RACING Kumai Will Be An Attraction At Oamaru

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 6

RACING Kumai Will Be An Attraction At Oamaru

Kumai’s performance over country at Oamaru on Tuesday could determine his programme at the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting next month.

Kumai is being switched back to jump* ing after a campaign on the flat at the Dunedin winter meeting where he was fifth in the Birthday Handicap, and second in the Provincial Handicap, won by Tundra.

Kumai had his first test as a 'chaser at the Southland club’s meeting on April 30 and ran third to Castle Rock and Runty. He did not show the jumping speed to allow him to capitalise on his pace on the flat and was beaten off, but he has made steady progress with schooling in the meantime.

If he continues to improve with schooling and racing Kumai should be a formidable rival for the other jumpers at Trentham. Great Record

Mr T. K. S. Sidey’s Kurdistan gelding has a magnificent record in ■ major winter handicap races at Trentham. He won the Winter Oats in 1962, 1963, and 1964, and the Parliamentary in 1962 and 1964.

Last year he was switched back to hurdling after failing to win his fourth Winter Oats, and won against hack hurdlers at the South Canterbury and Christchurch Hunt meetings before being placed in the Grand National Hurdles. Kumai has 9-8 in the Burnside Steeplechase at Oamaru. He is 71b below the topweight, Tidal Rip, which has made steady improvement with recent racing and was runner-up to the Washdyketrained First Watch on the final day of the Dunedin meeting. Tidal Rip is from the powerful Winsloe stable, which will be strongly represented by Tundra in the Oamaru Winter Cup. Tundra’s strongest rival in the cup will probably be Kumai’s stablemate, Castle Gregory, which paid £lOB Is 6d and £24 2s 6d when he won the Queen Elizabeth Handicap on the second day of the Dunedin meeting. The Riccarton jockey, D. N. Hadfield, whose successes

on long shots—Castle Gregory was one of them—provided one of the features of the Dunedin meeting, will ride Underwood Lass in the Oamaru Winter Cup. Hadfield will also ride Hawkins and Mystery Cloud, both last-start winners: and Baloney and Standard Time. The successful Riccarton apprentice, J. A. Messent, will ride Cobble, Donnaway, Durable, and Tracy’s Comet. The former Riccarton lightweight, N. Eastwood, will come from the North Island to ride White Rajah in the Oamaru Winter Cup. Other riding engagements include:— A. J. Stokes: El Beka, Morrisy, Belloringa. A. Swanson: William David.

B. Edens: Skye. E. G. Lowe: Summer Lad, Tsunami, Steve’s Hope, Jan’s Joy. B. Stechmann: Sabell. G. W. Mein: Sandbank, Bonanza Boy, Corrie Gilpin. OAMARU JOCKEY CLUB WINTER RACING MEETING TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 198 S Hurdles, Steeplechase, Flat Events. Two Doubles. FIRST RACE 11.30 AM. —Advt