SOUTHLAND NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 25750, 25 March 1946, Page 3

SOUTHLAND NOTES

JUMPERS ATTRACT ATTENTION LISHEEN'S PROMISING DISPLAY (Special.) INVERCARGILL, March 24. The activities of the steeplechasers at Invercargill has rather forcibly demonstrated that the 1946 jumping season is near at hand, and as far as Southland is concerned will be ushered in in force at the Birchwood Hunt Club's meeting. There is no dearth of jumping material available. Many of them are well into the veteran stages, but there are also a number of young horses who were given a race or two last season, and prospects for the best part are quite bright. One of the most interesting of the younger horses to school during the week was the Sir Simper _ sprinter Lisheen. who will.make his initial appearance over country on Saturday. In a bout with others of the Hazlett team—True Range and Geniality— Lisheen gave a safe but sound display, and completed a couple of rounds of eight brush fences without making a mistake. It was an encouraging performance, and while Lisheen is still one of our best open sprinters and most likely middle-distance handicap horses, he will be a welcome addition to the jumpers. Like others of Sir Simper's stock to be tried in this role, he will be a force to be reckoned with when seasoned as a 'chaser.' True (Range, who has always been a difficult horse to train, has worked with all his old dash, and as he did not race a great deal last term, this may be to his advantage. He gave a grand display of fast and clean jumping during the week-end the Salmagundi gelding may yet live up to promise ho displayed earlier in his career. Noko has shown signs of unsoundness, and he may be a difficult horse to keep on his feet. A young jumper in Geniality may do good service for the Hazlett stable this winter. He has had very little experience so far, but in a schooling bout last week he went fence for fence with True Range. Old Waitoru has been a Tegular worker at Invercargill, and he is down to race over country at the Birchwood meeting. He has been given a good amount of jogging work, and he slips as well as he ever did, and in a bout over the steeplechase course at Invercargill during the week he gave a good, clean display of jumping. Slayer has done a lot of work under F. Langford at Wintou, and he carries his age remarkably well. When jumped during the week lie did not look like making a mistake.

Southern Wave recently had a fall on the roads, and the Man's Pal mare is likely to be out of action for some time. She severely injured a joint, and it may take some time to respond to treatment. Sing Sing has been given a chance to freshen up, and the Salmagundi mare appears to have lost much of the stiffness which troubled her earlier in the season. She will be suited by the easing tracks from now on. Wantwood strips as well as any horse at headquarters, and although he is not engaged at the Birchwood meeting he will strip at the top of his form at Gore. Bonny Flight has been nominated to race over a mile and a-quarter at the Gore meeting, and if she trains on as

expected she will make her first appearance over a middle distance. She has previously been worked over some ground, and this may hare robbed her of some of her brilliance in her more recent efforts over sprint journeys. Mr D. 51. Tweedic. who races Bonn? Flight, and who is also president of the Riverton Racing Club, is no doubt anxious to have a candidate for this vear's Riverton Cup, a race in which his colours figured prominently last year when Royal Flight (a sister to Bonnv Flight) dead-heated with Signal Officer.

Both Signal Officer and Bayretita are down to reappear at the Gore meeting. It is some time since either raced. Signal Officer went amiss in his preparation for the Dunedin Cup f when a fall in his training injured * shoulder, and it is three months since he raced. Bayrentli, a winner in his last two starts, was put aside after the holiday racing, and the Siegfried three-year-old has made good progress since being recommissioned. Good Cast is down to reappear at Gore, when he will be produced against the open sprinters as a preliminary to his being fitted to take his place in the Riverton Cup field. Good Gust will be one of the early favourites for the Riverton race, as there has been no more consistent open handicap horse raced in Southland this season.