ORTHODOX IN FORM

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26119, 23 May 1950, Page 7

ORTHODOX IN FORM

RACING

PROSPECT FOR RACES AT WINGATUI Orthodox galloped his way into early 1 favour for the Birthday Handicap at the Dunedin Jockey Club's winter meeting when he won the Elloughton Handicap at ' Washdyke on Saturday. It was the Sir Galloway gelding’s first winning run In 15 starts this season, but his encouraging i form at Riccarton and Ashburton made I him one of the outstanding form candi- ' dates in the field.

He had six horses in front of him at the straight entrance on Saturday, and when he started to close the gap to the leaders outside the furlong he was hampered by lack of room.

Meanwhile Terminate was galloping boldly wider out, and he appeared to have excellent winning prospects until Orthodox got clear near the half furlong. Orthodox was quick to reach top speed after he had forced a way through, and he soon put the result beyond doubt.

Orthodox is a five-year-old brown gelding by the Paper Money horse Sir Galloway, one of whose best winners has been the speedy Swayup. Orthodox’s dam, Taieri Maid, was foaled in 1927, but she was not tried as a breeding proposition until 1938, when she was covered by Royal Bank. The produce, a filly, died. Her 1939 foal, .whose sire was a Clydesdale stallion, died, and in 1942 her foal by Irish Lancei' was born dead. Orthodox is the first living produce of this Tractor mare, whose dam, Bon Maid, was by Boniform from Waimate Maid, by Artillery from Miss George, by St. George from Martyr, by Daniel O’Rourke from Raupo by Diomedes. This is the Manto family, which has more brood mares than any other family in the Stud Book, while its number of winers of important races is also in excess of any other family.

Terminate was decisively beaten by Orthodox, but he should be an early winner for Messrs T. D. Jarman and A. J. McLaughlin. The Finis gelding had to cover a lot of ground from the half-mile to make his challenge, and he was still running op well at the finish. He is a halfbrother to the promising two-year-old Argonaut, being the first produce of the Foxbridge mare Wild Fox.

Wild r'ox is a half-sister to Wild Chase, the best member of the New Zealand branch of the Azalea family. Wild Chase won the New Zealand Derby, Canterbury Cup, New Zealand St. Leger, Dunedin Cup, and Awapuni Gold Cup as a three-year-old, and a number of other good races as well. Being by Finis from such a well-bred Foxbridge mare, Terminate has a lot to recommend his chances of reaching top class as a stayer. Clyde Bridge was always handy to the leaders, and he battled on well for third a length behind Terminate. The Foxbridge gelding ran second to Resolute over a mile at Ashburton, but he had not distinguished himself over longer journeys. The Invercargill candidate, Great Bid, a recent graduate from the hack ranks, was solidly supported, being second favourite in the field of 19. He made a fast move from the half-mile to be one of the leaders on the heme turn, but Orthodox, Terminate, and Clyde Bridge finished a little better than him over the last furlong. Great Bid handles winter conditions well, and he will be a light-weight prospect in the main handicap at Wingatui in June. Of the unplaced horses. Money Lender gave the most encouraging performance. He was well back in the field for the first mile, and when closing the gap to the leaders he was cheeked by the tiring Western Front. After getting balanced again he finished brilliantly for fifth. Money Lender's mission on the first day of the Dunedin meeting will be the Otago Hurdles, in which he has 10-3. He may race in the main handicaps later at the meeting, but will return to hurdling again at the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting in July. Personality was a firm favourite on Saturday, but he never held a winning position, finishing tenth, just behind Frances, which made up a little ground in the run along the back but could not get within challenging range. Jumpers at Washdyke Although the Washdyke fences took heavy toll of the jumpers in the Pareora Hack Steeplechase on Saturday, the four horses which mastered the country provided one of the most interesting finishes of the day. Showing stamina and gameness, Sphere carried top-weight of 11-5 to a good win from the fast-finishing Cloister, with the Riccarton candidates, Periwig and Light Tea, filling third and fourth places. Sphere, a nine-year-old gelding by Valkyrian from Turnover, was fortunate to stay on his feet when Liquidate fell in front of him at the second of the stand double with a round to go. He joined Light Tea in front near the five furlongs and competed the two miles and a half journey solidly. He was vigorously ridden in the run home by E. P. Corboy who. temporarily, is a left-handed stick jockey as a result of an injury he suffered to his right arm in a fall at Ashburton. Cloister jumped better than he did at Ashburton, but he lost valuable ground in the mix-up after Liquidated fall. He was still six lengths fj?m the leaders with three furlongs to run. but he finished solidly to head off Periwig for second and to run the winner to two lengths. Periwig nearly blundered at the second of the stand double the second time round; otherwise his jumping was fairly good. He looked likely when he challenged Sphere racing to the last fence, but he weakened near the furlong.

Light Tea jumped as w 11 as any other I runner, but he does not seem to be over endowed with stamina. Saxonia’s Ability In Saxonia, Mr E. B. Rawlings appears to have a high class galloper in the making. For sheer merit the Probation gelding's win in the Claremont Hack Handicap at Washdyke on Saturday stood alone. In a field of 20, Saxonia was well out of his ground entering the last three furlongs, but with a brilliant finishing burst over the last furlong lie got up to beat Happy Hunter by a head. It was Saxonia’s second win. and it confirmed the promise of his fast-finishing third in the Eiffelton Hack Handicap at Ashburton after losing several lengths at the start. Bred at Napier by Mr R. Lowry, Saxonia was offered as a yearling at the Trentham sales, but was passed at 225gns. He was later purchased by Mr Rawlings. He is by Probation from the Chief Ruler mare Coronilla, dam also of the winners Coronacc and Gold Rock. Coronilla was from D’Oro. a sister to the great Desert Gold and Nigger Minstrel. Other good winners from this, the Instep family, have been Gold Rod, Gold Trail, Veiled Threat. Rakanui, Columnist. Langue d'Or, Courtship, Karachi, Indian Dawn, and many others. Success as Hurdler Rhine Lord, winner of the Tekapo Hurdles at Washdyke on Saturday, is a half-brother by Siegfried to Royal Lancer. which won the New Zealand Cup in 1942. His three starts over hurdles have produced two wins and a fourth. On Saturday Rhine Lord was always well placed in a race during which positions changed rapidly. He did not jump the second last hurdle well, but recovered quickly to take charge early in the run home. Strongly challenged by Tring over the last furlong, he ran on gamely to win by a length. Allowing for some improvement from his recent racing, Rhine Lord should run well in the Otago Hurdles at Wingatui on June 3. Moonsail Sold The Salmagundi gelding. Moonsail, has been purchased by the West Coast owner, Mr K. J. McLaughlin, from Mr H. D. Greenwood. Moonsail has shown promising form in hack distance races this season. At his last start lie ran third to Sylvan and Watchword in the Chatmos Hack Handicap at Ashburton.