WASHDYKE SIDELIGHTS

Evening Star, Issue 25472, 1 May 1945, Page 3

WASHDYKE SIDELIGHTS

POINTERS FOR ASHBURTON (Special.) CBRISTCHURCB, April 80. ilioth The Vulture and Fairy Bard made some faulty jumps at Washdyke, and will need a good deal more racing before they can be considered seasoned and reliable over the battens. The former has been nominated for the Great Northern Steeplechase, but it may be wisely decided to keep him to hurdling for this season. Fairy Bard showed signs of lameness after his fall on Saturday, and will probably be missing from the Ashburton fixture. • Prince Dolomite has had three second and two third placings in his last five starts, and a win for him would be well received. He and Inscrutable met on even terms at Washdyke and the latter beat him by four lengths for second money. Prince Dolomite receives 31b at Ashburton, and with The Vulture and Fairy Bard out of the way this pair should fight out the finish. Palfrey was expected to break his long run of minor placings when he paraded for the Timaru Cup. in which he appeared to be favourably placed, but his form was below recentvdisplays and his usual stubborn finishing run was missing. On this performance he will not carry as much support at burton as wa.s the case last week.

John Gay is partial to firm tracks only, and provided he does not change hands, he will be put aside for the winter.

There was no excuse for Lord Advocate on Saturday. He made a promising challenge nearing home, but did not sustain it very far, and his third placing in the face of his recent track work was very disappointing. Lalla Meer was solidly supported to win the concluding event at Washdyke, but, after being well placed throughout, failed badly as a stayer. This filly ran second to Miss Medley in the New Zealand Oaks Stakes last November, but, except for a win at the Riccarton non-totalisator meeting in February, she has not made the progress expected of her after that performance.

Eulogia's finishing run in the Rosewill Hack Handicap was a feature of the day's racing, and was reminiscent of the brilliant effort of Honest Sal in a similar race at Riccarton last month. There is not much of Eulogia, but she has plenty of speed and stamina, and if she could be depended upon to be better placed earlier in her races she would be a useful stake earner. Following her run home on Saturday, she carried on for nearly another circuit of the course before her apprentice rider was able to pull her up. As Required made a reappearance after his spell at Washdyke, and he ran quite a good race in the Rosewill Hack Handicap. He was slow early, but was prominent on the outside of the leading bunch turning for home, and then petered out. He appears to be in excellent, order for a winter campaign, and -will probably be given a race in the hurdle event at Ashburton.

Smock, Temuka, and Rampage, the three most prominent at the borne turn in the Electric States at Washdyke, failed to take part in the finish. Smock is a three-year-old filly by Nightmarch from Coatette, and is trained at Washdyke by F. Trilford for Mr 11. H. Fisher. Temuka is a two-year-old filly by Leighon from Receipt, and is trained at Washdyke by G. 'Pankhurst for Mr A. Woods. Rampage is trained by E. Rosewarne at Riccarton for Mr D. U. Crosbie, and is a three-year-old grey gelding by Thelo from Sicilian, dam of Floodtide.