SOUTHLAND NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25801, 23 March 1945, Page 7

SOUTHLAND NOTES

CROUPIER BOUGHT BY R. E. McLELLAN (Special) INVERCARGILL, Mar. 22. The Invercargill trainer, R. E. McLellan, has purchased the Colossus stallion Croupier, and he arrived litre yesterday in company with Signal Officer and l-uzzy Wuzzy. He was purchastd privately after the thoroughbred sale at Trentham last week, and will do service at Invercargill. After being hacked about on the roads, True Range is a regular worker at.lnvercargill again. Last Effort and Sing Sing left for Waimale during the week, and the pair will go on to Riccarton, where they will be raced at Easter. Salad strips a greatly-improved mare, and she worked well this morning when leading Air Chief over six furlongs in lmin 28sec. She has shown some speed in her races.

The Riccarton apprentic-: K. Nuttall will do most of the riding for J. A. Rowland’s stable the first day at Riverton. His mounts will include Great Coon, Sunny Course, Secret Course, and Ring Chief. C. T. Wilson will ride Royal Chorus. Wild Cry, who has not appeared on the tracks since he raced at Gore last month, put in an appearance at headquarters today. The Pink Coat three-year-old has .apparently been worked on the roads as he looks particularly well, and he did a pleasing gallop with Maharajah over five furlongs and a-half, the last five in lmin G 2-ssec, and the last half in 53 2-ssec. They finished together, and both carried vyclter weights, Maharajah, a Riverton Cup candidate, has made good progress. T. J. Boyle, who has ridden four of the last live winners of the Great Western Steeplechase, will ride Sir Percy in this year’s race. Boyle has been wasting to take off about 121 b to get down to 9.5. Great Coon strips a picture at the moment. He was restricted to an easy mile this morning, the last half in 58 l-ssec. He will be paid up for in the Riverton Cup and the open mile the first day at. Riverton.

Lisheen holds his condition particularly well, and he and Aurora Australis impressed yesterday by running six furlongs in lmin 20sec, the last half in 53 2-ssec. Aurora Australis is not a good worker, but there is nothing wrong with her condition.

Royal Chorus, whose efforts this season have been attended with little luck, is one of the best-conditioned horses at headquarters, and will be right at the top of his form at Easter. This morning, with his trainer up, he sprinted seven furlongs in lmin 37 2-ssec, the last half in 54 4-ssec, and did it well.

Benbecula is being taken along quietly in his Riverton Cup preparation, and he is showing much more life than he did before he won the Winton Cup. The Siegfried gelding galloped an casv mile to-day, Killarney joining in at the five. The mile took lmin 54 4-ssec, the last half in 54 3-ssec. Benbecula will be ridden by W. F. Ellis in the Riverton Cup.