DUNKIRK AT WASHDYKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27579, 22 December 1950, Page 7

DUNKIRK AT WASHDYKE

By the Sporting Editor.

SPORTING

Form Horse For Centennial Cup Handicap CLAIR DE LUNE IN SPRINT

The card for the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting tomorrow is a particularly good one and the running should shed some light on prospects at the holiday meetings. The principal event is the Centennial Cup, and the field includes several horses who will be raced in the Dunedin Cup on Boxing Day. ' The doubles, totalisator will be operated on the Centennial Cup and the Fairlie Handicap, and selections for the various events are:— 11.30: Pukaki Hack Hurdles. —Gleneagles, Enforce, Bon Chale. 12.15: Maiden Stakes. —Ash, Judicial. Royal Saleve. 1.00: Juvenile Handicap. —lnfanta, Master Key, Our Ruth. 1.50: Centennial Cup. —Dunkirk, Goldstrike, Flying Sovereign. 2.35: Opihi Hack Handicap. —Dissenter, Aegina, Entrancing. 3.25: Fairlie Handicap. —Clair de Lune, Duvaals, Johnny Peep. 4.10: Studholme Handicap. —Ulster Queen, False Dawn, Winsloe Boy. 5.00: Temuka Hack Handicap. —Upshot, Highway, Airshaft.

A field of 11 is engaged in the Pukaki Hack Hurdles and Gleneagles should be one of the hardest horses to beat. He was placed twice on the flat at the Greymouth meeting last month and he has been a winner over hurdles, having been successful in the County Hurdles Handicap at Ashburton in September. Enforce was second to All Pockets in the hurdle event .at the Geraldine meeting in September and Bon Chale showed fair form over jumps last season. A majority of the other winners lack experience over jumps and those selected are Gleneagles, Enforce, and Bon Chale MAIDEN STAKES Ash is one of the few acceptors for the Southburn Maiden Stakes who have been placed this season, and provided he makes a good beginning he should reach the money. He was third to Cricket Pitch and Humdinger at Tapanui. Judicial was third to Dan Kelly and Sunda in the Novice Stakes at Hororata and Kukuiti filled a similar placing in the Trial Stakes at the Westland meeting last Saturday. At the Greymouth meeting la&t month Royal Saleve finished strongly to get second to Cloudy Range over seven furlongs and others with placings are Liffey and Winning Dancer. Those favoured are Ash, Judicial, and Royal Saleve. JUVENILE HANDICAP Infanta, the winner of the McLean Stakes, is entitled to consideration for the Juvenile Handicap, in which she is the only winher engaged. Master Key was second to Deploy in the Spring Two-Year-Old Handicap at the Southland meeting last month and Our Ruth has been placed in two of her five starts. Count Defaulter and Lochlisten have been placed and among the likely improvers are Sea Hawk and Dashing. Infanta, Master Key and Our Ruth should be prominent. CENTENNIAL CUP A splendid field has been paid up for in the Centennial Cup and the' race looks a very open one. . Flying Sovereign s last placing was in the Riccartoii Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting when she finished third to Profane and Prawns. Her recent track work has shown that she is in fine form. Goldstrike has been consistent, his last six races, providing four wins and a second, and another consistent performer is Dunkirk, whose performance in finishing second in the Derby was a good one and who has won his last two races. Welcome Guest has been showing a return to form, and Kosher's recent track work has given the impression that he will return to the • winning list before long. Hobgoblin’s best recent performance was in the Fendalton Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting, in which he put in a strong finish to be a close fourth to Pierre, The Rip and Arctotis. Open Sky and Elofa are capable v of a surprise, but Dunkirk, Goldstrike and Flying Sovereign make most appeal. OPIHI HACK HANDICAP

The winner of the Opihi Hack Handicap is likely to come from among the topweights. Entrancing, who is not the luckiest of horses, has scored four placings in her last six starts and is due for a win. Faustina' looks improved by her race at Beaumont and she can be ticked off for a win at one of the holiday meetings. Aegina has finished second and third in her last two races, and Dissenter’s four recent placings will find him among the favourites tomorrow. Count de Gama, Associate, and Spinning Lady ma.v be the best of the others, but the selections are Dissenter, Aegina, and Entrancing. FAIRLIE HANDICAP

One of the most consistent performer? in the Fairlie Handicap is Clair de Lune, who has put a win and five placings against her name in her last six races, and she looks nicely placed with 7.12. Duvaals, who will be ridden by L. Hare, has ' two recent wins against his name, and he looks particularly well at present. Johnny Peep’s form this season has not been outstanding, but his track work has been attractive and if he lives up .to it he should reach a place. Bosun will be making his first appearance since the New Zealand Cup meeting. His best performance this season was in the Telegraph Handicap at the Wingatui spring meeting. The Lum has won her last three races, and White Robe has won three of her races this season and been placed in two of them. Great Way is a likely lightweight. The favourites may be Clair de Lune. Duvaals, and Johnny Peep. STUDHOLME HANDICAP

Ulster Queen looks the pick of the field engaged in the Studholme Handicap. She was a winner at the recent Greymouth meeting and in her present form should pick up another race before long. Another recent winner is False Dawn, who was successful at the Westland meeting last Saturday. Winslow Boy has not been placed in his last two races, but in this field he should improve on that. Lady Milling and Betula may upset calculations, but Ulster Queen, False Dawn and Winslow Boy should be the hardest to beat. TEMUKA HACK HANDICAP Upshot, the top-weight in the Temuka Hack Handicap, won the Middleton Highweight Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting and that form points to him as a prospect for tomorrow. Highway collected a win and a second at the Westland meeting last Saturday, and Airshaft was placed at the same meeting. Hyflier has built up a consistent record and mav follow Upshot, Highway, and Airshaft in the order of betting. Good outsiders may be Philharmonic and Whittaker.