TRENTHAM'S MIDDLE-DAY CARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1938, Page 15

TRENTHAM'S MIDDLE-DAY CARD

FRESH HORSEONeAGEfr IN MOST EVENTS

(By "Rangatira.")

The "Wellington Racing Club's Winter Meeting, wfciich was opened today, will be carried into its second day on Thursday, when another excellent card will be offered patrons. There are only two jumping events on this day's programme, which caters more for the flat performers than the two other days 'of the meeting, but the range of events is an interesting one and will introduce considerable fresh blood. The meeting will be concluded on Saturday, when the jumpers will again be well in the forefront.

The principal item of the middle day is the Parliamentary Handicap, a mile and a quarter event that carries a stake of £600, £100 larger than for any other flat event at the present fixture. This is an old-estab-lished race dating back xo the early nineties, when the club first staged winter fixtures, but its distance has been changed from time to time, though the first contest was at its present distance. Until the club instituted the Whyte Handicap, under its various titles, the Parliamentary was decided on the opening day. MANY SURPRISES. The result of the Parliamentary has often been a big surprise, as the first day's form does not always give a very good clue. It is twelve years now since Rapier last won the race for the favourites, and. in the interval only two second favourites in Nukumai arid True Blood h^ye been successful. Tenth and eighth favourites have often figured among the victors, and last year the winner, Enge, was seventh favourite on the win machine when romping home four lengths ahead of the both-way favourite, Arctic King. The Parliamentary Handicap is one of the races that figured in Nnkumai's famous treble in 1927, the other events being the Whyte Handicap on the first day and the Winter Hurdles on the final day. It is not often that a hurdler can beat the open flat performers at a'metropolitan meeting such as Wellington. Last year Huskie ran such a good race for fourth in the Parliamentary that he was sent out both-way favourite ±or the Winter Hurdles on the final day; but his two earlier efforts on the flat at the meeting, in each of which he finished fourth, were apparently enough for him, as he ran poorly in the hurdles. After tackling another strenuous task in the Great Northern double last month, Huskie collapsed a few yards past the post in the steeples and expired. No horse in this year's Parliamentary Handicap is engaged in the Winter Hurdles pn the final day, but Conveyer might take on Saturdays hack hurdles. ~ i The Parliamentary Handicap, as usual, is likely to introduce some fresh horses at the meeting, and among these will probably be Flood Tide, Te Hai, Last Refrain, and Ponty. There are also several others in the nomination who were not racing today, but as they did not accept for the opening it is unlikely that they will now attend the meeting. . . It was something of a surprise to note Flood Tide among the horses on the track yesterday morning*, as it was stated he would not be making the trip. He will probably be the topweight, but his poundage may not" ibe excessively high, as he was among today's Whyte Handicap weights (he was not an acceptor) with 9.4, and the minimum will again be 7.7. On a previous "trip to Trentham Flood Tide ran below expectations in the Wellington Cup, but on the second day he did better in finishing fourth. He reappeared • recently,.■ at ; after a spell" since his return from Australia, running prominently most of the way in the Cornwall Handicap, and it is unlikely that he would have been brought down all the way from Takanini if his connections did not feel that he is in good enough form to make a creditable showing. It is intended to take him back to Australia shortly for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. ■■'.■.'• Te Hai was disappointing at Marton I and he would have to improve on that form to have much chance. Last Refrain is following the same plan as last year, when he ran on only the two last days. In the Parliamentary he finished third, then failed on the final day. Recently he won the Birthday Handicap, 1 mile 2£ furlongs, at the Dunedin Meeting on bad ground, which is more proximate winning form than he possessed last year, when he could run only third at Dunedin. He is suited by heavy going and it is understood that he is coming to Trentham. Ponty is also likely to be on hand

[for the final days. This horse is in and out, but he has previously run some of his best races on the Trentham course, where he won among the hacks two winters ago, took the Wellington Cup last season, and deadheated with Enge in the Whyte Handicap last winter. He was sent out second favourite for the Parliamentary twelve months ago, but, after making the pace for six furlongs, he was passed by Enge and was beaten into a moderate fifth. His only start since the C.J.C. Easter Meeting, where, he won the Great Easter, was in finishing third to Lazybones and Grey Honour over seven furlongs at Ashburton in May. A line on the rest of the form should have been afforded by todays Whyte Handicap, possibly supplemented by the form among the, hacks. Horses, however, who may do better over the longer ' distance. are Arctic King, Ned Cuttle, Brazen King, and Master Cyklon. Enge is also engaged again, and if he should have played a part in the decision of the Whyte Handicap today he is not likely to be allowed to go out at double figures, as he was in last year's Parliamentary. QUALIFIED STEEPLECHASE. The item for the cross-country horses is the Matai Steeplechase, which is open to horses who have not won a steeplechase event worth £250 to the winner at time of entry. This race was instituted four years ago in place of a hack steeples, so as to give jumping tone to the second day's racing, and it has been a most successful change, for it has so far always drawn an interesting field. Another good contest seems assured from the nominations for Thursday's heat. This was the event in which Manawatu first displayed his quality two years ago, for he went on from that effort to run second in the July Steeples on the final day and then to win the Beaufort and Lincoln Steeplechases at the Grand National Meeting. Last year's winner, Chang, was an unsound horse, and in his only two subsequent races he, ran second over hurdles at Pakuranga, beaten by another unsound horse, High Commissioner, and then won over hurdles with a lot in hand at Avondale. Could he have been kept sound he would have been one of the best jumpers about. . . , An interesting race is likely in the Matai Steeples on Thursday. The entry \ includes Red Sun, Erination, Brigadore, Monastic (a previous winner), John Charles, Flashlight, and Chile. There , are several horses in the list who were not racing today; but the only possible newcomer seems to be Artful Dodger. Another popular race on the middle day's card is the Highweight Handicap for the hacks and jumpers to be ridden by qualified jumping horsemen. This is a race that often affdrds a clue to the Winter Hurdles result on the final day, though generally the hacks have dominated to the exclusion of the pure jumpers in-recent years. Last year, for instance, the hacks had* it all their own way. Jewelled Girdle, who finished second to Corowa, ran second in the open mile on the final day and then came out two races later and won the hack mile at double figures. Fresh horses in this year's race are likely to be Settlement, Chat, Power Chief, Sky Full, and Iddo.

Many horses are at the meeting for the novice events, and the first of these will be Thursday's Trial: Stakes, run over 6 furlongs. This race is for horses that have not at any time prior to time of entry won a race exceeding the value of £50 to the winner. The weights to be carried are 8.13 by the older horses, 8.11 by the three-year-olds, and 8.0 by the two-year-olds. The final day's novice event is run over the same distance under handicap conditions. Among the likelier horses who are expected to be taking part on Thursday are Shining Hours, Dainty Sheila, Miss Waitarere, Titter, Lord Cavendish or Prime Quality, Morning Flight, Royal Tinge, and Prediction.