No Serious Work at Riccarton

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1947, Page 5

No Serious Work at Riccarton

[SPECIAL TO STAR] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. ■ The Riccarton track is at present undergoing one of its lean periods of the season, and little serious work is likely to be done for another two weeks. The next meeting will be the autumn fixture at Motukarara on March 1, and with so many horses at present in commission at Riccarton, record fields are likely to be paraded. The changing of dates allowed the Oamaru Jockey Club for its autumn meeting next month will be appreciated by Riccarton trainers. The meeting was originally fixed for two alternate Saturdays, which meant an expensive trip for Canterbury horses, but with the change to a week-end fixture (Saturday and Monday), there is every possibility of a large team going south. Small Representation

For the first time for many years Riccarton stables will be poorly represented at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s autumn meeting, only two -horses, Montezuma and Agenda, being in the list. This has been brought about by the unfortunate clashing of the Banks Peninsula meeting with the second day of the Dunedin meeting on March I, most trainers preferring to stay at home for one day’s racing within handy distance of headquarters rather than travel for two days’ racing a long way afield. Montezuma has done well on previous trips to Wingatui, her best performance being the winning of the Hazlett Gold Cup last season. She has improved in stamina in her races this term, and she should again pay her way on the trip. Agenda is a well-grown two-year-old by Paper Slipper from Theiomint, by Theio from Gaimint, dam of Cataract. He is owned by his breeder, Mr. J. Mitchell of Waimate, and is trained at Riccarton by A. McMullan. Agenda had his first race in the Lyttelton Plate at Riccarton last week, and was one of the leaders into the home stretch. The two juvenile fields at Wingatui will not be strong, and Agenda promises to collect some of the stake money. Chokebore Stable

The Chokebore stable will not be strongly represented during the autumn meetings, as both Hart Royal and Grande Melee are still suffering from soreness, and Wide Range has had a recurrence of his leg trouble -which compelled “him to be put out of commission earlier in the season. There does not seem to be much prospect of this promising young horse standing up to a preparation. In Hie two-year-old Riyal Chase, the Chokeborc stable has .a likely early winner. Vic shaped, well in bis first race at Riccarton last week, and will be seen to advantage at the Banks Peninsula fixture next month.