RACING NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 127, 31 May 1935, Page 6

RACING NEWS

(BY "KAN

, THE OTAKI MEETING

RACING ON LEVIN COURSE

TOMORROW'S FORM REVIEW

From the standpoint of Wellington racegoers the most important of the King's Birthday fixtures opening tomorrow will be the Otaki Maori Racing .Club's Winter Meeting, which this year will be held on. the Levin course, owing to improvements that are being effected to the Otaki track. Excellent fields, averaging better than last year's, have paid up for the first day, and the racing should be of a" high standard. Several horses are engaged who may be winners Of some of the more important winter events later, on, so their showings should be well worth witnessing.

The recent rains will have made the track soft, but the going is unlikely to be sp heavy as it often has been at Otaki in the winter. There are present prospects for better weather overhead, unless a southerly change should come up. The totalisator will operate under the sighle-pobl system, with two dividends in fields of five or more starters. . The usual transport services will be in operation. Trains are scheduled to leave Thorndon at 8.18, 8.55, and 9.20 on each day, returning after the races. The card and prospects are as follows:—• 11.30 TARARUA BACK HURDLES HANDICAP. £90; •; 1% miles. Esteem ...... 11 2 Arctic Star .. 9 0 Diamond ....10 1 Minos 9 0 Air Laddie' .. 9 12 Affliction 9 0 Salt Spray .... 912 Count Willonjx 9 0 The form horses for the Tararua Hack Hurdles are Esteem, Diamond, and Air Laddie, and on Dannevirke running and their present difference in weight the improving Diamond maybe a likelier prospect than Esteem, who was hard pushed to win last Monday with 71b more in his favour over Diamond than he has now. Air. Laddie seemed to be going. well when he fell alongside Diamond at the sec-ohd-to-last fence on the first day at Woodville, so he too must be a good prospect. Salt Spray's form on the flat must give him a fair novice's chance, and Arctic Star ran like a possible early improver at Hawera. Bettors may choose Diamond and Esteem. 12.10 . ; KUKU MAIDEN RACE, £,60; about 6 furlongs, Jlerltor 8 10 Sporting Song . 8 10 Count Terry -8 10 Roussillon 8 10 Earl Colossus . 8 10 Kia Tina .... 810 -Garter Bed .. 8 10; EKa Tere ..... 8 10 Eptheoa .... 8 0: Popette .... 8 10 Nigbtluss ;.. 8 0: The Image .. 810 Pomposity .*.. 8 0,. Form is mainly conspicuous by its absence in the Kuku Maiden Race. Sporting Song's second at Hawera may be the best of it, as he was promising earlier in his career and should be at home on a soft track. Terry, who is trained on the track, has possibilities about her, and Count .Roussillon, better ridden than at Blenheim, might be harder to beat. Eka Tere, Popette, and Nightlass are others who have shown up on occasions, and Meritor is a fresh horse after a lengthy spell Who has better class about him than most of the field. Favoured runnerspromise to be Sporting Song and Terry! (or Count Roussillon). , . ; 12-50' . ' .' ' :'■' ■ -.-.' .■' '.' -WAITOHU HACK HANDICAP, £80; 6 furlongs. Acceptable .. » 3 Popette* ;.;.. 7 0 I.ebut ........ 8 2 Enif :; ? 0 Cold Mission . 8 9 Golden " State Bank"-.-.- 8 5 -■'' Enterprise 7 0 . Happy Bunting . 7 4. Merry Buler . 7 0 Vlvlenne ~... 'T 3 , There are several form horses in the Waitohu Hack Handicap, with the first (four on the list appearing to hold the strongest claims. Acceptable was disappointing at Tauherenikau, but he looks to have done well • siiice and he will appreciate the. few, pounds-oil his back. Debut is speedy and consistent, but he now meets Acceptable- on 131b worse terms: than when he beat him a place on the final day at Wairarapa, and this may be too big a gap to bridge. Gold Mission and State Bank were both winners at Egmont and are solid sorts. Happy Hunting has been consistent without winning, and Merry Ruler and Enif are possibilities- off the minimum. A pair who should show up are Acceptable" and State Bank (or Gold Mission). ■ 1.35 ■ -:- .■■ -:■ "• '.-•;■ ■•'..• RAUKAWA CUP HANDICAP. £208; VA miles. ... Might ...... 9 0 DaTistOck ... 710 -Walton P«k .84 Trlshaa ..... 7 9 Lady Ronald . 8 2. Lapel ....... 7 3 1 Chief Marionette 8 1 Gainsfld 7 3 All the eight acceptors in the Raukawa Cup have form recommendations, but Might stands out in class" and at 9iO he should take a lot of holding back, for .with the same weight he recently won the Sockburn Handicap at Riccarton and then was favourite for the Great Autumn.'his last start. v Lady Ronald and Davistock appeal as his most formidable opponents, as they can. finish stoutly, but if Chief Marionette were paraded sound she also would require consideration. None of the field can really be left out of the count, but the best form may be that possessed by Might and Davistock (or Lady Ronald). 2.15- ■■■'-.■ OTAKI HACK HANDICAP, £80; 1 mile and . . • distance. ' . ■ Kurapae .... 9 0 Hunting Bag . 8 4 Aussie Ra- ... 8 8 Lord Moutoa .82 Tupurangi ..8 4 Boudoir ..... 8 2 Gay Boy- ....; 8 4 Transact ..'.. 7 8 They are a useful lot of staying , hacks in the Otaki Hack Handicap, and the issue is perplexing. As-winner of the Champion Hack Handicap at Wangahui Kurapae demands notice, but he has made a fast ascent* in the weights, owing to the different quality of the field, and he will find thorns in some of the more lightly weighted runners, such as Hunting Bag, Boudoir, Aussie Ra, Tupurangi, and Lord Moutoa. Boudoir's forward showings at Woodville may make her favourite, and perhaps Aussie.Ra and Hunting Bag will be more formidable opponents at their weights than the topweight, with Tupurangi, on her day,' also a menace. The public may select. Boudoir and Aussie Ra. 3.o;;" ■ ' ' ' HBIA HANDICAP, £110; 6 furlongs. Croupier .... 9 0 The Tiger ... 711 Diatomoua .. 811 Bodyline .... 7 2 Refresher ... 8 0 Hunting lodge 7 0 Cottesmore ..7 12 Naraho .... 70 ..There is a good sprinkling of recent winning form in the Huia Handicap, and it is possible that it will.prove paramount. The topweight, Croupier, returned to the winners' list at Tauherenikaui and he has class and'ability to handle heavy ground that will stand i him in stead. Diatomous' is another speed merchant, but he will require to give the lie to his Wanganui efforts. Refresher and The Tiger have' been recent winners who also go well on .soft tracks, and Cottesmore may do better than he did at Hawera, where he was not conspicuous till the close. The likeliest outsider may be Bodyline, who has been "knocking" for some time. Good efforts are probable from Croupier and Refresher. 3.45 TH HOBO BACK HANDICAP, £80; 7 furlongs. Alby 9 4 Whetuma ...» 8 4 Boyalßanuuet 810 Vlnco ....... 8 0 Leprechaun ..8 9 Joy Stick ... 8 0 Ethlop 8 8 Chatalgne ... 8 0 Arctic King ... 8 5 Cyclopean ... 8 0 : The Te Horo Hack Handicap should be an even Betting race, for there are numerous possibilities, the only ones who might be excluded on form, in the probable absence of Vinco, being those on the minimum. Alby did not run quite up to expectations at Woodville, but though he won at nine furlongs at Hastings he looks a more likely sort at seven furlongs. On

IATIBA.")

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Woodville running Leprechaun may be sent out favourite, but the Wanganui place-fillers, Ethiop and Arctic King, will also be backed, with Whetuma, though fresh, also a prospect, as he goes well first up. Two who may justify their support are Leprechaun and Arctic King (or Alby).