TROTTING Chance For Finestra In Washdyke Sprint

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28530, 8 March 1958, Page 7

TROTTING Chance For Finestra In Washdyke Sprint

Finestra is expected to return to winning form in the Wai-Iti Handicap, the main sprint race at the Timaru Trotting Club’s autumn meeting at Washdyke today. Finestra was a decisive winner in a similar race on the course in January, but he was relegated to fourth because of interference.

In the meantime he has had two starts, finishing an unlucky seventh at New Brighton after covering extra ground, and losing his driver when beaten with two furlongs left in the Geraldine Cup. He looks well placed on the front today and should be the hardest to beat.

Stellar gained a most impressive win in good time at Orari on February 22. She is on the front again, in this race, and should be prominent. She will be bracketed with Reticent, a capable pacer on his day. Ponty, a place-getter at Washdyke in January, is a useful sprinter and, if he races up to his best, he may be placed. If mere is to be a surprise, it may com? from the Bruce Walla mare, Surie Queen, - a splendid fourth from 36 yards in Stellar’s race at Orari. This week she will start from the front. Kokomo, Catamaran, Night Owl, Signet King and Spring Chat are others expected to show up, but they will find it hard to catch. Finestra, Stellar and Ponty. Should Win Highland Heath, which has finished second in his last two starts, should graduate from maiden company in the Seadown Handicap. He should run out the two miles more solidly than most of his rivals and it will be surprising if he is not prominent. Split Pin and Queen Bourbon both raced well for placings at the Marlborough meeting in January and they, could do best of the others, although Royal Britannia, Russley Boy and Marengo may show up. Pagliacci, a decisive winner at Orari last month, should go close to repeating that effort in the Salisbury Handicap. The half-

brother tq Dancing Years and other winners is a speedy pacer and the extra distance today should not trouble him. Siberia has raced well in recent months and he is due for a win. He has trained on impressively for I). J. Campbell arid it will not be surprising if he wins. Fox Able could upset calculations if he can overcome his handicap of 36 yards. He won well over one furlong less ground at Hutt Park last week and with a reasonable run he should be close up. ' Schemer, Fontenoy, Elsinore and Jackaleen may also be prominent. The double will be run on the Timaru Handicap and the Washdyke Handicap. Maharaja, Cassado and Macklin are selected to fight out the finish to the first leg, which has drawn a strong and even field. Mountain Brigade, Feurth Edition, Dinnie Daley, Responsive and Parable are others expected to race well. Fox Able, Toronto Boy and Whippy Dillon should do best in the second leg, in which Canteen, Toka Boy, Shantung and Radar may be hard to beat. The weather has been fine at Washdyke and the track should be in splendid order. Selections are:— 11 a.m.—Claremont Handicap: Rock ’n’ Roll, Lucie Manette, Thumberllna. 11.40 a.m.—Salisbury Handicap: Pagliacci, Siberia. Fox Able. 12.25 p.m.—Timaru Handicap: Maharaja, Cassado, Macklin. 1.10 p.m.—Seadown Handicap: Highland Heath, Split Pin, Queen Bourbon. 1.55 p.m.—Timaru Nursery Stakes: Blue, Adroit, Cheam. 2.40 p.m.—Washdyke Handicap: Fox Able, Toronto Boy, Whippy Dillon. 3.25 p.m.—Temuka Handicap: Dalmatian, With You, Mighty Brigade. 4.15 p.m.—Wai-Iti Handicap: Finestra, Stellar, Ponty. The fields are:— CLAREMONT HANDICAP, of £240; trotters; 3min 56sec class; one mile and three-quarters.—Attract (6), Beau Clair (2), Fallacious (13), Guiliano (12), * Karingal (10), Kauranui (11), Lineal (7), Mungo (8), Nimble Grattan (4), Rock ’n’ Roll (3), Super Craft (9), Thumberlina (14), Tribune (1), Van Cheetah (5) scr; Lucie Manette (1) 36; Delight (2), Front Rank (1) 60; Coming Down (1) 84. Bracket: Mungo and Lucie Manette.

SALISBURY HANDICAP, of £290; 3min 52sec class; one mile and threequarters.—Allard (7), Derry Air (5). Elsinore (9), Final Say (1), Firebell (13), Fontani (16), Fontenoy (14), Jackaleen (3), Josie Gay (12), Kawa (10), Lady Attack (11), Pagliacci (6), Rimu Lass (16), Schemer (4), Siberia (2), Tony’s Cobber (8) scr; Fox Able (1) 36.

SEADOWN HANDICAP, of £240; 4min 53sec class; two miles.—Allanah Marie (11), Belfast Lady (7), Blue Shawl (3), Captain Bob (10), Dora Young (1), Guid Nicht (14), Highland Heath (2), High Mark (13). Idle Jack (20), Kilkerry (5), Marengo (19), Our Bridget (16), Putna (8), Queen Bourbon (7), Royal Brittania (4), Russley Boy (15), Split Pin (9), Stay Bright (17), Tara Bank (18), Welburn (12) scr. TIMARU NURSERY STAKES, of £750; two-year-olds: one mile and a quarter.—Adroit (2), Ardena (4), Ayrland (9), Blue (14), Ceremonial (11), Cheam (15). Chelsea. Lady (1). Court Out (10). Fair Loan (16), Laurona,(7). Laika (13), Prince (8), Smokeaway (3), Stormlea (6), Wendy Charles (12), Smokey Diamond (5) scr. Bracket: Laika and Stormlea.

TEMUKA HANDICAP, of £300: trotters: 3min 53sec class: one mile and a quarter.—Home Mail (3), Isidores (5), Mighty Brigade (4), Simplicity (2), Super Cloud (1) scr; Captain Spider (1), Dalmatian (4), Great Caution (7), Happy Haven (2), Kilty Lad (3), Procrastinator (8), Rapuwai (6), Suntrap (5), 24; Alight (2) Coming Down (3), Judear (1), With You (5), Wraith (4) 48; Honora's Last (1) 60; Glengallan (1) 84. WAI-ITI HANDICAP, of £460; 2 min 51sec class; one mile and a quarter.—By Pass (1), Catamaran (14), Finestra (6), Fyvie Queen (2), Kokomo (3), Lord Mackworth (5), May Hall (12), Night Owl (4), Ponty (8), Sextant (11). Spring Chat (9), Stellar (10), Surie Queen (13), Zetland (7) scr; Adoration (4), Gold Light (1), Reticent (2), Signet Ring (3) 12; Commander Spangle (2), Kingsdown Grattan (1) 24.

TIMARU HANDICAP, Of £1000. 4min 33sec class. Two miles. 0000 Kelso (2) .. .. scr 0332 Mountain Brigade (4) .. scr 0034 Parable (3) .. .. scr 0003 Single Derby (1) .. ..scr 2310 Dinnie Daley (1) .. .. 12 0220 Fourth Edition (2) .. 12 0100 Gold Moana (5) .. 12 2201 McGimpy (4) .. ..12 1310 Maharaja (8) .. ..12 Pointer (3) .. ..12 0240 Responsive (7) .. ..12 0300 Spaxton (6) .. ..12 0001 Cassado (3) .. ..24 1100 Macklin (2) .. ..24 0000 Victory Nelson (1) .. 24 0003 Banjo (1) .. .. 36 2240 Ricochet (1) .. ..48 0000 Scottish Fair (2) .. ..48 4201 Rola Veyor (1) .. ..60 0003 Don Hall (1) .. ..96

WASHDYKE HANDICAP. Of £340. 2min 54sec class. One mile and a quarter 2010 Fox Able (6) . scr 0400 Canteen (2) . scr 0300 Radar (5) . scr 0000 Toka Boy (1) . scr 1042 Toronto Boy (3) . scr 0000 Battle Fling (6) . . 12 0000 Cobina (5) . 12 0030 Drioli (2) . 12 0 Gold Deoro (7) . . 12 200 Light Blue (1) . i 0300 Shantung (4) 12 .0000 Troian (8) ’ . 12 0202 Whippy Dillon (3) . 12 Scratched: Gay Polka.