SELAS ATONES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22571, 26 February 1948, Page 8

SELAS ATONES

WOODVILLE RACES

SCRAPED HOME PETRE MAR EASILY (Herald Special Service.) One nf the largest crowds ever seen oil the Wood ville racccouise attended the one-day meeting last Saturday. The chief event was won by Mr. Frank Ormond's Bulandshar tour-year-old gelding Solas, who got up in the last few strides to win over anothei Hawke's Bav candidate, Cattcrick Bridge, who ‘ran his best race since surprisingly winning the New Zealand Cup 15 months back. The open splint was won by Mr. Jim Meagbci s I clt c Mar, which is trained on the Woodville track.

Last Saturday week Solas dis- j appointed many of his Hawke s Bav . followers by failing to occupy a place in the Wanganui Earle Stakes. However. he atoned for that defeat by accounting for the chief handicap event at Woodville. This half-bvothcr by Bulandshar to Great Trek was always fairly well placed, but only got up in the last chain, to win going away. Cattcrick Bridge had a track to his liking. , , ~ , No excuses were offered for Hie dofeat of The Stormovik, as lie had every chance, but weakened over the last furlong or so. Foxcllo was another well-placed throughout and who stop-j peel over the business end of the mile and a quarter. Honest Galloper Sorrell ran a little better than the writer expected over this distance, but being an honest galloper can oe relied upon always to give ot his best. He was fifth. . . . Welcome Guest once again let his admirers down. His Hastings tnals before going to Woodville were good enough to suggest him being a winning possibility, but he was not in the picture at (he finish. When he vvas running prominently earlier in the season lie generally drifted over the first half of his races, to come home fast, but in his last two efforts he has been in the van over the first portion and then retired. Maybe he would do better if allowed to run in behind his opponents. He looks as well as ever he did. but he is not running as well. Maybe a bigger disappointment vvas the failure of the Manawatu Cup winner Gay Stroller, who last week was reported to be galloping most attractively and to be right back to his best. At Woodville he did not travel like a place-getter.

Flying’ Easy for Petre Mar The open sprint, the Ruahinc flying Handicap, was no trouble to Pctic Mai, winner of a similar class of race at Wanganui a week before. At Woodville he was one of the first out of the tapes, quickly took over command and that was the end of the contest as far as he and the others were concerned as he was never headed, 1o win nicely by a couple of lengths. He was ridden by G, R. Tattcrsall. who since returning from service overseas has been riding as well as ever and getting his share of successes. During the war he was reported to be 13.0. but that must have been slightly exaggerated as he won on Petre Mar carrying no overweight on the 7.13 allotted handicap. The promoted hack Veinc d'Or ran a creditable second, showing that her form is improving, while another who showed that he was on the up-grade again was the third place-getter Specialist. who is coming down fast in his handicap and may soon return to the winning list. He was beaten by the narrowest of margins for second money . . The top-weight. Deprive, was lourth, which was hardly good enough for his many admirers. He was not so fast over the early stages as usual and although he did not exactly meet with an interI rupted run did not get a really clear passage- Nevertheless he would not have beaten the winner, who is in particularlv fine form at the moment. Findon on the Big Side

Two Gisborne-owned horses, Findon and Col-Case, were sadled up for this race. Findon. no matter if dressed in his best, would have little chance over a course as short ns six furlongs nowadays. henre his starting one of the outsiders. He was a little on the big side, on top of which he was the last

to leave the mark so was never going like a remote place-gctler, but came home solidly. Better still, he pulled up sound. Cot-Case was in the first four for about three furlongs, but was never travelling like a winner, running listl-ssly and at the final peg was about ninth.

The Hunting Song gelding Rcorapa. has not lost his speed and mav win a sprint in the near future. Although he did not like soft going he might be all the better if the sting was out of the tracks.

Play Bov. the win favourite, did not run as weM as expected. It might be wise to refrain from backing him until such times as the going is not so firm. Another that did not race un to what he is really capable of was Castlcbrae.