RECENT RACING

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

RECENT RACING

COMMENT ON LATEST FORM

NOTES ANO VIEWS FROM THE COURSES

As so many oi the Jwrses engaged at the Wanganui meeting were recently seen out at the Stratford, Marton, or Egmont fixtures, a few lines on their recent form may prove of interest to followers of the racing game. Sonic newcomers are also down to make an appearance at the meeting, and though in some instances they are well forward, it taks.a really good one to upset form.

When Aurora Borealis goes out to contest the Century Hurdles to day she will be attempting to repeat last year’s success in this event. The only horse to score twice in successiou in the Century Hurdles was Sir Fisher, who won in 1917 and 1918. Red Fuchsia. Mister Gamp and Aurora Borealis, winners of the Century Hurdles in the past three years, are down to contest the event to-day. It is understood, however, that Red Fuchsia is likely to be an absentee. « * * • * Aurora Borealis contested two steeplechase events at. Hawera last Wednesday and Thursday, being third in the Egmont Steeples and fourth in the Adamson Steeplechase under big weights. Carinthia, who is topweight iu the Century Hurdles, has had three unplaced efforts recently but the Lucullus gelding is commencing to look in good shape for the winter campaign. Last year he won the Grand National Hurdles, arid as he is engaged at Ellerslie next month ho form at Wanganui will be watched with interest. Mister Gamp carried 11.13 to victory in the New Year Hurdle race at Ellerslie a little over four months ago, and even though he has been beaten more than once since then he will have a lot of friends to-day. Last spring Make Up carried 10.10 home ahead of the rest of the field in the New Lynn Hurdles at the Avondole meeting. If he is in anything like that form to-day he should be hard to boat in the Century Hurdles. He was a winner at the Marlborough meeting last week, but not over hurdles. Red Fuchsia, it is stated, has not been pleasing his connections of late and that may lead to the absence of the All Red gelding from the Century Hurdles field to-day. Judging by his displays over the steeplechase course at Hawera last' week, Nukumai’s best chances to-day lie in the Grandstand Steeplechase. Thus he may be allowed to forego his Century Hurdles engayement. Llandudno comes from a stronghold of hurdles, for he is trained by L. Knapp, at Awapuna, while at the same centre Mister Gamp, Red Fuchsia, Callamart and Hymgreat arc also trained, these also being Century Hurdles candidates. Llandudno is stated to be very well. ***** ( Perle de Leon finished in second place ' behind Aurora Borealis in the Century Hurdles last year and will be given a chance to improve on that effort to-day. Ho is a good jumper and at 9.6 he is nicely placed to show his best form. He finished second in a minor event in the South Island a couple of weeks ago, but he is not to be discarded on that account. Last Thursday Callamart finished in fourth place in the Manawapou Hurdles at Hawera after being third on the opening day. The Callaghan gelding jumped well but the company may be too select to-day. Hymgreat sprang a decided surprise on patrons at the Awapuni autumn meeting when he scored a narrow victory in the aKrere Hurdles, run over a mile and threequarters. He is a Century Hurdles possibility. When tried over the battens at the recent Opunake meeting The Warden was unfortunate enough to come to grief. He showed a Jot of speed over the schooling hurdles yesterday morning and though it may seem a bit rich to expect him to win an open hurdle [ race at first time of asking, he should j be prominent for some of the way at i any rale. Last year Omeo put up au impressive performance by beating all but Aurora Borealis in the Great Northern Steeplechase at Ellerslie. He had 9.13 in the saddle on that occasion, and the manner in which he won the Adamso” Steeplechase last Thursday would lead one to expect that he will bo hard to beat in his early engagements. With only two miles to traverse in the Grandstand Steeplechase to-day he may find the distance a little short for him. Nukumai was in the firing-line for the greater part of the journey in the Egmont Steeplechase last week and it was only the veteran’s due that he should be found returning a dividend on Thursday last, runner-up to Omeo. One one of the veteran brigade, Nukumai can still show the way to many of the younger division. Last year Flying Swift sprang a surprise when he won the Grandstand Steeplechase, which was run on the see. ond day of the meeting. This year Flying Swift will no have the benefit of a race in public before taking his place in the field. a matter of fact, it was mentioned yesterday that Flying Swift might not be a starter, but there is apparently little authority for the rumour. One of the fancied candidates in the Grandstand Steeplechase to-day will be Skyrider, who is one of the most promising young ’chasers in commission. Last Saturday morning at Awapuni Skyrider, ridden by R. C. Miles, was sent a couple of rounds over the big fences. On approaching the first of the brush double the second tim round she attempted Io put in a short, stride, but found herself in too close and struck | heavily in front to knock the fence flat l and come heavily to earth. The rider I was thrown clear, but received a shaking. While Skyrider lost a little skin 1 off one knee, she appeared to be little the worse for the mishap. An Awapuni report slates that Skyrider looks none the worse for her inis- i hap on Saturday and on Tuesday morning she set out for a round of the big fences in company with Paugulii; The'

Lay Comet mare fenced the faster and - she was allowed to go the second round j alone. Pangolin, nevertheless, made ; quite a promising showing iu the now i role. I It may bo taken as definite that Red ( Fuchsia will not start in the Century Hurdles to-day. A. MclDonald will pilot Llandudno in the big hurdle race. Birkbeck was successful in hack steeplechase class last season and commenced the winter campaign over hurdles at Trentham last month. Eince then the Birkdalc gelding has placed the Egmont Steeplechase to his credit, while on the second lay at Hawera he was third in the Adamson Steeplechase. With 10,2 in the Grandstand Steeplechase to-day Birkbeck will have many friends, and he should give them at satisfactory run for their money. A couple of Awapuni-trained hurdlers pleased track-watchers there on Tuesday morning. Callamart and Llandudno were associated in a round over the battens. The former, who is the more experienced, proved to be the bet ter jumper, but Llandudno’s pace should stand him in good stead. Copey proved equal to disposing of Moerangi and the now defunct Kopje in the open hurdle race at Stratford a couple of weeks ago. At Hawera last week he was runner-up to Birkbeck in I the Egmont Stoeplocha.se, and as he fell too early in the Adamson Steeplechase on Thursday to enable one to get another line on his chances, it must be concluded that he should bo counted a possibility in the Grandstand Steeplechase to-day. Four years ago Miss M. J. Douglas | provided the winner of the Wanganui Steeplechase in Maunga. This year the lady owner will attempt to repeat the feat with a half-brother to her favourite in Kaokaoroa. This six-year old gelding is engaged in the Grandstand Steeplechase to-dav. I Making his first appearance since racing at the Wanganui winter meeting last year, Kowhatu pleased keen observers when ho contested the Hack Steeplechase at Hawera last Wedncs day. He was an odds-on favourite but was kept so far back in the early stages that he was lucky to return his backers portion of their investments. He was produced in better company the second day and naturally did not' show up so much. He has been jumping well in his schooling essays and may run a good race to-day. At Hawera Silvermine was confidently backed in the Davidson Handicap on the second day of the meeting, and when he showed up at the distance it was thought that he might pull his backers through. Silvermine dropped out of the picture in the final furlong and was not in he first half-dozen, but as the leading division finished in a bunch the Catmint gelding was not altogether disgraced. An improvement on that display is anticipated to-day by Taranaki racegoers. Paitonu scored a fairly easy win in the Mcßae Handicap at Hawera, though there was only a neck between him and Merry Damon when the judge was reached. On a course like the Wanganui one Paitonu is likely to show to advantage, especially if he gets as good a run as ho did at Hawera, where his success was forecasted by the betting. Dead-beats arc rather infrequent in hurdle or steeplechase events, so that, the record of the Wanganui Steeple chase is rather a unique one. In addition to the dead-heat recorded in the 1883 race, as recounted on this page by I Mr 11. H. Jackson on Tuesday, there | was the dead-heat of 1894*, ’ when f Booties and Nanakia could not be separated by the judge. Mr J. P. Belcher ! called to remind the writer of this a couple of days ago. By the way, George Laing, who rode Nanakia in that race, is the trainer of The Warden, a Wanganui candidate for the Century Hurdles to-day. George will notice a good many changes in many directions since that occasion 37 years ago. Chopin has been a most consistent performer ever since the beginning of the season, and even twelve months ago he was returned a winner at the Hawera winter meeting. Fifth was the best he could do at tire Egmont meeting last week when ho started in the Me Rae Handicap, and he was not produced the second day. At Marton two weeks ago ho very nearly beat Black Duke in the principal handicap. Jf a 51b. up prentice allowance is claimed for Chopin to-day he will have had the unique experience of having carried less than 8.0 in every start but two this season. Ho has sported silk on more than twenty occasions. Changing from hurdling to racing on the flat will be the experience of Cashier, who is likely to be one of the favourites for the Empire Handicap today. A dead-heat with Llandudno over eight and a-lialf furlongs was the only success to the credit of Cashier in the present .season prior to his win over hurdles at Marton. A course of schooling over hurdles has improved many a i handicap performer on his return to the flat, and Cashier will not luck support to-day. He will be ridden by T, Green. 'l'hose who recollect the manner in i which Moutoa Treasury spread eagled the field in the Fraser Memorial al the Rangitikej Club’s meeting in Alareh 1 will be inclined to favour the Paper j Money marc to-day in the Empire Han- i dienp. Wanganui is an ideal course for | a horse to steal {l march on the opposi tion. One of the surprises of the Mcßae Handicap finish at Hawera last, week i was the manner in which Richfield was flying over his field when covering the last two furlongs. Pho Acre gelding I has only a light weight to carry in the : Empire Handicap to-day and ’he may spring a surprise.

The Ellerslie horseman A. G. Campbell will fulfil riding engagements at Wanganui. One of his mounts will be on Callamart in the Century Hurdles. The three months’ suspension imposed upon H. W*.ggins by the Wanganui Jockey Club in February expires next week. Wiggins expects to resume riding at the Alasterton meeting on the Friday, and ho will do the two days t here, after which he will return for the second day of the Te Kuiti meeting al Tc Awamutu. It may nut be gem'ra’ly known ’hat | Dominant, dam of that promising hack i Green Patch, claims full sistership to those aristocrats of the turf—Nones. I AFcnolaus, Lovematvh. Left, the dam of that promising two-year old Peter Jack son, is another sister. On breeding Green Patch should go far as a racing proposition. Shrewd has run some laces un the Wanganui track, much to the joy of those who have supported him in his engagements. With 7.2 in the saddle to-day he has a decidedly good chance in the Empire Handicap. Last week he finished third and fourth in his two starts ami on each ocasion he ran n I very creditable race. When Zarene finished second, beaten