PROSPECTS FOR DUNEDIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 151, 23 December 1938, Page 13

PROSPECTS FOR DUNEDIN

(Special to the "bvening Post.")

DUNEDIN, December 22. There has been rain every day in Dunedin for Weeks past and the Wihgatui tracks have had little chance of making a recovery. Trainers have been unable to give their horses the fast work that they would have desired, and consequently, some of the local competitors will be backward The tan has been providing fairly good going but only an occasional gallop of merit has been recorded. Valantua recorded the best time since the tracks have been affected by running the last seven furiongs of a mile and one furlong today In lmin 33sec. He was assisted by Our Pal and Atwa Rere in What Was ah excellent tunm-up gallop, and he t*e= spottded to every call at the finish. If similar conditions rule on the day the Valkyrian geldihg will be fight in his element, and he should be among the winners at the meeting. McHeath has never looked better, and he should shew Up prominently in the hurdle events, In which he will be ridden by J. Richards The stablem&tes New Note and T-upa.J have been doing their work well and should be a useful pair to follow. The latter has improved during the last few weeks and his trainer is confident i about his chances in the hack dis« I tance races. He raced originally in the North Island, where he was successful in a maiden event. F Shaw thinks a lot 6f the two-year-old Moneymore, and should he fail to win at the Dunedin Meeting he Will be in favour in the maiden race over five furlongs at Oamaftf. The trainer has another youngster also engaged in the two-year-old races at wingatui in Knight Pal, by Nightmarch— Palantua. , . Night Wings was scratched by her owner for the Wyndham Meeting on the appearance of the handicaps, and if the weights do not suit at the Southland Meeting the Nightmarch mare will be kept at home. Norseman is in better fettle now than at any part if his career and more than one race should come his way over the holidays. He will probably start favourite for the Bumside Handicap at Wingatui. The Milbufn Handicap is for apprentice riders only on the first day at Wingatui. Riding engagements announced for this race are as follows: — A. Powell, Adina; M. Cassells, Withdrawal; L. Hare, Gusto; and W. Connor, Aravane. The last-named is a half-sister to Araboa but is hardly forward enough yet. Other engagements include W. Cooper on Song Boy and Moneyless and W. Shand on Slayer. Spear Thrust, who is engaged in the Trial Handicap at Wingatui on Monday, is a three-year-old gelding by

Irish Lancer from Meitui, and he is owned by Mr. A. H. Fisher, who raced his sire, and is trained by J. Cotter. He is one of the biggest horses of his age to be trained at Wingatui in recent years. There are two brackets on the first day of the Dunedin Jockey Club's Meeting and both couplings occur m the Trial Handicap. They are Sunny Jean and Green Boa, and Lord Puck and Neptune. The turn in the weather is distinctly in favour of the Balboa gelding Araboa, who, at 8.11 in the Federal Handicap, reads particularly well treated. The softer going has been the means of making him stretch out better and he has come back into favour. Straightdel Will be one to handle the track at Wingatui on Monday and the Straight Course gelding will take some heading off in the Salisbury Handicap. Therj is not much of him but he can stand one sound race following an interval of racing.