NIGHT DRESS HAS IMPROVED

Southland Times, Issue 24161, 25 June 1940, Page 8

NIGHT DRESS HAS IMPROVED

Disdain To Race At

Trentham

RECOLLECTION MAKING GOOD PROGRESS

Weights for the Oamaru meeting are due on Thursday.

From Lochlaggen

A rising two-year-old filly by Salmagundi from Lochlaggen has joined D. P. Wilson’s team. She is the first of Lochlaggen’s produce and is described as a fine type of filly. It is intended to race her in next seasons classics.

Palencia Fails The Dunedin-owned Palencia was made a hot favourite for a race at Ascot (Melbourne) recently, but swerved away at the rise of the barrier and took no part in the contest. Cherry Jack

Cherry Jack, who ran third in the V.R.C. Birthday Handicap, l' s miles, at Flemington on Monday, is the ruling favourite for the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles, to be run on July 6. He is trained by M. McGrath, who also trains the favourite for the Grand National Steeples, Turf Boy. Last year W. Burke produced both National winners, Green Cape and Giant Killer, Turf Boy being runner-up to the latter and second favourite. Riccarion Notes Although there have been several hard frosts during the past week or so, the weather has kept dry, and. in contrast to the conditions prevailing for some time during last month, there has not been any interruption in training operations, writes our Christchurch correspondent. A grass track has been available every galloping morning for the past month, and trainers of jumpers have had plenty of opportunities for schooling their horses. When the winter season started, there were several novice hurdlers about,, and very few of them showed much promise, but by persistent education practically all of these have made marked progress, and more will be heard of them before the jumping period closes. The latest recruit to attract attention is Night Dress, who, when schooled previously refused to tackle the work, and was not persevered with. Since being acquired by his present owner, he has done a lot of schooling over pony hurdles, and has improved with. each task. He is a natural jumper and if the change from flat racing will improve his racing demeanour, he should soon earn distinction as a hurdler. Night Dress can lay claim to some solid breeding, as his sire Nightmarch is from Marsa, a Martian mare, and his dam Ball Dress is by .Winning Hit from Equipment by Martian. His stable mate Recollection is coming to hand satisfactorily, and has had several light schooling tasks. He appears to be keeping quite sound, and if he remains so, he is certain to take a prominent part in the decision of some of the big hurdle races to come. He is booked for a trip to Trentham. Disdain Well

Disdain has been kept going since last raced, and although she has had regular strong work she is carrying more condition than ever previvously. Her trainer, F. D. Jones, is confident she has come right again, and that she will win some good middle distance races in the spring. She is to be nominated for the Wellington meeting. Arctic Star has been at Ricc'arton since the Dunedin meeting in the care of his owner, the Riccarton trainer, C. Dawson. He is to be given another trial at some of the coming smaller meetings, but on anything he has shown this winter, he is not likely. to win much more money. Prediction was expected to race at Ashburton, but could not make the trip because of a recurrence of the leg trouble which prompted his sale at Trentham last January. This Hunting Song gelding has undoubted ability, but is always likely to be a doubtful proposition owing to unsoundness.

Resumed Training The big three-year-old gelding All Night, by Nightly from Clorane, by Rosewing from Belcaire by Treclare, has arrived back at Riccarton. He had a race last Easter, when he was put aside, and now he is to be got ready for early spring; racing. Merry Simon has been given some schooling since arriving at Riccarton from the south. He is to be kept to flat racing for the remainder of the winter, and will probably be given an opportunity as a jumper at some of the spring meetings in the- south. The speedy Pink Coat gelding Blue Coat has rejoined D. Cotton’s stable. He has been gelded and has grown into a solid there-year-old. Royal Chief is a daily visitor to the tracks, but will not be called upon to do any serious work until after the Grand National meeting. He will probably re-enter the arena at Trentham in October, and although there is no intention of taking him to Australia this year, he may be given another trip in the autumn to contest some of the long distance weight-for-age races. No Match

Although a match between Ajax and High Caste at the Red Cross meeting at Randwick was mooted, and would be an attraction, there is little likelihood of its taking place (says “Pilot”). Two of Ajax’s part-owners are opposed to the idea, and it is probable that others interested in the ownership of the chestnut will not favour it. The Hill Stakes, on Red Cross day, gives Ajax and High Caste the opportunity of a Yun, if it is considered necessary to help them in their preparation for the A.J.C. spring meeting, though before then a race for both can be had in the Chelmsford Stakes at Tattersall’s meeting. The winner of that incurs 71b penalty for the Hill Stakes, but that should not stand in the way of either Ajax or High Caste running in the Hill Stakes, less perhaps in the case of the former than of the latter.

For Melbourne Cup Beau Vite, the Beau Pere colt that displaced Beaulivre for the position of champion three-year-old this season, is being prepared for another Australian trip in the spring, the principal mission selected for him being the Melbourne Cup. Last November Beau Vite ran a fair race in the Melbourne Cup, but he did not show his best form on the trip, and it was only at Ellerslie last Christmas that he struck winning form and held it. Beaulivre showed too much speed for him over the mile in the A.R.C. King’s Plate, but he had his turn in the Great Northern Derby and the Clifford Plate. The only other defeat suffered by Beau Vite was in the Wellington Centennial Cup, when after making a great challenge, Old Bill beat

him by a neck. Then in successive starts Beau Vite won the W.R.C. Summer Handicap, Taranaki Stakes, N.Z. St. Leger, North Island Challenge Stakes, Great Northern St. Leger and the Awapuni Gold Cup. From his eight win and two seconds in as many starts Beau Vite won £5165, bringing his total stake earnings to £6475. While a number of the fields he met and defeated were poor, Beau Vite proved his worth in the Wellington Cup. As a yearling he was bought at Trentham by Mr R. Stewart, of Wellington, for 900 guineas. He is trained by T. R. George. .