RIDERS ENGAGED FOR WINGATUI

Southland Times, Issue 23736, 7 February 1939, Page 11

RIDERS ENGAGED FOR WINGATUI

Several Withdrawals Announced

FIRST OF NIGHTLY’S

STOCK

(Special to The Times) CHRISTCHURCH, February 6. Riding engagements affecting Riccarton horsemen and horses, have been made as follows for the first day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s autumn meeting.'— B. H. Morris.—Royal Chief, Settlement, Moorsotis, Top Row, Cape Gabo, On Call. C. T. Wilson.—Wild Chase, Counterblast, Great Flight, Capricious, Rabble. A. Messervy.—Galleon, Rebel Chief, Steer Clear, Master Hotspur, Spartan. J. V/. Jennings.—Second Innings, Our Pal, Adina, Atua Rere, Night Pal, Seafox. , M. Caddy.—Toro Koura, Passaform, Chirp, Neptune, Nightwings. R. Caddy.—Rebel Queen. P. Spratt.—Phalanx, Teak. H. Hibberd.—Kilrobe. The following horses will leave Riccarton by special train for Dunedin tomorrow—Wild Chase, Counterblast, Great Flight, Royal Chief, Settlement, Moorsotis, Rabble, Argentic, Recollection, Cape Gabo, Capricious, Phalanx, Master Hotspur, Synthetic, Teak, Rebel Chief, Kilrobe, Montessa, Rebel Queen, and Second Innings. Late defections were Haughty Winner, Improvident, Rebellion, Metal Bird and Dress Parade. Spartan, who was galloped on on Saturday, may not make the trip. ROYAL CHIEF’S CONDITION Royal Chief is expected to strip a very fit horse at Wingatui on Thursday. He was galloped seven furlongs on the plough on Saturday morning, giving Kilrobe a big break over the early part but finishing in front of her in the good time of lmin 27 3-ssec, while today, with Settlement, as a mate over the last half mile, he covered a mile in lmin 43sec. The softening of the surface of the Wingatui track by today’s rain will be to the benefit of Royal Chief and provided the going does not become very soft he will no doubt be a good favourite for tjie Dunedin Cup. A feature of Saturday’s racing at Riccarton was the successful riding of P. Spratt, who piloted four winners, Queen of Waka, Top Row and Teak. Spratt served his apprenticeship with the Wingatui trainer, A. E. Didham, but is now a free-lance jockey. NIGHTLY’S STOCK The first of Nightly’s productions to race appeared in the Lyttplton Plate on Saturday. These were Night Shift and Grey Night, the former being from Minehead and Grey Night from Grey Lass, dam of Grey Honour. Both failed to show up but can be expected to be more in evidence later in the year. Night Shift is owned by his breeder, F. D. Jones, and Grey Night is trained by D. Cotton for Mr J. Munro. Included in the unplaced division in the Trial Stakes on Saturday was Lady Kinnoull, a three-year-old sister to Kinnoull. She has always been inclined to be highly strung but by patient treatment she has overcome her trouble to. a large extent and in Saturday’s effort was not far from the leaders a furlong from the post. This was her first test and more racing experience may soon find her on the winning list. Mr A. K. Firth, owner of Royal Chief, was represented in the Halswell Hack Handicap on Saturday by his four-year-old filly, Elegy, by Posterity from Damaris. When trained by F. D. Jones this filly ran second in the New Zealand Oaks to Brunhild, but failed to carry on and was turned out last spring. When Jones was in Australia with Royal Chief, she was handed to Mrs J. Campbell to train but judging by her form on Saturday on top of her previous track essays, she does not look likely to earn much distinction on a race track.