Steeplechase Day

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 114, 16 May 1931, Page 4

Steeplechase Day

Cross-Country Event

WANGANUI WINTER MEETING

With the Wanganui Steeplechase for lovers ot crosscountry racing, the May Hurdles for those who like what used to be termed the “illegitimate” game, and the Connolly Handicap as the principal flat event, the programme for to-day, when the Wanganui Jockey Club’s winter meeting will be concluded, is a very satisfactory one. Patrons to-day will have the advantage of knowing something about the recent form of most of those engaged, though there are some new ones that were not seen out in Ihursday s racing. However, given good weather, there should be some interesting racing and more good finishes. Prospects for to-day are thus discussed bv ' Kestrel :

12.0 Carinthia . 11 U Zippor .. .. 11 ‘ Royal Acre ..11 1 Easterly .. 10 ' Perle de Leon 9 1: Callamart .. 9 ' Bennanee -. 9 < The Warden u 1

MAY HURDLE HANDICAP

(Of £150; one mile and five furlongs). The field for the opening event, the May Hurdles, has not filled so well as might have been expected, especially when it is recalled that the Century Hurdles numbered a dozen. Hour of those, however, are in tho big steeplechase. Carinthia has a big weight and that may stop him. Zippor ran away with both hurdle races at. Hawera under lighter inipists than this and if he is as well to-day he will be hard to beat. Royal Acre is a consistent sort who will have many friends, and Eosterly won some good hurdle races in the spring, so she must bo respected. Perle de Leon impressed by his finishing effort in the Century Hurdles, and Callamart was another In the picture at the finish of that race. Half a dozen of them will have friends but tho favourites are likely TO bo ZIPPOR. ROYAL ACRE, PERLE DE LEON.

12.45 Takahue 90 Landmark .. 8 12 Banbridge .. 8 7 Royal Bengal 8 6 Manuiri .. ..B'6 Talma .... 82

TRIAL HACK HANDICAP

(Of £100; seven and a-quart.er furlongs). This is the weakest field of the meeting, both as regards class and numbers, for of the half-dozen engage.! lew have shown encouraging form. Takahue's placings at the recent Stratford and Hawera meetings may entitle the Tonbridge gelding to favouritism, but many backers will prefer Landmark, who comes from the successful Blenheim stable presided over by T. George. Landmark has raced consistently without earning more than one winning bracket, bnt he is a good sort. Banbridge appears rather promising and Boyal Bengal may yet come good but they are not a lot one could enthuse over. Perhaps the best may be LANDMARK, TAKAHUE, BANBRIDGE.

1.25 Knollmcrc . ■ 9 10 Grand Jury . 9 2 Pewa .... 92 Joyspear .... 8.6 Spearfornj .. 8 3 Malahat .. 8 1 Auctioneer - ■ 712 Miss Hastings 7 10 Takahue 7 10

GONVILLE HACK HANDICAP. / OH . r-i •-> zx 11 zk <> »■> .1 n ,ct n r; n

(Of £120; one mile and a distance). The field for the distance hack event is little different from that which contested th« Balgownie Hack Handicap on Thursday, and with the place-getters again engaged investors will have a good “line’ J on form. Knollmere won so convincingly on Thursday that a rise of 111 b. does not appear to put him out of reckoning, for he is in a class of his own. Pewa is also good and only went under to a better one, so he will have a good deal of support to-day. Grand Jury will have to get a bet ter run than on the opening day, when he covered a good deal of extra ground. Joyspear ran an honest race and appears useful, and Spearform and Malahat may be closer up. Auctioneer must be given a chance in view of his forward running in the hack hurdle race. Takahue appears a certain defection, but Miss Hastings is useful. The public may again decide for KNOLLMERE, PEWA, GRAND iHTRY.

2.10 Auro. Borealis 12 0 Omeo . • - • 10 It Nukumai .... 10 6 Birkbeck .. 10 2 Flying Swift 10 2 High Heather 9 8 Fine Acre .. 911 Disrank .. . • 9 8 Copey .... 9 5 Call Again 9 3 Kaokaoroa .. 9 0

WANGANUI STEEPLECHASE (Of £250; about 21 miles.)

, auuut luncs.y A field of eleven for the big steeplechase event must be considered very satisfactory indeed, and if the jwiping is as clean as that on Thursday it should be an interesting race. The top weight, Aurora Borealis, will be found doing better over the ‘ ‘country ” than was the case in the Century Hurdles. Omco came with a rather late run in the Grandstand .Steeplechase and may do better over this distance. Nukumai has been “mixing it” with hurdling and ’chasing but is a safe conveyance Flying Swift would have to improve to have a chance, whereas Birkbeek’s recent form entitles him to respect. Fine Acre does not appear quite up to this clans, and the same remark applies to Disrank. High Heather gave a very impressive display in the Grandstand .Steeplechase and may win again. Copey is th’n dangerous lightweight. Three that may have a lot of support, are NUKUMAI, HIGH HEATHER, COPEY.

2.50 Black Duke . 9 8 Paitonu .... 810 Panther .... 82 Chopin .... 82 Cashier .. .. 7 10 M’toa Treasury 7 10 I ahr .. .. 7 9 Calamine 7 4 Shrewd .... 7 2

CONNOLLY HANDICAP "VP • rATi/a Timlin <1 n<l »> ./(i V. rf .'i I'

(Of £200; one mile and a-quarter). With a nice even field of ten engaged, the principal event on the flat should be worthy of its position on the programme. The field is headed by a sterling performer 'in Black Duke, who has this season figured as the winner i) of the Great Autumn Handicap and several other decent * races. His recent win at 'Marton was a good effort ami he will have a lot of friends to-day. Paitonu won the 2 Connolly Handicap two years ago and looks like repeat 1 ing the effort. Chopin did not impress on Thursday, but a newcomer in Panther must be given a chance. Cashier 0 failed in the Empire Handicap just when he was expected ■’ to come on. Moutoa Treasury has a good chance and Palm a fair one. but Malayan appeals more than either. 4 Calamine is a decided possibility on her Hawera form, 2 but Shrewd will have to improve if he is to get a place. Investors may sum them up thus:— PAITONU, MALAYAN, BLACK DUKE.

3.30 Orhy’s Choice 9 9 Leisure .. • SIS Paldtere .. . .8 10 Manifesto . . 810 Zarene .... 85 Golden Shadow 8 4 Seneschal .. 7 3 Chief Savage 7 0 Njg’r Speaker 7 0

purua hack handicap

<Of £120; six furlongs). Most of the ten that figure in tins event were contestants in the Borough Hack Handicap on Thursday. n Orby’s Choice had a good bit in reserve at the finish of that race and a rise of 81b. should not trouble him. Lei3 sure is a newcomer who has plenty of speed. Pakitero 0 suffered a little interference on Thursday and must go o well with a decent run. Manifesto’s recent running at Marton and Haworth was really good. Zarcne’s failure on Thursday appears hard to explain, though the Chi »f 4 Ruler mare may not have been herself. Golden shadow ran a good race and Nightspeaker is another that should ( ) go well. Chief Savage is the only other that appeals. One takes a ii.-k in dropping Zareue. but the selections ORBY’S CHOICE. LEISURE. PAKITERE.

Aston 8 Kuhfeld 8 Rererrcana . . 8 Ridcrc.mount . 8 Inevitable .. 8 Royal Songster 7 Clief Link .. 7 Gold Dawn . 7 Cuticle ... 7 Queen - 7

FAREWELL HANDICAP

(Of £150; six furlongs,. There are ten sprinters carded for to-day, as compared with Thursday’s Winter Oats field of nine, Orapai dropping out and Richfield and Chief Link being the new--11 comers. Aston ran a very satisfactory race on Thurs8 day and he reads well to-day. Richfield is taking on the 3 sprint in preference to the big handicap and must go ] well. Rerernoana may do better then in the Winter j Oats, in which he was finishing on after being slow to 6 find his feet. Ridgemount is the sort to improve with 4 a race. Inevitable appears more forward than expected 2 and may get in the money.again. Royal Songster ran a pleasing race and Chief Link must he given a chance. Cuticle and Gold Dawn did not impress on Thursday but Tea Queen ran a really good race and may be improved thereby. The favourites may be ASTON. RICHFIELD.

AFTER HIS “CENTURY’

i HECTOR GRAY’S EFEORT j PREMIER HORSEMAN JN N.Z. i Prior to riding at Wanganui on Thursday New Zealand’s premier horseman had piloted no fewer than 96 win nets since the commencement of the present racing season, having thus established a record for the Dominion. When Gray steered Orby’s Choice and Orapai to victory in the Borough Handicap and the Winter Oats respectively he increased his total to 98, though lit must here be stated that for the I purposes of compiling these statistics a dead-heat is treated as a win. HowI ever, that does not detract from the i merit of Gray’s splendid performance, | and it would appear certain that his | feat will not be equalled lor a long time to come. Naturally, a considerable amount of interest is being displayed in the approach of Gray’s “century,” which will be hoisted, as they term it in cricketing circles, when he has ridden two more winners. Should Gray succeed in scoring two more victories this afternoon, the applause with which his feat will be recognised will have been well earned indeed. Having 98 winners. Gray “laps” his nearest rival on the ladder, for L. J. Ellis is next on the list with ,49 winners. ’Then comes K. Voitre with 43, closely followed by A. E. Ellis with 40, and 11. Goldfinch with 39. R. Heed has so far ridden 37,winners, and B. H. Morris and T. Green 16 each. H. Wiggins, whose term of 'hree months’ suspension ends next week, had ridden 32 winners up to the Wanganui autumn meeting, while L. G. Morris has piloted

BACK TO WANGANUI

RETURN OF MB F. TILLEY. VETERAN I’ORDELL TRAINEE (By "KESTREL- ) After an absence from Wanganui of some fifteen months, the veteran lordell tiainer, Mr Fred Tilley, returned to New Zealand by the Rangitiki, which berthed at Wellington on Thursday afternoon about the same time as the Empire Handicap was being run at the Waugauui races. It is expected that Mr Tilley will be in Waugauui to attend the concluding day of the fixture. For more than a quarter of a century Mr Tilley had held the position -it Fordell of private trainer to Messrs W. McA. Duncan and T. A. Duncan, for whom he turned out many winners, while he had also trained horses at various times for Mrs M. Blackmore, of Palmerston North, Mr Bussell Grace, of Wanganui, Mr S. J. Gibbons, of Marton, and Mr F. E. Easton, ot Foxton. For Mr Easton he laid the foundations of the future greatness of that fine performer Amythas, while Client and Tamatete will long be remembered as perhaps the greatest of those to carry the Duncan colours. Prior to his departure for a long holiday trip to England Mr Tilley handed over the reins at Fordell to L. G. Morris, who has done wonderfully well as a trainer, being fourth on the list for the present season with 21 winners. Thus he has maintained the high traditions of the Fordell stable. Attending the Wanganui autumn meeting prior to leaving on his voyage Home, Mr Tilley was entertained by the stewards of'tlre Wanganui Jockey Club and honoured by being elected a life member. It is understood that Mr Tilley will again resume activities in the near future, for he always averred that he would never be happy without a horse or two to look after. Mr Tilley may bo assured of a hearty welcome home to-day.

MUSIC AT THE RACES

QUEEN ALEXANDRA BAND PROGRAMME FOR TO-DAY No race meeting of the Wanganui Jockey Club would be considered complete * without a programme of music supplied by one of Wanganui’s splendid bands, and the musical feast provided always finds many rapt listeners, though the self-consciousil’ss of the modern racegoer seldom permits him to show his approval by applause. The programmes are none the less appreciated, and a race-day without music would not be the enjoyable outing it should be. This afternoon the Queen Alexandra Band will supply the musical programme, the following items being played under the direction of Mr Ernest Webb:— March—“ Steadfast and True” (C. Tcike). Overture—“ Light Cavalry" (Suppc). Cornet Duet—“ Sandy and Jock/ Messrs J. Fleetwood and G. Bergerson (Sutton). March—“Militairc’’ (Schubert). I Selection —“Country Girl" (Monckton). Waltz—“ When the Organ Played at Twilight" (arr. Finlay). Cornet Solo—“Entre Nous" (soloist, Mr Gordon Bergerson) (Smith). Descriptive—“A Motor Ride" (Bidgood). Fox Trot—“ Overe r the Garden. Wall" (Finlay). Trombone Solo- —“The Parachute’’ (Soloist, Mr G. Handley) (Sutton). Selection—“ The Mikado" (Sullivan). Duet “The Humming Birds" (Messrs Gordon Bergerson and Norman D’Arth (Schumann). I Overture —“La Diademe" (Hermann). Selection—Naliucca ’ (Verdi). Cornet Solo —“The Cornet King’ Soloist, Mr Gordon Bergerson) (Greenwood). March—‘ ‘ Yancowinna ’ ’ ( Bcrrimaii).