DARK FLIGHT IMPRESSIVE

Southland Times, Issue 23634, 8 October 1938, Page 10

DARK FLIGHT IMPRESSIVE

Mount Vai’s Decisive Hurdles Win MILFORD’S DEFEAT IN RECORD TIME (From Our Special Reporter) DUNEDIN, October 7. . There Will be racing at Wingatui, Ellerslie, Hawke’s Bay and New Brighton tomorrow. Nominations for the Oamaru Trotting Club’s Labour Day meeting close on Monday at 8 p.m. Three on End Petersham has now won in his last three starts and judging by the manner in which he won yesterday he is capable of improving this record. Feature Events

The Great Northern Guineas and the Welcome Stakes will be the feature events at the Auckland meeting and. at Wingatui tomorrow . the Dunedin Guineas will be the chief attraction. Cintilla

Cintilla was responsible for an encouraging showing when defeated by Passaform over a mile. The Woodend gelding made most of the running and although he was headed half way down the straight he came on again. It was his best race for some months. Milford

Milford went down short in his preliminary in the Mosgiel Handicap but this did not trouble him and he put up a great fight with Last Refrain. .The sting is likely to be out of the ground tomorrow and this will be more in favour of the Anomaly gelding. Interference

There was a good deal of interference in the early stages of the running of the McLean Stakes and the winner, Winning Rival, was one of those to suffer. Caught Unawares

It is understood that G. Humphries, rider of Defaulter in the Electric Handicap, admitted after the race that he was caught unawares at the finish. Defaulter is a lazy colt and does not require much encouragement to case up. Will Do Better

Viking stripped in good order when produced yesterday and he finished-in fourth place. As ne had not raced for some time the outing may have improved him. Fast-Run Race

Last Refrain’s time of 2min 13 4-ssec for the ten furlongs and a-half was one-fifth of a second better than Galleon’s track record of 2min 14sec. The last mile‘and a-quarter was run m 2min 5 4-ssec and the last mile in Imm 41sec. Ardchoille’s Form

Ardchoille was having his first race for some months when he contested the Maungatua Handicap. Ridden by the Invercargill apprentice, C. A. Ward, he was always in the firing line and although he was well beaten it was a promising effort in the circumstances. Did Not Stay

Colonel Rouge was in the firing line into the straight in the Trial Handicap but he did not stay on under pressure in the run home. The Colonel Cygnus three-year-old gave the impression that the race would improve him.

Likely Improvers Vallock and Dennis Dowling were both well back in the early stages of the Trial Handicap and they did well to get up to the placed horses. Vallock was only a head behind Chirp in fourth place. A Late Run

High Glee came with a very late run when he finished third in the October Handicap and on the strength of this performance he may be .expected to do better tomorrow. The Paladin gelding had little chance of catching the leaders when he put in a run on the outer.

Effects of Fall When Delrain fell in the Spring Hurdles yesterday he was making a promising move two furlongs from home. He was the only one who looked like making a race of it with the winner, Mount Vai. Delrain was inclined to be sore when he returned ■to the birdcage. First Outing

The Night Raid filly, Moonraider, was having her first start when she contested the Trial Handicap yesterday. She was one of the first to jump out and was with the leaders until half way down ther tinning. It was an encouraging -performance as she did everything right and will be all the better for the experience. , Will Do Better

Gold Sal- ite was unlucky in the running of. the McLean Stakes. He was the last away and he made up a lot of ground running to the straight, where he endeavoured to get through on the rails. He was checked on several occasions. and in the circumstances his fourth was a creditable placing. He is a big upstanding colt by Lord Warden.

Poor Display Sparkle gave a very poor display in the Maungatua Handicap. She was badly chopped out at the start, but even then she made no impression on her field and was well back in fifth place at the finish. The race may improve her, but she will require to improve greatly to be in the picture tomorrow. Not Catered For

The decision of the Dunedin Jockey Club in starting the first race on Thursday at 12.45 p.m. was unpopular with southern patrons. Those arriving by the express had almost an hour and a-half to wait before the first race and those returning the same evening had to miss two races in order to catch the express. Southlanders were of the opinion that they were entitled to a little more consideration.

Promising Juvenile The three-year-old, Passaform, put up a particularly good performance when he won the Maungatua Handicap as he finished on full of running. Passaform was a good class two-year-old and he looks like carrying on. The Balboa gelding races in the colours of Mrs A. E. McLaren and is a member of a well-known Southland family, his dam Fairform, having produced good winners in Tauramai, Rin Tin Tin, Charmaine and Some Form (dam of Ashaway). Passaform is one of the last crop of Balboa’s stock. Decisive Win

When Mount Vai won the Spring Hurdles Hai.dicap yesterday, he confirmed the opinion of his rider, T. J. Boyle, that he was unluckily beaten by

Top Rank at Geraldine. Mount Vai was well back in the early stages of his race, but with three furlongs to go he ran to the front and was not afterwards in danger of defeat. On the strength of this effort he will be hard to beat in similar company tomorrow. Stopped Badly Alma, who was sent out second favourite for the Mosgiel Handicap, run over ten furlongs and a-half, was beaten a long way from home. She was well back early and A. E. Didham raced her up to the leaders at the far turn and just when she looked like playing an important part in the finish she stopped badly and was almost pulled up within the next half furlong. Alma’s form was rather puzzling in view of the support which has been coming for her. She has now failed on several occasions when raced over further than seven furlongs and it would appear that one reason why she is being started over further than sprint distances is that she is too highly assessed in the weights as a sprinter. Dark Flight Some interest was shown in the first appearance of the Riverton two-year-old Dark Flight in the McLean Stakes and he put up an outstanding performance to finish third to Winning Rival and King Gustavo. Dark Flight was only caught by this pair a few yards short of the post. Dark Flight was one of the best looking of the big field which contested yesterday’s race and the half-brother to Ortyx can be expected to improve on this effort. He was checked in his preparation a few weeks back and but for this would have been much harder to beat. A good opinion has been expressed of him and there appears good reason for it.

Unlucky The fact that his rider, G. Humphries, eased him over the last 50 yards contributed to Defaulter’s defeat in the Electric Handicap and while the Defoe colt was unlucky in this respect it is questionable whether he would have beaten Silver Streak on the day. Defaulter, however, lost none of his admirers for the Dunedin Guineas to be run tomorrow and he is likely to start at a short quote. Before yesterday’s race Defaulter had won in his previous seven starts and as he had not raced for some months his placing was an excellent Guineas trial. The three-year-old will be better suited over a longer journey. RANDWICK ACCEPTORS FOR TODAY SYDNEY. October 6. Acceptors for the Randwick Plate. £lOOO, two miles, at the concluding day of the Australian Jockey Club’s spring meeting are:— Silver Standard 9.7, Allunga 9.7, Silver Ring 9.4, Gay Knight 9.4, Royal Chief 9.0, Bourbon 9.0, L’Aiglon 8.11. The acceptors for the Clibbom Stakes, £650, one mile, are:— Aeolus 9.2, Respirator 9.0, Lord Valentine 8.7, Limulet 8.7, Adios 8.7, Rathlin 8.4, June Bonnie 8.2, Diamond Wedding 8.2.