METHVEN TROTS TODAY

Southland Times, Issue 24249, 5 October 1940, Page 10

METHVEN TROTS TODAY

HIGH-CLASS FIELD IN CUP WILLOWBANK HANDILY PLACED Big fields have been paid up for in almost every event on the card at the Methven Trotting Club’s meeting today. Some high-class performers are down to meet in the Methven Cup and the contest between such proved candidates as Stormtost, Willowbank, Wainoni Girl and Happy Locanda should prove a feature of the day’s racing. Black Surprise is trained by M. C. McTigue, but in the little racing that she did last year she won two races, registering 3min 8 2-ssec at New Brighton for a mile and three furlongs and 3min 16 4-ssec for a mile and a-half at the Canterbury Park summer meeting. Stormtost is a warm favourite and his good list of'victories must give him a chance. Stormtost will have to be at his best to concede 24 yards to the limit horses which include Coquette, Kilrea, Willowbank and Trireme.

Willowbank has been supported by the public in all his races in Canterbury, and in spite of some bad luck he has experienced in his races he is still a popular fancy. A reproduction of Southland form may land Willowbank a winner.

Three Tens is a pacer well above the average and a two-mile journey will not be beyond him, while Kilrea has shown speed at the right end of her races since going into R. B. Berry’s stable. Happy Locanda is a good solid pacer and his 3min 19sec over a mile and a-half at Addington showed his staying qualities. FOR IMPROVING PACERS The Avonmore Handicap is a race for improving pacers. Braw Lass has been racing prominently but Bronze Eagle, with the reputation of a champion, has been solidly supported several times without very pleasing results. Busted Flush has several smart performances to his credit, one of the best being at the Timaru patriotic meeting when he finished second to Gold Bar in 3min 21sec for a mile and a-half. Mahoe on his day is worth consideration, and of the others on the limit, William Potts and Pleasant Guy may be well supported. Of the field of 12 horses set down to contest the Holmes Memorial Handicap Stormtost, Twenty Grand and Kilrea claim engagements earlier in the day in the Methven Cup. This is an especially good field and although he is set to give away 36 yards the distance of one mile and a-quarter would suit Stormtost better than the longer journey. Wainoni Girl on 12 yards is consistent in her racing and in the hands of Free Holmes she will lack nothing in reinsmanship. Great Blaze is a prospect, but Savoldi has been raced little of late, and Mazaire may be preferred. King’s Jubilee is an improved pacer and in the Lightning Handicap at Addington in August he recorded 3min 21 3-ssec, when narrowly beaten by Three Tens. Horses likely to be supported are:— DRAYTON HANDICAP.—Ccrtissimus, Allie Audubon, Royal Parrish. WESTWARD HO HANDICAP.— Hamarfast, Hoyden, Auric’s Star. METHVEN CUP.—Willowbank, Stormtost, Kilrea. AVONMORE HANDICAP.—PIeasant Guy, Busted Flush, Braw Lass. MT. HARDING HANDICAP.—Burt Scott, Marco Polo, Sunri, Corner. RIVERBANK HANDICAP.—Windsor Lad, Gipsy Lee, Patti Nelson. HOLMES MEMORIAL.—King’s Jubilee, Stormtost, Kilrea. MT. HUTT HANDICAP.—Sister Polly, Shadow Son, Macgregor. The acceptances are as follows:—

12.0 p.m. DRAYTON HANDICAP, £l4O. Class 3.49. (One mile four furlongs and a-half).—Al-lie Audubon It, Appeasement It, Bright Parrish It, Certissimus It, Douglas McElwyn It. Early Bell It, Jeanne D’Arc It, Mavis Nelson It, Noble Lady It, Royal Worthy It. Sea Wolf It, Windsor Lad It. Westcliff 12yds, Gipsy Lee 36yds, Axworthy 48yds, Royal Parrish 48yds, Gaynor 60yds, Native Ruler 72yds, Syntax 120yds.

12.40 p.m. WESTWARD HO HANDICAP, £l4O. Class 3.5. (One mile and a-quarter).—Aurie’s Star It. Black Label It. Castlebar It, Channel Fleet it, Clonard It, Crackajack It, Cynic It, Dandy Travis It, Dark Dew It, Direct Bingen It, Diviner It, Easy Ace It, Eileen Grattan It, Festivity It. Galworth It, Hamarfast It. Happy Man it, Hardy Oak it. Hoyden It, Inquisition It, Joe Perkin It, Lilimani If, Mickey Rooney It, Narvik It. Native Man It, Nilgau It. Quite True It. Rorqual It. Shannon Lass It. Silver Flash It. Spangled Maiden it. Boreas 12yds, Four Square 24yds, Hoyle 24yds, Playwright 48yds.

1.20 p.m. METHVEN CUP HANDICAP, £356/5/-. Class 4.38. (Two miles).—Black Surprise It, Coquette It, Kilrea It, Old Faithful It, Trireme It. Twenty Grand It, Willowbank It, Three Tens 12yds, Aidershot 24yds. Happy Locanda 24yds, Philario 24yds, Privateer 24yds, Stormtost 24yds, Zincali 24yds. Regal 36yds, Worthy Need 48yds.

2.J p.m. AVONMORE HANDICAP. £155. Class 3.34. (One mile four furlongs and a-half).— Braw Lass It, Bronze Eagle it, Busted Flush 1., Evora It, Fragment It, Jacose It, Mahoe It, Pleasant Guy It. Scenic Gem It, Tokalon It, Tonioro It, William Potts It, Heroic Prince 12yds, Little Derby 12yds, Purveyor 24yds, MacGregor 36yds, Royal Grattan 36yds.

2.45 p.m. MOUNT HARDING HANDICAP, £145. Class 3.1. (One mile and a-quarter).— Baytax It. Burt Scott It, Captain Potts It, Erin's Lad It. Four Square It, Grattanita It, Happy Man it, Inquisition it. Jack Spratt It, Loyal Betty It, Loyal Lu It. Loyal Ruflne It, Mackscot It, Marco Polo It, Mortlake It, Playwright It, Sabu It, Talak It, Irish Dawn It, Wainoni Jack It, Marina Rey 12yds, Queen High 12yds. Wee Pal 12yds. Lady Nessa 24yd; Prince de Oro 24yds, Sunny Corner 24yds. Panquitch 36yds, Star Ace 36yds.

0.25 p.m. RIVERBANK HANDICAP, £l5O. Class 3.45. (One mile four furlongs and a-half). —Allie Audubon it, Douglas McElwyn It, Fluke It. Gipsy Lee It, Jeanne D’Arc It, Mavis Nelson It, Noble Lady It, Royal Parrish It, Royal Worthy It, Westcliff It, Windsor Lad It, Gaynor 12yds, Kllmorlck 12yds, Native Ruler 24yds, Thor 24yds, Danzle Guy 36yds, Milestone 36yds, Patti Nelson 36yds, Axiom 48yds; Syntax 72yds, Diversion 96yds.

4.5 p.m. HOLMES MEMORIAL HANDICAP, £2OO. Class 2.52. (One mile and a-quarter).—Col-onel Axworthy It, Huguenot It, King’s Jubile; It, Mazaire It, Row! It, Savoldi It, Twenty Grand It, Great Blaze 12yds, Kilrea 12yds, Lament (T.) 12yds, Wainoni Girl 12yds, Stormtost 36yds.

4.45 p.m. MOUNT HUTT HANDICAP (saddle), £l5O. Class 2.21. (One mile and half a furlong).— Evota It, Lazybones It. Panquitch It. Refund It, Rhinegold It, Siege Gun It. Streamline It. Red Spur 12yds, Shadow Son 12yds, Sister Polly 12yds, MacGregor 24yds.