SPORTING

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23947, 14 May 1943, Page 7

SPORTING

OAMARU J.C. TO MORROW’S PROSPECTS The Oamaru Jockey Club’s winter meeting will be held on the Oamaru racecourse to-morrow. This will be the first winter fixture in tire South Island, and the programme can be considered the most attractive offered by the club at this time of the year for many seasons. There will be only one jumping event, the Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase, for which the unusually big field of 15 is booked to parade. The Oamaru Winter Cup has attracted a good class representation of middle distance horses from all parts of the South Island, and the issue appears very open. A race ■of widespread interest in trotting circles will be the Oamaru Juvenile Stakes, In which some of the best available two-year-olds will be seen in action. The track benefited by recent rain and should provide firm but not hard going. Under the win and place system the following horses can be expected to be well supported:— Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase.—Valantua. Master Dingle, Gay Boa. ■ Trial Handicap^—Saldowa, Dearo, Royal Review. Oamaru Juvenile Trotting Stakes.— Acropolis, Imperial Lady, Netherby. Oamaru Winter Cup.—Little Secret. Kevin, Dominate. Burnside Hack Handicap.—Dash o’ Dink, Renarde, Socks. Waikaura Trot.—Terry O’Shea, PreEminence. Safety First. Grange Handicap.—Grilse, Rawhamai. Winning Flight. Farewell Hack Handicap.—Sascha, Royal Writ, Silver Sox. TURF GOSSIP Oamaru Jockey Club Meeting to-morrow (Saturday).—Special passenger train leaves Christchurch 6.35 a.m., Ashburton 8.23 a.m., Timaru 9.50 a.m. — 6 Track Work at Rlccarton All of the horses booked to race at Oamaru to-morrow were worked at Riccarton yesterday, but there were only a few serious tasks, these mostly on the trial grass, which, after last week-end’s rain was in favourable condition for galloping for the first time for some weeks past. Kevin and Night Believer were companions over seven furlongs in Imin 31 1-Ssec. the last four in 51 3-ssec. Benevolent and Sascha strode over the same ground in Imin 44 2-ssec, the first half in 51 4-Ssec. Impressive Work Little Secret attracted notice by finishing a length In front of Maggiore. with a similar distance to Palfrey at the end of a mile in Imin 42 2-ssec, the first half in SO l-ssec. Night Pal ran six furlongs well In Irnln 15 3-ssec, the second three in 37 3-ssec. Rawhamai and Waltzing Matilda covered the same distance in Imin 16 4-Ssec, and Renarde recorded Imin 17sec. Renarde has come to hand well with her recent racing and should again be prominent at Oamaru. Salmaform and Dash o’ Dink galloped six furlongs in Imin 19 l-ssec. the second three in 39 l-ssec. On the Plough. The orly gallop timed on the plough was that of Saldowa and Grey Wells, who covered five furlongs in Imin 5 3-ssec. the last three In 38sec, The former is a typical Salmagundi filly in looks and has shown marked promise. A Dash'ng Novice One of the most likely novices seen out at Rlccarton for some time, Airborne, gave a dashing display over four hurdles yesterday. He is a big four-year-old gelding by Lord Warden from Bon Raid, by Night Raid from Bonsirrn, by Bonlform and is in A. Stove's stable. Airborne was tr ined for a while early in the season by F. Shaw, who evidently had given him some education as a jumper. Over Country Erlnation acted as a guide for the young steeplechaser Edward in a task over three brush fences at Rlccarton yesterday, the latter giving another creditable display. Valantua also jumped three brush fences in an efficient manner. Riders for Oamaru Some riding engagements for the Oamaru meeting are:—C. Wilson. Domlnate; L. J. Ellis. Arctic Dawn, Rawhamai, Waltzing Matilda: D. Thistoll. Mybel, Hughsotis, Little Secret; L. Burnard, Banco; C. Mackie, Maggiore, Sascha; A. Williams, Dash o' Dink; A. Messervy, Palfrey, Royal Writ. Winding Flight, Miss Myra; W. F. Ellis, Saldowa: W. Boag, Night Believer: K. Thomson, Valantua. Renarde, Night Pal. At nersUe Gold Spot has top-weight, 11-10, in the Great Northern Hurdles and the same Im■nost in the Great Northern Steeplechase. Spendthrift has 10-12 in the hurdles and the same weight in the steeplechase. R : a.ver 11-2, Noko 10-5, Erlnation 9-7, and Valantua 9-0 are other South Islanders In the cross-country race. Rakanui. with 10-3. heads the big list in the Cornwall Handicap, one mile and a quarter. Sydney Yearling Sales The average price paid for yearlings at the annual Easter sales In Sydney was 258| guineas for 282 yearlings sold. It was the highest average for 10 years. The top price realised was 1750 guineas for a colt by Golden Sovereign from Jenny’s Bag. offered by R. C. Brown, Orange, and bought by P. Riddle. The stock of Double Remove sold well, a filly realising 1700 guineas. Two lots by Snearfelt brought 000 and 1000 gufi’eas, and a lot by Beau Pere went for 650. Two bv Posterity, so’d on behalf of Mr F. W. Hughes’s Konpa stud, where Posterity is now standing, realised 100 and 150 guineas. The first crop by the New Zealand-bred sire Gold Rod sold at moderate figures.

TROTTING NOTES

Amerean-bred Mr J. R. McKenzie has leased the Ame-ritan-bred Spencer Volo, by Spencer (Imin 59 3-ssec) from Ellen Void, to a Southland sportsman. Spencer won the Hambletonlan Stakes in 1928. Engaged at Oamaru Terry O'Shea, engaged in the Waikaura Handicap at Oamaru to-morrow, is a recent addition to R. B. Berry’s team and a promising young pacer, who may yet reach good company. He has yet to win a race, but his form has been good enough to suggest that he will be successful in the near future. By Rey de Oro. he Is bred from a good race mare m Grace McElwyn, whose dam, Jean McElwyn, was one of the greatest pacers of her age raced in New Zealand. Promising Young Pacers Pre-Eminence, who will represent J. Young's stable at Oamaru to-morrow, was thought good enough to take to the last. Wellington meeting and he showed that the good opinion formed of him had some justification when he ran third to My Lady Luck and Wee Logan in the Hutt Handicap after doing 2min 46sec for a mile and a quarter. A three-year-old, bred from two fine stayers in Great Bingen and Waitaki Girl, Pre-Eminence should prove something above the average. Another useful three-year-old engaged is Safety First, trained by R. Townley. This filly is by Quite Sure from Marie Celeste, and in her only two starts has failed to gain place money. The Oamaru Stakes . Acropolis is likely to be a good favourite for the Oamaru Stakes, of a mile and a quarter, for two-year-olds, and in the absence of Bel Hamed he is entitled to the honour. He was hard pressed to win the Welcome Handicap at Addington last month, but he was not at his best, and he only needs racing to work a big improvement in him. Imperial Lady has raced well and she was set to give away 12 yards to Acropolis when she finished third to him in the Welcome Handicap. Netherby and Leonin. who are engaged, are trained by M. Holmes, the former a gelding by Gaillard—Wattv's Wish, and Leonin, by Jack Potts—Lady Effie.