ROYAL GUY IN FORM

Southland Times, Issue 24115, 2 May 1940, Page 10

ROYAL GUY IN FORM

Southland Pacers For Oamaru

GOLD BANK WILL ADD INTEREST

A useful team of Southland pacers is engaged to race at the Oamaru Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday, and the following week the majority will appear at the Forbury Park winter meeting. Royal Guy, Gold Bank, Mendel and Ochiltree may prove best of the Southland lot. The prospects of Royal Guy in the mile saddle event, the Electric Handicap, stand out as his form this season has been of a particularly high standard. Royal Guy won in his last start when he outclassed a strong field of sprinters at the Wyndham meeting. On this occasion he was timed to run his last mile and 2.12 time which he could have considerably bettered had he been required to do so. Like many of the Adioo Guy breed Royal Guy is now at the peak of his form —he has won twice and been three times placed in six starts this season —after an absence of almost three years from racing. He will keep the mile field very busy at Oamaru, while his prospects at Forbury Park also look bright.

Mendel has established quite a sound record in the racing he has done this term, having won on three occasions and been six times placed, including his last four starts. The Adioo Guy gelding was inclined to act erratically—like many of the stock of his sire have done at some stage or other of their career —earlier in the season, but consistency has been a feature of his more recent efforts. In the Wyndham Cup he finished third to Gold Bank and Happy Locanda while over a mile and a-quarter at the same meeting he beat all but Royal Guy. Mendel has shown brilliant speed at times while he is a better stayer than most. GOLD BANK IN FORM Now that he has struck top form Gold Bank is entitled to consideration against the improvers he will meet this week. He has won his last two starts —both over two miles—and his Wyndham Cup success stamped him as a great pacer. On this occasion he gave a big field a start over the last half mile and won pointlessly—being timed to run his last half in 60 2-ssec. Gold Bank may be preferred over- a journey further than a mile and a-quarter but his brilliance entitles him to consideration in any company. Some months back he was trained in Canterbury after showing good form in Southland, but failed to show anything like his best. Vinola has not won a race this season but the previous year she was the leading winner in Southland. So far this term she has been raced very little, lack of suitable classes being the

cause of this. When she won the Wyndham Cup last season she led all the way and could have bettered her time of 4min 31 2-ssec. The recent racing she has done has been from difficult marks but better placed in the handicaps at coming meetings she will be given a great chance. Happy Erin is down to contest the novice race but he will require to improve on recent efforts to have a winning chance. He has plenty of ability, but lack of stamina has been his biggest handicap. Ghandi won over two miles when he was suited by a holding track. At times he has raced well but he does not win out of his turn and he has yet to demonstrate that he will reach the same class as his full relatives, War Paint, Fairhaven and Seaworthy. He is just the type, however, to run a solid mile in saddle—especially if the going happened to be heavy.

IMPROVING TROTTER

Shanghai Peggy is an improving young trotter and she has been second in two of her last three starts. At Wyndham she has little chance with Guy Vester but she beat the others just as easily. She will not be out of it in the company she will meet on Saturday. Although he has not won a race this season Happy Locanda has been placed in four of his outings—his second to Willowbank in the Winton Cup in 4min 26 4-ssec for two miles stamping him as an outstanding pacer. In the Wyndham Cup he again finished in second place to Gold Bank, and a winning turn for the Gore pacer is overdue.

Ochiltree, whose mark prohibits her from Southland classes, has shown outstanding form in hei- races at Forbury Park and Addington—taking a mile and a-half record of 3min 13 3-ssec. She promises to play an important part at the Oamaru and Forbury meetings. WIN FOR BUZZAL AT HAWKESBURY (Received May 1, 10.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 1. The Hawkesbury Handicap, £125, one mile, run at the Rosehill course today resulted:— BUZZAL 7.10 (Cook) 1 MISCHIEF 7.10 (Parsons) 2 HEDONIC 8.6 (Neale) 3 Seven started, including Eanta. Won by a neck, third one length and a-half away. Time, 2.7. The well-known aged gelding, Dermid, fell in the Flying Handicap, broke a leg and his neck and was destroyed.