Lady Hodgen looks fit for Rangiora

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34021, 10 December 1975, Page 8

Lady Hodgen looks fit for Rangiora

Lady Hogden advanced in favour for the Rangiora Cup on Saturday week when she was successful at the Methven trials yesterday. She made most of the pace and looked to win with plenty in hand. She paced the 2600 m about five metres out from the rails in 3:37.25ec, a splendid run considering the strong northerly wind which swept the course. Lady Hodgen was not ati top over the last 800 m in l:3.6sec, and she won by two lengths from True Fortune, another candidate for the Rangiora Cup. Then there was a break of six lengths to Cushla’s Dream, which made up ground to shade her stablemate, Eagle Dale. Lord Burlington, Lumber

Belle, Tuahiwi Kiwi and Tennessee raced attractively in two heats for horses assessed from CO to C2. Tuahiwi Kiwi looks ready to make a bold showing in the Town and Country Handicap, the second leg of the T.A.B. double at the Waimate meeting on Saturday. Fancy Dick was the only youngster assured of a start in the Golden Slipper Stakes to parade in the two heats for two-year-olds. He was one of three starters in the second heat, After leading early, he was steadied in behind Seafield Majesty. There was little pace on until the last 300 m, with Fancy Dick finishing solidly along the rails to shade his rival by half a head. He took 2:23.65ec for his last 1600 m, the final 800 m in l:7.ssec. The other heat was won by Carnival King in 2:14.75ec, the last 800 m in l:6.6sec. Carnival King led after 200 m and held on well to beat Lord Septimus by half a length. The halfbrother to Jacquinot Bay and Graduand was slow early and did well to finish so close to the winner. Watbro Blaze, blocked for room inside the last 200 m, was third, ahead of Roan Del and Master Ayr, which was close up.

Fine trotter The futility of showing form at trials as a guide to programme committees when fields for totalisator meetings are selected was shown when Western Approach once more was successful in his race. It was his fourth successive win at trials, but this promising trotter was given the second right of re-entry in the C. D. Wilson Memorial Handicap at the Waimate meeting on Saturday.Yesterday Western Approach showed that he was in line for an early win when he beat Jumbo quite easily in 3:46.45ec for the 2600 m, the last 800 m in l:4.4sec, a splendid run in the windy conditions. Robert Hodgen, a candidate for the Waimate meeting, went pleasingly for third, ahead of King Kyle. The second heat was won

in convincing style by Del Renown in about 3:40 for the 2600 m, the last 800 m in 1:6, Del Renown looks to be coming right back to peak form. Aka Boy trotted boldly to take second from Question Mark, which did well for a maiden trotter. Avalon Lord, an early breaker, showed speed to finish fourth, ahead of Omray and Buckingham, which is now being trained at Tinwald by Hugh Donaldson. Buckingham trotted a good race and should be much improved as a result.

No horses proved capable of recording the required qualifying time. The six heats for pacers and one for trotters were run when the wind was at its strongest. The best time among the pacers was 3:24.65ec by Koromiko Lass, a member of Bill Bradley’s team at Aylesbury. A four-year-old mare by Brad Hanover from Twig, she did well to win after a slow beginning. Results:—

PACERS' QUALIFYING TEST RACE, 2400m—First heat: Lady Lana It G, Middleton 1; Tendu It T. May 2; Terrace Frost It E. Cowie 3. Eight started. Two lengths, 10 lengths, half a length. Bebe Salute fourth. Time: 3:25. Second heat: Koromiko Lass it W. Bradley T; Adios Away It K. Townley 2; Ghinty It M. Smolensk! 3. Ten started. Two lengths, length, 15 lengths. Pancho Lopez fourth. Time: 3:24.6. Third heat: Oroton It J. Nordqvist 1; Forest Way It S. Miller 2; Valiant’s Brother It D. Townley 3. Seven started. Length each way. Brown Boa fourth. Time: 3:26.6. Fourth heat: Star Del It F. Newfield 1; Chevas Regal It T. Behrns 2; Sly One It C. McLachlan 3. Eight started. Length, two lengths, neck. Inca’s Gold fourth. Time: 3:27.6. Fourth heat: Donna Ann It 11. Henderson 1; Special Garrison It K. Wells 2; Hugh Gee It J. Wells 3. Nine started. Neck, length, length. Sabre Queen fourth. Time: 3:28.8. Sixth heat: Speedometer It J. Smolensk! 1; Metro Creek It D. Jones 2: Bronze Boa It H. Henderson 3. Nine started. Neck, two lengths, two lengths. Mighty Play fourth. Time: 3:28.8.

TROTTERS' QUALIFYING TEST RACE; 2400m.—Durban Direct It K. O’Reilly 1; Forever Poplar It R. Morris 2; Motu March It M. Flaws 3. Thirteen started. Three lengths, length, six lengths. Royal Mate fourth. Time: 3:37.2. TWO-YEAR-OLDS; about 1600 m. —First heat: Carnival King It K. O’Relll-y 1; Lord Septimus It L. May 2; Watbro Blaze it C. Devine 3. Six started. Half a length, length, length. Roan Del fourth. Time: 2:14.7. Second heat: Fancy Dick It G. Middleton 1; Seafield Majesty It D. Townley 2; Antrim Hanover it C. Middleton 3. Only starters. Half a head, five lengths, Time: 2:23.6.

CO TROTTERS; 2600m.—First heat: Western Approach It L. May 1; Jumbo It H. Lowe 2; Robert Hodgen It F. Bebbington 3. Eight started. Length and a half, four lengths, 10 lengths. King Kyle fourth. Time: 3:46.4. Second heat: Del Renown 60 J. Nordqvist 1; Aka Boy It K. O’Reilly 2; Question Mark It J. Ferguson 3. Eleven started. Two lengths, neck, two lengths. Avalon Lord fourth. Time: 3:40. CO PACERS (B-grade); 2600 m—- . heat: Harlem Cherie It D. Townley 1; Plutus it G. Laing 2; Flight Annbro It S. Henderson 3. Tw-elva started. Length, length, neck. Lopez Duenna fourth. Time: 3:39.6 lone qualified). Second heat: Time To Go It D. Townley 1; Jimmy Gordon It G. Middleton 2; Exterminator It C. Middleton 3 Ten started. Four lengths, six lengths, length. Halbanken fourth. Time: 3:37 (one qualified). CO TROTTERS (B-grade); 2600 m. —Wee Leigh It D. Townley 1; Aussie Day It C. Newton 2; Zalman King It A. Fenwick 3. Seven started. Four lengths, .two lengths, six lengths. Cyclone Lad fourth. Time: 3:46.6 (three qualified).

CO TO C2 PACERS; 2600 m—- . heat: Lord Burlington It P. O’Reilly 1; Mojo It D. Jones 2; Lumber Belle It T. May 3. Fourteen started. Two lengths, head, head. Majestic Globe fourth. Time: 3:44.8. Second heat: Tuahlwi Kiwi 50 L. May 1; Tennessee 30 T. McMillan 2; Chase Me 30 J. Ferguson 3. Eleven started. Tw’o lengths, half a length, half a length. Mystery Gap fourth. Time: 3:42.6.

FREE-FOR-ALL; 2600m.—Lady Hodgen It P. O’Reilly, jun., 1; True Fortune It J. Ferguson 2; Cushla’s Dream It S. Miller 3. Six started. Two lengths, six lengths, length. Eagle Dale fourth. Tims: 3:37.2.