RACING Waikato Trainer Too Late For Accepts

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 4

RACING Waikato Trainer Too Late For Accepts

The Waikato ’chasers, Braemar and Ringlock, will arrive from the north this morning, but neither will be able to run in the Homeby Steeplechase at Riccarton on Saturday. J. W. Winder, the Cambridge trainer of both horses, missed the acceptances for the Christchurch Hunt meeting by about 25 minutes.

The club’s secretary (Mr R. W. Nurse), who had unsuccessfully tried to get in touch with Winder by telephone during the day, pointed out that under no circumstances could he take the acceptance after 4 p.m., the advertised closing time.

Braemar and Ringlock were: two of 13 horses booked to; cross from Wellington on last, evening’s steamer express. ; Included among them were; four horses from I. Robinson’s ■ team. This Matangi owner-! trainer, who has made several i successful “raids” at Riccar-; ton, will be represented at the Christchurch Hunt and Grand National meetings by; Quenby Hall, Captain Rebel, ! Fiving Swift and Wonder. Quenby Hall, this season's: Waikato Steeplechase winner,; will have her first race over the Riccarton country in the Homeby Steeplechase. Her main mission on the trip will be the Grand National Steeplechase, a race which Treasure Ring won in the Robinson colours in 1955. The other members of the Robinson team will also begin their Riccarton campaigns on Saturday. Flying Swift will contest the Lawford Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase, Wonder the Longbeach Hack Hurdles and Captain Rebel the Kennels Hack Handicap. Although it could not be confirmed it is understood that Musketeer, last year’s Homeby Steeplechase winner, and Royal Duty, which was successful in the New Zealand Derby on his last trip to Riccarton, were also on last evening's steamer express. Musketeer will be trying for his second successive Homeby Steeplechase win on Saturday and Royal Duty begins a fresh campaign among the open sprinters in the Brabazon. M. J. Burridge, who trains Musketeer, will also be represented at Riccarton by Matauenga. an acceptor for the Longbeach Hurdles on Saturday. Royal Duty will be accompanied by his two-year-old stablemate Excite. This We Don’t Know-Agitate filly will have her first race in Saturday’s Haldon Stakes. Both Royal Duty and Excite are members of S. McGreal’s Otaki stable. The Awapuni trainer. T. H. Knowles, is due at Riccarton later today with the Brabazon Handicap candidate Noranda and Count Lin, which is engaged in the Homeby Steeplechase. Knowles crossed from Wellington to Picton yesterday on the Aramoana. He and the horses stayed overnight in Blenheim. Trip Abandoned The Woodville trainer, E. Ropiha, has abandoned all plans to campaign Lei and three other members of his team at the Grand National meeting.

Ropiha yesterday sent a telegram cancelling the bookings he had made some weeks ago for horse-boxes and accommodation for the- horses’ attendants.

Ropiha told “The Press” yesterday that he had intended making the trip but he did not consider Lei forward enough yet for a hard race like the Winter .Cup. a race she won last year’. “It’s a long way to come and you have to be fairly sure of getting the expenses at least,” he said. The other horses Ropiha intended to bring beside Lei were Chesterman, Hug and Thone. Hung In Badly The next time Silver Kingdom goes to the races he will be tried in a different type of bit in an endeavour to stop him from hanging. Silver Kingdom was an expensive failure in the Kennels Intermediate Handicap at Washdyke on Saturday. He was the each-way favourite and the popular fancy for the second leg of the double but his tendency to hang-in during the race cost him all chance. Each time J. R. Dowling brought Silver Kingdom

land improve his position the horse ducked back in. Because of this he could not be ridden out for fear of checking other runners. Silver Kingdom ran I straight and true at his first I start from R. B. Taggart’s stable on the same course I three weeks earlier. But on that .occasion he had a railsjrun behind the leader all the way and did not have to leave the fence at any stage. Apparently Silver kingdom i had previously showed a tenI dency to hang in his races when trained in Otago. May Be Gelded If Apache’s form does not; : sharpen in the next week or I I two it is likely that he will ibe gelded after the Grand! : National meeting. There is no doubt about! I Apache’s ability for his best) efforts have been marked by; I some brilliant finishing runs. But his recent race-form has been a cause of concern for his Riccarton trainer, V. D. Clutterbuck. He is inclined to put Apache’s lapse down to the fact that he is still an entire. Apache’s two recent runs 1 against the open sprinters at Trentham this month convinced his trainer he was 'not trying hard. “Each time he looked like making a run he would find a gap behind some other runner and duck “into it,” Clutterbuek said. In i'both of those races Apache ‘finished right at the back.