WELLINGTON MEETING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25135, 17 March 1947, Page 4

WELLINGTON MEETING

RACING

BROIEFIELD WINS HANDICAP

MAJESTY BEATS SLEEPY FOX DECISIVELY

From Our Own Reporter WELLINGTON, March 16.

The Wellington Racing Club was again favoured by ideal conditions for the final day of its autumn meeting. The track was hard and fast, and having been watered heavily during the week, carried a good sole of grass. Although there were again no special race trains, the attendance was appreciably larger than on the first day. The totalisator handled £179,452, compared with £164,332 on the corresponding day last year. The total for the meeting was £351,427 10s, compared with £349,461 10s last year, an increase of £1966.

A feature of the day’s racing was the success of Awapuni-trained horses, which won five races, including the President’s Handicap and the Hutt Handicap, the two richest stakes on the programme. The respective winners, Broiefield and Yasda, are both trained by C. J. Thomson. Broiefield’s win in the President’s Handicap was a good reward for his consistently good showings over middle distances this season. He was once again well back at the half-mile and put in a very strong finishing run to head his stable-mate, Arco, about 30 yards from the post, and win going away by a length. The fast pace set by Armont enabled Broiefield to assert his superior stamina over the last furlong, and his time of 2min 29Jsec was only half a second outside the New Zealand record for the distance. Arco improved on last week’s display, but had no chance with his stablemate. Sakuntala finished almost as well as the winner to get third place. She was awkwardly placed turning for home, and did not get clear in the straight until it was too late to challenge. Armont attempted an end-to-end win, but pulled too hard for, his young rider, and began to weaken approaching the final furlong. When the field settled down Armont had worked his way to the front, and led out of the straight by three lengths from Flying Ace, with a length to Royal Victor, then Night .Foe, Arco, Sakuntala, Carnforth, Broiefield, Foxhaven, Perfect Peace, Dinks Own, Casilda, and Loyal Bian. At the seven furlongs post, Armont was four lengths clear of Flying Ace, followed by Arco and Night Foe, with Royal Victor and Carnforth next, then Dink’s Own, Sakuntala, and Broiefield together. Down the back straight Flying Ace gradually closed on Armont to be within half a length of him at the half-mile, with Arco and Night Foe trailing them, then Sakuntala on the rails, with Royal Victor and Carnforth outside of her. The first four horses held their positions round to the straight entrance, where Sakuntala could not get an opening and Broiefield was beginning to move t*P- Armont began to weaken nearing the distance, and Flying Ace carried on, but at the furlong was being challenged by Aren and Night Foe, with Broiefield becoming prominent and Sakuntala working clear. Arco reached the front inside the last half furlong, but Broiefield, finishing brilliantly, swept- past him 30 yards short of •the post and won decisively by a length. Sakuntala flashed up into third place, a length and a half further back, while Night Foe beat Flying Ace for fourth in a photo, finish. Armont was sixth, with Foxhaven next, then came Loyal Bian, which tailed off in the middle stages, Perfect Peace, Casilda, and Royal Victor. The North Island Challenge Stakes did not provide the thrilling struggle expected between Majesty and Sleepy Fox, the former accounting for his older rival rather easily by a length and a half, with his rider, H. N. Wiggins, who rode a confident race, sitting still on him over the last half-furlong. .Lady Christine, the only other runner, was two lengths behind Sleepy Fox. From a,walk-in start. Lady Christine took up the pacemaking, with Majesty trailing her, and Sleepy Fox following closely. Sleepy Fox moved up into second place approaching the halfmile and drew up to Lady Christine in the next furlong, the pair leading Majesty round to the straight entrance by almost two lengths. Sleepy Fox soon worked clear of Lady Christine in the run home, but inside the final furlong Majesty challenged and had no difficulty in drawing clear to win with a good deal in hand. The last half-mile was run in 48 2-sseq. Sleepy Fox carried more than twice as many tickets on the totalisator as Majesty. Disregarding the betting angle, his was a rather disappointing display for the spectators.

In the Suburban Handicap, Voltaic, the runner-up in the Thompson Handicap the previous Saturday, proved altogether too good for the rest of the sprinters. Coming from well back, he finished brilliantly to win by a length and a half from. Specialist, with a similar distance to Trig Point, which also made up a lot of ground from the half-mile, and beat Derene for third place iri another photo, finish. Karachi, Brown Derby, and Trig Point were slow away, but Blue Bonny and Derene both began brilliantly to lead early from Brown Derby, which made a fast move up into third place before the field settled down, followed by Specialist and Lady Burford, with one and a half lengths to Trig Point, and Voltaic, Karachi, and White Cap following at length intervals. There was little change to the home turn except that Voltaic had started to improve his position. Blue Bonny and Derene held their lead to the straight ew trance, with Brown Derby trailing them, two lengths clear of Specialist, then Trig Point and Voltaic. Blue Bonny soon dropped out in the straight, and Derene had charge, but approaching the final furlong Voltaic drew up to her and soon had her measure. Voltaic drew out to win convincingly by a length and a half from Specialist, which finished better than he' did the previous week, with a similar margin to Trig Point, which just headed Derene on the post. Karachi was another three lengths back, followed by Brown Derby, Lady Burford, White Cap, and Blue Bonny.

Yasda had to be hard ridden to hold off Opulent by a neck in the Hutt Handicap. He came through inside the furlong to take the lead, and the advantage he obtained at that stage won him the race. Opulent could not make his run until too late. Another unlucky runner was Gay Stroller, which was slow away and still well back turning for home. With a brilliant effort .in the straight he caught Molly Martia on the post and finished only a head behind Opulent. When the field settled down. Lord Theio, Opulent, Lowry Bay, Great Coon, Theiolyn. Matador, Merry Robin, and Yasda were most prominent. Approaching the half-mile. Opulent had lost his position, and Great Coon went through to the front to be clear erf Treasure Tee and Theiolyn. followed by Lord Theio, Merry Robin, and Yasda, with Opulent next. Theiolyn joined Great Coon approaching the straight, and they were followed by Yasda, Lord Theio, Treasure Tee, Opulent, and Merry Robin. Great Coon weakened inside the furlong, and Yasda shot through to put a break on the others. Molly Martia and Opulent finished strongly over the last half-furlong, but Opulent failed by a neck to catch Yasda, while Gay Stroller flashed up to beat Molly Martia in a photo, finish. Great Coon was fifth, followed by Theiolyn, Matador, Merry Bobin, and Lowry Bay. Results:— NGAIO HURDLES HANDICAP, Of £7OO. One mile and three-quarters. 3. 3—VOLTAIRE 10-12 T. Tito 1 2. 2—Provider 10-3 M. Andrews 2 1. I—Par Avion 10-12 A. Midwood 3 4. 4 Whackie; 5, 5 Miss Cynthia; 6, 6 Rothnic also started. Three lengths; eight lengths. Whackie was fourth. Time, 3min 14isec. a NORTH ISLAND CHALLENGE STAKES, Of £l5OO. Weight-for-age. Seven furlongs. 2 MAJESTY .. H. Wiggins 1 1— Sleepy Fox .. J. Winder 2 3 Lady Christine 7-1 J. Bowness 3 The only starters. Length and a half; two lengths. Time, Imin 252 sec. PACIFIC HANDICAP. CM £7OO. For two-year-olds. Six furlongs. 1. I—NILOCH 9-5 .. L. J. Ellis 1 3. 4—Blithe Spirit 8-6 W. Broughton 2 7. 7—Sweet Nymph 7-7 B. Boreham 3 2.2 Kartikeya; 6, 6 Prince Coronach and Master Fox bracketed; 4, 3 General Victory; 5, 5 Baby Gay also started. Neck; half a length. General Victory was fourth. Time, Imin 12sec. CHAMPION HACK HANDICAP, Of £BOO. One mile and a half. 2. 3—POLA 8-8 H. Wiggins 1 1. I—Lady Welbeck 7-11 car. 7-12 L. J. Ellis 2 6- 6-«rlron Duke 7-7 A. C. Messervy 3 3,2 Lambro; 4. 4 Blue Moon; 5. 5 Balch errie; 7, 7 Flak also started. Half a length;. three lengths. Balcherrie was fourth. Time, 2min 362 sec. PRESIDENT’S HANDICAP, Of £2500. One mile and a half. 2. I—BROIEFIELD 8-6 V. J. Sellars 1 2- I—Arco 8-4 bracketed with Broiefield .. w. J. Broughton 2 1 2—Sakuntala 7-9 McFarlane 3 3, 3 Royal Victor; 6. 6 Loyal Bian; 12. 12 Dinks Own; 10, 10 Foxhaven; 5, 5 Night Foe; 9, 9 Carnforth; 4. 4 Armont; 8, 8 Flying Ace; 11, 11 Casilda; 7, 7 Perfect Peace also started. Length; length and a half. Night Foe was fourth. Time. 2min 292 sec. BELMONT HACK HANDICAP, Of £6OO. One mile. 3. 3—NGAKOTI 8-6 V. J. Sellars 1 • « , Fur >’ 8-11 C. A. Bowrv 2 • V®“ 11 *’y n 8-7 A. Johnson 3 a. a King s Ransom; 1, 1 Flare Path-

10, 13 Omaio; 9, 9 Salut d’Amour; 12, 10 The Saddler; 7, 6 Our Jock; 16, 16 Flying Dink; 14, 14 Ulatis; 6, 5 Ella Shields; 4, 4 Beau Son; 13, 12 Clive Belle; 11, 11 Czarina; 17, 17 Ring Scarf; 15, 15 Royal Baron also started. Half a length; length and a half. King’s Ransom was fourth. Time, Imin 4O2sec. SUBURBAN HANDICAP, Of £l5OO. Seven furlongs. 2. I—VOLTAIC 7-12 A. C. Messervy 1 5. s—Specialist 8-11 Garth 2 9. 9—Trig Point 7-0 car. 7-23 J. Bowness 3 3. 3 Derene: 6. 6 Blue Bonny; 8, 8 White Cap; 1,2 Brown Derby; 4, 4 Karachi; 7, 7 Lady’Burford also started. Length; length and a half. Derene was fourth. Time, Imin HUTT HANDICAP, Of £1750. One mile. 1. I—YASDA 8-9 W. J. Broughton 1 3. 4—Opulent 8-0 L. J. Ellis 2 2. 2—Gay Stroller 8-2 V. J. Sellars 3 5, 6 Merry Robin; 6. 5 Great Coon; 10, 11 Lord Theio; 8, 7 Lowry Bay; 12, 12 Flahuluk; 4. 3 Matador; 7, 8 Molly Martia; 9, 10 Theiolyn; 13, 13 Big Money; 11. 9 Treasure Tee also started. Neck; head. Molly Martia was fourth. Time, Imin 39sec.