WINTER RACING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 162, 11 July 1945, Page 9

WINTER RACING

PARLIAMENTARY DAY

WELLINGTON MEETING

The Parliamentary Handicap, a race over one mile and three furlongs, is one of the most important events on the Wellington Racing Club's programme on Saturday, when the winter meeting will be brought to a conclusion. It has attracted a field of 25, including several Auckland representatives, one of them Neenah, which has the distinction of topweight, 9.8. Other horses from these parts are Constitution, Air Port, La Fillette, Hippodrome, Dies Faustus, Ernada, Sir Dingle and Sousa.

Neenah has proved himself one of the best gallopers in the Dominion up to a mile, but has yet to distinguish himself over a middle distance, and a marked •improvement in this respect will be necessary for him to win on Saturday. His best furm over a mile and three furlongs was registered at Te Rapa on April *?' , w , en he finished second to Royal Musk, but that was a very inferior field. Amorlad Impressive Amorlad and Constitution, both handicapped 9.4, are sound stayers, and they •were, winners last month, the -former'-oyer a , mile and a half at Wingatul and Constitution in a division of the Cornwall Handicap at Ellerslie. Constitution, which had not been handling the Wellington track to his trainer's satisfaction last week, was not started in the Whyte, but Amorlad made a bold showing, in the Stewards' Handicap, six furlongs, finishing right up behind the placed horses, and this dlstance was by no means to his liking. I Platform/* 9.1, won the Parliamentary! two years ago under 7.11, and Foxhaven, i ' was second to Flahuluk last year when carrying 61b more than his present weight. Foxhaven won the Invercargill Cup in good style in January, and he was running on nicely over the concluding stages of the Whyte Handicap last Saturday. The recent form of Air Port, 9.0, has been a wee bit disappointing, and roxhaven and Amorlad may do best of the topweights.

Of those weighted over 8.0 and under 8.12, Aqueduct, Bridge Acre and Flying Tor have the best credentials this winter. Aqueduct won impressively at Hastings over a mile and a quarter on June 23, and Flying Tor was successful in the Manawatu Cup a week earlier, while Bridge Acre, a three-year-old Foxbridge filly from Ann Acre, finished fast into second place in the Whyte Handicap. In the spring Bridge Acre defeated the best of her age in the Wellington Guineas, and her race last week-end is almost certain to work an improvement. La Fillette, 8.3, winner of three handicaps in this province since early in March, raced poorly in the Whyte and should be held safe by Bridge Acre.

Form of Hippodrome Hippodrome, Tring, Blanket and Lord Darnley appear to be the pick of the lightweights. The first-named, which scored in fine style over a mile and a quarter at Te Rapa in May, was galloping strongly in fifth place at the finish of the Whyte, and has undoubted prospects, while Tring is a useful galloper on his day. Blanket, a four-year-old gelding by Man's Pal from Night Dew, has registered two firsts and a second in his last four starts his last run being • when he defeated a strong field in the Rotopai Hack, one mile and a quarter, at Hastings on June 23. On that occasion, he took the lead at the end of a mile and won pulling up by three lengths. Lord Darnley won well over a similar distance at Wanganui on June 4, but, after bping prominent in the early part of the Whyte, he drifted and ultimatelv finished a long way back. The early fancies are Foxhaven, Amorlad, Bridge Acre, Hippodrome and Blanket. LATEST SCRATCHING P.A. WELLINGTON,, this day. Broiedame was withdrawn from the Members' Handicap at the Wellington meeting at 9.35 a.m. to-day.