LEVIN MEETING ON SATURDAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 120, 17 November 1937, Page 17

LEVIN MEETING ON SATURDAY

FORM THAT WILL BE HELPFUL FOR LATER

(By, "Rangatira.") With the jfeonclusion of the New. Zealand, Cup. Meeting, the spring racing seSSion proper has bee^ completed, though a number of fixtures still go under the title of spring meetings, and a period of more stable form, extending to the autumn, may be expected by racegoers. Strictly it has not been a bad spring, for form has been more reliable than it often is, excepting such occasions as, for instance, those lapses by Cerne Abbas; but during the next three or four months the book promises to give even better return for those who care to study it. The transition to the susamer meetings will be made in the Wellington Province by the Levin, Feilding, Otaki, and Woodville fixtures during the next four weekends.

Fields of such excellent dimensions and satisfactory , quality have been paid up for the Levin Racing Club's Annual Meeting on Saturday, the only exception being the main distance handicap, that the ciud may feel assured of a successful outcome. Twelve months ago the meeting was an outstanding success, with an incfease of over 60 per cent, in the turnover. Perhaps there will not be such improver ment on this occasion, but with a fine day the figures should be well up again, as there is wide scope for betting in all the fields..

The form disclosed should be most instructive for the meetings following and leading up to-the holiday carnival and the Wellington Cup fixture m January. Last year, it may be noted, the hack distance winner was Essex, who went on to score in the Great Northern Derby. The Levin course is within' easy range of Wellington and Palmerston North by train and road, and it is pleasantly situated on the outskirts of the borough. For patrons of the railway, special weekend excursion fares ar-: available on trains, leaving Wellington at 8.30 and 9.5 a.m. arid Palmerston North at 7.12 and 10.10 am., and returning after the races. The drive of just over sixty miles by road from Wellington is on bitumen surface all the way. . ~

LEVIN CUP AGAIN?

The feature event of the day is the Levin Handicap, 1J miles, for which there is once again only a small acceptance. The half-dozen listed to compete, however^ are one more than paid up and paraded last year, and it may be expected that all this year's field will go to the post for the good £200 prize. This race was formerly know as the Levin Cup, and a change of title with a portion of the stake in the form of a small trophy might find the event filling much better in future jears. The last Levin Cup, won by Talisker in 1929, was contested by a good field of ten, including The Hawk. The dropping of the trophy the following year, before the depression began, was apparently not an economy measure, as the stake was otherwise left the same. The present form of the six horses engaged in this year's field is not outstanding. Indeed, the best of it is probably that of Mister Quex, who was recently third behind Kinnoull and Catalogue in the Wainui Handicap at the Wellington Meeting, an effort that was particularly good, as this gelding had never previously measured himself, against such class. Mister Quex is better than many give him credit of being; but, even allowing this, it certainly looks as if the public will go hot and strong for The Buzzer. '

THE BUZZER'S PROMISE.

The- Buzzer finished up last season as one of the most promising three? year-old handicappers in the offing. At his final outing he won the Tematete Handicap, li miles, at the Manawatii Autumn Meeting from a strong field, carrying 7.13. It is nothing that he has been twice beaten this term over sprint courses, for he appears essentially, a stayer in the makings. With those two races in him he is likely to JP.rove ber fore long a class above-his Saturdays OPI Pt Omay nbe observed further that The Buzzzer is .a splendidly-bred gelding of typical stamina conformation. He is by The Buzzard, one. of the leading stallions in Queensland and sire already of two Queensland Derby winners,, Six Fifty and Auto Buz; and his dam i, half-sister to the dam of Lough Neagh, from the same family as Bronze. Eagle. He has always been. regarded by his stable as a superior horse to The Bigot, whose recent form has been so exfcellent And it is worth noting too that he and Oratory are the only pair^from the stable who are entered in the Auckland Cup. It will not surprise to find him commencing a brilliant trot of siipcps? at any time now. Ser Quex must be considered a likely dividend payer on Saturday. He did not race again after his third at Trentham, but that was a bright performance,' as Catalogue demonstrated a little later at Riccarton. The Lord Quexes come solid with age, and, more, over, they are very consistent as a rule when .running on a patch of "."n. Though he is now eight years oia. Mister Quex promises to reach a «!&««* peak of performance this season than in any previous.term/

SHE'S NO BEAUTY.

Heltn Ford, though no beauty, sticks on well over 1J miles, and she should be an improved mare after her recent racing. Her two thirds at Masterton were useful efforts, particularly as on the second day she finished ahead of Shy and Cuddle, and also Mister Quex. In.the interim she has had one further race, when she failed in the Wainui Handicap at TNntham. Another mare in the field who seems to be on the improve again is Mynam. At Riccarton last Saturday this daughter of Lord Warden finished fifth m the event won by Trench. Fight. Through Helen Ford and Mister Quex, whom she was required to meet on much worse terms recently at Trentham, she is not at all badly in on the minimum at Levin. However, she has generally been found at a disadvantage on a turning course, and they have to change tack in rapid sequence at Levin. * Terry and Grand Jury, the other pair in the field, might stage one of their occasional bids for the big end of a prize, but there is no form to back up their claim for consideration. Both were starters last year, Terry beating Grand Jury and Round Score for third money.

MORE EVEN RANGE,

Investors will find wider range for discrimination in the J. R. McDonald Memorial Handicap, which is decided over seven furlongs. Nothing strictly stands out among the eleven acceptors, but most of the horses can be allowed at least a reasonable chance of success. The field includes Mister Quex and Myriam, who will probably be found taking their place in the longer handicap, though it is always possible that one or both of them will be saddled up twice, particularly if there is any weakening of the later field by defections among the others, for the Levin Handicap should not be an exacting race. The acceptors include last year's sensational winner Lone Raider, who was having his first start for a long time and came brilliantly over the concluding furlong after having lost so much ground early that his chances at most stages looked next to hopeless. It was not till the late autumn that the chestnut could repeat the performance, some of his intermediate efforts having been most dismal. Recently he resumed racing at Bulls, and, backed down to third favourite, he was finishing oh at. the end not far from the places. Though he is now ten years old, he undoubtedly still has races in him, and horses who have once succeeded on the Levin track are worth keeping in mind, as the course is tricky.

LIKELY FAVOURITES

Saturday's favourites are likely to be the three-year-old Wildflower and the locally-trained Mittie. Wildflower will be making her debut in open class,

but earlier in the season at Marton and Otaki she was much too good for hack opposition. Then she failed in the Great Northern Guineas, but it is possible she was not then at her best, as she has been off the scene the last month or so. Mittie's Riccarton and Otaki wins this season are her credentials/and, as she has always gone well fresh and is experienced in the class, she might be rather a better prospect than Wildflower.

Enthusiasts who were at Otaki last month will not forget how decisively Mittie won the open seven there, after having missed a place when favourite in the open six earlier in the day. She has only the one engageVnent at Levin.

Airing and Liane have some claim to notice among the others. Airing is at least consistent and he has been winner of open sprints' this season at New Plymouth and Waverley. Subsequent to Waverley he failed among the hacks at Bulls, but on that day he ran wide and then finished fourth under a solid lump of weight, which does not suit him as well as a lighter scale. Liane will be making her bow in open class, but it should not be long before she is on the cast of principals. Some may look for surprise, packets again in this year's field, and the list of such selection comprises Gay Boy, Matoru, Slippery, and Beau Gallante. Among these, Slippery, who has some likely recent form with minor piacings at his last two starts, was winner of the race three years ago and second two years ,ago, in each year essaying the double on the same day and being placed as well each time in the longer event. Gay Boy and Beau Gallante, like Lone Raider last year, have not raced for some time. . Matoru, at his best, would be a real force in.such a field, but he has never been quite right since coming north and. he is under final trial on Saturday,' with a spell likely to follow if he fails again.