SPORTING . QM Strike Unlucky At Reefton T.C. Meeting

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1947, Page 5

SPORTING . QM Strike Unlucky At Reefton T.C. Meeting

One of t he unlucky runners at the Reefton trotting meeting on Saturday was Gold Strike. She broke badly in both her races, and while she showed considerable speed to run second to Dance Hal] in the Junction Handicap, her effort to catch the field in her second start in the Maruia Handicap, left her without.a finishing run and she was beaten into sixth place. She would probably have won the Junction Handicap but tor her early lapse.

Gold Strike, is a six-year-old mare by Lucky Jack from Flying Dillon, and she is trained by N. L. Berkett at Templeton. She was formerly trained by F. R. May at Methven, and for him last season she won one race and whs three times second and three times fourth.* She won her only race last season on the second day of the Westport Trotting Club’s meeting on December 27.

Seacraft was unlucky in meeting interference ip the Maruia Handicap, when he was making a forward move inside the last quarter. He had won earlier in the day and was well placed just behind ’the leaders as they turned for home in the Maruia. Lady Indiana, however, broke and spoiled any chance Seacraft had. He finished in fifth place, but would almost certainly have been in the first three if he had had an uninterrupted passage.

Greymouth Winner Patti Dale, the winner of the first division of the Cronadun Handicap at Reefton on Saturday, put up a good performance. She led all the way and when she was tackled in the straight by Kilkenny and Aristocrat she stayed on under punishment to win nicely. Patti Dale is trained by J. C. McClure at Victoria Park, Greymouth. She may have been a little fortunate to draw the weaker division, with horses of the calibre of Margaret Logan, and Red Flight in the other division, but her time was 3.33 2-5, which was only 2-5 of a second outside the 3.33 recorded by Margaret Logan in winning her division. Costly Failure Lady Conquest, trained by N. L. Berkett at Templeton, was a costly failure in the unhoppled trotters’ events at the Reefton meeting on Saturday. She was 3-3 in the betting at her first appearance, but broke badly at the start and again during the middle stages of the race. Produced again later in the day she was again strongly supported but she gave a similarly disappointing display, breaking badly in the early stages. She did not flatter her supporters at any stage of either of her races. Shows Promise

Harvard, a five-year-old Sandydale trotter, trained by J. M. Bain at

Pukeuri Junction, showed some promise in his. efforts at Reef ton, and with experience should be capable of winning in better than novice class. He showed some speed and trotted steadily out in front in both races for about six furlongs, but did not come on when the pressure was applied.

Good Performance T. H- Gleeson should not have to wait long to notch a win with Aristocrat, a- fine-looking stallion by U. Scott from Marie Antoinette. This four-year-old showed exceptional speed in one of his races on Saturday, the first division of the Cronadun Handicap, to secure third place after losing a lot of ground at the start. When his barrier manners improve—and there i&a good deal of room for improvement—he should justify .the good opinion held of him by his connections.

Likely Improver One of the unplaced division in the novice pacing events at Reefton on Saturday was Marie Scott, a four-year-old mare by U. Scott from Whis-. pering Grass. She is trained by W. R. L. Pascoe for Mrs W. Craddock, of Westport, and though she was never in a winning position in either of hex’ races, she was noticed .showing something above the average in speed at the back of the field each .time. Marie Scott is in need of experience, but she has speed enough to win at least a maiden race when she settles down.

To Race at Trentham

The Greymouth-owned hurdler, Foreign Ways, has now had two successes on end over the battens, and both wins have been impressive. They have, too, been convincing to the connections of the horse, which will now be raced on the latter days at Trentham. He is a good jumper and stays well, and there may be more success ahead of him in this department of the sport. Foreign Ways was bred by Mr W. R. Coburn of Marsden, and is by Siegfried, a proved sire of stayers (Old Bill, Yours Truly and Wotan are by Siegfried) and Dainty Ways was a good winnex - bred on approved lines. Foreign Ways is now owned by Mi’ A. C. Bruhn, who raced the gelding on lease for some time. He is trained by L. H. Pratt at Orari.