FIRST DAY AT WINGATUI

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25738, 25 February 1949, Page 4

FIRST DAY AT WINGATUI

RACING

MONEY LENDER MAY ADD TO HIS RECORD The fields for the first dgy of the Dunedin Jpckey Club’s autumn meeting to-morrow have not, filled well. The fact ti-at the second’; day of:’this meeting, on March 5, falls on the same day as the opening of the Wellington autumn meeting at Trentham accounts perhaps for the smaller Riccarton representation at Wingatui.

Seven horses have been paid up for in the Otago Handicap, of one mile and three furlongs, and Fine Night, Sea Flower and Money Lender, all recent winners, will carry strong support. The other four acceptors. The Denbigh, Magnaform. Royal Sal. and Broie, have little in the way of good recent form and if one of these horses carries the day it will be a surprise.

Money Lender won at his first two appearances in open company on the recent West Coast circuit. ’Though the class may be a little stronger at Wingatui. he will be strongly supported With 'the handy weight of 7-4, and in the small field, he should find it possible to take up a good position in the running, a task lie sometimes found beyond him when carrying big weights in distance hack races. His ability to run out the distance is undoubted and he has given solid performances on firm and soft tracks alike.

Fine Night is at the head of a confined handicap with the handy weight of 8-5. The Nightly five-year-old, whose dam, Palantua, was a New Zealand Cup winner, has shown good form in recent weeks. After running The Grate to half a length in the Midsummer Handicap at Riccarton early this month he finished third in the principal race on the first day of the Gore meeting, after being checked at a vital stage. On the second day at Gore last Saturday he atoned for that failure by winning the Waikawa Handicap from Sea Flower, the first day’s winner at that meeting. Fine Night gave Sea Flower 61b and won by a length when they met last Saturday over a mile and a half.

Sea Flower comes in on 61b better terms to-morrow over a shorter distance, and the small field will be to her advantage. The four-year-old Neptune mare has been handicapped in large fields by her lack of size, but she is bred on great staying lines and her recent performances have been in keeping with her breeding. She traces back to La Fleche, winner of the One Thousand Guineas. Oaks, St. Leger, Ascot Gold Cup and the Cambridgeshire, and the dam of John o’ Gaunt, which ran second in the Derby and sired Swynford. Sea Flower’s third dam, Cinna, has had an enormous influence on breeding in New Zealand through her sons. Beau Pere, Gay Shield, Mr Standfast, Dink, and Balloch. her daughter. Celebrity, and her granddaughter, Sugar CSindy. Sea Flower may again beat Fine Night to-morrow, but she will have to produce a really sound performance to finish ahead of Money Lender, which will be in receipt of 31b. Excellency to Reappear The Autumn Handicap, of seven furlongs, the event for the open sprinters, will mark the reappearance of Excellency, which has not raced since she won the James Hazlett Gold Cup last December, and Frances, which at her last appearance won the Auckland Cup. Their appearance in the field would give the race a touch of class, for there are few more capable gallopers in New Zealand to-day. Excellency has the big weight of ’ 9-10, but she is a brilliant galloper and has proved her ability under heavy imposts. Against a much stronger field than she will meet to-morrow she carried 9-8 into second place behind Da Vinci on a dead track in the Shorts Handicap on the first day of the Wellington meeting last October. She might have won that six-furlong race but for a'check near the post. The distance of the Autumn Handicap is seven furlongs, which may make the task more difficult for the Salmagundi mare under her weight, but her brilliance should stand to her in this field.

Frances has run some of her best races over seven furlongs and at her best she would have to be respected in this field. She has been on the easy list since racing at Ellerslie and she may be in need of the race.. Frances may be preferred in important handicap races at the Wellington meeting, though she has prospects of running into a place in this field. Her bracketed mate. The Grate, is also engaged, but the distance may not be far enough for her. St. Bruno, the New Zealand Derby winner, is a smart galloper, but will not be favoured if the track is firm. ®

The Invercargiil-trained Sea Venture ran third to Sterling Lad and Bonny Royal over six furlongs on the first day of the Gore meeting and was not produced last Saturday. A six-year-old mare by Man’s Pal from a good race mare and successful stud matron in Set Sail, Sea Venture won the open sprint at the Wyndham meeting on New Year’s Day and has raced consistently if without major success since. She may be able to take a part in the finish as she has raced well over seven furlongs. Red Pickle is perhaps past his best as a sprinter, but he ran a fair race at Winton recently and has been working well. The Riccarton-rfrained Cipher has a good tunCtof sj»ed and may set the pace. At hESMast iiafi the Nizami grey dead-heated • with Kirkella in the H. A. Knight Memorial Handcap at Hororata after being one of the leaders throughout. Bath Slipper and General Argosy both have speed, but they may be safely held by horses higher in the handicap. Super Favoured

The imported Nearco horse Super will make his appearance in the St. Andrews Handicap, the mile welter, and although he unaccountably failed over the same distance at the Southland New Year meeting, he will be strongly supported. A brilliant galloper, he needs only to give one of his best showings to win this race. Sea Power won the sprint event at Gore impressively last Saturday and a mile is perhaps his favourite distance. In the event of another disappointing showing by Super, Sea Power may win. Night Fighter won under high-weight conditions at Riccarton this month and he has prospects of getting some of the stake money. Speedy may have the best prospects of the others. Form horsgs are:— 11 a.m.—Taieri Hurdles Handicap: Desert Victory, Bridgehead, Laindon. 11.45 a.m.—Trial Handicap: Dinnyhazer, Robin Redbreast, Chord. 12.30 p.m.—Maungatua Handicap: Baygundi, Gleneagles, Paper View. 1.15 p.m.—Autumn Handicap: Excellency, Sea Venture. Frances. 2 p.m.—Otago Handicap: Money Lender, Sea Flower, Fine Night. 2.45 p.m.—Dunedin Handicap: Sway up, Robinfaye, Silver Clipper. 3.35 p.m.—St. Andrews Handicap: Super, Sea Power, Speedy. 4.25 p.m.—Tradesmen’s Handicap: Zarcon, Royal Lark, Bowling Green.