WARDRESS HAS PROSPECTS

Southland Times, Issue 23932, 26 September 1939, Page 10

WARDRESS HAS PROSPECTS

First Win In Open Company

RETIREMENT OF SMOKE SCREEN

Nominations for the Gore spring meeting close on October 2. Entries for the principal _ events at the New Zealand Cup meeting will -be taken on Friday.

Acceptances for the Dunedin meeting close on Tuesday of next week.

N.Z. Cup The first acceptance for the .New Zealand Cup is due next Friday, and the next on October 20, three weeks later. Wagner

Wagner struck himself on the eve of the Geraldine meeting, and had to be withdrawn from the Cup, for which he was one of the ante-post favourites. He started on Saturday, but did not show up.

Grey Night The Nightly three-year-old colt Grey Night showed pace for five furlongs at Geraldine, but in the final furlong had no chance with Lady Leigh. Grey Night is a half-brother to Grey Honour.

Lady Don At Ashburton Lady Don’s trainer in the race card was given as R. W. King. When she won at Geraldine Lady Don was given as trained by her owner Mr G. R. Hunter. Lightweights Only 10 of the 68 horses weighted for the New Zealand Cup have received 8.0 or over. Thirty-one are on the minimum, and fifteen others have been given 7.5 or under. A Retainer T. Green, who recently made a successful comeback, will do most of the riding for J. H. Jefferd’s stable this season. He can still go to scale at 7.10 or thereabouts. Small Percentage Of the 450 yearlings nominated in 1938 for the A.J.C. Derby, it appears that only about eight are considered worthy of a place in the field. Of these Beau Vite, High Caste, Wilson and Gold Salute were bred in New Zealand. By Gustavo Guspini, who won at Geraldine on Saturday, is a three-year-old gelding by the Solferino horse Gustavo from Turbine by Tractor. Guspini races for P. T. and W. Hogan, of Washdyke. Southland Club The Southland Racing Club has issued the programme for its spring meeting on November 18, for which the prize money is the same as last year. The chief event is the Southland Cup, £2OO, while the Flying Handicap is worth £125. Nominations close on November 1. A Souvenir The Gore Racing Club has issued an interesting booklet dealing with the history of the club, which celebrated its jubilee meeting last February. The progress of the club during its 50 years of existence is fully covered and the souvenir is one which will be greatly appreciated by members.' Open Company When Wardress won the chief event at Geraldine on Saturday this marked her first appearance in open company and judging by the convincing manner in which she won further successes appear in store for her. Wardress is a six-year-old mare by Lord Warden from Clink, the dam of Tinkle and Custody. Clink was got by Clearenceux from Wink, by Winkie from Judith, by Martian, and thus sound staying blood is well represented in this maternal line. , Beau Vite’s Rider M. McCarten, who is to ride Beau Vite in the A.J.C. Derby, is 36 years of age, and has been riding since he was 14. In an interview not long ago he-described Ajax as the fastest horse, Ballymena as the best stayer, and Limerick as the greatest horse he has ever ridden.

A Close Call The Tidal gelding Fundyßay fell on the first day of the Geraldine meeting. On the second day he set a solid pace and established a good lead. A faulty jump at the second last hurdle cost two or three lengths, and coming to the last hurdle Fundy Bay was still a couple of lengths in front of the rather con-fidently-ridden Travenna. Once on the flat Travenna was stirred up, but Fundy Bay kept going, and the Tractor gelding had to be hard ridden to get up and win. Fundy Bay was supported to the mild extent of £4 on the win machine, and would have paid close on a century. A Guineas Candidate With a change of riders from the stable apprentice to P. Spratt there was solid support for King Gustavo in the seven-furlong hack race at Geraldine on Thursday, and he ran a much better race. Again, as at Ashburton, he was a little slow to find his feet, but the lost ground was made up gradually and at the end of three furlongs he was disputing the lead with Phenomenal. He. had the latter beaten before reaching the home turn and then looked a sure winner, but was unable . to hold off Ferriby in the run home. The race should do King Gustavo a lot of good for his engagement in the Dunedin Guineas next month, in which his most formidable opponents appear to be Nigger Boy and Prudent Prince, states The Evening Star, Dunedin.

Retired The turf has seen the last of Smoke Screen, who broke down as a result of his race in the Robinson Handicap at Awapuni last week, and his owner, Mr Russell Grace, of Wanganui, has retired the brilliant but unsound Limond gelding. The decision not to persevere. with him further was not unexpected, though it is to be regretted that racegoers have seen the last of one of the best milers the Dominion has produced in recent years. Bred by Mr G. M. Currie at the famous Koatanui Stud, Smoke Screen is a five-year-old gelding by Limond from Curtain, by Thespian from Cowl. Ln three seasons’ racing he won £3705 in stakes, and he is the holder of the New Zealand record for one mile, lmin 35 2-5 sec, > established in the King’s Plate at Ellerslie last December.