SPORTING Wonder Boy In Line For Riccarton Success

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 August 1948, Page 7

SPORTING Wonder Boy In Line For Riccarton Success

The Rhodes Scholar four-year-old, Wonder Boy, who ran out of hacks towards the end of last season, put up a brilliant performance in the August Handicap at Riccarton last week, and he will be one of the favourites in the Selwyn Handicap or the Heathcote Handicap on the third day of the meeting next Saturday. This promising performer is owned by Mr I. laeian and is trained bv G. Jenkins at Ellerslie, who won only one race with him last season, but advanced his stake winnings considerably with lour second placing* and two thirds. This season Wonder Boy has started only twice for a meritorious fourth in the Winter Cup and second last week in the August Handicap.

’ Wonder Boy is very highly regarded in the north and on the strength of his performances at Riccarton in the past couple of weeks he is likely to fulfil expectations. In the Winter Cup, won by Julius Caesar, he came from well back with a strong finishing run in the straight to take fourth place in a top class field. Last week, over a • mile again, he was not in the call in the early or middle stages, but he became prominent rounding the turn into the straight and finished brilliantly over the last furlong or so to get to within ihalf a length of Distinction, who recorded the fast time of 1.38 3-5. Wonder Boy’s engagements next Saturday are over seven and nine furlongs. On his previous efforts at Riccarton the former would appear to be too short for him, but if he is well placed early he is likely to be right in the firing line at the finish. Bragden, favourite for the first division of the Aylesbury Handicap at Riccarton last Saturday was a disaDOointmeni. This youngster had

been working particularly well m the south and he is likely to make amends soon. He is a three-year-old by Salmagundi from Sally Sage and is trained by R. E. McLellan at Invercargill for Mr A. Speight, the owner of the champion handicapper, Signal Officer. Super again let his connections down last Saturday at Riccaiton when he ran out to the outside fence at the turn for home in the Sumner Handicap. At that stage Super was moving forward into a prominent position and looked certain to part in the finish, but his bad habit cost him his chance. He finished sixth. Super is engaged in the Longbeach Handicap of seven furlongs at Riccarton next Saturday, but until he overcomes this bad habit, which has probably cost him two races, he is not a betting proposition. Idle Jest was badly served in the running of the first division of the Woclston Hack Handicap at Riccarton last Saturday, and with a reasonable passage she might have won.

She finished particularly well and got to within a neck ol the winner. Baccarat. Idle Jest is engaged in the Longbeach Handicap on the third day and with average luck she may atone for that defeat. She is a three-year-old by Foxbridge from Aboyne and is owned and trained by J. S. Shaw at Riccarton.