GREAT NORTHERNS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 132, 5 June 1937, Page 6

GREAT NORTHERNS

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB MEETING OPENS TO-DAY REVIEW OF PROSPECTS (Special to "Chronicle.”) AUCKLAND, June 4. The prospects are now definitely for heavy going at Ellerslie throughout the Auckland Racing Club's winter meeting, and the weather within the next 24 hours will decide whether it is going to be very bad ground or just plain heavy. In any case the conditions will be such as to make the tasks of the heavily-weighted horses more difficult. Betting will be conducted under the old 75-25 two-dividend system. The main items on to-mor-row’s card are the Great Northern Hurdles and Cornwall Handicap. The Great Northern Steeplechase is to be decided on Wednesday next, the King’s Birthday holiday. Not a great deal has been doing since the acceptances were posted and the final track try-outs have not caused any drastic change of opinion so far as the Great Northern Hurdles is concerned. Riders have been announced for the majority of the 20 acceptors, so that this means there will be an unwieldy field after all, when it was hoped, for safety’s sake, there would be not too many contestants. Jolly Beggar has schooled well, apart from a tendency to bore in at his fences, but he has previously won at headquarters so this may be overlooked. The matter of weight in the soft ground is much more likely to prove vital than any defect in his jumping, unless he jumps into trouble, a very simple matter in this race. Trainer Bagby's pair, Lord Vai and Black Marlin, still have the public guessing as to which is the better. In the final summing-up the fact that the former recently won over the sticks at Te Rapa, whereas Black Marlin has not raced as a hurdler for many months, may tell the tale, more particularly as Lord Vai is susceptible to improvement more than his stablemate. Tout le Monde is being fancied by virtue of his stamina, and the bracketed pair, Erination and Master Musk, High Quality, Huskie, Killadar, Sandy Dix, and Free Air would appear to be the best of the remainder. Lord Vai still remains the final choice; he will revel in the bad ground. Once again there is going to be a huge field in the Cornwall Handicap, for there should be a score of runners, 24 remaining in after the acceptance. King Rey has a lot of weight to carry under the conditions, although he is a good horse. To name the best half-dozen is a task in itself, but here they are: Scotland, Gay Rose, the Tooley Street-Horowhenua bracket, Royal Appellant, Knight of Australia and Royal Dance, and if heavy rain falls on the day Armacourt may even be the first selection. Of course there are other lightweights that may be dangerous too, but a special fancy is expressed for Royal Appellant in the gvent of the conditions not being much worse than they were for the final gallops. He went a fine race in the sprint at Te Rapa, even after meeting with a serious check in the middle stages, and in any case he is now due for a win. With the 8.0 minimum prevailing, the horses in the open sprint, the Members’ Handicap, are brought together much more closely than they might have been under the lighter! scale. This applies forcibly to the two | tops, Whirling and Peter Beckford, I who are still nicely placed with 9.9 and 9.7 respectively. The former is built to carry a big impost, and Peter Beckford is brilliant. Mudlarks who will be right at home are Black Thread, Greek Gold, Adalene, Prince Acre, Kilonsa, Paso Robles and Surella, so the race is not going to be an easy one to win. Perhaps Whirling will Ire best. Ail the other races on to-morrow's card are very open, and they are of sufficient strength, both in numbers anti quality, to make for excellent racing and keen finishes. The following horses are in form and may be well supported in their respective engagements:— Bracketed horses for to-morrow are. Jervois Handicap, Malagigi and Aiyth, Royal Passage and Locknit, ! Captain Bruce and Carshalton, Hopal long and Very Glad, Melvanui and Tane Mahotu; Great Northern Hurdles, Erination and Master Musk; Cornwall Handicap, Tooley Street and Horowhenua; Hunt Club Hurdles, Lochiel Lad and Smilin’ Thru’. Black Marlin knocked himself while schooling on Tuesday morning, a bruised coronet being the trouble. He has been withdrawn from the North- > ern Hurdles field. Form horses engaged to-morrow I are:— Greenlane Steeplechase.—Sky Pilot, Pango, Emancipation. Jervois Handicap.—Pirate King, Erndale, Survoy. Penrose Hurdles.—Collision, Spearcourt, Gay Broney. Great Northern Hurdles.—Lord Vai, Erination-Master Musk bracket, Jolly Beggar. Cornwall Handicap.—Tooley StreetHorowhenua bracket, Royal Appellant, Royal Dance. Hunt Club Hurdles.—Tangled, All ' Irish, Cynical Kid. Members’ Handicap.—Peter Beck- ' ford, Whirling, Surella. Following is the list of acceptors:—

GREENLANE STEEPLECHASE (Of £3OO : 2J milef.)

Pango .. ..10 9 Sky Pilot ... 9 3 Lucidua .. ..10 5 Rooklnw .... 9 0 Emancipation 10 4 Gascyne .. . 9 0 Uluminagh . . 10 4 Hot Dance ..90 Kinkle .. 10 0 Tea Chat .. 9 0 St. Musk .... 9 T2 Domo 9 0 London .. .. 9 3

JERVOIS HANDICAP (Of £300 ; furlongs) Surella .. 9 11 Waitaka .. M 8 0 Grand City . 9 11 Thangilamha . 8 0 Black Musk 7 Mai de Mer . 8 0 Strathire .. .. 9 6 Bryce Street . 8 0 Tin Toes .. .. 6 Malagigi .. . 8 0 PhJemup . . 9 6 Alyth 8 0 Survoy .. ., 9 2 Royal Passage 8 0 Valspear .. .. 9 0 Captain Bruce 8 0 Small Boy . .. 8 12 Carshalton 8 0 Keno . .. .. 8 11 Hopalong . .. 8 0 Pirate King .. Very Glad 8 0 Far Land 8 1 1 Melvanui . .. 8 0 Gay Rebel . . Erndale .. 8 9 Tane Mahotu Locknit .. .. 8 0 Bass PENROSE HURDLES (0 £300 ; 11 miles) Spearcourt . . i ] 0 Red Fox .. .. 9 0 Collision . .. 11 0 Huntsman s Lady Ruler .. 10 Chorus .. .. 9 0 Gay Broney . . 9 12 La Femme Court Arma . 9 Noire .. • • 9 0 Hi'.h Star . . 9 0 United .. .. 9 0 Keith Lu .. .. 9 0 Gadger .. .. 9 0 G.N HURDLE RACE (Of £1000 2j miles) Jolly Beggar . 11 13 Lord Vai . . 9 5 Erination . . 10 10 Tout le Monde 9 5 Sandy Dix . . 9 9 Pahn 9 0 Royal Limond 9 9 Huskie .. .. 9 0 P. of Orange 9 9 K Hadar . .. 9 0 High Quality . 9 8 Irish Comet . 9 0 Lap Up . .. 9 8 Monasti: . 9 0 Roxy 9 5 Valpeen .. .. 9 0 Master Musk . Q 5 Free Air . . 9 0 Modern Maid 9 5 Black Marlin . 9 0 CORNWALL HANDICAP (Of £5 50 ; li mile*.) King Rey . . 9 4 Boomerang . . Scotland . .. 8 11 De Friend .. 7 7 Gay Rc*e . . 8 7 Enge 7 7 Tooley Street 8 6 Grand City .. 7 7 Royal Appellant 8 1 Jewelled Girdle 7 Grateful . . .. 8 0 Mungatoon Knight of Light Comedy 7 7 Australia 7 12 Loomhination 7 Royal Dance . r 12 Prince Colossus 7 Day Wind .. 7 12 To Hai .. .. 7 i Dark Shadow 7 11 Tradesman . . 7 Horowhenua 8 Valmint . .. 7 7 Armacourt .. 7 7 HUNT 'LUI HURDLES (0 £300 ; 2 milee) Cynical Kid . 10 9 Gay Cavalier . 9 1 Tangled . .. 10 6 Bells of Bow 9 0 Englishman .. 10 3 Rozel 9 0 Croydon .. .. 9 10 Lochiel Lad . 9 0 Lady England 9 Smilin’ Thru . 9 0 All Irish . . .. 9 7 Huntsman s Royal Nation 9 7 Chorus .. . 9 0 MEMBERS’ HANDICAP (Of £350 ; furlongs) Whirling .... 9 9 Prince Acre . 8 6 Peter BeckShy 8 6 ford 9 7 Kilsonoa .. .. 8 6 Mata Hari . . 8 11 Pa«o Robles . 8 5 Black Thread 8 10 Surella .. .. 8 5 Kiltowyn . .. 8 10 High Tea . .. 8 5 Greek Gold . . 8 8 Versant .. .. 8 0 Adalene .. .. 8 6