PROGRAMME FOR DEFAULTER

Southland Times, Issue 23733, 3 February 1939, Page 10

PROGRAMME FOR DEFAULTER

Spanish Lad’s Weight At Wingatui

COUNTERBLAST IN FAVOUR

Acceptances for the Dunedin meeting close at 5 p.m. today. Winton handicaps will be printed on Monday. Foxlove’s Rider In the Dunedin Cup Foxlove will be ridden by G. Barclay who will also ride Wild Career at Wingatui. The Favourites Royal Chief and Sovereign Lady are the ruling favourites for the Dunedin Cup. Counterblast is favourite for the Publicans’ Handicap. On Paper According to figures and the scale of weights, Spanish Lad is rated as the best, or near the best on paper, in his class in New Zealand, comments “Sentinel.” At Wellington Astaire was 71b away from the top-weight in the Ruapehu Handicap, and at Wingatui Spanish Lad is giving him 71b. Dunedin and Trentham The weights for the Dunedin Cup very closely follow those for the recent Wellington Cup, over the same distance. Horses handicapped for both

The only one of’these horses who did not run at Treniham was Royal Chief. New Sires An unusual feature of the second day aiPahiatua was that three of the winners were by sires who had not previously had success on the race track. Counter gave Croupier an early start as a sire of winners, and Mataroa and Rowana were by Ollatrim and Rowley respectively, two sons of the Polymelus horse' Polydamon. Suleiman

Having his first race since April last Suleiman outclassed the rest of the Zealandia Handicap field at Ellerslie. Until a week ago, when he was re-

turned for the final polishing by trainer A. Cook at Te Awamutu, Suleiman had done all his work on his owner’s farm, but he was produced in first-class condition. He led, almost throughout, and his performance must be given full marks. Defaulter

Defaulter’s first start in Sydney will be in the Chipping Norton Plate weight-for-age, one mile and a-quarter, at Warwick Farm on April 1. The weight-for-age races in which he can run at Easter at Randwick are the Autumn Plate, of £l5OO, one mile and a-half; the 1 11 Aged Plate, of £l5OO, one mile; the Cumberland Plate of £1250, one mile and three-quarters; and the A.J.C. Plate of £1250, two miles and a-quarter. The All-Aged Stakes and the Cumberland Plate are run on the same day. Counterblast

The favourite for the Publicans’ Handicap, Counterblast, has not been harshly treated in the weights on recent form. She won the City Handicap run on the final day of the Wellington Cup meeting, with 7.9 in Imin 10|sec, the fastest six furlongs run at the meeting. She has been sent up 141 b and now meets Toro Koura (fourth, over three lengths away) on 41b and Top Row (sixth) on 61b worse terms. Coronation’s Win

It would probably be incorrect to say that Coronation’s win at Pahiatua on Saturday was altogether a surprise to his connections, but he had certainly robbed them of most of their confidence in him. This 1000-guinea colt whs given every chance to develop, and when he began to show brilliant track work this season he raised high hopes. He was confidently supported at Woodville in December, and also at Auckland, where before the meeting he put up a gallop over seven furlongs that trainer F. Davis rated as good as one done by Stretto on the same morning. It would appear that though Coronation has the undoubted ability to make a champion, he has his own ideas about racing, and it is the intention of his owner, Mr W. H. Gaisford, to have him gelded. Sovereign Lady’s Chances There is considerable speculation as to whether Sovereign Lady can win the Midsummer Handicap at Riccarton next Saturday to make her record two wins in succession in this race. She is considered the best staying mare trained at Riccarton and she has always raced well, and at times brilliantly, there. Judged by her track work she should be in the final tussle, and it is considered by good judges in the south that weight will not trouble her unduly. At Dunedin during the Christmas holidays Sovereign Lady ran badly because the track was very heavy. She likes the sting out of the ground but not heavy conditions. At the New Zealand Cup meeting Sovereign Lady won the Riccarton Handicap over nine furlongs, was third to Wild Chase and Lady Montana on the second day, and concluded the meeting by just failing to hold off Padishah in the Metropolitan Handicap. Raced by Mr G. Murray Aynsley and trained by H. R. Davies, she is a six-year-old bay mare by Winning Hit from Liege Lady.

Beau Pere Winners A good deal is heard at times of horses for courses, but it seems that there might be such a thing as sires for courses. Beau Pere’s reputation as a sire of early speed was made on the Trentham course. At the 1937 spring meeting there, Gay Son secured the Wellesley Stakes, Taurangi the Taita

Handicap, and Amigo the Karitane Handicap and Roseneath Handicap. At the summer meeting Kathbella and Ivar won the two-year-old handicaps. Beau Pere winners at the last spring meeting in October were Beaulivre in the Wellesley Stakes and Lord Cavendish in the Trial Stakes. At the fixture just concluded Beaulivre annexed the Wellington Stakes and Nursery Handicap, La Bru the Fitzherbert Handicap and Beau Vite the Hopeful Stakes Handicap. Te Hero’s Waywardness The admirers of the three-year-old Te Hero were again doomed to disappointment at Ellerslie on Monday when he refused to line up with the field for the Devonport Handicap and was left standing some distance behind the field when the start was made. Considerable patience has been exercized with Te Hero by his trainer, A. Cook, and his jockey, P. Burgess, but it appears to have been in vain, as his behaviour appears to be getting worse instead of better. A very substantial sum could have been obtained for Te Hero last season and Mr J. Hollier, who refused to be tempted by the high offers, deserves to have had better luck with him. Few colts in recent years have shown more promise as two-year-olds than Te Hero, and it is a pity that waywardness has prevented him from showing his true worth. The public has supported him well in his latest engagements, but it is unlikely that they will place much confidence in him in future unless he shows definite indications of mending his ways.

races were:— , Wellington Dunedin Royal Chief 9 7 9 8 Wild Chase 9 2 9 1 Argentic 8 5 8 2 Queen of Song 8 0 8 0 Nightdress 7 0 7 0