COURAGEOUS MAY BE PROMINENT AT ADDINGTON

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 March 1948, Page 7

COURAGEOUS MAY BE PROMINENT AT ADDINGTON

An interesting candidate for the New Zealand Pacing Stakes at Addington on Saturday will be the Westport-owned and trained Courageous, who won two races at WOstport in effortless style. This three-year-old Light Brigade gelding is out of the successful brood' mare War Lass and is trained by W. R. L. Pascoe at Westport for Messrs J. W. and T. M. Scanlon. He has always shown extreme speed and it is understood that he is not for sale, except at a four-figure price. He has had five starts this season for two wins, a second and a third, and on the way .he won at the Westport meeting during the weekend he is something above the average. In a handicap Courageous would be placed on 60 yards with Hilda Scott in this company so his chance must be favoured off the limit mark. Belmont Hall, who would be on 96 yards in such a handicap, and will start from the limit, on’Saturday is the obvious favourite.

Trentham Scratchings Scratchings yesterday for the second day of the Wellington autumn meeting were: Mine Host, Ngaio Hurdles (9.30 a.m.); Belle Anita, New Zealand St. Leger Stakes (3.50 p.m.).

Excellency Injured The champion filly, Excellency, is suffering from a badly bruised forefoot and she was unable to be worked yesterday. Excellency was to leave Wellington tomorrow for Auckland to contest the Great Northern Challenge Stakes at Ellerslie but there may now be some change in the plans. Excellency has now won £6245 in stakes. It is considered likely that she will be reserved for weight-for-age races in future.

Backers Were Lucky Patmos’s backers were lucky, to collect a win dividend at Oamaru. Patmos was fairly and squarely beaten by Bath Slipper, but was promoted to first place after it had been decided that Bath Slipper had been guilty of interfering with Palomino. The rules lay it down that when a horse is found guilty of interference the stewards may place it immediately behind the horse interfered with. J 4

Likely Favourite Maryburn, who was unlucky to have to be content with third place in the final event at Trentham last week, will have a chance to make amends for that failure when he starts in the Champion Hack Handicap of a mile and a half on the second day of the meeting next Saturday. Last week Maryburn finished brilliantly into third place, and over the .longer journey and with better luck in the running the Martarma gelding should ’be a firm favourite. He promises to reach good class.

Unlucky Runners False Step won the Tinakori Hack Handicap at Trentham on Saturday in fine style but the Phaleron Bay filly may have been seriously troubled by both Ronald McDonald and Diana Reynard if they had been favoured with better luck in the running. These two are engaged over more ground in the Belmont Hack Handicap on Saturday next and they should be"-prominent again. Last week Ronald McDonald was second and Diana Reynard fourth in tne Tinakori Hack. >