Century Hurdles

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 112, 14 May 1931, Page 4

Century Hurdles

Wanganui Jockey Club Winter Meeting Opens To-day Fine weather, good fields and excellent track conditions would appear to spell success for the Wanganui Jockey Chib’s winter meeting, which will commence to-day and will be concluded on Saturday. Principal interest so far as the jumping season goes will to-day be displayed in the Century Hurdles field, while the Grandstand Steeplechase should serve as a dress rehearsal for the Wanganui Steeplechase, which will be decided on Saturday. To-day’s fields are reviewed as follows by ‘ Kestrel": RATA HACK HURDLE HANDICAP (Of £120; one mile 4:} furlongs). 1 ) With thirteen engaged in the opening event, the Bata 1 7 Hack Hurdles, there is ample material for a very inM\ain Heath u» n teresting race. At the top of the list is Mountain Heath, who has carried heavy imposts in highweight events with Courageous .. 10 4 succesS| a j ua i w in at Dbannevirke being very impresGoldlike .. •• 10 c give. Courageous has run some good races on the flat Gold Cure -• 911 but the way he jumped yesterday morning was not too Bennanee .... 9 8 reassuring. Goldlike must he greatly improved as a rcCallapat 9 c suit of his Marton race.’ Gold Cure is a promising sort, Auctioneer 9 3 ennaneo ina Y *l° well Over battens, but form . " points to Callapat as being hard to beat, his Haw era oerangi .. _ displays being excellent. Auctioneer may lack experiGourmet . ..9 c once, whereas Moerangi has had a good deal of racing an mar . 9 < and . g we j|. j, an( jniark-Gourniet bracket will have Spearopa .. 9 c friends, and Star Girl reads best of the others. The best Tameterangi 9 c mav be CALLAPAT, GOLDLIKE, MOERANGI. CENTURY HURDLE HANDICAP. (Of £250; one mile and three-quarters). J ft would appear likely that a dozen will contest, the big hurdle race, and as nine of them figure in the Great Carinthia .. 11 9 Northern Hurdles it promises to be an interesting race. Carinthia has the same weight as that which he carried to Mister Gamp it 1 victory in the Sydenham Hurdles at Riccarton last AugMake Up ..10 13 ust after winning the Grand National Hurdles. He may be a trifle burly for a mile and three-quarters race. Red Fuchsia 10 10 Mister Gamp, the winner two years ago and one of the Nukumai .. 10 4 best hurdlers in commission, must go well, and Make Up carried big weights with success at the beginning of the Auro. Borealis 10 4 season, winning in good company. Red Fuchsia is perConjuror 11. 10 3 baps not quite up to his form of a couple of seasons ago, perhaps because of an excursion into 'chasing. Llandudno .. 912 Nukumai may be reserved for the Grandstand SteepleFine Acre .. 912 chase. Aurora Borealis, last year's winner, is well placed to repeat her victory, but the two hard races over Perle de Leon 9 6 “country” at Hawera may tell on her. Conjurer 11. Callamart 9 9 jna X need a race or two, but Llandudno has such a great reputation on the track that many will look to him. Hymgreat .. 9 0 jfi.no crCj Perle de Leon (second last year) and CallaThe Warden w o mart may warrant support. The favourites may be MISTER GAMP, MAKE UP, AURORA BOREALIS BALGOWNIE HACK HANDICAP. (Of £120; one mile and a distance). j q r It is seldom that one sees such an even field engaged O j u au even t o f this description. Grand Jury’s form this Grand Jury .. 9 3 season is too well known to require commenting on. Three starts at Wanganui have resulted in his finishing Knollmere .. s third each time, but he is an honest sort and game. KnollPew* .... 811 mere has four wins and threo minor placings to his credit in eight starts this season, and he is very well. Spearform .. 8 5 pewa earricd 9.2 in his last win in hack ranks and has Joyspear .. 8 5 run good races in open company. Spearform won on her merits at Marton and may repeat the dose, but Joyspear Royal Black 8 4 - g utllucky . Royal Black i s making a reappearance Green Patch 8 4 under silk and will not have the recent racing expenMalahat .... 8 3 encc of Green Patch, Malahat, and Takahue. Summing Takahue .. 7 8 them up, backers may declare for Manuiri .. . . 7 o SPEARFORM, KNOLLMERE, GRAND JURY. Spear Lad .. 7 * GRANDSTAND STEEPLECHASE (Of £150; about two miles). This is the only steeplechase event of the day, and some of the ’chasers at the meeting are being reserved for Saturday. However, it is a really decent field of Omeo .. .. 10 12 even quality. Oineo proved at Hawera that he is fast q getting back to his best form, and he is a bold jumper * ukumal •• i° and fast> Nukumai is a steady plodder who will be Flying Swift 10 7 going on when the rest are stopping. Flying Swift has .. 10 4 done most of his preparation over the hills, and that may -yn er .. rind j us |. wanting. Skyrider was unlucky at ElBirkbeck .. 10 2 lerslie at Laster and is due to make amends. Birkc g 4 beck must be respected as a winner in two of his most opey ’ ’ recent starts, while Copey ran two good races at Hawera. Kaokaoroa .. 9 0 The trio on the minimum must be taken on trust, 0 though the Wanganui-owned Kowhatu will have many ow au .. .. > f r jends. The trio that may attract most attention are High Heather 9 o OMB O, SKYRIDER, NUKUMAI. EMPIRE HANDICAP (Of £175; one mile and a distance). .> *(| Eleven is the “main” for the principal handicap event on the flat, and they are a really good lot. Silvermine cannot be dismissed in spite of his Hawera failure. Sik-ermine 812 Paitonu has struck form and will be well suited by the Paitonu 8 " distance and the turning course. Chopin is a very consistent sort, though perhaps he has had nearly enough Chopin .. .. racing. The Fordell candidate, Cashier, will have a big Cashier .... 710 following, especially as his win over hurdles at Marton M’toa Treasury 7io was evidence that he is in great heart. Moutoa TreaRational 11. . 7 9 sury is just the sort to spring a surprise if taken to the Richfield .. ..7 8 front early, for she might easily “steal’ 1 the race on Malayan .. ..7 6 this course. Rational 11. may not yet be back to his Just an Idea ..7 6 best, whereas Richfield was responsible for an excellent Shrewd 7 2 showing at Hawera last Thursday. Malayan is a bold 80-- Mor* 7 0 galloper who will not be far away at the finish, and Just an Idea and Shrewd are another pair that must be given good chances. The best may be CASHIER, PAITONU, SILVER-MINE. BOROUGH HACK HANDICAP. (Of £120; six furlongs) •) MM A dozen smart hack sprinters are engaged in this event, and as speed from barrier-rise to winning post is B ]9 a necessity on the Wanganui track in six-furlong events it is well to note that some of the candidates for honours Manifesto ....81 are we ;j serve j j n this respect. Pakitcre is a half-brother Zarene .. .. 8 7 () g ood performer Toxeuma, and has some excellent Golden Shadow 8 4 performances to his credit. Manifesto has been most. Orby’s Choice 8 4 consistent of late, but it is doubtful whether he can Navaho .. .. 7 5 gj ve 3i be t 0 the speedy Zarene. This Chief Ruler mare Seneschal .... 7 5 very nearly won at Marton when not quite wound up, Chief Savage 7 3 ami she will be greatly improved this week. Orby’s Miss Shef .. 7 3 Choice. Golden Shadow and Navaho should do well, and Hinewai .. 7 0 C’hief Savage (on Marton running) and Miss Shef (on „ Feilding ami Hawera form) should do best of the others. ... . x , 1 he issue appears to be between Nightspeaker . ■> 1 1 ZARENE, MANIFESTO. MISS SHEF. WINTER OATS j. j(| (Of £150; six furlongs.. Orapat .... 8 fhe nine speed merchants engaged in the concluding event are likely to be evenly supported, with no really Reremoana .. 8 . outstanding favourite, as has been indicated by the hanAston .. .. 8 7 dicapper’s adjustment of the weights. Orapai has raced so consistently that he has well earned his position. Ridgemount . 8 4 IJcrcmoana would only need lu reproduce something ap Inevitable .. 8 1 proaching his form of three years ago to smother this field. Aston won impressively at Feilding and Stratford Cuticle .. .. . 6 aud should account for most of the opposition. RidgeRoyal Songster 7 6 mount is not the most honest of customers but be has speed. The South Islander, Inevitable, may require a Gold Dawn .. 7 5 raco O r two. Cuticle and Royal Songster should both n ’ ra Queea •• 7 0 have friends, while Gold Dawn appears likely to go well. Tea Queen should not disgrace herself for she is fast. Best backed may be ASTON. ORAPAI. RIDGEMOUNT.