RACING NEWS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 245, 14 September 1938, Page 14

RACING NEWS

WINNER OF GUINEAS. LIKE TRUE STAYER. DAUGHTER OF NIGHTMARCH. (By “Spectator.”) Russian Ballet, who is easily the best of the progeny of Nightmarch so far, won the Wanganui Guineas like a true stayer, her victory being clear-cut. Despite the fact that she had one of the heaviest racing programmes among the two-year-olds last season, she steadily came to tho front, finally beating Surmount in the Great Northern Champagne Stakes, while she was second to Defaulter in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes. Russian Ballet’s next mission will be the Great Northern Guineas, also the Oaks. She has now won £1275 in stakes. Not Making Trip. Peerless returned home after racing at Wanganui and will not be at Avondale. None of the Trentham horses are forward as the result of the late winter and wet spring. Peerless raced very disappointingly in the Guineas at Wanganui. Weakened At Finish. Gay Son, winner of the Wellesley Stakes last season, stopped over the last two furlongs in the Guineas on Saturday, but it was evident that he needed racing to sharpen him up. His activities last season were curtailed when he contracted a cold. Better Than Ever. Master Cyklon, winner of tho Marangai Handicap at Wanganui, has won at each of his two starts this 6eason, and is a better horse’ than ever. Ho won some good races last season, and is at homo in soft going. Master Cyklon is asked to concede Lucullus Lad 81b in the Carnarvon Gold Cup. Form of Hacks.

Sunny . Blonde, ran a good race for fourth place in the Moutoa Hack at Wanganui, and looks likely to do better very soon. Haile Selassio is another who may make an improved showing. He finished well in sixth place in the _ Spring Hack Handicap after being left with two others at the start. Won Last Year. Winner of the Foxton Hack and Hunters’ Hurdles last' year, Rucnzori is. in the field for this event again, but will be meeting much stronger company. He ran a good race for third place in the Hunters’ Steeples on the first day at Wanganui, when he tired towards the finish after being one of tho pacemakers for most of the journey.

Alyth For Foxton. Alyth, who was a useful perfibrmer last season, when she won at Avondale and Waipa, finished with a great run in winning the Durie Handicap on,‘the first day at Wanganui, but was badly' away at the start on the second day, With two wins in four starts her early spring form has been good. She is a very fit mare, and will in open sprint company at Foxton. Curie’s Good Form.

Curie’s pace on the flat and his. sustained finishing runs gave him two decisive wins over hurdles at Wanganui, where he also fenced safely. Ho was a winner over hurdles on the final day of fhe Trentham meeting, and failed subsequently at Riccarton, but now appears to have struck his best form again. Curie has been allotted tho top weight of 11.11 in tho Paiaki Hurdles at Foxton. Earns His Keep.

Since being purchased for £SOO by Mr W. Devon, Lucullus Lad has earned nearly three times this amount in stakes. He won five times last season, and his success in the Scafield Handicap at Wanganui suggests that he may not be long in extending his record. His next start will be in the Carnarvon Gold Cup at Foxton, and its ten furlongs will suit him, as ho ran two of his best races over this distance last season. On the Minimum.

Barley Almond, who k on the minimum in the Carnarvon Gold Cup, ran two fine races at Wa’iiganui. Though she shows a tendency to drift in the running, she finishes on solidly. She was fourth the first day after anything but a good passage and would probably have won the Moutoa Hack outright on Saturday, instead of dead-heating with Misurina, if her rider (B. H. Morris) bad not dropped his whip in the final stages of the race. In Champion Plate.

Brother to the New Zealand Derby winner Sporting Blood, Sly Fox, who is in the Champion Plate at Avondale, won the Putiki Handicap at Wanganui very attractively. Previously ho had been awarded the winning stake in the Novice Handicap at Trentham in July consequent on the disqualification of Bluffer. His decisive Wanganui win atoned for his New Plymouth failures, though he was in the unplased division on the second day. Riders For Foxton.

Riding engagements so far announced for Foxton are:—W. J. McDowell, Hanover; G. R. Tattersall, Quadroon, Prediction; B. H. Morris, Snigger, The Bigot, Royal Choice; N. C. Trillo, Entheos; H, Stewart, Vadanoo; V. Dye, Puroto, Raratonga; H. J. Callahan, Warehi, Barley Almond; J. Forsyth, Florence Mills, Merryman; P. Burgess, Roling Homo; J. Chapin, Sporting Luck. Submission’s Good Run.^ Submission looks like an early improver on her running in the Debutant Stakes at Wanganui. She drey? the rails, but lost her position after a' fuirlong had been covered. However, she came again with a fast run on the outside of the field in the straight, and in another stride or two would .have got Tableau (half-sister to Movie Star), who beat her by a bare head for 6Ccond money. Submission is not engaged in the Avondale Stakes. She. is a sister to Hanover, Courtcraft and Episode, and a half-sister to Heritage and Homily. (Middle’s Best Race. Finishing on very strongly in consequence of the vigorous riding of H. N. Wiggins, Middle scored his most important success to date when ho won the Higgie Handicap at Wanganui. Last season his outings were in bracelet and hurdle company for the main part, and at his last race was a winner over hurdles at New Plymouth! The Centrepiece gelding, who won the Purua Hack Handicap at the Wanganui meeting in 1936, was about to be retired when he began to do good work on the Wanganui track prior to the recent meeting. Arrival at Avondale. Coronation, Francis Drake and Silver Bat arrived at Avondale on Monday by float from Wanganui. Coronation, a three-year-old by Limond from Jewel of Asia, failed in his two races at Wanganui last week, but he improved from the first to the second day and should be more forward at Avondale, where ho should do better. Silver Bat is a chestnut two-year-old filly by Cricket Bat from Reckless, by Paladin from Zany, by Absurd from Leta. dam of Thespian. She showed a lot of pace on the outside in the Debutant Stakes at Wanganui, and the fact that she has had the advantage of a raoe will be a factor in her favour in the Avondale Stakes. Mounts at Avondale. Riding engagements so far announced for tho Avondale meeting on Saturday are as follow: —L. H. Clifford, Noble Fox, Vaalso, Erndale; R. W. MeTavish, Kilonsa, Orelio; A. C. Messervy, Knightbridgc and Tidewaiter; B. Markwick, Piracy; D. Craddock, Queen Lu; J. Mcßae, All Irish; B. Stokes, Electric Flash; W. Jones, Atta Jack; A. G. Murray, Ohmaha; R. J. Fearn, Poland, Electric Spear; D. Green,-Ringshot, Master Vaals; R. Sargent, Mai de Mer, The Trimmer, Vaals— Thuranna filly; J- Muir, Erination;' P. Fearn, Jayola; B. Markwiok El Meynell, Fidelis;. G. Cameron, Dark Legion, Spearford, Prival, Trilliarch, Gloucester; S. Trcmain, Wee Pat, Bonnybelle, Valspear; G. Gilchrist, Silver Quex; Fleetwind, Tybalt, Kelly; L. Gough, Illimani; P. Atkins, Francis Drake Coronation; W. J. Broughton, Royal Bachelor, Olympus, Beau Vit© and

Team For Marton. Following the Avondale meeting tb.ere is a possibility that the Takanini mentor, E. Pope, will bring a team to Marton, three likely to make the trip being Ma-xam, Anopheles, and tho Lysander—Adi Vunivola filly. Jazz Boy Improving. Showing himself to be a good! weight carrier, the Arausio gelding Ja?g. Boy ran two good races at Wanianui, being second among the backs on the first day and likewiso placed in open company on the second. He looks ljkcly to develop into a good horse. Jazz Boy has boen accorded nominations in both hack races and the open sprint at Foxton.

Tid«waiter Goes North. Tidewaitor, who is to be ridden by A. C. Messervy, wont north, bust night to fulfil his Avondale Cup engagement, in which he should give a good account of himself. Yesterday at the Awapurri track the Tidal horso was given an easy six furlongs with Surmount (Chaplin) as a companion; and after running to the three furlongs in 41scc they came home in 4ssec to cover the full distance in 1.24. Quadroon is not going to Avondale, but will start in the Carnarvon Gold Cup at Foxton. He is in great order. Colonel Grattan. The fact that Colonel Grattan, the wellknown trotter, was named after a Salvation Army officer was recalled by the visit to Napier recently of Colonel G. W. P. Grattan for the 54th anniversary celebrations of the Napier Salvation Army corps. When Colonel Grattan came to Now Zealand by the Rangitanc there were on board two horses for delivery to a South Island owner. Later, an officer of the Army happened in conversation with tho owner to mention Colonel Grattan and the fact that he had come to New Zealand by tho Rangitane. The owner replied, “Colonel Grattan ? Rangitanc ? I am looking for a name for my horse. That will do.” So tho horse came to be known as Colonel Grattan. Late Keith Voitre. Tho funeral of the late Keith Voitre will take place in Melbourne at 2.20 p.m. next Tuesday. His parents, Mr and Mrs E. F. Voitre, and his brother, Mr Noel Voitre, leave Palmerston North this evening to join the Wanganella, for Sydney, from where they will fly to Melbourne. Messrs R., G., and F. McKenzie, of Wellington, writing to the Evening Post, state : “It was with feelings of poignant regret that we learned of the tragic blow to a famous horseman and gentleman, Keith Voitre, the idol of the Melbourne racing public. We were at his bedside after his fall on Valiant Chief two years ago. We three brothers offer our deepest sympathy to his parents. Ho will always live in our memory as the greatest of them all.”