GOING WAS HEAVY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22612, 15 April 1948, Page 8

GOING WAS HEAVY

INVERCARGILL COURSE FAILURE OF FAVOURITES (Herald Special Service.) For the opening day, Saturday, of the Southland Racing Club’s two-day meeting at Invercargill the going was heavy after four days of rain. Fair fields competed in the majority of events. Pride of Mossburn. winner of the chief event, is an average middle distance performer. The favourite, Sn Garnish, was second but on earner autumn form should have accounted for this field. Benbecula, despite fan performance of late, was nine-nine in the betting order and his third produced a better price than the form of this aged Siegfried-gelding warranted, Sumra, runner up in the recent Centennial Cup, was nowhere. Kiltie Jigs Home Kiltie jigged home in the £4OO Monoway Steeplechase from which Prize Ring was withdrawn on account of the state of the track. In his only previous start this season Kiltie finished fourth in the Hazlett Memorial Steeplechase last month. He is a six-year-old by the Pink Coat horse, Kinnoul. out of Keel Row. Debater was second and Maharajah third. They had little form over country but both had previously occupied a place. Surprise Placing’s In the President's Handicap mild surprises were provided by the first two Geisha Girl and Pensealola. Of the best backed division Sal's Pal was thud. Sea Venture, Young Bob Sterling Lad and Heroic Girl could not make the open grade. , . Geisha Girl, (Man’s Pal-Tea Gown) had not won a race since leaving the hack grade last October. Penscola, whose earlier record includes success over Golden Souvenir in the / ,• Derby Stakes, was nine-nine m the bet-

ting order after a succession of failures. The event marked one more failure by Verdant, bought for a thousand at the last National meeting. Foxchase Beaten Alter his impressive victory at the Dunedin Centennial meeting in Ins first hurdle's attempt Foxchase was looked upon as a fairly good thing for the Southland Hurdle race, but was beaten into second place by Lishcnn. Foxchase since winning at Dunedin had run good races in fair company over middle distances and would strip a very lit gelding on Saturday. Lisheen (Sir Simper-Bridgel) was having his first race of the season and may win a good hurdle race this season for Bill Hazlett. The Gunther was a big disappointment in a Highwcight as well as a Hurdler race at the last Wellington meeting so his third did not indicate the hurdlers at Invercargill were a very " flash” lot.