MAIN EVENT AT WASHDYKE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27075, 25 June 1953, Page 4

MAIN EVENT AT WASHDYKE

FORMATION MAY BE AN IMPROVER DAN FAVOURED FOR SECOND LEG Formation appears to have a strong light-weight’s chance of winning the Elloughton Handicap, the principal event and first leg of the double at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s second winter meeting on Saturday. In the field for this £4OO race, run over 11 furlongs, are’ Royal Voyage, Vitalogy, Addition, and Brutus, which have engagements at the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting, which will open on July 4. Formation has failed to win in 12 starts this season, but some of his recent performances have been encouraging pointers to his chance at Washdyke. He was a fast-finishing fifth in the Birthday Handicap on the first day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting, and two days later finished a good third in the Provincial Handicap, won by Addition. At his last start, he made up ground for fifth in the Oamaru Winter Cup.

Compared with the Provincial Handicap, Formation will meet Addition on 91b better terms on Saturday, and that gives him a good chance of beating the Wingatui mare. Formation’s chances will brighten if the going is soft or heavy. One of his strongest opponents maybe the Riccarton-trained Ngapunawai, winner of the Timaru Cup the last time he raced on the course. Solid Stayer

Ngapunawai lacks the brilliance necessary for success in strong class, particularly on firm tracks, but he stays well in bad ground. He carried 7-74 in the Timaru Cup and ran the race out strongly to beat Danger Point (7-12) by half a length going away. On Saturday these two will meet on equal terms with 7-13, and there should be little between them at the finish if both race up to their best form. Danger Point was disappointing In the Maronan Handicap at Ashburton last webk. Ridden by an apprentice, he did not get his usual early position close to the leaders. He made a likely move near the half-mile, but faded again, and finished at the rear. This week, Danger Point will be ridden by E. G. Low, for whom he has run his best races. The drier the track the better the Booby Trap gelding should go, but conditions will have to be very bad to stop him from giving his supporters a good run. Royal Voyage, top-weight with 9-3, won the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Birthday Handicap under 8-13, but he was unplaced twice later at the meeting, although there was merit in his sixth in the mile Queen Elizabeth Handicap after a slow beginning. Under a lower scale of weights, he will have to be right at his best. At the weights, though, he may beat Addition, which was no match for him In the Birthday Handicap when she had a pull of 171 b.

Royal Voyage was 221 b above Addition 1 in the handicap when the latter won the Provincial Handicap, and this time the J difference is only 111 b. £ Addition, a sound stayer when given time = to work up to - her best speed, should * still have a chance if she has held her 2 form. | Wai mate Cup Winner r Vitalogy showed ability to win the Wai- ( mate Cup last month. She later ran a t sound fourth over a mile on the final j day of the Dunedin meeting. The best is seen of this Beau Vite gelding in bad 1 ground, and that is probably one reason why he has been nominated for races at J Trentham. Taj won the Oamaru Winter Cup at her * last start. It was her her first success ' since the same race a year earlier, but ’ it was close on a good fourth in the . Birthday Handicap at Wingatui. Having , shown her ability to run the distance out solidly, Taj will have many sup- J porters. Brutus was twice placed at the Dunedin meeting, and showed a return to his ] good form of last winter, when he raced j well in strong fields at Trentham. The best is seen of Brutus under winter conditions, and his performance on Saturday should be a pointer to his chances at the J Wellington winter meeting. Command, a fast-finishing fourth in the Oamaru Winter Cup, may be the pick of the others. It will not be surprising if 1 he is placed under his weight of 7-2. Of . those on the minimum, Tipperary, a place-getter in the distance hack race at Ashburton, may do best. Formation, Ngapunawai, and Taj appeal most in this very open-looking race. Unlucky at Ashburton Dan, unlucky fourth at Ashburton last week, should, with better luck, go close to winning the Seadc-wn Handicap, the second leg of the double. Dan’s clear-cut win in the sprint at Oamaru appeared to be a winning trial for Ashburton, but the Defaulter four-year-old gave ground at the start and then met trouble when attempting to close the gap to the leaders. He ran the race out very strongly and, if he had been better placed for the run home, he would have made Ptolemy work harder for success. Royal Mail, which will probably race at Trentham, has top-weight of 9-9 to master, and the task may prove too difficult unless he improves on the form he has shown lately. Current has been a model of consistency over shorter distances, but he has worked to a place in the handicap where he will not find it easy to concede weight to some useful milers. However, it will not surprise if he is placed. Weight may trouble the front-running What Next over this distance, apd Reformed is at such an early stage of his preparation for staying races that he will not be in popular demand. Lord Lothian, a fair third in the sprint at Oamaru, may be the pick of the others lower in the weights, though that would not have been the case if Battle Ensign, a Trentham candidate, had had more racing. Deploy, a winner over seven furlongs at Wingatui, and Hunter’s Choice, whose third at Ashburton was the effort of an improver, are others which will be well supported in an open-looking race. Lord Lpthian won over this distance at Wingatui earlier in the season. Early prospects are: Dan, Lord Lothian, and Hunter’s Choice.

ACCEPTANCES

WELLINGTON CLUB (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 24. The double on the first day of the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting on July 4 will be on the Whyte Handicap and the Stewards’ Handicap. Acceptances are:— 11 a.m.— MARIRI HACK AND HUNTERS’ STEEPLECHASE, of £800: about two miles and a half.—Master Rich (13) 11-4: Fox Fun (15) 10-12; Pageant (12) 10-6; Happy March (17) 10-4; Ivanhoe (9), Swift View (25) 10-2; Stanjo (21) 10-1; Detention (11), Infatuate (20), Song of India (6) 10-0; Scorpion (5) 9-12; Centaur (18) 9-10; Fairhall Lad (14), Incision (24) 9-9; Windfall (2) 9-8; First Offence (22) 9-6; Bursar (3), Hialeah (1) 9-5; Boyhood (23) 9-3; Royal Spur (8) 9-2; On Probation (4) 9-1; Glenfayle (10), Rappel (19) Regal Gold (7), Sharland (16) 9-0. 11.42 a.m.— VITTORIA HACK HURDLES, of £800; one mile and three-quarters.—Pym’s Pride (19) 10-6; Exchequer (13) 10-1; Livre d’Or (18) 10-0; Silver Charm (11) 9-12; Sapper (14), Sylvan (2) 9-11; Brenin Aur (1), Master Red (15), 9-9; Amber Glow (10), Wellfield (24) 9-8; Bambton (20) Viewfield (8) 9-7; Brab (16) 9-6; Miss Wynyard (7), Reproof (12) 9-5; Amiens (21), Leighford (5) 9-4; Double Scholar (22) 9-3; Canadian (6) 9-2; Beau Brun (17), Boleigh (23), Chivalrous (9), Copyright (4), Prim Lady (3) 9-0. 12.25 p.m.—

TRENTHAM HURDLES, of £1500; one mile and three-quarters.—Coppice (15) 11-1; Peter Ora (12) 10-11; Gay Spion (6) 10-6; Cogitation (5) 10-0; Tower Clock (4) 9-12; Lord Manna (14) 9-11; Abba (8) 9-10; Clyde Bridge (13) 9-9; Chief Justice (11), Gwyn (1) 9-8; Colonel Argosy (17), Luminous (10), Ryeland (16) 9-7; Shangola (7) 9-5; Cabana (9) 9-3; Profane (3) 9-1; Follow Suit (2) 9-0. 1.10 p.m.— WHYTE HANDICAP, of £2250; one mile.—The Wake (21) 9-11; Pierre (3) 9-9; Himiler (11) 9-4; Great Peter (24) 9-3: Keith (13) 9-1; Diablo (18), Milwaukee (28) 9-0; Cartaphilus (20), Lord Moss (12), Sanford (19) 8-13; Beau Coeur (1), Meravia (16), The Laird (26) 8-12; Royal Mail (9) 8-10; Spiron (7) 8-9; Golden Coronach (17) 8-5; Topmast (10) 8-4; Argument (25), Highland Lassie (22) 8-3; Kettledrum (27), Tenerani (15) 8-2; Snow Saint (4), Vitalogy (2) 8-1; Hello Pam (14), Pretty Beau (5) 8-0; Major Neptune (23) 7-13; Brutus (3) 7-11; Stellaway (8) 7-7. 1.55 p.m.— WELLINGTON STEEPLECHASE, of £3500; about three miles and three furlongs.—Dural (13) 11-7; Savile Row (8)

11-1; Bandmaster (10), Hormond (14) 10-8; Dunwold (11) 10-6; Mr Thunder (4), Tabor Islet (9) 10-5; Gay Echo (2), Medieval King (1) 10-0; Martial Song (16), Tory (12) 9-13; Fairhome (17) 9-12; Robin Redbreast (18) 9-11; Personality (19), Prince Aga (20) 9-10; Endowed (15) 9-6; Money Lender (6), Repayment (3) 9-5; Jimmy Woodser (5) 9-2; Pepper (7) 9-0.

2.40 p.m.— WOBURN HACK HANDICAP, of £750; seven furlongs.—Sure Swift (14) 9-0; Duke of York (20), Herengawe (11), Tesla (29) 8-13; Clarinet (10), Deodar (8) 8-12; Quantico (5) 8-11; Direct Passage (2) 8-10; Diadema (22), Sparkling (19) 8-9; Durham Chief (1), First Degree (9), Rosie O’Grady (24), Shining Script (16) 8-8; Captain Evans (17) 8-7; Kentucky King (23) 8-5; Hushah (15), Pandit (6) 8-4; Fortnight (30), Lady Daring (27), Fharoah’s Castle (12), Vai’s Boy (28) 8-3; Foghorn (7), Usher (21) 8-2; King Halyard (18), Koistar (4) 8-1; Cool Air (25), Elsie Mary (3), Exclusive (13), Warm Air (26) ’B-0.

3.27 p.m.— STEWARDS’ HANDICAP, of £1200; seven furlongs.—lsisford (27) 9-12; Dixie (6) 9-11; Sporting Ken (1) 9-5; Young Beau (19) 9-4; Berne (8) 9-3; Goldseam (2) 9-0; Johnny Peep (23) 8-13; Baraden (10) 8-12; Admirable (28), Foy (3) 8-10; Gallant (22) 8-9; Adula (29), Red Star (11) 8-8; Persian Valley (13), Reuter (14) 8-7; Delayed (26) 8-6; Gay Chance (21) 8-5; Lord Milling (20), Lucky Strike (5) 8-4; Bosky (17) 8-3; Lovelace (24) 8-1; Anvil Song (9), Cash (12), Country Style (7) Empire Princess (25), Lady Dalefield (15), Lord Balloch (16), Pirate (4), Pretty Gold (18) 8-0. 4.15 p.m.TE ARO HACK HANDICAP, of £800; one mile.—Good Abbot (4) 9-7; Blackfellow (1) 9-4; Cotswold (15) 9-0; Whakapau (10) 8-12; Optician (16) 8-11; Precious Lady (8) 8-9; Gold Braid (2) 8-8; Ballast (11), Dilbury (6), Special Problem (5) 8-7; Monaro (17) 8-6; Ambrose (13), King’s Pal (19) 8-4; Calm Quest (20), Rutillant (7) 8-2; Fair Magic (14) 8-1; Bay Star (9), Beniamino (12), Border Reiver (3), My Bobs (18) 8-0. Second Day Acceptances on the second day are:— TRIAL PLATE, of £750; seven furlongs. —Ballet Girl (9), Brown Pixie (8), Castle Queen (4), Fiction (2), Horiwia (19), Kai (3) Lucky Instinct (13), Navaho (10), Red Amber (5), Sassenach (14), Silver Plate (6) Silver Rudder (22), Tassin (16) 8-11; Plinlimmon (18) 8-4; Careless Hands (24), Devastator (20), Dollar Grand (23), Full Rate (21), Judy Gregor (30), Lucrative (27), Miss Beulah (7), Ptarmigan (25), Rexdale (11), Saboteur (26), Shamita (12), Sir Galahad (1), Solo Courage (29), Tarai rua (17), Teresa Gamba (28), Triple Royal ! (15) 8-0.