WILD CAREER IN FAVOUR FOR WYNDHAM CUP

Southland Times, Issue 24012, 30 December 1939, Page 12

WILD CAREER IN FAVOUR FOR WYNDHAM CUP

Interesting Card For New . Year’s Day

TOP ROW’S STRONG CLAIMS IN SPRINT FIELD

One of the. most popular meetings on the holiday circuit is the Wyndham Racing Club’s annual New Year’s Day fixture, which will be held on Monday. The fields right through are representative of the best class horses available and the club will present a programme which will ensure an interesting day’s racing. Many of the horses which raced at the Dunedin summer meeting are down to appear at Wyndham and the form revealed earlier in the week may provide a reliable line to prospects. The track will offer one of the best surfaces on any racing circuit in Southland, and Cough’s track record of 2min 4 2-ssec—which is also the Southland record for 10 furlongs—may be in danger of defeat. ' .

The favourites for the Wyndham Cup promise to be Wild Career, Mona’s Song and Merry March, all of which were seen to advantage at Wingatui. There are others, too, whose, chances will be highly rated and while the field is not a big one it is full of possibilities. The best credentials among the sprinters may be held by Top Row. Flagman and Kippen. The win-and-place system of betting will operate and the first race is to start at 12.15. A special passenger train will leave Invercargill at 10.50.

GOLD ROBE HAS PROSPECTS Clash Of Form In Cup Event AIRLINE’S CHANCE IN NOVICE FIELD On the strength of his good second to King’s Chorus at Wingatui Airline will be one of the favourites for the Trial Plate Handicap. The turning track may not suit him as he was slow to find his feet at Wingatui, but if he gets the jump out he will be a hard horse to beat. Colonel Rouge, who finished second to Moonraider in this event last year, has been doing good work on the tracks and he will have a following. He will be bracketed with Eire’s Ruin, an Irish Lancer- filly whose recent track work has been of a promising character. Both are capable of showing up here. Black Bard has shown flashes of good form but on other occasions he has let his party down. Blissful Lady did not show up the first day at Wingatui but she would only require to go with her field in the early running to have a chance. Dolita is a possibility while Royal Money was one of the leaders into the straight in his race on Wednesday. Of the others Cherokee may do best. The best supported may be:

AIRLINE , , COLONEL ROUGE bracket BLACK BARD DIGGERS’ CLASS TROT The form at Winton today will have an important bearing on the prospects for the Diggers’ Class Trot Handicap. Aidus appeals as well as any as his second to Indianola at Gore, was a promising one. If he fails at Winton he will be given an excellent chance to make amends here. June Tide is not engaged at Winton and she will be one of the favourites. She beat all but Dunalister at Gore and this form points to her immediate prospects. Rapid Course is solid but will require to. improve while Icilma has the ability if she can be induced to leave the mark correctly. Kentucky Sun may improve on his Gore placing while Harbinger would only require to secure the run she had at Gore to have a chance. At this stage the favourites may be: JUNE TIDE AIDUS ICILMA WYNDHAM CUP His good second to Norseman over a mile at Wingatui has brought Wild Career into favour for the Wyndham Cup, in which he will carry one pound more than at Dunedin. Wild Career has won over all distances and his latest efforts suggest that he is at the top of his form. He meets Queen of Song on 71b better terms than when he beat her at Wingatui, and over the longer journey he should finish in front of her again. Swordstick finished second to Merry March over a mile in his last start. This represents good form as he was conceding 61b to Merry March who came out later at Wingatui and ran second to Alma over 10 furlongs and ahalf. Merry March who now receives 31b from Swordstick should beat him again. Merry March is one of the most improved gallopers about and there are few more promising young stayers. In his only two starts in open company so far he won over a mile in lmin 39 l-ssec and then finished second to Alma on a greasy track. He should make a bold showing. Mona’s Song was produced only once at Wingatui when she ran third to Sovereign Lady and Norseman in the Otago Handicap. Sovereign Lady is a class mare while Norseman won over a mile the third day. Mona’s Song has 7.9 or 51b more than at Wingatui but this should not trouble her. Both Wild Career and Mona’s Song were beaten by Norseman in their respective engagements—on each occasion by a head, and this form points to there being little between the pair on Monday. Carrying 8.8 Doubleack beat a hack field over 10£ furlongs comfortably on Wednesday, after he had failed in an open race on the second day. He won in 2min 15sec, an exceptionally good performance and with 7.3 he may take some beating. Both Chirp and Roseman will require to improve on their Wingatui efforts to have a chance, but Chirp, under a light weight, should be heard from as there will be no doubt about her seeing it out. Boaform has nothing to recommend her in this company. The best backed may be: , WILD CAREER MONA’S SONG MERRY MARCH

, MIMIHAU HANDICAP It is not a particularly strong field of hack sprinters in the Mimihau Handicap and if Mondello showed anything like her track work she would be hard to beat. The small field and the turning track will be factors in her favour and if she gets to the front she may not be headed. Gold Robe was a winner in his last start and has been working in his best style. His chance cannot be overlooked. King Gustavo led into the straight in one of his races at Wingatui and then faded out but he gave the impression that the race would bring him on. Gipsy Fair has plenty of speed but Sea Lady has had her preparation interrupted although she appears all right again. Prince Flaneur may do best of the others. Those in favour will be: MONDELLO GOLD ROBE KING GUSTAVO PRESIDENT’S HANDICAP Top Row has been penalized 71b foi his Dunedin win and has been raised to 9.7 in the President’s Handicap. It is a big weight but the Colossus horse is well up to weight and a sprinter of his class stands out in this field. The others have very little- in the way of form to recommend them. Phalanx is fairly solid and the turning track will suit him. Rodeur, Bay Duke and Viking have not shown any form for some time but Flagman is a possibility. He did not show up in his engagements at Wingatui but the opposition is much weaker here. Kippen will be having his first start in . open company and he will appreciate his big drop in weight. With 7.3 he must be given a chance but securing a suitable rider may be a difficulty. The favourites may be: TOP ROW PHALANX NEW YEAR HANDICAP If Gold Robe is reserved for the New Year Handicap he will be entitled to be favourite. The Nigger Minstrel gelding beat a strong novice field at the Southland spring meeting and the opposition is no better here. Asia has not shown up in recent starts, but the Limond filly has some useful placings against his name. The distance will suit Islay Downs much better than at Dunedin and he is capable of holding his own. He will be bracketed with Pink Bond, who has been working in improved style. Moonraider is a useful mare at her best, while Hearth carried a field of hack sprinters along at a fast clip for five furlongs and a-half at Wingatui, but he did not stay on. He. can be expected to improve, however. Remembo was doing his best work at the finish of his two races at Wingatui and on this form must be given a chance. Southern Sail has been placed in her only three starts to date and her two efforts at the Dunedin meeting were promising ones. The Iliad filly has improved with the racing she has had. The best credentials are held by: GOLD ROBE (if started) SOUTHERN SAIL REMEMBO VICTORY CLASS TROT Practically all those engaged in the Victory Class Trot Handicap are to race at Winton today, where the results may alter opinions formed at this stage. Waterloo Direct, a winner at Gore, is likely to be in the picture all the way, while he will be coupled with Drumbunnif and Golden Miller, both capable of showing up. Ghandi was fourth at Gore and will not have to improve much, while Mendel and Drumoak represent a strong bracket. Gentleman Jim will be in favour if he does not incur a penalty at Winton and the same applies to Foremost Junior. Royal Chief

is a fresh horse, and Directly is nicely placed in the handicaps. At this stage those in favour are: • MENDEL bracket FOREMOST JUNIOR , GENTLEMAN JIM bracket VISITORS’ HIGHWEIGHT Royal Style was a winner at the Dunedin meeting and a repetition of that form would see him showing up in the Visitors’ Highweight Handicap, in which he has been raised to 10.0. He now meets Heidleberg, who beat him at the Southland meeting, when he gave Heidleberg lib, on 41bs worse terms. On that occasion the going did not favour Royal Style and he may turn the tables on Heidleberg. This class of race should suit Remembo, but Lord Puck’s good Wingatui form cannot be overlooked and he will be hard to beat again as he stays well. The distance will not trouble Asia, while Jedburgh would be suited by an easy track. Horses in form are: ROYAL STYLE • HEIDLEBERG LORD PUCK