FEATHER BOA’S FORM

Southland Times, Issue 24113, 30 April 1940, Page 8

FEATHER BOA’S FORM

Heidelberg In Open Company GREAT LEGION TO APPEAR Acceptances for the Southland winter meeting close at 5 p.m. today. By Croupier The Raker, who has now won in his last three starts, is one of the first of Croupier’s stock to race. Hunting Season The Birchwood Hunt will open its season with a meet at Oreti on May 15. Beau Fere Winners Of the 33 classiC and fixed weight events decided in New Zealand during the current season, the stock of Beau Pere have won 15 in addition to a host of minor placings. This amounts to nearly £9OOO in stake money. His winners were Beau Vite seven, Beaulivre seven and Sir Beau one. No Chances Taken Though she is still eligible to compete in hack company and has not won a race this season, handicappers are not taking any risk when allotting imposts to Capricious. She has been allotted 10.2, or 441 b above the minimum, in the Starkey Memorial Handicap. This mare’s good seconds in the New Zealand and Dunedin Cups have been costly. Flans For Padishah In a letter to a friend in the South Island, Mr J. A. Hennah, the owner of Padishah, says that his present intentions are to have the gelding at Riccarton in August with the hope of again winning both Grand Nationals. Last year Padishah won the Steeplechase with 11.5 and the Hurdles with 11.7. He recently resumed racing among the open sprinters at Hastings and he looked in fine order - for later efforts.

Spanish Lad Although he was withdrawn immediately the weights appeared for the Southland meeting there is nothing amiss with Spanish Lad and as he had been eased in his work since he raced at Riccarton at Easter it may not have been seriously intended to start him. He is under orders for the Dunedin winter meeting, while it is also possible that he will be taken to Trentham in July.

•Maj r Not Start ■ Pandine, who failed badly at the Otautau meeting, may not be produced at Invercargill on Saturday if the going is heavy. He has done little work since his inglorious showing in his last appearance, when it was evident that he was hopelessly at sea on a heavy track. He will be given plenty of opportunities in coming weeks and no undue risks will be taken with him.

Improving Hack Recent racing has shown Feather Boa to be more than useful and among the hack sprinters at the Southland meeting she should give a good account of herself. The Full Feather mare beat a novice field in easy fashion over six furlongs in Imin 15 l-ssec at the Riverton meeting and in her only other start she ran a great race over a mile to finish close up after striking trouble in the running. Feather Boa is a distinct possibility in her present class.

Chance On Paper Horses at the bottom of the weights for the Ritchie Memorial Steeplechase at the Southland meeting have much the worst of it, especially when Pandine is weighted only 71b above the minimum and Guste 91b, while Trisox has not been harshly treated with 10.9. Gay Boa’s case is rather an interesting one. At the Otautau meeting Guste gave him 121 b and beat him and, now Guste has to concede him only 91b —or 31b better terms for beating him. On paper Gay Boa can be given no chance at all with Guste. A Newcomer Great Legion, who recently joined T. G. Pollock’s team, will make his first appearance at the Southland meeting on Saturday. He has done a fair amount of racing, mostly in the North Island this season, having won once and been four times placed in 13 starts. At the Masterton meeting he beat Morning Flight and Larwood over seven furlongs in Imin 29 3-ssec and at Trentham in October he finished second to Lady Tinkle, with Le Touquet third over seven furlongs in Imin 25Jsec. At Rangitikei he was third to White Rajah and Colossal Chief, while at Ashburton Lord Midas and Dinah Dhu beat him over six furlongs in Imin 12 2-ssec. At the Hororata meeting Great Legion finished second to Philibun with St. Cloud third over six furlongs in Imin 15 l-ssec. In Open Company

Heidelberg, who is to make his first appearance in open company at the Southland meeting on Saturday, is without a doubt one of the best hacks unearthed in Southland for some time. In nine starts this season he has won four and been twice second, while in the Champion Hack Handicap at Riverton he finished a good fourth after being interfered with twice during the running. Heidelberg’s form has been of an outstanding nature, especially when the later efforts of some of those he has beaten so convincingly is considered. He won his first race at the Southland spring meeting when he beat Royal Style and Jedburgh in a highweight event. He carried on to win a similar class event at Wyndham when he put up an amazing performance to beat Atua Rere and Lord Puck, who later won the Douro Cup at Trentham. On this occasion Heidelberg was permitted to drift hopelessly in the middle stages when he was conceding the leaders 12 to 15 lengths. He made up this ground within a furlong and won pointlessly. Another outstanding effort was when he won the Wairio Cup from Sparkle and Atua Rere. In this race he covered more ground than anything else—he was always on the outer of two horses —and won as he liked in 2min Bsec, while private watches made him go better. Sparkle was right at the top of her form at this time and she carried on to win the Dunedin and Winton Cups. There are very few new recruits to the open ranks with better credentials than Heidelberg, for whom a winter campaign is being mapped out. New Role For The Dozer

The Dozer may soon join the ranks of jumpers. If such a course is adopted, there is every likelihood of this gelding making an early impression. He is stated to be an excellent jumper, having had a great deal of experience on the hunting fields of Taranaki