SOUTHERNERS HOPE FOR GOOD FOOTING

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31975, 30 April 1969, Page 4

SOUTHERNERS HOPE FOR GOOD FOOTING

Every Post, winner of j the Nelson Cup last Fri- < day for his Christchurch i owner, Mr J. D, Gregan. ' will be one of the first of • the South Island horses ' on hand for the first day | of the Wellington May meeting. ' __ . . < 1

He crossed from Picton to Wellington yesterday anj should have plenty of time to settle for his engagement in the Gloaming Stakes on Saturday. N. Eastwogd, who was the successful jockey in the Nelson Cup, will again ride Every Post at Trentham. Every Post’s connections share with other South Islanders the hope that the ground is good for Saturday’s feature race at Trentham.

“He is a bit stronger now than when he ran indifferently on a soft track earlier in his career, but we are still hoping for good footing, Mr Gregan said yesterday.

Gav Gabador and Narcotic are other Gloaming Stakes candidates which are at their best when the ground Is on the firm side. Because of this, the connections of these horses will be anxious to learn by tomorrow how the track Is likely to "roll out" for Saturday. The Wellington correspondent of "The Press" reported yesterday that the Trentham track had been easy for the lone gallop there that morning. The Southland-owned. Wlnga-tul-tralned Gay Gabador was

left at Riccarton after his win in the Great Autumn Handicap, but his trainer. A. E. Didham. was at Riccarton yesterday to supervise his gallop with Narcotic on the trial grass. Gay Gabador (Sanderson) and Narcotic (Hunt) stayed together to the end of their mile in Imin 44 2-ssec. but Gay Gabador did not act well on the rain-affected track. Later the Riccarton stablemates. Aconite and Pango. recorded Imin 43 3-ssec for a mile. They finished on terms with their stablemate. Displease. which joined in near the seven furlongs and was respon. sible for the pacemaking. Pango did well to come from last at the half-mile. She was at a disadvantage in the weights with her trainer, D. J. Thistoll, up. J. A. Messent will ride Aconite in the Johnsonville Hack Handicap at Trentham. GOOD FINISH

Baghdad Note. D. R. Tucker s mount tn the Miramar Hack Handicap, one mile, at Trentham on Saturday, did not

make fast time for half a mile, but he impressed when he cleared out from AH Mac and won the gallop by three lengths in 53 l-ssec.

Baghdad Note, a winner in Sydney last year, has had three starts in New Zealand this year for two seconds and a fifth. He should now be seasoned for a solid mile.