BIG HANDICAP AT GORE

Southland Times, Issue 24356, 10 February 1941, Page 9

BIG HANDICAP AT GORE

Boaform Outclasses Sprinters CENTRAL STAR WINS NOVICE EVENT Mona’s Song, winner of the Southland and Invercargill Cups, once more demonstrated her consistency J}nd solidity by winning the Racing Club Handicap, the big distance handicap at the Gore summer meeting on Saturday. On this occasion, although carrying topweight, she made all of her own running for more than the last six furlongs, and in an interesting finish with Peony Rose she outstayed the Rivet ton mare and got the verdict by half a head. It was no race for half-a-mile, dtuing which Peony Rose led the field at a slow pace. Mona s Song was then taken to the front and thereafter was not headed. It was a triumph for the apprentice, W. F. Ellis, whose tactics out-generalled the other riders in the field. Mona's Song was not strongly supported on the win machine, but her victory was warmly acclaimed by the crowd.

The racing throughout the programme was full of interest. There were two or three clear-cut wins, particularly those of Secret Flight and Boaform, but generally the finishes were close and exciting, three of them being decided by heads or half-heads. Boaform excelled herself by winning the Croydon Handicap pointlessly in fast time. She was badly placed in the barrier draw, but she galloped with rare dash and gave nothing else a chance over the last two furlongs. Boaform is a six-year-old mare by Balboa-Some Form and is owned by her breeder, Mr F. Moore, of Winton. She was having her second start for the season, her first being a good fourth to Strip in the Tradesmen's Handicap at Invercargill in November. She won the Croydon Handicap at the Gore meeting last year. The half-sister to Wild Career. Secret Flight (Night Raid-Full Fling), showed brilliance above the average when she eclipsed a field of good-class hacks in the Longford Hack Handicap. She got away badly, but outclassed the field over the concluding stages and won without being extended. She is owned by Price Brothers, of Invercargill, and is held on lease by Mr G. H. Murdoch, of Dunedin. She is trained by H. A. Anderton.

The Gore Highweight and Autumn Hack Handicaps provided close finishes after the winners, Combat and Sea Lady, had opened up big gaps in the field in the early stages. Combat carried his big impost well and Sea Lady hung on long enough to win well from Green Boa and Aravane. The Novice Handicap winner was Central Star, a four-year-old gelding by Roydon-Constant. He is owned by Mr J. Geoffrey and is trained by H. A. Anderton at Wingatui.

As usual the trotting events provided good sport and keen speculation on the totalizator. Burnham was a popular fancy and won the Electric Trot, and Jorrocks won the Progressive Trot in decisive fashion.

The only double-figure dividend for the day was the place price of just over half a score returned by Lake Mist, second in the Novice Handicap. The track and appointments were in first-class condition. An innovation at the Gore course was the introduction of a loud-speaker apparatus for the dissemination of course announcements and details of the programme for the day. It was appreciated by the spectators, and would be more so if a running description of the racing was broadcast.

The financial returns were very satisfactory. The totalizator showed an increase of £206/10/- over the first clay last year, the figures being £12,994 10- for Saturday compared with £12,788 last year. The gate receipts showed a slight drop; last year’s takings were £338/16/-, and on Saturday they totalled £319/14/-. Following are the results of the racing:— Tlie results were as follows:—

GORE HIGH-WEIGHT HANDICAP, £l2O. Eight furlongs and a-half. 1- D. J. McDonald’s ch g COMBAT (Rosenor-Last Note) aged, 11.2 (A. E. Ellis) 1 2- P. H. Nicholson’s HEIDELBERG, 10.13 (F. Voight) 2 6-6 J. A. Rowland's ASPIRE, 10.3 (E. Baker) 3 (Winner trained by D. J. McDonald, Wingatui) Also started: 5-5 Atua Rere 9.12 (H. A. Anderton), 3-2 Sir Denis 9.2 (D. Hamill), 4-4 Very Happy 9.0 (J. Richards). Won by a head, with four lengths between second and third. Atua Rere was fourth. Time, 1.49 2-5.

LONGFORD HACK HANDICAP, £l2O. Six furlongs. 1- G. H. Murdoch’s b f SECRET FLIGHT (Night Raid-Full Fling)', 3yrs, 7.13, car. 7.6 (A. Powell) 1 2- J. E. Rogers's SOUTHERN SAIL 8.2 (L. J. Ellis) 2 8-6 C. M. Kirby’s DOLITA 7.11, car. 7.6 (J. L. Strathern) 3 (Winner trained by H. A. Anderton, Wingatui)

Also started: 6-7 Kippen 9.4, car. 9.7 (P. Boyle), 3-4 Withdrawal 9.0 (A. E. Didham), 4-3 Green Gables 8.8 (L. W. Hare), 7-8 Philibun 8.7 (J. W. Jenning), 9-9 Wild Coon 8.6 (G. Barclay), 14-12 Great Legion 7.13, car. 7.10 (L. Clutterbuck). 12-10 Ackemma 7.13, car. 7.6 (V. Sellars), 11-13 Gnohill 7.10, car. 7.5 (A. Anderson), 5-8 Gold Robe 7.8 (W. F. Ellis), 10-11 Shantyman 7.7, car. 7.0 (F. J. Boyle), 13-14 Green Locket 7.7 (R. A. Gibson). Won by three lengths with half a length between second and third. Gold Robe was fourth. Time, 1.15 1-5.

ELECTRIC TROT, £125. Class 3.43. One mile and a-half. 2-1 Mrs C. C. Herbert’s ch g BURNHAM (Wellington Direct-Pleasant Drive), 4yrs, It (J. Walsh) 1 1-2 M. McGregor’s LOCHIEL’S

PRIDE It (W. Cosgrove)

3-3 A. Mclntyre’s CATHAY It (W. A. Thomas) (Winner trained by A. B. Rattray, Gore)

Also started: 6-7 Bright Lass It (N. McLennan), coupled with Trevathan It (F. Johnson), 14-16 Come Away It (N. S. Lawlor), 17-15 Great Wolf It (E. Todd) 5-8 Koesian It (A. McGregor), 12-13 Monaco It (C. A. Pringle), 15-14 Polling Day 36yds (W. Todd), 11-12 Sir Dighton It (J. McConnell), 8-5 Southern Wrack It (A. McLellan), 9-10 Sunnydell It (L. Boivin), 10-9 Two Crowns It (E. Mitchell), 16-17 Undaunted It (L. L. Abernethy), 7-6 Gayola 24yds (J. J. Burke), 4-4 Sheve Donard 48yds (B. Rushton), 13-11 Play Safe 60yds (D. M. Kerr). Won by three lengths, third two lengths away. Koesian was fourth. Times: 3.31, 3.31 2-5, 3.31 4-5.

RACING CLUB HANDICAP, £2lO. One mile and a-quarter. 5-4 F. W. Ellis’s br m MONA’S SONG (Songbird-Kyleboa), aged, 9.0 (W. F. Ellis) 1 3-3 W. Robertson’s PEONY ROSE, 8.7 (C. T. Wilson) 2 2-2 Messrs F. E. Gilligan and E. C. Govan’s DOUBLEACK, 8.8 (J. W. Jennings) 3 (Winner trained by F. W. Ellis, Invercargill) Also started: 1-1 Sparkle 8.6, car. 8.3 (J. L. Strathern). 4-5 Hanlon 8.4 (L. Hare), 6-6 Sir Hugh 7.1 (A. Anderson). Won by half a head, with second a length away. Sparkle was fourth. Time, 2.8.

NOVICE HANDICAP, £l2O. Six furlongs. 3-3 J. Geoffrey's b g CENTRAL STAR (Roydon-Constant), 4yrs, 8.2 (L. Hare) 1 7-11 T. G. Pollock’s LAKE MIST, 8.0 (M. O. Hood) 2 2-1 J. Graham’s ROYAL CHORUS, 8.2 (W. F. Ellis) 3 (Wiimer trained by H. A. Anderton, Wingatui) Also started: 6-6 Royal Money 8.6 (R. J. Mackie), 5-5 Silver Night 8.4 (J. W. Jennings), 1-2 Valcron 8.2 (L. J. Ellis), 4-4 Ballyaggan 8.0 (A. Messervy), 9-7 Bantas 8.0 (G. Barclay), 8-9 Crinkle 8.0 (A. Amderson), 11-10 Eastern Song 8.0 (L. Clutterbuck), 9-8 Sally Sage 8.0 (A. E. Didham). Won by two lengths, with third half a length away. Valcron was fourth. Time, 1-16.

CROYDON HANDICAP, £l6O. Six furlongs. 5-4 F. Moore’s b m BOAFORM (Balboa-Some Form), 6yrs, 7.0, car. 7.21 (L. Clutterbuck) 1 7-8 A. Ferguson’s NIGHTCALM 8.5, car. 7.12 (A. Powell) 2 9-9 S. Lynch’s PHALANX 7.8 (L.

Hare) (Wiimer trained by A. McKay’, Invercargill)

Also started: 6-7 Spendthrift 9.0, car. 8.7 (K. Ford), 3-2 Fleet Street 8.12 (R. J. Mackie), 12-12 Norseman 8.3, car. 7 12-1 (D. Hamill), 2-3 Craiglea 7.12, car. 7.131 (L. J. Ellis), 11-11 Boloyna 7.12, car. 7.7 (A. Anderson), 10-10 Blissful Lady 7.8. car. 7.8.1 (G. Barclay), 8-6 Skyrena 7.7, car. 7.81 (C. T. Wilson), 4-5 Royal Lancer 7.7 (W. F. Ellis), 1-1 Gold Flight 7.7 (A. Messervy). Won by five lengths, third threequarters of a length away. Skyrena was fourth. Time, 1.13 4-5.

PROGRESSIVE TROT, £135. Class 3.39 One mile and a-half. 4-5 J. R. McMurray’s b g JORROCKS (Sonoma HarvesterErin’s Logan), aged, 24yds (A. McGregor) 1 10-10 R. McLeod’s PRINCE CHARLES 36yds (E. Todd) 2 3-1 Mrs W. Mackenzie's OREGON, 12yds (J. Walsh) 3 (Winner trained by J. R. McMurray, Gore)

Also started: 12-12 Blue Spot It (C. A. Pringle), 9-11 Fenella It (D. Todd), 8-7 June Tide It (R. J. Smith), 11-13 Nancy Guy It (J. M. McConnell), 2-3 Rey Chimes 12yds (D. M. Kerr), 3-1 Oregon 12yds (J. Walsh), coupled with third horse, 14-14 Bellond 12yds (A. B. Rattray), 6-6 Embargo 12yds (W. A. Thomas), 5-4 Loyalist 12yds (B. Rushton), 7-8 Peter Young 12yds (L. Boivin), 1-2 Debtor 24yds (W. Cosgrove), 13-9 Happy Erin 24yds (L. L. Abernethy).

Won by three lengths, with a neck between second and third. Loyalist was fourth. Times: 3.29 4-5, 3.30 2-5, 3.32 1-5.

SUMMER HACK HANDICAP, £135. One mile. 1-1 J. E. Rogers’s b m SEA LADY (Lord Warden-Set Sail), 6yrs, 8.11 (J. L. Strathern) 1 3- G. Fielding’s GREEN BOA 9.0 (D. Hamill) 2 4- P. and R. Butel’s ARAVANE 9.0 (J. W. Jennings) 3 (Winner trained by F. Voight, Invercargill) Also started: 2-2 Noko 7.11 (K. Ford), 5-6 Knight of Old 7.7 (G. Barclay), 6-5 Susie 7.7 (W. F. Ellis). Won by a neck, with a head separating second and third. Noko was fourth. Time, 1.42 1-5.