SPORTING NOTES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 79, Issue 7080, 13 July 1949, Page 7

SPORTING NOTES

THE PLUMPTON HANDICAP

MAY BE CHANCE FOR COWPER

(By

“Old Rowley”)

Racing returns to the Auckland district on the week-end when the Avondale Jockey Club opens its Winter Meeting and it is favoured by very pleasing acceptances for the main events. A feature of latest open company events has been the t\vo winning runs of Grand Shepherd, at Waipa and Paeroa respectively and in each instance he showed the ability to fight on. At Paeroa he met a good type in Bramble Leighon and on that performance alone the Greek Shepherd gelding is a definite prospect. On many occasions, particularly when winter racing is staged at Avondale, the favoured division have had to bow to outsiders in the main flat race of the day and it has been that when this occurs it is generally brought about by a horse which has proved itself in open company and is well seasoned. Our Gold, Leigh Hark, Ruling Master, Royal Charter, Dougal and Frontier Mac have shown to advantage on occasions and for this reason it is worth looking closely at the field before deciding how much immediate past form will count in the ultimate. Although at an age where it may be found increasingly difficult to get Conspiracy to concert pitch, it must be admitted that during the current season the Baffles gelding has raced very honestly and at times brilliantly. Even his latest efforts have not been without merit and the field is actually no stronger than he has been meeting and he has an advantage in weight over some of those competing. Robin Leigh raced at Trentham last week without success, finding his weight too great under prevailing conditions. Robin Leigh has shown ability to stay on and if he is allowed to contest the race should be well in the picture with 8.12. However, he may be kept at Trentham to fulfill other engagements. /.

Ascot Lad made a return to racing at the A.R.C. winter meeting and for some unknown reason the public elected to favour him against good form shown by others, but on that occasion he could not make the grade, although he was prominent for most of the journey. Ascot Lad has proved himself to be a good middle distance galloper and he is not without prospects—he certainly seems to be better placed than Sylis which must be taken on trust for the present, at any rate.

One of the hardiest horses engaged is undoubtedly Cowper, and the aged son of Mr Standfast was noticed putting in some good work in his latest efforts, whether he has retained sufficient brilliance to withstand the challenge of the. younger opposition is a moot point, but he should lack nothing on the score of condition and fitness when he is paraded. Acknowledged as the most improved and promising mare in the district, Lady Carmel has run some very sound races and her string of successes included a meritorious win over a mile on this course in the autumn. She has shown ability in all types of going and is nicely weighted to again run prominently. The recent form of Kia Ora Katoa has not been good, but he has shown to advantage in the past and may be on the verge df a return to his best. Frontier Mac galloped very strongly to take second place in the Woodstock Stakes at the Waipa meeting last month and he has shown by success in the past that he favours the Avondale course.

Further down the list Earldale is the centre of much conjecture and his flash-in-the-pan victory at Hastings a few weeks ago was not repeated on the second day of the meeting. At his best, Earldale could succeed, but he is not dependable and cannot be recommended. Kyrat • and The Bat read the best of the others, but they have failed to live up to expectations.

Early discussions point to Grand Shepherd, Lady Carmel, Conspiracy, Ascot Lad, Frontier Mac and Earldale being among the favoured.

The Best Odds With a-total stake of £4OO it is not surprising that owners of three-year-old maidens and older horses have accepted for the Non-Totalisator Maiden Race which is part of the Avondale Jockey Club’s programme on Saturday next. In effect the Club is offering owners £4OO to the nomination and acceptance fee that they cannot run into a stake earning place, and to me it looks much better odds than anything obtainable on the totalisator. Racing Dates

Following are the racing dates approved by the New Zealand Racing Conference for the 1949-50 season which commences on Ist August. The Waipa Racing Club will stage its Summer Meeting on 10th December of this year and its Winter fixture "will be held on 17th June, 1950: August 20th, Pakuranga Hunt Club.

September 3rd and 10th, Avondale Jockey Club; 17th, Thames Jockey Club; 24th, Ohinemuri Jockey Club. October Ist, Te Aroha Jockey Club; Bth and 15th, Auckland Racing Club; 22nd, Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt Clubs; 24th, Waikato Hunt Club.

November sth, Auckland RacingClub; 12th, Waikato Racing Club; 26th, Te Aroha Jockey Club. December 10th, Waipa Racing Club; 17th, Ohinemuri Jockey .Club; 26th and 28th, Auckland Racing Club. January 2nd and 3rd, Auckland Club; 7th, Thames Jockey Club; 14th Avondale Jockey Club; 28th and 30th, Auckland Racing Club; 30th, Bay of Plenty Racing Club. February 4th, Matamata Racing Club; 11th, Rotorua Racing Club; 18th, Waikato Racing Club; 25th, Te Aroha Jockey Club. March 4th, Franklin Racing Club; 11th and 18th, Ohinemuri Jockey Club; 25th (or April 15th), Te Aroha Jockey Club; 31st, Whangarei Racing Club.

April Ist, Whangarei Racing Club; Bth, Rotorua Racing Club; Bth, 10th and 11th, Auckland Racing Club; 22nd and 29th, Bay of Plenty Racing Club.

May 6th, Avondale Jockey Club; 13th, 20th and 27th, Waikato Racing Club. June 3rd, sth and 10th, Auckland

Racing Club; 17th, Waipa Racing Club. July 15th and 22nd, Avondale Jockey Club.