WINTON CLUB’S MEETING

Southland Times, Issue 24361, 15 February 1941, Page 11

WINTON CLUB’S MEETING

Sea Lady Equals Record STEEPLECHASE WON BY COLONEL FRENCH By winning the Winton Cup in impressive style at the Winton Racing Club’s meeting yesterday, Heidelberg showed the form which earned him a high reputation last year. The Lord Warden gelding’s performance was all the more meritorious because of the ground he had to cover in getting up to the leaders. After half a mile had been covered he was moved on by the apprentice, W. F. Ellis, and two furlongs from home he was well placed. The pace was well on and he had to make a sustained run to get on terms with Sparkle, one of the leaders throughout, at the straight entrance. Heidelberg was equal to the task, however, and after a good duel with Sparkle up the straight he beat off the latter’s challenge and won well. It was his first win since he beat Sparkle in the Wairio Cup in January of last year. Heidelberg is a six-year-old gelding by Lord Warden-Poetess. He is owned by Mr P. H. Nicholson and is trained by F. Voight. Tire conditions were excellent for racing and some good finishes were seen by the big crowd present. In addition to the success of Heidelberg, features of the racing were the fine performance of Sea Lady (Lord WardenSet Sail) in winning the Flying Handicap in time equalling the Otago and Southland sprint record put up by Hearth at Wyndham on January 1, the record low dividend for a pacer paid on the place machine by Turco, winner of the Hokonui Trot, and the triple success of the Invercargill trainer F. Voight, who led in three winners for the day—Heidelberg, Sea Lady and Southern Sail.

Backers of Turco received a negligible return for then' investments on the place machine. Heidelberg and Sea Lady both scored their first wins in open company and it was Sea Lady's first appearance in open company.

The Winton Steeplechase was a good race, in which Colonel French showed ability above the average for a novice steeplechaser. He won well and on that form should again win soon. The judicial committee held an inquiry into the handling of Prince Flaneur in the Steeplechase by L. Robinson, the jockey. Prince Flaneur was kept well behind the field in the early stage of the race and at one stage he seemed to be well out of it, but he finished well in fourth place. It was decided to suspend Robinson from riding for one month.

The financial returns were very satisfactory and the indications are that the club will have a successful meeting. Yesterday the sum of £8986 was handled by the totalizator, compared with £7542/10/- last year, an increase of £1443/10/-. The gate receipts showed a slight shrinkage compared with those of the first day last year. The results were as follows:

NOVICE STAKES, £lO5. Six furlongs.

1- J. Ellis’s b g VALCRON (Valkyrian-Pollyform). 4 vrs 8.0 (L. J. Ellis) 2- H. W. Insall's SOUTHERN LIGHT, 8.0 (R. E. Humphries) 5-7 A. Hillis’s TOP SPIN, 8.0 (W. Conner)

(Winner trained by E. J. Ellis, Washdyke.) Also started: 7-6 Ballyaggan 8.0 (L. Clutterbuck) coupled with Nihil 8.0 (J. Shaw), 8-8 Bantas 8.0 (G. Barclay), 9-9 Campus 8.0 (F. J. Boyle), 4-5 Crinkle 8.0 (A. G. Murray), 10-10 Millibar 8.0 (J. L. Strathern), 7-8 Silver Night 8.0 (A.. Anderson), 6-4 Slamannan 8.0 car. 8.1 (J. W. Jennings), 3-3 Susie 8.0 (W. F. Ellis). Won by one length with third half a length further back. Bantas was fourth. Time, 1.15.

OTAPIRJ TROT HANDICAP, £125. Class 3.43. One mile and a-half.

5-5 J. J. Burke’s ch m GAYOLA (Adioo Guy-Lydia) aged, 24yds (J. J. Burke) 1 1-1 T. Cosgrove, jun’s FERVENT, It (W. Cosgrove) 2 * 5-4 T. A. Agnew's SUNNYDELL, It (L. Boivin) 3 (Winner trained by J. J. Burke, Winton.) Also started: 7-8 Brown Cloud It (F. J. Ward), 2-2 Cathay It (W. A. Thomas), 4-3 Jack Bond It (P. McKay), 3-2 Quite Good It (F. Langford) coupled with Rosreywin It (D. M. Kerr), 8-6 Southern Wrack It (A. McLellan), 6-7 Two Crowns It (W. F. Ritchie). Won by one length with 20 lengths separating second and third. Rosreywin was fourth. Times, 3.27, 3.29 1-5, 3.34.

WINTON CUP HANDICAP, £215/15/-. One mile and a-quarter. 5-5 P. H. Nicholson’s ch g HEIDELBERG (Lord War-den-Poetess), 6yrs 7.0 car. 7.14 (W. F. Ellis) 1 1- F. E. Gilligan and E. C. Govan’s DOUBLEACK, 8.6 (J. W. Jennings) 2 2- J. S. and W. E. Hazlett’s SPARKLE, 8.6 car. 7.13 (K. Ford) 3 (Winner trained by F. Voight, Invercargill.) Also started: 4-6 Mona’s Song 9.6 (A. E. Ellis), 6-4 Wild Career (L. J. Ellis), 3-2 Peony Rose 8.7 car. 8.4 (L. J. Clutterbuck). Won by one length with a head between second and third. Peony Rose was fourth. Time, 2.6.

FLYING HANDICAP, £l3O. Six furlongs. 8-8 J. E. Rogers’s b m SEA LADY (Lord Warden-Set Sail) 6yrs 7.2 car. 7.1 (K. Ford) 1