RACING BUNYARRA GOOD PROSPECT

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28937, 3 July 1959, Page 4

RACING BUNYARRA GOOD PROSPECT

Whyte Handicap At

Trentham

Bunyarra, one of the stars of the winter racing at Trentham a year ago, is selected to win the Whyte Handicap on the first day of the Wellington winter meeting tomorrow.

Bunyarra was runner-up to Reconvey in thf Whyte Handicap and then won the Members 1 Handicap on the second day of last year’s winter meeting.

Bunyarra won the Awatea Handicap on an easy track at Trentham last October, and was put aside for a summer spell not long after.

The Whyte Handicap will be the fifth race on Bunyarra’s precent campaign. His preparation has been designed to have him at his best for racing on his favourite course. And he. showed something like his best at Hastings last Saturday when he ran fourth under 9-13 over seven furlongs. J. W. Harris will ride lunyarra which has 9-3 and will be giving weight to all but Lorica and Indian Mars.

Closest to Bunyarra in the handicap are Golden Luca and Juventas, both on 9-0. Golden Luca was Harris's mount when, at his last start, he ran fifth over seven furlongs at the Manawatu winter meeting.

Juventas was third in the Whyte Handicap last year. This season she has won two races, both at Riccarton. She won the Islington Handicap over a mile and a quarter at the Grand National meeting, and the weight-for-age Canterbury Cup over a mile and a half at the Cup meeting. Her last race was on June 1 at Wanganui, where she wag a fast finisher for fourth over 6 and a half furlongs . -

Won Last Year The Levm-owned and trained Reconvey is one of the renowned mudlarks in the field. He won this race last year with 8-7 and has 8-13 this time. If track conditions deteriorate by Saturday Reconvey will come into a place of favour. But as conditions are at present he will probably be at fairly generous odds. There are capable winter performers in all parts of the handicap. Two last-start winners In the. field are Disarm and Melody Man. and they are both in the bottom part of the handicap Disarm will be a second repre* sentative for the powerful I Matamata stable of C. and B. 1 Davis. * S •• A year ago DiSßtnf* <’oagithft Stewards’ .ng day of the Wellington wwer meeting. He carried 8-9 that Jay In the meantime he has won three races and he has 8-6 m this field. He has done most of his racing aver distances short of a mile, but was a stout finisher for his win aver seven furlongs at Hastings. Disarm will be ridden by D J. □ Sullivan. He might take beating. i

Melody Man has won lour of ns last six races and many will feel disillusioned about Awapuni torn) if be fails to put up a show in this field. Last start he beat 21 others over * mile and a quarter on a heavy track at the Manawatu winter meeting.

Zohov and Reconvey were the minor place-getters, and Diadochi and Foglia d'Oro were among the beaten lot. Two starts ago Melody Man was third to Nine □ays and St ’ Reynard at Wanganui Three in Succession

He won his last three races as a sack and was once placed in his four races before those three wins. ■

Melody Man is a four-year-old /elding by Oman, which is siring some consistent and hardy performers. He is trained at Wood* ville by P Burgess and will be ridden by T. J Rudd • Any marked deterioration in the weather and the going could De followed by a stiffening in the form of Peterford, another with a very .good record at Trentham. Peterford is a third member of the Davis team from Matamata He will be ridden by J T. Anderson. South Island representation will be left to the Riccartont rained Prince Filou and the Wingatui-owned and trained Believe Me.

They have had light racing programmes this winter. Both should improve on weak runs in the Donald Grant Memorial at Wash dyke last Saturday. But substantial improvement will be necessary. Second Leg Domitare and Switzerland may dominate the finish of the second leg, the Stewards’ Handicap. They are two class sprinters in the top part of the handicap, well capable of giving away lots of poundage to some rather moderate performers close to and on the minimum. Domitare has seldom failed to run well in big sprint races at Trentham. He was runner-up to Yoho in the Stewards’ Handicap two years ago and beat all but Kirklea over seven furlongs on the final dav of the winter meeting a year ago. so he has proved his ability in bad ground, and under big weights. Domitare was the unplaced win

favourite in the sprint at Hawera .last week, but there was an excuse for him: he slipped at the start and was soon hopelessly placed. The last time he ran ait Trentham Domitare ran the brilliant Fountainhead to half a length over seven furlongs. Domitare carried 9-2 that day. only 41b less than the winner. Domitare has placed form under big weights in the meantime. . u . .

Switzerland has not raced slnoe January 1 when he ran second to Conkers King at the Wairarapa meeting. Not long before he had beaten King of Joy. Gold Medal, and other good gallopers over seven furlongs at AwapUni. ' • Censtetent Switzerland was one of the consistent campaigners at the Wellington spring meeting last October. With better luck he might have won at least once As it was he ran third to Savage and Summer Glow in the Wainui Handicap and third to Goudvink and Warwick in the Nainai Handicap.*. - The leading trainer. G W ! B Greene, will saddle Fitnah and Beau Way. Both will have solid northern backing. Fitnah is at four-year old Moorcock mare from Pheroz Girl which had exceptional ability over sprint distances on the heaviest tracks Beau Way has seldom failed to make an impression in past campaigns at Trentham He beat some smart hacks there in January, and he showed he was entitled to some ranking among the three-year-olds by running into a minor place in the Great Northern Derby. There will be much enthusiasm, if Peter Willonyx wins this race. This big bey, now nine, has been the “personality horse ” of winter meeting® at Trentham for several has ran jamy good races. "<■» 2»° ba<-a«es. under, gftat as one of the mud Champions The Trentham crowds like Peter Willonyx, and enthusiasm will run high if J H. Hely cap land the Hello Peter gelding a winner The looser the ground the better Peter Willoayx will go. Fair Merit? ran at Hastings on an interrutted preparation He showed ability in successive Wins at Te Aroha'and Te Rapa a little earlier in the year, and is ekpected to improve the good record of the Davis stable on the course North Islanders regard the Hastings winner Sarina as one of the best prospects lower in the weights. 4. i