LEVIN RUNNERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22317, 30 April 1947, Page 8

LEVIN RUNNERS

QUALITY FIELDS WINNERS FANCIED THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS (Herald Special Service. 1 Fields of good quality provided interesting competition at the Levin Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday. Conditions were perfect for the time of the season and the attendance was well up to the average cf recent years with many Wellington visitors who were well catered for in transport arrangements. With well-hacked candidates racing prominently the totaiisator showed a good turnover. Chatsworth, both ways favourite, gained a clear cut decision in the Maiden race over six furlongs. He was taken to the meeting by the trainer. Hector Grey, with Ascot Lad, engaged in the President’s Handicap. Both paid their expenses from Auckland. Chatsworth, a three-year-old chestnut colt by the chestnut imported Dastur horse, Chatsworth, from Lady Favourite, is owned by Lady Marion Davis. His dam was sired by Iliad from Du Barry (a fair galloper) by Chief Ruler from Jenolan by Valias, tracing back to the imported Miss Symington. Of late years the Iliad mares have been coming into prominence as successful stud matrons. Iliad did very little racing in England but was second in the Epsom Derby. When imported to New Zealand it was considered that he would prove a boon to breeders, and the first year at the stud he sired three Derby winners in Greek Shepherd (New Zealand Derby), Homer, dead heat in the A.J.C. Derby and a colt that won the West Australian Derby. Gay John’s Placing' Second to Chatsworth was Gay John who was second in the betting order on the totalisator. He is a grey gelding by Gynerium from Redalda who was a grey by the Poverty Bay bred Pink Coat from the grey mare Donalda who got her colour from her sire, Chrysoiaus, by Roi Herode who was more of a white than a grey. The third place getter. Incision, was at a fair price, being 7-7 in the betting and is trained by Allen McDonald for Dr. W. Hunter Wills at Awapuni. Incision was bred by Miss Grace Twist and is a four-year-old bay gelding .by Broiefort from Fairy Mark. At the National Sales as a yearling he was sorted out as a very likely sort, but has yet to win a race. Aqueduct ran quite a fair race in the sprint on the second day at Hastings, but was not considered quite forward enough for a High weight over a mile and a quarter. However, he won. It was surprising that this Wairoa-owned eight-year-old gelding should be the win favourite. Aqueduct won the Levin highweight very easily while the Nelson triple winner. Pram, 3-3 in the betting and the place favourite, Filature, with Midwood in the saddle, divided second and third money when running a dead heat. The speculators were again on the mark in the Apprentices Plate when the place favourite, Audacious, won and was second in ihc straight-out betting. There was very little in this result as the winner just beat the win favourite, Blank Cheque, in practically a photo finish. Audacious had won the only one race this season and that a maiden event but had been in the money on a few occasions. She is a four-year-old mare by Eaffles from Land Tax. Two Bcsi Eac’.ied Still in their best form the public made Robin’s Reward and Ascot Lad the two best backed in the chief handicap race cf the day, the President’s Handicap. Both looked to have bright prospects. Robin's Reward, in his last public outing was just beaten in the Manavvatu King George Handicap by Langue d’Or. The Aucklander. Ascot Lad, in his last start was beaten into third place at Ellersile by Foxwyn and Foxfable. Form this time worked out about correctly as these two horses fought out the issue with victory going to Robin's Reward who won his first middle-distance race. It was suggested recentlv that this gelding would be better suited to staying than sprinting. His sire, Robin Goodfellow, has produced a few dyed-in-the-wool stayers in England and if his stock were 'given 1 a little more time and ’trained in New 7ealand for races of this description they would do even better than they are at present. Persuade was third in the President’s Handicap at Levin, this being hei best performance to date in open corr.panv. Like the runner-up she is by Coronach, but is from Oratory, a good mare by Gainscourt who cne day at Trentham won a mile race in 1.3 G. Ran Balov/ Form * Once again Riverview, appearing in the North Island, ran below the form shown at Riccartqn. Last spring this ft ur-year-cld son of Defaulter and the Rossendale mare Homdale. ran a close second to Bridge Acre in the C.J.C. Fendalton. This was preceded by a second at th'-> same meeting to Double Cross in the Riccarton Handicap. Later when brought back to the North Island he ran unplaced six times in succession. Recently he was runner-up to Lady Christine in the C.J.C. Challenge Stakes over seven furlongs at weight-for-age, giving away 191 b. to that brilliant filly. On that form he should Lave given a far better account at Levin with 7.8 on his back, but he was not equal in gaining a place. With the scratching of General Victory the form offering in the Nursery Handicap was not very impressive. The winner turned up in Beckon who is yet another one to be added to the long list of winning two-year-olds this season. She was bred by the late Mr. T. H. Lowry and raced early 'this season by Mr. Tom C. Lowry. At the Sales at Trentham last January she was sold to Mr. J. J. Hayward, Hunterville, for 420 guineas. , , Second to Beckon was Clare s Pal who in his two previous efforts was not equal to being in the money. He is a chestnut by Tiderace from Lila, by Gainscourt from Te Aiipaki (dam of that one-time good performer Toxeuma who holds the weight carrying record of 11.5 in the C.J.C.-Winter Cup). Third nlace went to the Hastings-trained Desert Chant, grey full sister to Morocco. Middle-Distance Winner The Hastings owned-and-trained Precedency won the middle distance race, the mile, and a. quarter Tararua Hack handicap, from a fair field. This Tiderace gelding, a half brother to the brilliant but erratic Peter -Robinson, this week-end is engaged at both Gisborne and Egmont, but may go on from Levin to Hawera. This gelding was not good enough to win short maiden races, but performed better over middle distances and in his last four starts he has won twice and been second once over 10-fur., and been an unlucky third in a mile race. His dam. Idolize, was got by Arrowsmith from Precious,- by Sutala from Roden, by Danube from the imported Black Sand mare, Remission 11. The Thcio progeny kept up their weekly winning record when Lord Thcio won the Levin Stewards Handicap. Another Thcio in Theiolyn was the runner-up. Lord Thcio has always been a good galloper and this was his third win of the season. His dam, Saturation, was got by Lord Quex from Black Scotia, a half-sister to the N.Z. Cup winner Bridge, and Grand Slam (Hawke’s Bay Guineas). In this sprint race Malanui. having his first public outing in open company, gave promise. Luck was not exactly on his side. Pelmeer, a four-year-old smart hack galloper, but who gained only her second win of the season, succeeded in leading the field home in the six- | furlong Waiteretere Hack from Aristea and Sergeant Jack. The winner is the property of Mr. W. Henderson —not the Waipukurau sportsman of the same name and initial—and is trained by Lcn Pine at Awapuni. Like the majority of the gets of Vermeer, she is a '••.pstnut. She is from Pelisse.