YOUNG AWAPUNI MARE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 285, 2 November 1939, Page 7

YOUNG AWAPUNI MARE.

TOPWEIGHT IN LINWOOD. (By “Spectator.”) Now elevated to the position of topweight with 9.0 in the Lin wood Handicap (seven furlongs), at Hiccarton, Verey Lights was making her debut in open company when slio won the McKolvio Handicap at Bulls in a manner which suggests that she will develop into a really smart handicap performer round the district meetings. Though practically headed off in the run up. the straight, Vcrcy Lights had the stamina to go on and win full of running. She is not big, and ddes not carry weight well. Consequently sho had a great opportunity olf 7.0. ■

Verey Lights, who cost her Taranaki owner, Mr E. J. Kirkwood, 160 guineas, had already repaid that outlay by her prior successes in hack company. Sho is a four-year-old chestnut mare by the Radium horse Night Raid, and she is bred from Spoon, who was a good class performer a few seasons back. Spoon won the C.J.C. Challenge Stakes, Craven Plato and a number of good races up to a mile and a-quartcr against the best class. . Spoon is by Tea Tray and is bred from Warlove, . who won the New Zealand Oaks, Otago Handicap, and ran second in the Dunedin Cup. She was by Martian from Stepdancer, and was therefore an own sister to Warstep (one of the greatest mares ever raced in Now Zealand), and to the Stewards' Handicap winner Stardanccr, who achieved far/c as the dam of Limelight (C.J.C. Great Autumn, Metropolitan, Members’ and Jockey .Club Handicaps) ; the Auckland Cup winner Starland, and that good class sprinter Paperchaee. Change of Interests. Flammarion, as reportod earlier in the “Evening Standard,” is now in G. W. New’s stable at Awapuni, and when ho races again it will be in the colours of Messrs G. E. Trevor and C. P. Thorburn. It is understood that Shining Hours has been leased by Noel Voitro, who will train her at Awapuni. G. McCullough, who trained and raced Flammarion and Shining Hours, has enlisted. Gallops at Hastings. There were several smart gallops at Hastings on Tuesday in the semi-final trials for tho Napier Park meeting. The two-year-olds Bombay, Smoke 1 rail and Versatile went well over three furlongs on the plough; City Song ran the best halfmile; Lindrum and Tableau pleased over five; Classical and Endorsement impressed over six furlongs, and Modern Way ran a good seven. Nora Gregor showed brilliance over fivo furlongs on the courso proper, and Black Out pleased over throe furlongs.

A Promising Maiden. Among tho maidens raced at Bulls nothing created a better impression than tiio threc-ycar-old Tuatara, who was having his first i race. Tuatara was about eighth most'of the way and finished fairly well for fifth, close up to the placed horses. It looked as if tho race would improve him a 101. Tuatara-, for whom Mr W. McA. Duncan paid 200 guineas at the 1938 sales, is by the Lemberg horse Lord Quex and he is bred from a Tuala —Reclaim marc, who is the dam of that former smart sprinter Lavina, who won sixteen races. Tuata was a half-brother by Athenic to the Auckland Cup winner Mahutonga.