RACING AND TROTTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 July 1945, Page 7

RACING AND TROTTING

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES. July 28: Christchurch-South Canterbury (at Washdyke). August 4, 11: Canterbury. August 4: Hawke’s Bay. TROTTING. August 18 and 25: Metropolitan. Valantua Finished: Valantua broke down at Lrentham in the Winter Hurdles, in which he ran a solid race for two miles, and it has been decided to put him into retirement. Riders for Riccarton: A. Midwood will be fit again to ride Master Meruit and Abdicate at Riccarton. W. J, Stevens will be on Foxiana in the Grand National Steeples, and W. Jenkins will be on Kilmanagh. Kindergarten: Kindergarten has given signs of late of failing to stand up to another preparation, and it is probable that he'will be sent to his owner, Mr E. N. Fitzgerald, after the Grand National meeting. He is trained by L. J. Ellis, at Riccarton. May Soon Retire: A. Jenkins has been considering retiring from race riding and may do so after the Grand National. The mount on Takrouna in the Grand National Hurdles was the main reason for his delaying the decision till after the Canterbury meeting. ‘ Changes of Quarters: B. C. Rushton, of Nightcaps, has purchased Night Porter (Quite Sure—Probationer). Night Porter won at his last start at Invercargill in November, 1943. He is a brother to Medical Student. M. B. Edwards is now training the promising Sir Carol, and S. A. Edwards is training Gay Pal. Winning Family: It is reported from Invercargill that high hopes are held for Special Flight, a rising two-year-old sister to Bonny Flight and Royal Flight. She is a good type of filly and will make her first appearance at the Dunedin Spring meeting, when she will contest .the McLean Stakes. Psalm: F. W. Ellis has recommissioned the smart Salmagundi filly Psalm, who won twice and was once second in her three starts to date. Psalm was regarded as a champion filly when she won the McLean Stakes in runaway style, but she was never produced at her best in her later engagements, and she went amiss. She has grown, into an upstanding filly, and the leg which troubled her earlier in the year appears sound again. Return to Work: Signal Officer is back in work at Invercargill, and. he is to be prepared for early Spring events, with the New Zealand Cup his principal mission. He was the best starting three-year-old in Southland this season, and his stake winnings of £2065 made him the leading Southland winner for the season. Signal Officer won the Wyndham Cup and the two principal events at Riverton in great style, and for one who was a green three-year-old m the Spring his progress was remarkable. R. E. McLellan maintains that he was a better three-year-old than Macedoine at the same age.

Sure to Improve: For a horse who had been in work less than two months, Dunvegan gave a promising display in the maiden steeplechase at the combined hunt at Awapuni in which he was beaten three lengths by Valky’s Boy. The performance was considerably enhanced when Valky’s Boy came but four races later and beat the hunters in the main steeplechase. Dunvegan is an gelding by Arausio from Sinella,. a Cynic mare, who left previous winners over country in Lady Stella and Skerryvore. Dunvegan is a more compact and solid type than either of his relations and would only need to make normal improvement to win a hunt cup this season. He is trained at Hastings by Mrs L. Campbell.

New Zealanders for Australia: A Sydney cablegram says that with competition from visiting Nevv Zealand horses, the Spring racing in Sydney and Melbourne is expected to assume some of its former glory. Lstenelaus. described as the mystery ’horse from New Zealand,” arrived m Melbourne on Monday after a rough trip. Eddystone, Delano, and De Gama arrival in Sydney recently. . Sleepy Fox and a dozen or more other New Zealand horses are booked lor Australia. Beau Vite and Kindergarten were the last high-class performers •to represent New Zealand owners in Sydney. Australian horses which are expected to be prominent contenders in the big Spring races are now being stepped up in their preparations. Modulation, Bravo, and Shannon have greatly appearance, and should be m Mca racing condition bj r the Spring, flea Rose and Flight are expected to return to their former the champion fillies Jam&lle, Court ship, and Civic Pride are likely to provide some fine race spectacles.