ROUND THE COURSE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 115, 18 May 1933, Page 4

ROUND THE COURSE

NOTES ON RECENT FORM ’CHASERS AND HURDLERS WANGANUI CONTESTANTS (By “Kestrel.”) Tho majority of the horses engaged to-day at the Wanganui Jockey Club’s meeting have had recent outings and the form they have displayed will enable the public to sum up their chances with a fair amount of confidence. Particularly with the ’chasers and hurdlers, form at the Martoil and Hawera meetings will have considerable influence on the summing-up by investors, and a few notes may bo of value. Omeo is top weight in the Grandstand Steeplechase to-day. He was not a contestant at the meeting last year but twelve months earlier finished third to High Heather apd Copey in the Grandstand Steeples and was runner-up to Birkbeck in the Wanganui Steeplechase. Omeo finished fourth in the Marton Steeplechase, more than twenty lengths behind Callamart, but he is reported to have given satisfaction in his schooling essays at Awapuni lately. Omeo, however, was withdrawn from the Grandstand Steeplechase last night. Though Birkbeck has not been seen in action for some time, his best form over the ‘country” justifies the position he occupies in the handicap. Two years ago Birkbeck won. the Wanganui Steeplechase after scoring in the Egmont Steeplechase. On that occasion he carried 10.2, and to-day he will again have A. McDonald in the saddle. He contested tho hurdle race at th® decent Marton meeting but was never in the picture. Still, ho was forward enough, to suggest that a race over two miles with tho fences not particularly difficult should not be beyond him. One of the most promising recruits to tho ’chasing game this season is Fine Acre, the Acre gelding having got on the winning list at his second attempt at Hawera. He held the lead for more than half the journey in the Egmont Steeplechase but finished out of a place. On the second *day Fino Acre led the field home in the Adamson Steeplechase, though it was rather lucky for his supporters that Jen lost his rider three furlongs from home. Fino Acre is a smart hurdler and will take some beating to-day. In the Egmont Steeplechase two weeks ago Jen had his number hoisted under that of tho winner, Copey, who was conceding 171 b. to the Autumn gelding. There was a margin of four lengths separating Copey and Jen, and the latter was only half a head in front of Okopua, but he ran a solid race. On the second day Jen was rather unfortunate, losing his rider at the sodwall three furlongs from home. As he was up with Fine Acre, the eventual winner, Jen might have proved hard to beat had he managed to negotiate the final obstacles. To-day he has 9.5 in tho Grandstand Steeplechase, and he should play a prominent part in the finish. Day Lass is one of the Grandstand Steeplechase contestants who has no recent winning form to commend her but she can be looked on as a safe conveyance over the country, for her owner-trainer is a careful mentor. Her last winning effort was in the Manadtau Hack Hurdles at Levin in Novemoer last, when intervals of 100 yards and 30 yards respectively separated tho placed horses. At the recent Hawera meeting Day Lass finished third in the Adamson Steeplechase. The fact that two mares, Acervate and Day Lass, are engaged in the Grandstand Steeplechase to-day, makes it interesting to recall that it is seven years since a marc won the Wanganui Steeplechase. Erie led the field home in the 1926 Wanganui Steeplechase. Neither of the mares set down to contest the Grandstand Steeplechase today has credentials as those of Erie. Consent, topweight in the Century Hurdles, made his debut at the hurdling game at Trentham last winter, but it was an inauspicious entry, for he ran off.on one occasion and on another refused to jump. In private, however, he showed more promise after a further course on the flat, where he Avon further successes in sprint events. Returning to hurdle events at the Marton autumn meeting, Consent jumped well until he screwed badly at the obstacle near the half-mile post. He was not in the picture at the finish, but in his next start he carried 10.3 to victory in the Tongahoe Hurdles at the Egmont winter meeting two weeks ago. To-day he is asked to carry 10.12 in better company in the Century Hurdles, but he has given such promiseover the battens that he must be accounted one of the hardest to beat today. Callamart won the Marton Steeplechase three weeks ago, answering his rider’s demands when Okopua challenged. He has since returned to hurdle events, being third in tho Tongahoe Hurdles at Hawera. He was conceding weight to the rest of the field but ran a really good race in the heavy going. To-day he has 10.9 in the Century Hurdles, and is sure to find the distance more to his liking than was the case over a mile and a-half at Hawera. Last year Callamart won the Grand National Hurdles, so it is evident that his credentials are high-class. Henry of Navarre is one of the Century Hurdles candidates whos performances entitle him to salid support. He won the Talavera Hurdles at the Wellington winter meeting last July after being runner-up in the Corunna Hurdles. Further wins were registered in the Rangitikci Hunt meeting at Marton ami the Marton spring meeting, while he carried 11.3 to Aictory in the Kapiti Hack Hurdles at the Otaki spring meeting. Since then has been off the scene, but that should not prevent him from playing his part, to-day. Invietus scored in a high weight event on the opening day of the Feilding Easter meeting, while as recently as tho Marton meeting he was runner-up to Easterly in the Club Hurdles. With any luck at all to-day Invietus may earn some more stake-money for his Marton owner-traine&,

High Falutin’ looks just the sort to develop into a useful hurdler, though it is almost too much to expect him to win tho Century Hurdles under 10.2. He was knocked back when Consent screwed at the hurdle near the halfmile post at Marton. As he was making a forward move at the time, and it was his initial effort over the battens, High Falutin’ made an auspicious debut, for ho was fifth at the finish. After being unplaced at Hawera on the opening day ho finished second to the useful Ganpat on the concluding day. He may turn out more than useful. Adventus can lay •claim to as consistent a record as practically any other candidate in the Century Hurdles. As recently as the Manawatu autumn meeting he finished a length and a-half in front of Callamart over a mile and ahalf in the Kairanga Hurdles. On that occasion he was in receipt of 51b. from the Callaghan gelding, who is asked to ‘concede him 91b. tp-day. Adventus has shown plenty of pace on the flat, and all things considered ho must bo hard to beat to-day. Ruanui showed so much pace over the early stages of the Chib Hurdles at the Marton meeting that many were already labelling him the winner when only half the journey had been covered. At one stage he was the best part of a dozen lengths in front, and in spite of the fact that Invietus ran up to him on the home turn the Limond gelding hung on doggedly over the final stages, but had to be content with fourth placing at the finish. Su*ch promising form augurs well for Ruanui’s chances in hurdle engagements and he may develop into one of the season’s finds. Autumn (Dawn is not one of the welldiscussed candidates for the Century Hurdles but should be plodding on at the finish. A feature of his essays on the tracks in the fact that the old-time horseman Charlie Jenkins has been in the saddle. He will be remembered by an older generation than the present as the idol of the New Zealand racing world a quarter of a century ago. * * • * View Halloo is at the head of the list for the Empire Handicap to-day, with 9.9 against his name. It is likely that L. G. Morris will be in the saddle, and those who saw this horseman bring the Hunting Song gelding home three or four lengths ahead of the opposition In the Easter Handicap at Feilding will want to be with the combination again. That event, like to-day’s, was over a mile and a distance, and View Halloo has already several victories on the Wanganui track to his credit. » ♦ • * Chopin, who will be ridden by K. Voitre to-day, has boon one of the most consistent performers in middledistance handicap events. At the Tauherenikau Easter meeting he filled second berth behind Arrow Lad each day. It may be noted that on both occasions Voitre piloted Arrow Lad, so the fact that he is in the saddle to-day should ensure plenty of support for Chopin. » ♦ • • Aga Khan won as recently as the Egmont meeting two weeks ago, but he is getting up in the weights now. though he must be considered one of tho toughest of the Empire Handicap contestants to-day. Aga Khan won the nine-furlong Prince of Wales Handicap at the Awapuni autumn meeting, and even though he is to carry 211 b more than on that occasion he must be a serious contender for the honours today. Arisus claims attention in the Empire Handicap more by reason of the fact that R. Reed will be in the saddle, than because of recent winning form. One of tho best sprinters in the Dominion, the only time he has been tried over the distance was at Feilding at Easter, when he bled badly, finishing a long way back. That he is s o affected should be sufficient reason for not recommending him to investors, though there is always the chance that the race may after all be run to suit him. Awaken is a useful sort at her best but her recent form docs not encourage one to predict that she will prove capable of accounting for the opposition in the Empire Handicap. Habit won a seven-furlong race at Felding with L. G Morris in the saddle, but she requires experienced handling and whether she can stay out the Empire Handicap distance rests a good deal on the luck of the running. * # « # Beacon Fire is one of the promising recruits in open handicaps, his form in hack events being exceptionally good. If one of the lightweights is to win the Empire Handicap Beacon Fire should be that one. Little Doubt won the Empire Handicap last year, but on his recent form ainnot be commended. One thing in his favour is his ability to handle heavy going. Lucky Alice was a winner at the Egmont summer meeting and has been doing good work over middle distances on the New Plymouth tracks. Still, she may find the Empire Handicap class a little beyond her. .Of those on the minimum in the Empire Handicap to-day Shrewd has the best record on the Wanganui track, having a brace of victories to his credit here. Though he is well down in the weights because of his failure to produce his best form, there is just the chance that the “horses for courses” adage may again be proved true. Senegal scored a sensational win at Trentham at tho autumn meeting, but in spite of his good performances in hack company it does not appear likely that he will yet be seen at his best in the ranks of the open handicap performers. He should improve. All Humburg has worked his way to tho top of the handicap for the Winter Oats to-day. His win at Hawera was rather impressive, even though the margin was only a narrow one. Pomp is a recent winner engaged in to-day’s sprint event. He won at Feilding Easter meeting, beating Hunt tho Slipper and Farmer, and as he is becoming a solid sort he is entitled to respect to-day. Royal Bengal is one of the fancies for the Winter Oats. He showed some of his speed at Hawera and may be prominent. Kaihoro is just the sort to appreciate conditions in the open sprint, and if she gets out from the barrier the others will have to show a good turn of speed to head her.