SPORTING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 7, 8 July 1944, Page 8

SPORTING

WELLINGTON RACES

TRACK VERY HEAVY

Conditions were at their worst in the early stages of the opening day of the Wellington Racing Club's Winter Meeting at Trentham today." Fortunately it cleared,later in the morning. . • The track was very heavy, ai*a times were very slow. - Results:— MARIRI * STEEPLECHASE HANDICAP, £400; 2J miles. 4—3—As Required, 9.5 (R. Heasley) 1 2—4—Dividend, 10.8 (M. Hollands) 2 3—2—Classic, 9.0 (A. Jenkins) .... 3 Also started: 5-5 Donadea car. 9.11, 8-8 Airborne car. 9.3, 7-7 Ballynain 9.0, 1-1 Captain Star 9.0, 6-6 Chins Up car. '9 5 " Won by four lengths; three lengths. Time, 5.46. : (Winner trained by J. Mitchell, N Waimate.) > Going to the front with a round to go Dividend had drawn ten lengths clear of the field at the last fence in the Mariri Steeples, but As Required, who had been well back early, finished courageously to wear him down and win going away. Classic, • who had always been among the leaders, was a useful third, but there was a gap of 200 yards to the fourth horse, Captain Star. Ballynain pulled up with a round to go. Airborne fell at the sod wall by the seven-furlong post, and Chins Up came down at the brush near the home turn. WOBURN HANDICAP, £400; 7 furlongs. : l_l_Cramond Bay, 8.6 (A. Johnson) 1 12—12—Kaitoa, 8.10 (V. Sellars) '.. 2 s—s—Lyndon Lea, car. 8.2 (L. J. Ellis') 3 -Also started: 6-7 Grecian Glow 9.2, 4-3 Observatory 8.10; 13-13 Sporting Style 8.2, 9-8 The Grand 8.5, 7-6 All Bunsby 8.3, 11-11 Notary 8.3, 2-2 Phalaria 8.3, 14-14 Some Sing 8.1, 19-19 Court Judge car. 8.10, 17-17 Foxella, 8-9 Good Friend, 18-18 Lady Midian car. 8.1, 3-4 Leigh Hark car. 8,1 and Midshipman (bracketed), 10-10 Old Glory; car. 8.6 and Signal Light (bracketed), 15-15 Step On and The Tosser car. 8.1 (bracketed), 16-16 Timo all 8.0. ' Won by a nose; neck. Time, 1.36 J. (Winner trained by W. H. Hume, Trentham.) Lyndon Lea, Phalaria, Cramond Bay, and Kaitoa weite the early leaders in the Woburn Handicap, and in a desperate finish Cramond Bay just held off Kaitoa, who "was doing a shade the better at the ; post. All Bunsby, Observatory, Notary, and Leigh Hark were next to finish. VITTORIA HURDLE HANDICAP; £400; If miles. 12—12—Paladeo, 10.2 (K. Thomson) 1 10—10—Invincible, 9.0 (R. Heasley) 2 14—14—Sporting Gold, 9.0 (M. Coon) 3 Also started: 9-9 Kilcato 10.9, 11-11 Sandy Cape 10.6, 13-13 Roman Son *■ 10.3, 7-7 Alienate 10.2, 6-5 Lightfair 10.0, 3-2, Mynet 9.13, 2-1 Tatting 9.12, \ 16-16 Northfield 9.0, 8-8 Colonel Bogey 9.7 5-3 Hard Frost 9.5, 1-6 Po-Huka 9.5, 15-15 Author's Dream, 4-4 -Indian Sign, 18-17 Night Shot, 17-18 Straight Left, all 9.0. j> ■'//. ' '•• Won. by half a length; six lengths. Time: 3.32 J. ; / (Winner trained by. C. C. McCarthy, Riccarton.) The favourite, Po-Huka, set out to lead all the way in the Vittoria Hurdles, but it was left to three outsiders to provide the dividends. Neither Paladeo nor Invincible was prominent early, and it was not until half a mile from home that they started a' forward move to join issue with the leaders, Po-Huka, Sporting Gold, and Hard Frost, at the last fence. Paladeo stayed on best to win by half a length from Invincible, with a gap of six lengths to Sporting Gold, Po-Huka, and Alienate. After a gap came Kilcato, Lightfair, and Colonel Bogey. STEWARDS' HANDICAP, £600; 6 furlongs. s_s—Sir Bradbury, 9.7 (W. J. Stevens) v 1 6—6—Gulf Stream, 8.12 (C.~G. Hum- - phries) 2 I—l—Whackie, 9.9 (W. J. Broughton) :.....—. 3 Also started: 4-4 Monetary 9.11, 7-7 Autolite 9.5, 3-3. Poutatau 8.11, 2-2 First Round 8.2, 8-8 High Ideal 8.0, 9-9 The Whipper 8.0. . Won by three-quarters of a length; head. Time, 1.23J, (Winner trained by L. A. Fine, Awapuni.) Whackie. Gulf Stream, and Poutatau were the early leaders in the Stewards' Handicap, but a furlong from home they were joined by Sir Bradbury, who always held the upper hand and won decisively. In a great finish for the minor money Gulf Stream just shaded Whackie. Autolite and Poutatau were next to finish but the topweight, Monetary, was always in the rear of the field and finished W WELLINGTON STEEPLECHASE, £1500; 3£ miles. I—Khurja, 9.13 (A. E. Lord) ..... 1 2—Valantua, 10.6 (K. Thompson) .2 3—Kanui Te Pai, 10.13 (L. C. Brown) 3 Also started: 4 True Range 10.6,. Won by 250 yards. Time: 7.39. i (Winner trained by Mrs.. L. Campbell, Hastings.) The smallest field in the history oi the race went to the post in the Wellington Steeples, but .the event was not without incident. Khurja tooh over the early running from Kanul Te Pai, but the horses were running in Indian file until the fourth obstacle the third brush in the straight,.where True Range fell and lost his rider. Khurja and Kanui ;Te Pai continued to make play with a gap of about a dozen lengths to Valantua, and there, was comparatively little change in the order until two fences from home, where Kanui Te Pai, who would have been an easy second, fell, allowing Khurja to go on and win as he liked by 250 yards from Valantua. Kami! iTe Pai was remounted by the hurdle horseman, L. C. Brown, and jumping the last fence safely came on for third money.