CAMPAIGN FOR VOLOMA

Southland Times, Issue 23774, 23 March 1939, Page 10

CAMPAIGN FOR VOLOMA

SAMARA IS NOVICE PROSPECT GENTLEMAN JOE BOUGHT FOR £l2 Southern Chief, who is at present spelling, is likely to have a change of quarters when he resumes. Short Weight It is unusual for short weight to be declared at a trotting- meeting, but Plymouth lost third money at Cheviot because his rider (S. A. Edwards) could not draw 10.0.

Southlanders Engaged Ochiltree, Gold Bank, Salalon, Gay Avon, Jenny’s Guy and Sydney Grand have been nominated to race at the Ashburton Trotting Club’s meeting on April 1. Van Derby’s Next

Van Derby has been entered for a i. 30 class at the Ashburton meeting ext month and as one who has taken i mile record a fraction outside two .ninutes he may frighten a number out.

Foremost Junior Foremost Junior will have his next race at the Riverton meeting when he will start from 12yds back over two miles. Judging by his performance at Wyndham he should not be troubled in seeing out the longer journey. Distance Should Suit The three-year-old filly Aspirant has not stayed on in her recent races, although she has been racing solidly. She will be given a chance at the Birchwood meeting when the one mile and a-quarter journey will suit her.

Novice'Prospect Samara is not raced a great deal, but in his last start he finished a good second to Dan McGrew, whose subsequent form enhanced the value of Samara’s placing. Samara is engaged at the Birchwood meeting.

Voloma’s Campaign The Invercargill Cup winner, Voloma, has been back in work for some time and is being prepared for Forbury Park and Oamaru. It is the intention of her trainer, W. Cosgrove, to campaign her in the north providing the Canterbury meetings following the Forbury Park meeting have classes to suit., At the present time Cosgrove has no intention of taking any other members of his team with him.

On the Mend

After a period in the paddock, the southern performer De Soto was fired, and his legs are still receiving treatment. This brilliant pacer but unsound horse has responded well to the course adopted with him, and although it will be some little time before he is ready to resume work again, he is going along the right way to suggest that he has bright prospects of surviving a preparation in the near future.

A Bargain Sale Bought at auction for £l2, Gentleman Joe has won races at Auckland, Nelson, Reefton and Invercargill. He was bred at Addington. No one suspected he had the slightest ability to win races, but he won a prize at a non-totalizator meeting at Waiau. Gentleman Joe is now in his _ fourth year, and his success at Waiau induced his owner-trainer (Mr W. J. Allen) to try conclusions further afield.

His next appearance was at Methven, where he failed in both his starts. Later Gentleman Joe was sent to Reefton, where he won the first event for trotters by 60 yards, and although penalized for his second engagement, he administered a similar defeat to his four opponents. In his next two starts he registered a second. Early in this season he appeared on the training tracks at Addington, and after he had won races at the trotting gait, it was discovered he could pace. At Geraldine he made his appearance as a pacer, and on the second day he won in hollow style. He later went to Auckland, where he beat the best in his class at Epsom at Christmas time. There he showed his ability by winning over two miles as a trotter, and by running second in fast time as a pacer. He followed up his successes by winning the Nelson Cup in fast time as a pacer, and on the second day of that meeting he won at the trotting gait. At Wellington he recorded two seconds in races for trotters, and his last success was in the principal event at Invercargill as a pacer. Since August he has won six races, and has been three times second and once third. Gentleman Joe is by Grattan Loyal from a mare by Harold Dillon, and although he has won races at both gaits he will do best as a pacer. Gentleman Joe had thus entered the list of bargains. Peggotty was sold for £4, Sea Gift for £3, Mohican for £ll, and Gentleman Joe for £l2.