RACING South Island Horses Have Good Chances At Trent ham

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32032, 5 July 1969, Page 6

RACING South Island Horses Have Good Chances At Trent ham

Kumai and Glamis Lad could be major winners for South Island stables at Trentham today. Mr T. K. S. Sidey’s versatile grey will be high on the list of popular fancies for the $7500 Wellington Steeplechase. Glamis Lad will be trying to emulate the feat of Jay Ribbon, 12 months ago, by winning the Whyte Handicap, the richest race for milers at the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting.

; Kumai is one of few South Island horses to have earned the respect and popularity which Trentham crowds reserve only for champions. J His appearance today will be a major attraction and for many will revive memories of his many notable achievements—both on the flat and as a jumper—on previous winter campaigns at Trentham. ’ If victory does go Kumai’s way—and he certainly looks to have a great chance with 95t.121b, 201 b less than he carried to victory in this race two years ago—he will undoubtedly receive a hero’s welcome when he returns to fcale. Fleeting Moment, a hardy Woodville - trained gelding with plenty of stamina and the ability to handle all types of winter ground, might be the hardest for Kumai to beat Macdonald, a member of

the powerful team of Hazlett- , owned jumpers, will strengthen the possibility of a South Island victory. There will be strong backing also for Falada, the “star” steeplechaser at the Great Northern meeting last month. Glamis Lad has proved on more than one occasion this ' season that he has the abili ity to meet the demands of a hard-run mile at Trentham. His record in two starts at the spring meeting there in October yielded a first and a > second against the strongest ; milers the north could muster. Now he has gone north • again to try for Whyte Handicap honours with an outstanding background of form. The Whyte Handicap will i be the first leg of the T.A.B. concession double. The second leg will be the Stewards’ Handicap, for which the Matamata sprinter, Claudius, is likely to be firm favourite. The Wellington Steeplechase and the Whyte Handicap are not the only races in which South Island horses ap-

pear to have bright chances ing with a victory against the the second, fourth, fifth, sixth today. Istan Light is gener- milers in the Te Aro Handi- and seventh races. ally expected to perform well cap. The weather was fine in for Riccarton stables in the There will be a double for Wellington yesterday. If Mariri Steeplechase, the first on-course patrons on the Ma- there is no further rain—the race on the card, and Bagh- riri Steeplechase and the Wo- forecast is for continuing fine dad Note, from Wingatui, burn Juvenile Handicap. weather—the track will be no might conclude the day’s rac- The jackpot will operate on worse than easy.