SOUTHLAND HORSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27096, 2 June 1949, Page 10

SOUTHLAND HORSES

WINGATUI MEETING GUNTHER HAS BRIGHT PROSPECTS Special to the Daily Times INVERCARGILL, June 1. Southland stables will be represented by a team of almost 60 horses at the opening of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting on Saturday, and a few fresh horses will appear on later days of the meeting. Winter meetings at Wingatui have for’some years been dominated by southerners and this week's fixture will be no exception. Of the jumpers, Lisheen. Eleanor Star, Gunther, Perusha. Sal’s Pal, St. Simper, Gunther, and Recharge may be seen to advantage. Lisheen, who was responsible for a grand performance to win the Great Western Steeplechase over three miles on a heavy track, under 11:2. is credited with having done well In his work at Riverton. With 11.11 in the Otago Steeplechase—a race he won last year with 10.10—Lisheen is set an extremely difficult task. Eleanor Star won twice over the Riverton country at Easter and there are few more reliable jumpers in the country than tha Silver Choir gelding. His stamina has been his sheet anchor in his racing to date, but as he is now handicapped to receive only lib from Lisheen, the top-weight may hold too many guns for him. Waihopi, a stablemate of Lisheen, has not impressed in his latest efforts, and First Out, a reliable fencer, has failed to stay in his recent racing. St. Simper’s Promise Of the hack steeplechasers. Regular, Recharge, St. Simper and Red Prize may be expected to show up. Regular was a shade unlucky to be beaten in a photo finish in the Hazlett Memorial at the Birchwood Hunt meeting and both he and Recharge have been well schooled. Red Prize’s best form was over the difficult Riverton country, and if he has freshened up at all he will be a decided prospect'. • Hunting Charm will be suited by a heavy track, but his form jias not al-

ways been the mpst dependable. St. Simper is a newcomer from the Hazlett team likely to make a good showing as his schooling has been full of promisd. Southland will have a strong hand in the Otago Hurdles with Gunther, Perusha, Sal’s Pal and Pencarrow appearing to have the best credentials of the southerners. Gunther, a, capable galloper on the flat with the last Invercargill Gold Cup to his credit, reappeared at the Southland meeting when he ran a promising race, and his latest work indicates that he will strip near his best. Perusha, who was placed in the Riverton Cup, has won in his only attempt as a hurdler. Perusha, who is a member of J. Thistleton’s team, is at home in both good and bad going, and there will be good reason to rate his chance highly. Sal’s Pal has had little experience as a jumper, but in his third attempt in this role, at Washdyke last week, he finished second to* Moneybird. Pencarrow made a promising reappearance at the Southland meeting when he finished second to Pride of Mossburn 1 , being required to make up a lot of ground over the last half mile. Desert Trek, who is now trained at Riverton by Thistleton, has been off thp scene for some time and may require racing to be seen at his best. . > Some Sal a Prospect Erislcay, Defendant, and Some Sal are the only Southlanders engaged in the Birthday Handicap. Eriskay is one of the few to have proved herself a stayer, but at her place in the weights she does not appeal greatly. Defendant has run some promising races in recent weeks, and the Defaulter mare may be ready to show an early return to the winning list, Some Sal, star staying hack of the Riverton meeting, where she won the Champion Hack Handicap and the Waipango Handicap in the manner of an up-and-coming stayer took some time to strike her best form, but she is a capable young stayer. Extra Flight, Fonso, Winning Cheer, Jimmy the One, and Mount Barker are likely to do best of the Southland sprinters engaged in the Winter Handicap. Extra Flight will be making her first appearance in open company, but she won her way through hack ranks in impressive style. Winning Cheer, whose best form has been shown on heavy tracks, was narrowly beaten by his stable-mate, Bath Slipper, in his last appearance, and with average luck in recent weeks he would have been returned a winner. Jimmy the One has won from seven furlongs to a mile and a-quarter in three successes in recent weeks, and he too. has raced best on heavy going. Rhine Lord ran a creditable third over 10 furlongs at the Birchwood meeting in his first attempt in open company. His hack form was consistent if it lacked the brilliance of some other recent graduates. Fonso has raced well in recent weeks,

and his second behind Vitamin at the South Canterbury meeting indicated that he Will make the grade as an open sprinter. Mount Barker was responsible for some impressive form earlier in the season, but the Royal Chief filly has failed to make a showing in the little she has done in open company. High Quest’s Promise

Ten hack sprinters are down to make the trip, and the best of them may be High Quest, Gay Prince, and Great Bid, who is also to race over a journey. High Quest is an outstanding type of filly, and there is no saying the form that she may be capable of developing. She has speed above the average, and stays on in bad going. Her form will be followed with some interest. Gay Prince was a winner over a mile at the Southland meeting, and both he and Great Bid are greatly improved hacks. Great Bid has yet to run a bad race. He has been paid up for in the hack distance race, and if the going is reasonably firm he will probably tackle the longer journey. Reprimand has more ability than most hack sprinters, but he has prejudiced several chances by failing to get away on terms with his field. Of the staying hacks Billy Mac, Gleneagles, The Turk, and. Strathaird will be considered. Billy Mac, now in R. E. McLellan’s team, has settled down to race solidly. Gleneagles has not raced much in recent weeks, but his form over some ground early in the season pointed to him being an outstanding young stayer. The Turk has disappointed in recent weeks, and apparently he is a difficult horse to produce at his best. Strathaird is a better stayer than most in his class, and may come into his own at short notice.

Gold Mine may prove the best, of the Southland novices, although Sea Beachn, Melva. Vermeer Lad, Paprika, and Mandeville have shaped well. Gold Mine came in for solid support at his last appearance and he was only narrowly beaten by High Quest after trying to win all the way. Sea Beacon (out of Set Sail) is well endowed with ability, and Paprika’s recent placings give her a chance.