturesque course is in excellent order, and with fine weather there should be a record attendance, with promise of another series of stirring contests such as have been witnessed at recent meetings on the provincial circuit. Fields are splendid throughout, and with quality as well as quantity very much in evidence, the entertainment is one that can be looked forward to. “Early Bird’s” review of the fields follows.

A start is to be made at midday with the Handicap Hurdles It is a useful field of a dozen, and backers have some form to guide them in making their selections. Master Roley was racing over the sticks in the spring in much improved fashion, and despite the fact that he is topweight he should make his presence felt. Star Comet won impressively the first day at Te Aroha, and perhaps his failure t.o jump as well the second day there was due to having a hard race later on the opening. Taumai beat all but Pouri at Te Aroha, which was good form. Glenstar made an auspicious start at the same place, racing consistently each day, and if he has improved at all he is going to be hard to head off. Waltzer will be at home, but outside of this he could not be recommended, for he does not stay. Grand Arch is capable of winning if he is judiciously ridden, for two good chances at Te Aroha were thrown away. Wako King and Daylight also showed up at the same place. The others have yet to prove themselves, although Oscar has the necessary pace. In an even field there should be plenty of support for: STAR COMET GRAND ARCH TAUMAI Karangahake Handicap This race is confined to two-year-olds, and the bunch engaged includes a couple of very smart youngsters. On top is Bells of Shandon, and his good win at Te Aroha was impressive, for he came from well back over the last couple of furlongs. His failure at his next start was unaccountable; perhaps he was oft' colour. It remains to be seen whether Bells of Shandon can give weight and a beating to the dual Rotorua winner, Grand Spirit. The latter gave her field a start and a beating the second day at Rotorua. She is not fast out of the barrier, and for that reason the extra half-furlong to be covered will be in her favour. Oil King is the only other winner engaged, and he has not raced # for a time. Tradesman has pace and has been placed twice recently, and Wild Time would have been in the money at Tc the first day if he had not been allowed to run oft' the courses on the home turn. Betterment sticks on well, and she did well to finish fairly close up in her only outing at Te Aroha after receiving a bad passage. Lapaway and Silene are two of promise, and Intaglio displayed a fair turn of speed at Te Aroha. All Soult and Cross Stitch are reported to be fairly smart and their efforts will be watched with interest. .The machine fancies may be: GRAND SPIRIT BELLS OF SHANDON BETTERMENT Novice Handicap

Tenakohe, an easy Te Aroha winner under maiden conditions, is top-weight in this event, which is confined to nonwinners at time of entry—which lets Tenakohe in. The same stable also has another likely candidate ip Royal Visitor, a three-year-old that takes some handling. The latter finished with I’m Alone just behind the placed horses the first day at Te Aroha, when Aggressive scored, and I’m Alone won at his next start. Will Royal Visitor follow suit? He will not have to be extra good to beat Tenakohe when in receipt of 191 b, despite the fact that Tenakohe is above the ordinary. Trainer A. Cook has certainly handed punters a problem here. Chromadyne and Glenison are very speedy, and the short journey should find favour with the latter. There are several others with chances in this big field, especially when the element of luck is certain to enter, and they are: Merry Lu, Valorient, Sweet Whisper, Kingsland, Onewhero, Guid Day, Volgene, Mangu King, Dainty Manners, Norval Tea and Principal Boy. Prime fancies will probably be:

TENAKOHE GLENISON ROYAL VISITOR Ohinemuri Cup

The eight horses left in the big race have already had their chances analysed, so little remains to.be said. In favour of the top-weight it can be stated that she was forced to cover a lot of extra ground last Saturday; also that she won this event twelve months ago, with 101 b less, and now she is a much improved horse. There are not wanting signs that Desert Glow will be in great demand, for despite his years he gives indications of soon being at his best —and he generally produces his best at Paeroa. Maori Boy has only to reproduce Rotorua form to be dangerous, and High Pitch ran one of his best races in the big event at Te Aroha. Antique may require a run to sharpen him up, but if this prevailing impression is at fault he will hold more than a slight winning prospect. Pompeius won nicely at Rotorua, and King's Guard has another luxury impost, and Grand Tea completes the field, the last-named probably being reserved for the hack contest that follows. It is going to be a small, yet withal a stirring contest, which investors may sum up in favour of:

DESERT GLOW MAORI BOY ROYAL DOULTON Komata Handicap

This is a splendid field of hacks, in which the betting market ought to take a wide range. Volimond, thiled off half a mile from home in her one race at Te Aroha, was flying at the finish in third place, Awamutu -was assisted materially in his two outings there through drawing the ace, and his defeat of Currajong, on the latter’s Pukekohe win, represented good form. Haviland will probably be more at home over this distance, and his consistency may be retvarded here. Grand Tea will be in demand if reserved, and Snow Prince, after his misadventure at Rotorua (which proved to be not so serious as anticipated) showed a flash of form the second day at Te Aroha. Perennis and Rose Lupin are a speedy

pair from H. L. Russell’s stable, and the fancied candidate may go close. Lucky Alice was most unlucky the second day at Te Aroha, and she ran such a wonderful race after nearly being knocked over soon after the start that a win for her would not be surprising. Of the others, all could ue included in the list of posssibilities (such as the Rotorua winner. Measurer, who is working well), for it is a particularly good field from top to bottom. There should be strong support, however, for this trio:— LUCKY ALICE VOLIMOND HAVILAND St. Patrick's Handicap The sprint has attracted a dozen of good class, and it presents a pretty problem for the investors. Rightly on top is Leitrim, and with all his weight his speed will help to make him trouble the lightly weighted division. Next on the list is another good one in Lady’s Boy, who has returned from his sojourn in Southern climes. Little is known of his form, but it should be taken for granted that he will be ready for a hard race. Awarere continues to do good work at Te Awamutu, and if he could be persuaded to put his best foot forward there would be little need to look farther for the winner. Kingfield should be all the better for his two outings

at Te Aroha, the second of which was a winning venture, Branson and Lucy Rose both finished with a rattle behind Eaglet and Cyntha N. last Saturday, and with fashionable riders in the saddle tomorrow they will both go solid races. Twelve months ago Lucy Rose put up her two best performances on this course, only to lose the big race through shedding 211 b of lead on the trip. British King has not produced his best of late, although with his opponents climbing in the weights his turn may not be far off. Value has run two good races and one poor one in the past fortnight. The field is completed by such speedy ones as Takutama (second last year), Partial Eclipse, White Ringlet and Town Bird. It is a difficult race to sum up, but in plumping for this trio (with Leitrim next best) backers will be following form: KINGFIELD ' BRANSON LUCY ROSE McGuire Memorial Steeples Like the Cup contest, this first steeplechase event of the approaching jumping season has been reviewed, a commentary on the prospects of the ten candidates was given yesterday. Those that make most appeal are Gler»otus, Odin, Mashoor, Boomerday, York Abbey, Ah Wera. Foxhound and Spalpiko, and in their attempts to discover the actual place-getters punters may decide in favour of: ODIN MASHOOR GLENOTUS Netherton High-Weight The high scale in the concluding event on the first day’s card may be against the horse at the top, Gemligh:, and one or two others farther down may be given preference, although Gernlight is in such excellent form and a game finisher. Owairaka may be bothered by the last pinch, and The Lamb is similarly placed, unless his run last Saturday has brought him along considerably. King’s Guard would bo much better suited by this event than in the Cup, and if reserved he will have to be taken into consideration. King Will onyx failed badly last week, but it is thought that that form can be completely overlooked. Imperial Prince received a bad spin in his outing at Pukekohe, and he looks so well that he is going to be a popular candidate here. Prince Lu and Luminary are both speed merchants, and it remains to be seen if they can hold out to the end in this company. Thurnus is a stayer, and Carlaris sprang a big surprise on Saturday when he scored rather luckily. Lunette performed indifferently at Te Aroha, and even if that form was wrong it was too bad to give one cause to recommend her. It is quite an interesting field, in which betting should take a good range, with most friends for: IMPERIAL PRINCE KING WILLONYX GEMLIGHT