WINTER RACING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 121, 25 May 1938, Page 5

WINTER RACING

ELLERSLIE APPROACHES THE GREAT NORTHERNS NOTES AND COMMENTS The Foxton Racing Club's meeting on Saturday will be the only fixture in New Zealand this week-end, so it is likely to attract a fair share of attention. » » ♦ ♦ The next important racing fixture in the Dominion will be the Auckland Racing Club's Great Northern meeting at Ellerslie. The Ellerslie meeting will open on Monday week, the King’s Birthday holiday, and will be continued the following Thursday and Saturday. The Otaki Maori Racing Club’s winter meeting will be held on Saturday and Monday, June 4 and 6. and the Napier Park meeting will be held on the same days. • » * » With two days’ racing at Napier Park and the two following Saturdays at Hastings there will be plenty of racing for Hawke's Bay enthusiasts. Reipar, who claims an engagement in the Kebbell Memorial on Saturday, was the winner of this event twelve months ago, and on his most recent displays he stands a good chance of repeating the feat. Artful Dodger beat all but the dividend-payers in the hurdle race at Awapuni on Saturday last. If the Danilof gelding shapes at all pleasingly at Foxton next Saturday he will ■go north for the Ellerslie winter ' meeting.

Courtyard, who won the hurdle race at the South Canterbury Club's

meeting on Saturday, has now had four wins in five starts over the battens this winter.

At the Manawatu Racing Club's 11937 winter meeting Chat was in- | stalled favourite for the Broadway Handicap but finished at the rear of the field. Again backed down to favouritism in the same event last Saturday, Chat did not leave her backers in doubt and scored a most convincing win. She appears to have come more solid under H. Dulieu’s care.

The successes of Blandford horses

in England must be very gratifying to New Zealand owners of Blandford sires, including Mr. M. Grogan at the Grange Stud, Westmere, where Broiefort, bred in France, has attracted a great deal of attention. Pasch, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas, Pound Foolish, winner of the Great Northern Stakes (at York) and

Blandstar, winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial Sweepstakes, are all promising three-year-olds by Blandford, sire of four Derby winners.

An enquiry was held at Te Rapa on Monday into alleged interference to Palustre by Whirling in the Stewards’ Handicap on Saturday. The evidence showed that Palustre was inWhirling, but the stewards deterfered with by W. J. Broughton, on cided that the evidence was not sufficiently conclusive to warrant any action being taken.

Mr. Maurice Millar sold Malibu after the Waverley meeting and the Chief Ruler colt is to be used for stud duties in Taranaki. Malibu’s place in A. E. Neale's stable has been taken by a yearling filly by Limond from Variable (Pomball—Motley), a mare that was never raced, and who is a three-quarter sister to Al Jolson, Variaut, Moquette and Midinette, and a half-sister to Legatee. The filly is a big, rangy youngster and Mr. Millar anticipates that she will take time. * » » * The jockey C. G. Goulsbro, it is stated, intends to appeal to the Wanganui District Committee against the decision of the judicial committee of the Wanganui Jockey Club In disqualifying him for a period of six months for his handling of Catalogue in the Connolly Handicap.

Now rising eight, Clarion Call is out of the Hallowmas—Formless mare Saxon Saint, who left a promising jumper earlier in Coachman, and the breeding is of a high quality, as the family is that to which the Derby winners, Noctuiform and Bon Reve, and many other class horses belonged.

Tosh, who was offered at auction at Te Rapa last week, to dissolve a partnership interest, was secured by Mr. W. Gieson, of Rotorua, for 550 guineas. Bidding was spirited throughout, rising rapidly from the original bid of 200 guineas. Raceline, who was also offered, failed to reach the vendor's reserve and was passed in.

Royal Banquet, who made a successful reappearance at Awapuni on Saturday, had not raced since he ran unplaced in the Parliamentary Handicap last July. Before that he had run second in the Foxton Cup to One Whetu, won the Grandstand Steeplechase at Wanganui, and run second in the Wanganui Steeplechase to Clarion Call. Royal Banquet has since changed stables, being now trained by H. Neagle at Greenmeadows. His steeplechasing form last year was very promising.

Davolo's destruction at Washdyke on Saturday removed one of the most consistent handicap horses racing in recent years, and although he failed in his recent attempts, he was always liable to return to winning form especially on winter tracks. He proved to be an outstanding propostion for his owner, Mr. P. F. Campbell, who purchased him as a yearling at Trentham for 40 guineas, in 1932. He was

a seven-year-old gelding by Pombal from Imprudence by Royal Lancer from Joanfax. Imprudence was imported from England by Mr. G. M. Currie specially for breeding, and was never raced, Mr. Campbell purchased the yearling brother to Davolo in 1932 for 25 guineas, and under the name of Ravolo was just beginning to show form when he broke a leg at the Hororata meeting in 1936 and had to be destroyed. ♦ • • • The South Canterbury Handicap on Saturday was won by Mungatoon, winner of the Timaru Cup on the first day, and he paid another useful price. The race was marred by Davolo falling and breaking a leg near the shoulder about six furlongs from home, necessitating his destruction. Studley Royal, following him, was unable to avoid him as he struggled to his feet ,and he also fell. Mungatoon was again ridden by M. Caddy, who thus won the two principal events at the meeting, and was also successful on Lazybones in the Farewell Handicap. A thrilling finish was witnessed in this race, Lazybones getting up in the last stride to wrest the honours from Golden Chest. This was the second win in two starts for Lazybones. His new owner paid 300 guineas for him at the Christchurch Easter sale, and he has already returned £250 of that outlay.

The withdrawal of Flashlight from the Pareora Steeplechase at Timaru on Saturday disappointed many who had not seen him in action on the first day. The race was won by Santoft, who had been off the scene since last July. His was a sterling performance. He was carrying surplus but he encountered very moderate opposition. However, his display suggested that he will earn further distinction during the winter, and will be a welcome acquisition to the ranks of southern steeplechasers, which on present indications are far from being strong. The Adelaide veteran R. Medhurst joined the select band of Australian jockeys who have ridden four winners in a day. There were only four flat races in the programme at the S.A.J.C. meeting at Morphettville a fortnight ago, and Medhurst rode the lot, one of the four being the Goodwood Handicap, a race Medhurst has now won three times.