NOTES FROM INVERCARGILL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25565, 19 June 1944, Page 3

NOTES FROM INVERCARGILL

(Special) INVERCARGILL, June 18. The Wingatui trainer, A. E. Didham, arrived at Invercargill yesterday with six horses. -He is en route to Wellington by coastal steamer and is spending a few days ashore with his horses while the boat is loading at Bluff. His team consists of Boloyna, Notary, Strip, Monetary, Invincible, and the Riverton-owned filly’ Royal Flight. Didham took over Royal Flight after the Dunedin meeting and will have charge of her on the northern trip. Five of W. E, Hazlett’s horses—AngloFrench, Noko, True Range, Spanish Main, and Aurora Australis —were taken to Washdyke after the Dunedin meeting, and will later move on to Riccarton. Noko will contest the hurdle race at the South Canterbury meeting, and, all going well, will be a competitor at the Wellington meeting. He will be accompanied to Trentham by True Range. Aurora Australis may be given a race at Washdyke. Spanish Main will contest the Pareora Steeplechase and will then be sent home. All the horses have done well on the trip. Jack o’ Lantern and Lislieen will not fulfil their Washdyke engagements. They were brought back to Invercargill after the Dunedin meeting and will probably not be required to race until the Otago Hunt meeting in September. Minton will not fulfil his Washdyke engagement, and he is to be spelled until it is time to prepare him for steeplechasing next year. The Nigger Minstrel gelding gained three firsts and a second across country this year, and won £6lO in stakes. He is only rising seven years and should make further improvement next winter. After racing at Wingatui the hurdler Waitoru over by the Washdyke trainer E. J. Ellis, who will be in charge of him until after the Grand National meeting. The very bad going was blamed

for Waitoru’s poor form at Wingatui, and he will probably be better if he strikes decent winter going in the north. Heidelberg will also be an absentee from Washdyke. The Lord Warden gelding was showing signs of soreness after racing at Wingatui, and he was brought back to Invercargill for a spell.