TURF GOSSIP

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24116, 27 November 1943, Page 6

TURF GOSSIP

At Riccarton Tester day k The trial grass was open for fast wors at Riccarton yesterday, Reused by late arrivals, and worked stricted to short sprints. Others worked on the plough and on the sand. Theolateral was the first to gallop on th grass, and he covered l t^«l?ee 4 2-Ssec, after reeling off the first ttiree \n 2-ssec. and first four in 50 1 osec. He appears to be in Sreat heart, and his prospects to-day are highly assessed oy Vl Ctessform who is more forward than CESJdSS* .* in to-day’s big race, in which she finished fifth last year. A One ee o/ the V fastest sprints recorded on the trial grass since the days of Childsolay was credited to the Welcome Stakes candidate, Subdued, who ran .down three furlongs in the smart time of 34 3-Ssec, and she did not seem to be. all out to make the figure. Her stable-mate. Intense, went over the same ground in 36 l-ssec. These two Ringmaster fillies should be strongly in evidence In their engagements to-day. Subdued is undoubtedly, brilliant, and she has given indications that five furlongs will not find her out. She will be opposed in the Welcome Stakes by some speedy youngsters, including Blue Bonny, Bonny Flight, Lord Roland, Killarney Boy, and Lady Sylvia, but in her two races to date, she won the first by three lengths, and the second, at Trentham; by five lengths. Bonny Flight, who has yet to appear in public, is claimed to be one of the speediest produced in the south in recent years,'but she will have to do everything right to offer any danger to the North Islander. Intense, who is in the Spring Nursery Handicap, had an easy win at Trentham, but was surprisingly beaten at Otaki by Hoodiki and Firm Lass, with necks between the trio. Good Prospects . _ , . Rink, winner of last year’s Derby, and. like Intense and Subdued, trained by G, New at Awapuni for Mr G. M. Currie, was given two rounds of strong work on the plough, running home the last three furlongs in 38 l-ssec. He is engaged in the Riccarton Handicap to-day, and although he will be up against some useful middle-distance horses, he is likely to be one of the favourites. A Derby Candidate Poutatau will be ridden in Stewards’ Handicap by J. Williamson, not by I. Galvin, as previously announced. Williamson will also ride, Carnforth in the New Zealand Derby. Cajnforth } s brown colt by St. Boswells front Dady Kettle by Captain Bunsby from the Martian mare Minsk, and is owned by his trainer, J. M. Cameron. His best performance this season was a second placing over a mile at Napier Park, but evidently he has shown some encouragement to be brought from Hastings for the classic. Unfortunately he suffered some injurles on the trip down, and was given only easy exercise yesterday. He will therefore be at a disadvantage for to-day’s engagement, but is expected to be back to his best for the second day. Convalescing , . „ j W F. Ellis was originally engaged to ride Royal Lancer in the Cup and Compeer in the Stewards’ Handicap, but with both horses dropping out he was left without a mount in either race.. He has now accepted the mount on Patna .in the Cup and on Silver Lily in the s P r , m T t ’ mentioned yesterday that Royal Lancers trouble was not considered likely to have any far-reaching effects, but coming when it did there would have been a big risk in racing him. The horse is to be kept in easy work, with the hope that he will be fit to contest the Wellington Cup in January. Royal Lancer’s half-brother, Invulnerable, is also being kept going with a view to racing at the Dunedin summer meeting. He was going well iin? his ) race at Invercargill when he had a bleeding attack and Ellis had to stop riding him. The colt has not shown any signs of the effects since, but in his case also it was deemed unwise to race him at Riccarton. Bracketed , . . . ... Horses will be bracketed on the totallsator at Riccarton to-day as follows: Spring Nursery: Owen Tudor and* Delinquent; Apprentices’ Handicap: Sir Wlna and Caithness, Foxbrae and Solver, Royal Rae and Voltaire, Dash o’ Dink and Croupiers’ Pride. Retriever and Saldowa, Paper Lily and In Chancery, Great Legend and Gayfort, Winning Agnes and Contemptuous, Arustra and Night Cheloid, Waltzing Matilda and Chellow Dene, Lincoln and Vafort, Standby and Olga’s Choice, Eddystone and Bannockburn. Fluorescent and Scottish Lad, Authentic and Midnight March, Dark Folly and Even Calm, Irish Note and Pink Clover, Whitley and Manakore; New Zealand Cup;. Gladynev and Don Quex; Welcome Stakes: Lord Roland and Lady Sylvia. A Difficult Mission Rakanul was again given some useful work on the sand track at Riccarton yesday. He is a hard puller, and his rider, R. Register, was kept busy holding him in restraint throughout two rounds at about half pace. Rakanui has had a remarkably consistent career, and has won over all middle distances, but has not been successful over two miles. In fact, a horse by his sire. Hunting Song, has yet to win over that distance. Last season, after Rakanui weakened into third place ip last year’s race, carrying 8-12, he won four important races, three of them over a mile and a half, and was placed in others, and his stake earnings for the season amounted to £4480. He has 8-13 for this year’s race, so that, although he has not mastered two miles, he was by no means harshly treated. If, as has been claimed, Rakanui is a better horse at this stage than at last' ‘year’s meeting, he should make a bold 'attempt to open his account, and that of-his defunct sire, as a two-miler.