WELLINGTON RACING CLUB

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 4, 5 July 1926, Page 7

WELLINGTON RACING CLUB

FIRST DAY'S PROSPECTS.

Given only decently fine weather this Winter Meeting of the Wellington Racing Club should border on being a record. One is accustomed to highly-representa-tive gatherings at Trentham, but it is doubtfulif the horses engaged have ever come ■ from as far afield before or from such scattered parts of the Dominion. Hardly a horse of any note at all at present really in commission is missing from the lists. During the past twenty-four hours there has been a welcome change in the weather, and, although no really marked improvement can be made to the track in the time, it is sure to pick up a little. Proved mudlarkers, and particularly horses who have won before at Trentham in the winter, should be considered very carefully. The first race will be started at about 11.30 a.m. The Railway Department as usual has made full arrangements for the transport of the club's patrons,-and there will be a frequent train service from Lambton to Trentham. Country race-goers also

have had their convenience studied by the Department. WELLINGTON STEEPLECHASE. The star turn of the day no doubt is the i Wellington Steeplechase. The race promises to provide an abundance of interest, and speculation will take a wide range. Nukumai is not proving a conspicuous success over big . — ces, despite his auspicious start at Haw^_. . Probably on that occasion he caught s^: ? of his opponents well unawares. On anything he has shown since he can be discarded for a race like the Wellington Steeplechase, but it must be said that he might do better on the soft track at Trentham than he has done on the .firmer tracks in Hawkes -Bay. Landbird is very fit and well, but 11.10 is a big weight to carry over three aud a quarter miles on a holding track. Omahu no doubt will be another to show up better in the mud, but some of the younger division are preferred to him. Passin' Through has improved with his racing, but he should be beaten by some of those further down in the list. Tuki may be better at Riccarton. Master Peter, on Hawkes Bay form, has none the best of it with Fireblight, and in addition Fireblight will have a track more to her liking. Unfortunately in her case there is some misunderstanding about a rider. Llewellyn might start the actual favourite. But for his bad habit of running about at his fences he would have a first-class chance, for he looks an infinitely improved horse to what he was at Ellerslie. Bar accidents he will be very hard to beat. Dick is away from his beloved Ellerslie and its pony obstacles. Old Sturdce would have to be respected if the going is at all favourable, but the mud might just be against him. Still, he may be a tough proposition, mud or no mud. Despite the good reports con-

corning Charlatan, he will have to prove himself in this Island before being accepted. Kendal should be one of the best backed horses of the race. A cut-and-come-agaiu customer, he will never be beaten. Highway jumps the big fences carefully and slowly, but his undoubted pace suggests that he might be dangerous. First Lino cannot be at his best yet. Birkenella is another who should be suited better by the Riccartou fences than those at Trentham. Greekson and Lady Comet do not appeal, but Ranui's efforts this season have suggested that he might win a good steeplechase. The two Northerners, Llewellyn and Kendal, should both give a good account of theiv» dyes. For the third, Fireblight would be selected unreservedly but for the_ fact that there is some doubt about a rider. Even as it is she cannot be left out of calculations. WHYTE MEMORIAL HANDICAP. Passionate, with R. Reed up, is sure to be a good favourite, and unless he is inordinately unlucky he should be very hard to beat. On form he appears to stick out. Merry Damon cannot be ignored for all his 10.10, and Tanadees at 10.5 is well, and proved good in the mud at Trentham. Further down Olympic is a possibility, while _ Kilia, from Fordell, will have some friends. Of the 9 stone division, Rapier and Thursby are possibilities, particularly Thursby, who at Auckland showed that he is good in the ground. Passionate, Merry Damon,, and Tanadees may be a likely trio. TRENTHAM HURDLES. The Trentham Hurdle Race will hardly throw much light on the big hurdle event of the third day. Of the pair left at the head of the handicap. Black Cruiser is more reliable than Comedy Prince. The ground will be against San-

tiago, but all in favour of Zircon, whose third in the Great Northern Hurdles would suggest his having a big chance. San Fera, at 10.2, is another possibility. Of those in the second half of the handicap, nothing appeals as much as Cureaform. Indeed, Mr. R. Hannou's black mare if herself should be one of the star performers of the meeting. She is a great galloper in bad ground. Cureaform, Zircon, and San Fera may do best. THE MINOR EVENTS. Some fair and promising horses are engaged in the Vittoria Hurdles, headed by Sottana 10.13. Last year's winner, Glenidle, ran well enough at Ellerslie to suggest being hard to beat at Trentham. Projector's form in the South has been consistent, and if he has improved in the measure reported should show up well with 10.4. Revel is an improved horse with recent winning form. Wedding March, with the handy weight of 9.7, takes the eye of the lightweights, and should take a good deal of beating. Next to Wedding March the chances of Glenidle and Revel appeal most. Rascal no doubt will be a good favourite for the Trial Plate, and probably will justify it if he races up to the promise shown by him in the autumn. If Nassock is produced he should make matters interesting for Rascal, for it is unlikely that he has been brought all the way from Auckland for nothing. Paddon and Schorr have been galloping well in the North, and have something of reputations, especially Paddon. Some of the others may spring a surprise, but the two-year-olds have a good pull at the weights at this period of the year, so that one has to be on the side of Nassock and Rascal. Blue Hall's jumping should stand to him in the First Hack Steeplechase, but Merry Singer has the pace and has shown that he can jump. Eonmark has

yet to race over the bigger fences, but he is shaping very well in his schooling work. He made unite a g oo {\ B ], o -,i n g j n the open hurdle race on the second day at Napier Park. The Stewards' Handicap presents a rare puzzle, and the winner even if favourite, should be at a lucrative price. Hoariri and _ York Abbey are both great gallopers in the mud, but they will be having a new experience racing down a straight six-furlong course. Serang's style of galloping does not suggest his being at his best in soft ground, but he is a class horse. King Lv is another of the Northerners to handle soft ground well. Hoariri and York Abbey are the ones who appeal most, but if Serang can handle the going he should not be far away at the end. A rather mixed lot are engaged in the To Aro Handicap, run over seven furlongs, a decent distance fo. a concluding event, compared with the five furlong scampers which usually end proceedings at Trentham, and which are not by any means a credit to a metropolitan programme. Cat Call and Captain Gazeley are a pair who seem nicely placed, and Llandudno should make amends for his Hastings failure. The Wellington Meeting will be continued on Thursday, when the Parliamentary Handicap will be decided. Handicaps for the two Grand Nationals and the Winter Cup are clue on Tuesday of next week. Musketoon, according to a Northern writer, is showing signs of lameness, and it is possible not much more will be seen of him on a racecourse. A well-bred horse and a rare galloper, he should succeed at ] the stud. In all twenty-two fences have to be jumped in the 26 furlongs of the Wellington Steeplechase, practically a jump to

the furlong. The solid fences are, with the exception of the board one at the top of the straight, all at the back of the course. This is more than neutralised by the first-class condition of the ground down the back, a section of Trentham which stands up to all kinds of weather. It was the only part not to be cut up to any extent during the rigours of last month. A notable defection from the first day at Trentham is Ngahinepouri. The halfbrother to White Comet shaped very Nattractively at Ellerslie, and looked like making his presence felt amongst the hack 'chasers at Trentham. It is understood that there is a possibility of Enare being produced at. Trentham later in the meeting. The chestnut showed good enough form at Wanganui to cause many to keep a look-out for him. F. Davis, at Hastings, said that so far Nigger Minstrel was standing up to his work. It is to be hoped that this really great horse comes right, but there is reason for grave doubt. The two-year-old Clarus has had a short let-up, and has freshened up nicely. He does not appear to be growing much, but is thickening. Clarus was narrowly beaten at his last start, and should be a good proposition for a maiden event in the spring.