WOODLACE'S IMPROVEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 21, 25 July 1934, Page 6

WOODLACE'S IMPROVEMENT

Until he -won the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase at Flemington the week be : fore last, Woodlace had had an undistinguished record. He was bred at Widden in 1927 bj' E. L. Baillieu and A. W. Thompson, and he was so little fancied as a yearling that Mr. M. P. Reid was able to purchase him for only 110 guineas. He did not win a race in his first two seasons, and was then' acquired by 11. Butler, who about 20 years ago rode over hurdles in Adelaide.' Butler put him to jumping, but he had to wait a long time for success, as:it was not until the gelding was nearly five years old that he won his first race over, hurdles. Woodlace's initial successes came at the Adelaide Birthday Cup Meeting last year, when he won both hurdles races. Later lie finished second to Shavian'in' the Grand National Hurdle Race in Adelaide last August, but the following week fell in the Grand National Steeplechase. Last Easter he was second, to JKenjin in-' the Great Eastern Steeplechase at.the Onkaparinga Meeting, and on the last day of theJßirthday Cup Meeting on June 4 he won the steeplechase. Then he went to Melbourne for the Grand National Steeplechase. On the second day of the meeting he,won the Steeplechasers' Flat, and that brought h)in into the reckoning'for the Grand National. Woodlace descends from Royal Favour, a mare imported by Messrs. Clive and E. L. Bnillieu about 30 years ago and raced by them with little success. She, however,; made amends .at the stud,, as she was the dam of several smart horses, among them being King's Bounty,' who won several good races for Mr. James Wilson, including the Toorak Handicap, Coongy Handicap, and Bourke Handicap. Straitlace, the dam of Woodlace, was a h*alf-sister by the Australian Cup winner Almissa to King's Bounty.