Sporting £1195 IN STAKES WON

Southland Times, Issue 25538, 5 December 1944, Page 7

Sporting £1195 IN STAKES WON

Southland Horses At Ricearton

By

HAMPTON

Signal Officer’s success in the Seymour Handicap at Ricearton on Saturday stamped him as a fine three-year-old. He was left at the barrier and then won decisively. This Salmagundi gelding is a member of an outstanding family of stayers, as his dam, Morse Signal, left other winners in Trebleack, Doubleack, Waitoru and Ackemma. Signal Officer will be expected to develop into a good handicap winner this season and there will be excellent opportunities to place him to advantage during the holidays. All Morse Signal’s progeny have been difficult horses to train and the patience of R. E. McLellan, who has trained all of them, has played no small part in their success. Signal Officer was bred by Mr A. Speight, in whose colours he races. Reminders

Nominations for the Gore Trotting Club’s meeting close at 5 p.m. today. Nominations for the Winton Trotting Club’s meeting close at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 8.

From Lucky Light A well-grown two-year-old in Mr W. E. Hazlett’s team is a gelding by Siegfried from the Paper Money mare Lucky Light.

Not Sister Sal Silver Sal finished third to Signal Officer and Listen In in the Seymour Handicap at Ricearton on Saturday and not Sister Sal, as appeared in the published results. A Newcomer An interesting newcomer to the Invercargill tracks is Diamond Duke, a good type of three-year-old, who has just been brought in after being gelded. By Ninth Duke, he is out of Fascinator, a Nightmarch mare from Charmilia, the dam of Charmeuse, Verden, Cassolette, Charmaline and others.

Unlucky Burt Scott’s party considered he was unlucky not to win the King George Handicap. His driver was wearing glasses which became clogged with mud and he was unable to do his charge full justice in a close finish. Burt Scott is nearing his best form again. Psalm’s Success

Psalm won her division at Riccarton on Saturday very easily and the Salmagundi filly must be regarded as the best of the South Island two-year-olds. Her defeat by Al-Sirat in the Welcome Stakes was no disgrace, as some good judges consider Al-Sirat is one of the best two-year-olds produced for some years. All From Set Sail

J. Langford has three of Set Sail’s progeny—Southern Wave, Sailor’s Pal and Sea Power —in his team. Southern Wave took no harm from her race at the Southland meeting and she will be expected to race well during the holiday meetings. Sea Power is a three-year-old by Siegfried and he is certainly a good type of youngster.

Jumpers Schooled Four of Mr W. E. Hazlett’s teamjack O’Lantem, Pocket Venus, Lisheen and Inscrutable—are being schooled at Invercargill. Inscrutable, who is a halfbrother by Salmagundi to Spendthrift, has raced well on the flat and in his last start he finished third to First In and Royal Chorus at Invercargill. Lisheen, who has shown plenty of speed in his races but does not stay on too well, is a brother to Anglo Irish. Likely Improver Grattan Bells from A. McLellan’s stable raced well enough at Forbury Park on Saturday to suggest that she will be a force to be reckoned with among the improvers on the Southland holiday circuit. She struck more than her share of trouble in the Hurricane Handicap and then finished a good fourth. A Good Return The Southland contingent for the New Zealand Cup meeting was not a big one, but it did not return empty handed. A total of £1195 was won by six horses. Psalm, who won a division of the Pioneer Handicap and finished second in the Welcome Stakes, won £395. Signal Officer’s Seymour Handicap win was worth £245, Sing Sing’s two placings £315, Bonny Flight’s third in the Oaks £lOO, Royal Lancer’s fourth in the Canterbury Cup £5O and Red Prize’s two placings £9O. Barometer Chimes

It is likely that Barometer Chimes, who showed to advantage at Forbury Park on Saturday, will be nominated for the Gore Trotting Cup on Boxing Day. It was sheer determination which won him the Hurricane Handicap and gained him third place in the Freyberg Handicap, for in both races he was hopelessly out of it in the early running. He is not a big horse, but he lacks nothing on the score of stamina. By Wrack from Edith Chimes, he ranks as a brother to two useful winners in Chiming Wrack and Iraq. Greatly Improved Sea Born is a grealy improved horse since he raced in Southland and when he outclassed the sprinters at Forbury Park he revelled in the heavy going. Present intentions are to start him in the Auckland Trotting Cup this month. Sea Born’s dam, Fair Wave, took a mile and a quarter record of 2.48 3-5, while at the stud she left another good winner in Willowbank (3.14 1-5). Mount Mellick, a brother to Sea Bom, is in work at Winton, while Darrington Hall, a three-year-old gelding by Dillon Hall from Fair Wave is down to contest the Winton Juvenile Stakes. Fair Wave's second dam, Lady Rothosoon (4.33), traces back to Win Soon, a New Zealand Trotting Cup winner. Forbury Dead-heat The dead-heat between Blue Horizon and Will Cary on Saturday was of more than ordinary interest. At the post Will Cary was being driven more energetically than Blue Horizon, whose driver appeared much too over-confi-

dent—which has landed some drivers into serious trouble. This was Blue Horizon’s fifth win on end and there seemed little doubt that he had the measure of Saturday’s field at any stage of it. The Blue Horizon-Will Cary bracket dominated the Dominion Handicap to such an extent that the race did not appear to be taken seriously at times. For all that, the Dunedin public was given the opportunity of seeing a grand display of trotting by two outstanding horses. The irony of the result of Mr H. Alien’s two horses dead-heating was that both will be penalized 12yds for a mission that either one was capable of accomplishing. A Cup Horse

On the strength of his outstanding winning performance on Saturday Trusty Scott is one of the most likely horses in commission capable of qualifying for the next New Zealand Trotting Cup. It took a horse of rare courage to win as he did on Saturday and what he may lack in size is more than compensated for in gameness. By U Scott, he is but of Trusty Maid, a Truman Direct mare out of Tairene, the dam of such fine winners as Lucky Jack, Fairlight, Trenand, Dundas Boy, Real Girl, Belle Lorrimer and Dundee. Forbury Jottings Cabin Boy was hopelessly at sea in the going and did not threaten danger at any stage. Communique was backed and beaten on Saturday. He lost a lot of ground at the start, but he was not pacing truly. Certainty was not disgraced by his showing and on a firm track he will better. He now begins much more smartly. When Cumnock failed to begin correctly in the Hurricane Handicap she smashed a sulky wheel and took no part in the race. Major Grattan was right up with the leaders at one stage of his race but when the pressure was on he soon dropped out and finished well back. Indian Wrack’s owner was not keen to start him on the heavy track, but as he had not withdrawn him within the specified time he had no alternative but start the Wrack horse. He took practically no part in the race. Nellie Fraser is a novice with decided prospects. She was required to cover more ground than anything else in the Army Handicap and her second to Jeeves was a really good effort. Recast came from a hopeless position to get third money among the novices. Her dam, Suncast, is a member of the same family as Mocast, a useful winner a few seasons back. Recast is now in her tenth year, so she is not likely to improve much,