SURELLA ABOUT DUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 108, 8 May 1937, Page 22

SURELLA ABOUT DUE

WHANGAREI CHANGES DAYS

(Special from "Early Bird.")

AUCKLAND, May 7. Surella was taken through to Hawera this week to fill-his engagements there on Wednesday and Saturday of next week. The big chestnut was in excellent order when he .left Ellerslie and if the going does not prove his undoing he should win on. the trip. He has been racing very consistently of late without winning. / An interesting change in race days was tried this season by the Whangarci Racing Club, which hitherto raced on a Thursday and Saturday. Postponement' of the opening day last spring caused the club to race on tne Friday and Saturday and so popular was this move with local people ana visitors, not to mention owners ana trainers, that the autumn fixture was also staged on a Friday and Saturday, with outstanding success once again. The Whangarei Racing Club has applied for Friday-Saturday dates for its two meetings next season, in November and April, and it is a lead that might be followed to advantage by other clubs. Friday and Saturday in Whangarei are late shopping ana holiday days respectively. SPEARCOURT'S PROMISE. Spearcourt won so well over the sticks at Whangarei that there will be more than ordinary interest taken in his next outing, which will be at P.ukekohe or Te Awamutu next week. His winning effort at Whangarei stamped him as likely to do well over a distance, for he was running on easily the. best of the field at the post. He is not engaged in the Great Northern Hurdles, but he may pick up a minor stake at the meeting at Ellerslie and he ma.y be a good prospect next week. Judged on the way he won over the hurdles on the second day of the Auckland Autumn Meeting, Killadar should be a good horse to follow in coming races over the sticks, although as the stake he won in the hack event was worth £200 to the winner it placed him out of this class and he will therefore have to contest open hurdle races from now on. He has already arrived at Te Awamutu for next week's meeting, and, considering the company he is meeting, he has plenty of weight to carry; •' He is a good stayer and this is possibly one of the reasons why he should make good as a jumper and also explains his nomination for the Great Northern Hurdles. ' With plenty of rain having fallen in the Auckland Province during the past month it looks as if real winter going will be in evidence at the Great Northern fixture next month, and also at Te Rapa, but the turf at both Pukekohe ana Te Awamutu next week may not be so sodden owing to the nature of Lhe ground.; It is interesting to note that that fine mudlark Greek Gold is due in the north again, for he was expected to race at Hawera and then go on to Te Rapa and Ellerslie. The going at Hawera should 'suit him, for this track gets pretty heavy; at this time of the year and it.provides good winter going.. He should pay to follow on this trip. Ellerslie has been a happy hunting ground for him in the past. Horses that could be regarded as possibilities in so far as winning both Great Northerns is concerned are Tudor, and Clarion Call, but with them the weight may be the deciding factor, for at Ellerslie in' real winter going the lightweights have an advantage, and both horses named will have solid imposts to carry. Handicaps for these events, also the Cornwall Handicap and for the first day at Te Rapa, will not be declared until after the first day's racing at Hawera. ' WINDSOR LAD'S REAPPEARANCE. Windsor Lad" is ttf make his reappearance as a 'chaser at the Bay of Islands fixture at Pukekohe next Wednesday, Coronation Day, and in view of his .brilliant form early last winter his effort will be followed with the closest interest. He is a dashing fencer and the easy obstacles and flat country will be in his favour, this applying also'to the races at Te Awamutu the following Saturday. Windsor Lad is also engaged in similar events at Te Rapa and the big cross-country races at Ellerslie. His third in a hurdle race at Ellerslie six weeks ago indicates that he should be fit by now. Lord Val is to start off the winter .season with a race over a mile and a quarter on the flat at Pukekohe next week and this event will give some »idea as to his physical condition, for he is engaged in the Great Northern Hurdles and so far as northerners are concerned he will be one of the early fancies for that long race. Lord Val has not raced for a long time and so it seems leaving it very late to keep a horse for such a" tiring contest and not race him until 24 days before the Great Northern, but he has had plenty of galloping and schooling, so he may be fit enough on the day. With the approach of the winter meetings an attempt is to- be made to ■ resuscitate some of the veterans. And one of these is Baroscope, who is engaged on his home track, Te Awamutu. It is over eighteen months since he last appeared in public and as he is now rising nine years it would not be reasonable to expect him to be as good as hitherto.' At his best the W.eathervane gelding was more than useful, for he won both big handicaps at the Auckland Spring Meeting some seasons back. He is partial to soft tracks and this might have been one of the principal reasons why he is to be tried again. It was "known some little time ago that it was intended to put Gallio into work again, for in his owner's paddock he was particularly lively and in his romps he revealed no trace of the trouble that came against him at 'Riccarton last November. This one-time brilliant colt is again visiting the tracks at Te Awamutu and while he is yet too big to be given any fast work it is nrobable that he will be ready for the early spring fixtures, always with the provisol that he has fully overcome his disability. Gallio was always a gross colt and as he has spent several months in the paddocks it will be realised that his present owner has his hands full to give him a searching preparation, which will be necessary to bring him to hand. That will be the time to see if he has made a complete recovery, for it is when tested against the watch on tracks that are hardening up that any weaknesses will be found. In the meantime Gallio's new owner, Mr. M. Tims, is optimistic.

Aria^ who made her race debut recently and is likely to pay her way later on, is a three-year-old filly by Hunting Song from that good King Mark mare Paoanui, winner of the Manaw%';u Cup, etc., hence she is a half-sister to Royal Parade, Childstudy (still winning in Perth), and Wahine Nui. She is owned by Mr. R. C. Shand, of Waipukuraiv and is trained by W. Pine at Awapuni.