MANAWATU MEETING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 67, 20 March 1942, Page 6

MANAWATU MEETING

FIXTURE AT MARTON PROSPECTS TO-MORROW Racing restrictions have alreadj made their effect felt in the district m a multitude of ways, and wartime necessities will no doubt materially affect the Manawatu Racing Club', one-day autumn meeting, which is tr be held on the Marton Racecourse to morrow. Still, the useful fields en gaged promise interesting racing, ant with the six-furlong hack ract divided into two separate races, there will be eight events on the card. The I single-pool totalisator will operate. I Though the dropping of the Awa I pum Gold Cup—instituted during th< 1 1914-18 war—is to be regretted, es pecially as it would have probably afforded the crowd an opportunity t< see Kindergarten in action again there will be some compensation ir the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes this is the only seven-furlong rao for two-year-olds, and in spite of th< penalty clauses which remove it fron the strictly “classic" events, it is generally accepted as one of the besi guides to juvenile supremacy. A j feature of this event is the record o. | Mr. G. M. Currie’s Koatanui Stud, for (since 1921 fifteen winners have beer sired by stallions at Koatanui. Sever of these have carried Mr. Currie’s colours. To-morrow Mr. Currie has . Rinks engaged. > Nizam, who will carry number one saddle-cloth, won the Wellington Stakes at the summer meeting at Trentham, prior to which he had won ( the Criterion Handicao at Ellerslie. As ; a half-brother to that great horse I High Caste. Nizam promises to develop into one of the best of the (season’s juveniles. Hippodrome won I impressively at Feilding in the spring i and until unplaced at. Trentham last (Saturday had not been out of a place. ■Manpower, a Man’s Pal gelding, scored impressively at New Plymouth I and looks like being good. Rink won a‘ Masterton in the spring. Theolateral scored at Ashhurst and again at the Egmont meeting. Some of the remainder have been left in by oversight but Plato Lad and Voltaire appear promising. I The principal event is the King I George Handicap. Probably it has not ; drawn as strong a field as many would have liked, but it will provide an in’i teresting clash of form. Dynasty, carrying 8.5, is topweight, and as winner of the Tonks Stakes at Hawera and the Taranaki Cup a fortnight ago, he is entitled to be favourite. He will be bracketed with Premature, whose performance in the Thompson Handicap at Trentham last Saturday suggests that she will be hard to beat. Gold Bridge won the Ashhurst Cup, and at 7.3 he has a great chance. Ta- ! lenta has been showing consistent i form and both Blue Border and I Kanui To Pai are promising. Prob--1 ably the Dynasty-Premature bracket I with be at a short price. I A better field is that which will line up for the Johnston Memorial, run I over seven furlongs, which has drawn i fifteen acceptors. Black Robe made ( her tally three on end when she ran away with the open sprint at TrenI tham last Saturday. Tuatara won 1 over seven furlongs at Hawera and I over six at the Woodville meeting at I Ashhurst. He is a classy sort. Night I Eruption has proved her worth, but Wings of Song has not done too well, for he has not won since last December at Otaki. Screen Star. Boden Park and Caroline Bay must all have good chances. i Recent form suggests that Enjoy- | ment will play a prominent part in the Karere Hurdles. Sandy Bay and Golden Acre may appeal in the Woodhey Hack No. 1, and in the Second Division of that event Soutane and Amoroso should have many friends. If Tau-uru has recovered from being galloped on at Trentham he would have a good chance in the Adderstone Hack, in which Poutu may be prominent in the betting. The Awapuni iHack. run over ten furlongs, finds ' several recent winners engaged, and Triple Crown and Taane Pango may appeal. I As the petrol restrictions will no | doubt affect travel by car many I patrons will appreciate the fact that special trains will leave Wanganui at 9.40 a.m., Taihape at 8.40 a.m.. and Palmerston North at 9.25 a.m. Improvements at Marton An improvement that should be appreciated by patrons at the Manawatu race meeting at Marton is the asphalting of the whole of the approaches to the totalisator and to the stewards’ stand. Another improvement is the erection of twenty stalls to accommodate visiting horses by floats and trains to-morrow morning. These are situated at the back of the present stalls near the stewards’ stand. There is every indication of a sue- i cessful meeting as accommodation 1 for 50 horses and trainers at the club’s hostel and stables is available. The first race starts at 12 o’clock I noon. The horses will be paraded in I a ring at the back of the stewards’ 1 stand prior to leaving for the starting barrier.