RACING S.I. horses range far afield

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32430, 17 October 1970, Page 8

RACING S.I. horses range far afield

Susan Jane might be a major winner for South Island stables at Trentham today.

Messrs H. P. Belsham and H. P. Hayward’s brilliant Battle Waggon filly will be R. J. Skelton’s mount in the Shorts Handicap. Luck went against Susan Jane and Skelton in the Dunedin Guineas a fortnight ago. Under the circumstances her fourth in that event was a meritorious performance. Today the speedy Wingatui filly will be going six furlongs. If the breaks go her way the best of the northerners are likely to find her a very formidable rival in the

i Wellington Racing Club’s $3OOO sprint. Although Wellington Guineas’ honours have eluded South Island three-year-olds since 1961—Burgos’s year—there are high hopes that the Invercargill - trained colt. Stormy Seas, will earn some of the prize-money in today’s $7OOO classic. Quetta and Meldie, members of J. L. Barr’s Riccarton stable, might both help to improve the South Island’s tally. Quetta is one of the form runners in the Wellington Handicap, first leg of the T.A.B. double, and Meldie is

one of the acceptors with last-start form credentials for the second leg, the Wainui Handicap. Outside of the Wellington meeting, Canterbury and Otago racing fans’ main interest will probably centre on the running of the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne. Every Post, from G. D. Lee’s Riccarton stable, and the Wingatui-trained Baghdad Note will both be chasing the honours in the Victoria Amateur Turf Club’s $55,000 event this afternoon. The Geraldine Racing Club’s meeting at Orari is also bound to generate a fair amount of local interest. Time and Time, from Riccarton. and Lloyd, which is trained on the course, are generally expected to combine successfully in the principal races there. Racing fans in the far north will be able to concentrate on the second day of the Whangarei or the Bay of Plenty Racing Club’s meetings, while the Stratford meeting will cater for fans in the Taranaki province. The principal fare for trotting fans will be the Forbury Park meeting tonight. The main interest there will be the clash of several New Zealand Cup contenders in the Hundred Pipers Handicap. For those who prefer to stay closer to home to watch trotting there will be the equalisator meeting at Spotswood.