THE TURF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 111, 14 May 1942, Page 6

THE TURF

EGMONT STEEPLES HAWERA ATTRACTION EARLY START ON SATURDAY A start will be made at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday with the Egmont Racing Club’s winter meeting, instead of the usual 11.45 a.m. schedule, this being necessitated by the large fields engaged in the eight events. Provision has been made for divisions in five events, but it is expected that late defections may obviate recourse to divisions in all save two events. Wanganui district patrons may travel by rail right to the course, a train leaving Wanganui at 6.45 a.m. and another at 8.20 a.m. The first train is due to arrive at the course at 10.24 a.m. and the second at 11.18 a.m. A return train leaves the racecourse at 5.47 p.m. Special excursion tickets are available. The Egmont Steeplechase will be the feature event on Saturday’s programme, and as the majority of the candidates are engaged in the Great Northern Steeplechase or the Wanganui and Grandstand Steeplechases at the Wanganui meeting, form will be interesting. Ruling Star, runner-up last year in the Egmont and Adamson Steeplechases, and recent winner ‘of the Waverley Steeples, looks like being favourite. Streamline. Erination. De Friend. Cherry Plum. Conflagration and Dozie Boy have proved themselves over Uie big fences, so there will be more than ordinary interest in the event. The Mcßae Handicap <2l acceptors) is the principal flat event, and the Hawera Handicap (seven furlongs) has 24 engaged. The opening event is the Tongahoe Hurdles, a race won by El Gallo before that horse went on to Ellerslie to win the Great Northern double during the last war. Last year there were several longpriced winners on the second day of the meeting, and the prospects are that with the vvin-and-place system again there will be some generous prices about Saturday’s winners. That is usually the case when fields are of such dimensions as the Telegraph Hack (35 acceptors). Ihe Hack Scurry (28) and the Borough Hack (33). Winners at the Avondale Jockey Club’s meeting last Saturday claiming engagements at Hawera have been rehandicapped as follows:—De Friend in the Egmont Steeples goes up from 10.5 to 10.10; Foxlore in the Champion Hack goes up from 8.7 to 8.13; Rara Avis in the Borough Handicap goes up from 7.7 to 7.12. W. J. Broughton's mounts at the Egmont meeting this week include Lambourn. Vin d’Honneur, Black PvObe, and Darag. C. J. Stowe is taking Lambourn and Vin d’Honneur to Ihe Egmont meeting this week. They are 1o race at Waikato the following week, and will them come south for the Wanganui meeting at Marton. Commenting on the Morningside Steeplechase run on Saturday, an Auckland writer says the winner. Do Friend, macle light of his weight of 11.10. and gave a fautless exhibition of jumping over the Ellerslie country. The field was weak, but Do Friend did his work in. impressive style. Auckland is likely to be well represented at Hawera next Saturday and among the trainers likely to have horses there are E. George. H. Goldfinch and C. V. McManemin. One of the Auckland acceptors who will not make the trip is Transmitter. Owner Miss E. L. Morrison stated that Transmitter would be withdrawn from his engagement, in Ihe Hawera Handicap. An inspection has been made of certain alterations to the steeplechase course. The approaches to all the jumps are in perfect order, the post and rail fences have been heavily padded, and the take-off guide in front of the ditch should eliminate as far as possible chances of mistakes. A leadup rail to the sod wall and a similar . take-off guide at the same fence i promise to reduce the number ol 1 crashes at this particular obstacle. A I brush fence has taken the place of ; the old hencoop, and with the going at present in perfect order for this time of the year, the steeplechase of 1942 promises to be a contest rarely seen, writes “Battledress” in the Hawera Star. There arrived yesterday morning a train-load of horses that must almost constitute a record, for one train had seven horse wagons attached containing 27 horses, all engaged at the Egmont Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday. _____