FIELDS FOR WASHDYKE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25310, 9 October 1947, Page 4

FIELDS FOR WASHDYKE

\ RACING

TRENTHAM candidates ENGAGED

With the exception of the Otaio Hurdles, the fields are well filled for the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s spring meeting at Washdyke on Saturday. Twenty-three of the acceptors have been nominated for the Wellington spring meeting which commences the following Saturday, and form will be followed with particular interest. Horses engaged in the open events at Trentham will not incur any rehandicap for winning at Washdyke on Saturday. Royal Tan is the only one of the field in the Teschemaker Handicap engaged atTrentham, and if he is to have any chance of winning one of the major handicaps there he should not have any great difficulty in disposing of the moderate class opposed to him on Saturday. The reappearance of the brilliant Blue Trout will give an added interest to the Flying Handicap, in which Cipher, Revolte. Clyde Bridge, and Stagestruck are all Trentham candidates. It is difficult to say that Blue Trout is better than as she raced as a two-year-old only, but she may be all the better for not having raced as a three-year-old. She is now a solid and muscular mare and has thrived on her /'work. She also works quietly when required, and if she remains sound she should reach a high plane as a sprinter. Cipher may not be in Blue Trout’s class, but he will not be out of place in most sprint fields. Revolte is engaged in both the ‘mile Wainui Handicap and the Shorts Handicap at Trentham. The little Revelation gelding may be hardly ready to run a mile against the best, while 1 the biggest difficulty in the Shorts Handicap may be to secure a suitable rider for him at the weights. Stagestruck and Clyde Bridge would not appeal at Trentham, but are useful on their day. The Taiko Hack Handicap has drawn one of the strongest fields of hack sprint ers seen at a provincial meeting, for some time. Relampago, Qronoko, “Citril, Kite High, Broie, Maka Maka, Ballochbuie, Soar, and Make Good have all been nom* inated for Trentham.

Desert Gold Stakes Candidates Citril, Ballochbuie, Maka Maka, and Soar are all candidates for the Desert Gold Stakes. Citril appeals as being better class than the other three, but slie has had a slight interruption in her preparation. She galloped well last Tuesday morning and a race will benefit her considerably. Ballochbuie and Maka Maka Maka have not raced since they won their respective divisions of the Haldon Stakes at the Hunt Club’s meeting at Riccarton in July, but both have got through some solid work since. Soar has had two races this season, but has shown no form. She is a promising galloper, but a hard mare to get condition on. The top-weight, Relampago, is at his best on heavy tracks. Oronoko remains in the Wellington Guineas and will be making his first appearance for the season.

Oronoko showed good form as a two-year-old, winning twice, and with normal age improvement may make a very useful three-year-old. Make Good raced on the West Coast circuit last season, where his form was only fair. He is destined for a hurdling career. Broie is another promising three-yeai-old and has the size to carry weight. Kite High showed promise when hd won two races last spring, but hissubsequent form was disappointing. He ran third at Geraldine at his last start, and although still a light-fleshed sort, may become more solid this season. In the Kerrytown Hack Handicap Bay Fort is a Wellington Guineas candidate and Invest is engaged in both the Guineas and the Desert Gold Stakes. Another runner in Fading Light has been nominated for the hurdle races on the second and third days. Bay Fort won the Nursery Handicap, at Trentham last January. With the benefit of two races this season he is due to show some improvement, and may be a strong candidate for one of the hack races at Trentham.

Invest shows promise, but*she is a very big filly and may not be at her best until later in the season. In the Longbeach Hack Handicap at the Grand National meeting, her only start this season, Invest was running on in seventh place, and will be better suited by the mile journey on Saturday. If she is ridden by her trainer, L. J. Ellis, on Saturday, Invest will have to carry about 41b over-weight. Before she was put to hurdling, Fading Light showed promising form on the flat and she still gallops well enough to win a “hack race. In the Spring Stakes, Confidence Trick, Leadership, and Footlights have been nominated for the Trial Handicap on the second day at Trentham, restricted to horses that have not won a race pr races to the value of £TOO to the winner. Both Confidence Trick and Leadership have been placed this season and the former is distinctly promising. A win for one of these three in the Spring Stakes would render the winner ineligible to start in the Trial Handicap it Trentham. A win for Wane in the Otaio Hurdles would not render him liable to rehahdicap in the Glen Hurdles at Trentham. In the latter race he is weighted at 9-7, a stone less than he has on Saturday. Foreign Ways is engaged on the second and third days at Trentham and no doubt his showing in this race will decide whether he will make th© trip.

Sensational Finishing Run Welcome Guest put up an outstanding performance to win the H. A. Russell Memorial Handicap at Hastings last Saturday after being checked at the halfmile and sent back to last. He was still last,'and in a seemingly impossible position into the straight, but made a sensational finishing run to win going away by half a length. Welcome Guest has always impressed as a horse likely to make a top class stayer. He showed great promise as a. three-year-old last season, and like several of the stock ,of Royal Chief, he has taken time' to come to his best. This season he is likely to make his presence felt in the big handicaps and may show considerable improvement in the next few months. Built on the same solid lines as Bruce, the best of Royal Chief’s progeny to date. WelcomeGuest also has strong staying blood on his dam’s side. His dam, Clarenceuse, is a halfsister by Clarenceux to the hardy stayer. Count Cavour, winner of the New Zealand Cup, New Zealand Derby, and the Great Northern Derby. Over More Ground

Glen Cona was finishing on when he got up to dead-heat with Royal Anne in the Novice Handicap at Wingatui last Saturday and is to be tried over a mile in the Kerrytown Hack Handicap at Washdyke on Saturday. Glen. Cona started to lighten up a little at the end of last week, but he raced satisfactorily and has done well since he returned home." He has improved with each of his three races to date, and if he shapes satisfactorily over a mile on Saturday he may be prepared for the New Zealand Derby. Glen Cona is a three-quarter’ brother to Weld Cona, which finished sixth in the New Zealand Derby in 1944 af ter receiving a bad check in the middie stages of the race, and was narrowly beaten by Night Robe in the Otaio Plate, of one mile and a half at the same meeting, Broiefield being in third place. Weld Cona won two races as a four-year-old and looked like going on to good handicap form, but was unfortunately fatally injured while playing in his yard. Glen Cona is built on the same generous lines as Weld Cona and it will be no surprise if he develops just as good form. Sore In Shoulder

Card Money has been sore in a shoulder since ne fell in the Juvenile Handicap at Wingatui last Saturday. The trouble does not appear to be serious and *¥ s £? mer ’, G - s - Ba rr, is hopeful that Kincardine colt will be able to race a * rhe New Zealand Cup meeting next month. Card Money drew an outside position at the barrier in the McLean Stakes and finished tenth. He was just m behind the leading bunch when he fell last Saturday and was going well enough to suggest that he would have been well at the finish. Meets Weak Field I

Wane meets a weak field In the Otaio Hurdles at Washdyke on Saturday, and if the going is at all firm the big Defaulter gelding should not have much difficulty in disposing of the opposition. He has x ?L ve to . Forei g n Ways, the winner of the Wakari Hurdles at Wingatui last Saturday, but at that difference should have the latter’s measure unless the track is soft Yesterday morning Wane was S?-,, oo l ed over six hurdles in company with Kill Fast,- but the latter was not much use to him as he eased up going into each fence ano practically pulled up at the fifth, leaving Wane to go on alone. ExS ep L,! hat he ot i n a little close at the fourth fence. Wane jumped well, but would have gone better with a mate that could jump with him. Shin Sore

C. B. Dawson did not start Finigin in the McLean Stakes because the colt was suffering from shin soreness, but with the easing of the going at Wingatui, Finigin was given his first race experience in the Juvenile Handicap last Saturday. He jumped out well and trailed the leaders to the straight, but had a rough passage over the first furlong and a half, and it was through him being checked that Card Money got on his heels and fell Finigin came home well and finished fifth. His next appearance will probably be in the two-year-old handicaps at the New Zealand Cup meeting. Poor Showing Hakim was always struggling at the rear of the field in the Grandstand Handicap at Wingatui last Saturday, and as he finished nearly 100 yards from the deadheaters, Boolamskee and Lord Dundonald. his display was far. from ‘encouraging. Hakim has always been regarded as being best suited by heavy going, and under such conditions won the Wellington Handicap at Ute Wellington spring meeting last year. Later he ran fourth in the New’ Zealand Cup. He has been nominated for

the principal handicaps at Trentham this month, but it will be surprising if he is an acceptor.

Profitable Purchase Foxella, winner of the Rere Nikitipi Memorial Handicap at Otaki last Saturday, has proved a profitable horse for his Trentham owner-trainer, Mr C. Ferguson, who purchased the gelding last season with the intention of making a hurdler of hirp. In his new ownership. Foxella has registered a first, a second, and a third, and has won £755 in stakes. Riding tactics played a major part in his success last Saturday. He slipped the field with three furlongs to run, and though it appeared that he would weaken as he turned for home, ’he responded again and won by three lengths. Foxella is a seven-year-old gelding by Foxlight from the imported mare, Revinella, the I dam also of Gay Corrie and Revinach, a winner in Australia. Several of Foxlight’s progeny have shown jumping ability, and as Foxella 4s at his best in bad ground, he should have prospects of success as a hurdler. North Canterbury R.C, Nominations for the North Canterbury Racing Club Meeting at Rangiora on Labour Day, October 27. 1947, close at 5 p.m. on Friday, October 10. 1947, with the Secretary, P. J. Byrne, 193 Cashel street. Christchurch. —Advt. Banks Peninsula R.C. Entries Entries for all events at the Spring Meeting to be held at Motukarara on Saturday, October 25, will close at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s office, at 5 p.m. To-morrow. * —Advt.