TRACK WORK AT WINTON

Southland Times, Issue 23437, 18 February 1938, Page 10

TRACK WORK AT WINTON

Jollyanna Schools Well VITAPHONE IMPROVES (Special to The Times) WINTON, February 17. The weather was fine for training operations at Winton this morning and much useful work was done. The main course was open and most of the work was carried out on the rails. Crusader Lad (R. McCann) did a couple of rounds of useful work and sprinted home the last half, the last two furlongs in 27 l-ssec. Poniard (R. McCann) was let off with a couple of rounds at half-pace. He looks particularly well and his work suggests he will race prominently. Glenboa and Glenmure did easy exercise. The latter appears on the big side and may not be forward enough for her engagements this week. Spanish Lad (W. Cooper) sprinted half a mile in 52sec, the first two in 27 2-ssec, and the last two in 54 3-ssec. He has taken no harm from his racing at Wingatui and, although the company he is meeting this week is of a better standard, he cannot be disregarded. Cone Peak (R. McCann) jumped off a length and a-half clear of Wyn (Cooper) over four furlongs in 52 2-5 sec, the first two in 28sec and the last two in 54 2-ssec. Cone Peak shaded her companion at the finish and was doing it much the better. Tautau Maid (Miss J. Morton) did a couple of rounds of half-pace work, sprinting home the last half, while Irish Birdcatcher (P. Gordon) was exercised on the plough. Scotsden and Royston were also given light work. Vitaphone (W. Rainbow) and Jollyanna (C. Low) were schooled over the sod wall and three other fences. Jollyanna led over the first and the pair cleared it nicely and they continued over the second without error, although Vitaphone was inclined to hesitate Both got in too close to the third, but they got over and took the fourth obstacle in their stride. It was a firstclass display and Jollyanna pleased greatly, showing her to be right at her best. Vitaphone’s exhibition was a great improvement on his display of the previous day. Pandine (J. Halford) was schooled over four fences on his own and gave a brilliant exhibition. He took each fence in his stride and he would only have to race up to this form to be one of the hardest to beat. However, with the colours up he is much more erratic.

year-old, but his present trouble has broken out in a new place. There is still time for the horse to “come good,” and be prepared for the Sydney races in the autumn, but the owner has ventured the opinion that The Trump is unlikely to race again. Royal Chief’s Programme The three-year-old, Royal Chief, was allowed to run along for half a mile at Riccarton on Tuesday morning. He has done a lot of useful exercise and as he has nearly thrown off the effects of the soreness that troubled him at the Auckland meeting, he is about ready for more serious tasks. Provided he goes on all right now, he will be sent to Trentham next month for the New Zealand St. Leger. A few weeks ago it looked as if this would be an easy race for him, but there now seems a good prospect of Courtcraft being on the scene. It should provide an interesting contest. As a rule the three-year-old form has been fully sized up before the St. Leger is run, but if Courtcraft and Royal Chief go to the post, next month’s contest should provide one of the chief attractions at the Wellington Racing Club’s autumn meeting. There would be time enough after that to send Courtcraft to Sydney for Easter engagements at Randwick, if Mr W. H. Gaisford decided to go on with lie trip.

A Strong Pair F. Smith’s two juveniles, Hot Box and Arvakur, will be interesting competitors in the two-year-old races at Te Rapa on Saturday. Hot Box, as a result of his fine victories at the Ellerslie and Takapuna meetings, is now handicapped to concede Arvakur 151 b, thereby reversing positions with his stable mate, who did not race at Ellerslie, but who ran second over five furlongs in his second start at Wellington when this event was run in 59|sec. It remains to be seen whether Hot Box can justify the handicapper’s assessment, and with due respect to the great improvement the Cape Horn colt has made it seems certain that Arvakur is favourably placed to hold Hot Box safely. Incidentally both colts have been working attractively and promise to strip in fine order for coming engagements. Arvakur was allowed to decline his engagement on the first day.

An Owner’s Grievance During the Dunedin Cup meeting an owner expressed the view that it is very unfair that horses after being educated to stand at the barrier should be made to go off from a moving start because the field contains one or two apt to misbehave when required to stand flat-footed, states a Christchurch writer. In such circumstances the fractious horses were obviously granted more consideration than the wellbehaved horses. A starter is not compelled by the rules to adhere to a flat-foot start, but as the majority of horses are educated to stand at the barrier, they should not suffer because one or two fractious horses are in a field. The owner mentioned states that his horse suffered by the fact that in a walk-in start his horse, accustomed to stand, did so when reaching the barrier, whilst the rest of the field broke away. He claims that this completely wrecked his horse’s chance.