RACING Sparkler Fancied In Wingatui First Leg

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29008, 24 September 1959, Page 4

RACING Sparkler Fancied In Wingatui First Leg

It may be a case of youngest being best in the Grandstand Handicap, the first leg of the T.A.B. double at Wingatui on Saturday. The four-year-old Sparkler, the youngest in the field, is expected to make a successful switch from sprinting to middle distance racing.

Sparkler is a powerful Panair-Golden Trinket gelding owned by . Messrs R. S. Glendining and D. M. Reid, two stewards of the Dunedin Jockey Club, and trained at Wingatui by D. P. Wilson. >

He made steady improvement with racing last season, and his peak effort in the hack grade was an easy win over a mile and a half in the Autumn Plate at Riccarton in April.

He won over a mile and a quarter at Beaumont in his last race as a hack. After a spell he made a quick impression in open company when brought to Ricearton for the Grand National meeting. There he started his campaign with a second in the Paparua Handicap, seven furlongs. His other race at the meeting was the mile August Handicap, in which he was second to the brilliant Admiral’s Fair.

Sparkler ran against the sprinters at Wingatui last Saturday and came from near the tail of the field for fifth about two and a half lengths from the winner.

Form Runner Sparkler has 7-10 in the Grandstand Handicap. Top-weight with 8-4 is the Invercargill-trained Recluse, the runner-up to Demolish in the corresponding race on the first day. That was Recluse's second race after a spell, and some improvement will be hoped for and can be expected. Apart from Recluse only -Master David and Captain Hunt ran in the middle distance race last week.

Master David was one of the tail-enders and it seems likely that he will need more racing yet.

Captain Hunt was the Ranfurly Handicap fifth. He was alongside Recluse starting the last halfmile, but his finish was not nearly as strong.

Kelp, McCool and Royal Warrant will be other Riccarton represenatives, and Lightning Boy is a Washdyke-trained newcomer at the meeirng.

Kelp's latest race was at Ashburton, where he was seventh over this distance. His preparation had been interrupted by colic a week’ or two beforehand, and he will probably show something better this time.

Kelp was fifth to finish, and he was later promoted to fourth, in the Islington Handicap on the final day of the Grand National meeting. He stays well and his run under 7-8 might not be easy to match. Lightning Boy did not go at all well on the second day of the Ashburton meeting, but he was a good third to Purser and Jesse Owens on the first day and before that was a winner over 11 furlongs. Sprint Form McCool was one of the strongest finishers—he was sixth—over six furlongs on the first day of the meeting. It was his first race since last summer, and it is problematical whether he is now ready for one of his best staying runs. McCool's best is very good, but this race might find him above himself in condition.

Royal Warrant will probably be

one of the lesser lights unless the track is soft or heavy. Demolish and Royal Chant, which were first and third respectively in the race for stayers on the first day of the meeting, will switch back to sprinting in the Federal Handicap, the second leg of the double. Demolish and Royal Chant have now met twice this season, and the honours go to Demolish. Their first meeting was in the seven furlongs Wingatui Handicap at the Otago Hunt meeting. Demolish won with 8-3 and Royal Chant was third under 9-8 Strong Finisher. Royal Chant was the faster finisher, but a slow start probably cost him victory. Royal Chant will meet Demolish 51b better this time and he might come out on top this time. Marsana separated Demolish and Royal Chant at the Otago Hunt meeting, his late run just failing to carry him past the Gore galloper. Marsana will oppose them again, and might again be in one of the contending positions if the track is slow or heavy. On fast tracks he is inclined to get too far out of his ground early.

Ben Ledi aryl Subside will be two form runners from H. A. Anderton’s Wingatui stable. Ben Ledi was third over six furlongs last Saturday, and Subside was sixth against the middle distance performers after leading to the straight A victory for one of the lightweights could come through the efforts of the light-weights Search Warrant and Kelton. Search Warrant has been once third and twice fourth in his last three races. One of his fourths was over six furlongs on the first day of the Dunedin meeting. He was a solid finisher from the middle of the field and will manage the longer distance just as competently.

Kelton graduated to open class with a win at the Grand National meeting. He was running out hack nominations when he ran third under 9-6 over a mile at the Otago Hunt meeting.