THE TURF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 127, 30 May 1944, Page 6

THE TURF

WANGANUI ACCEPTORS STEEPLECHASE MEETING AT MARTON With a total of 110 acceptors for the eight events to be decided at the Wanganui Jockey Club’s meeting at the Marton Racecourse next Monday, the club hitis an average of nearly fourteen for each race. The smallest field is in the Wanganui Steeplechase, in which seven survived the acceptance last night. Included are Idle Hour, winner of the Churchill Steeplechase at New Plymouth, Last Match, who won the Egmont Steepelchase at Hawera, and Malacca, who scored in the Papatawa Steeples at Woodville, together with Malik Kafur, winner of the steeplechase at Otaki. The other jumping iace, the Century Hurdles, attracted fourteen acceptors. Good fields are engaged in the principal fiat races, the Connolly Handicap and the Winter Oats, there being a dozen in each. Largest fields are those in the Maiden Race, the opening event, and the Borough Hack, with which the meeting concludes, 21 having been paid up for in each event. Betting will be on the win-and-place system, and the first race is set down to start at 11.30 a.m. Following are the acceptors:— 11.30 MAIDEN RACE, £150; 6 furlongs.

RUGBY REVIVAL GAME’S GLORY RETURNING LOOKING THROUGH OLD NOTE BOOKS Throughout New Zealand Rugby football is showing signs of a marked revival, and it is probable that the standard will rise to at least what it was in 1938 and 1939. just before the war. Wanganui is experiencing a re- 1 turn of public interest. The same applies in Taranaki, where they are selecting a team to play Wanganui next Monday to revive the old King's Day contests between these two unions to something of their former glory. New Zealand’s stimulation of food production in the war effort, which has resulted in large numbers of physically lit. men being brought back from overseas service to leave without pay, has provided a deeper well from which to draw talent. In addition, the return of several servicemen, who have been discharged from earlier echelons which saw service in the Middle East, has given clubs more to draw upon to fill their teams. These men, who gained Rugby experience overseas, are of immense value to selectors who have loyally stuck by the game through the inevitable lean period it must face during a war. when manhood has a sterner task elsewhere. Last .Saturday there was something of the’ old rivalry evident when Taihape and Wanganui played on Spriggens Park. The day was cold and cheerless, but the match itself, bright, snappy and close. It reminded eno of other matches these two teams , have played. One recalled one such game on the Domain in Taihape, 12 ’ or 13 years ago, when A. E. (“Moke”) Beiliss crossed the Wanganui line with ' about, fifteen players, some of his ’ own and some of the opposing side, ’on lop of him. From beneath the “sacks on the mill” came “Moke’s” voice—“l’ve scored, sir; I’ve scored.” They pulled the topmost players off, found “Moke” with the ball, and ! genial Charlie Mullany gave him a J try! Charlie is in Wellington, or at i least he was not long ago, doing ( his bit in the war. Looking back through old notebooks of those days, one comes across the naVnes of Harry Brogden, the halfback Taihape produced, who was in All Black class, ever, though he did . not reach an actual All Black team. ; He reached trials only. “Wild Bob’ i McCarthy’s name figures fairly often, • both as a Taihape and a Wanganui 1 player. To-day he is still keen on the 1 game, plays occasionally, but prefer."! to sit and watch his son “Dixie,” a product of the Wanganui Technical , College, who is one of the five-eighths chosen to play against Taranaki. “Dixie” played a solid game last Saturday for Taihape against Wanganui, and the try he scored was one the public dearly loves to applaud. Other Taihape names the notebooks bring to memory are: Reg and Bill Collier, Bill McLennan, Tommy and Rangi ’Chase, A. Kilkolly, H. Kingi, A. Smith. They are chosen at random, from teams which “Moke” captained in his later years. One of lhe interesting programmes which revives memories is one relating to a match played at Taihape on July 23, 1931, when Waikato beat I Wanganui bv 14 points to eight. Bill Collier played on one wing for Wanganui and Beiliss captained the side. The Pownall Trophy, a lasting memorial to the late Mr. G. H. Pownall, Wanganui, has constantly kept. Wanganui and Taihape keen rivals. To Hunterville, however, falls the honour of having put a dent into that neat, silver football, on its ebony stand. Hunterville is not afraid for the world to know that one night (late) the trophy was dropped in the main street, accidentally. All Hunterville players, and all Hunterville’s tradesmen, failed to quite remove the dent which remains as a reminder of happy days. An acquisition to Rugby in Wanganui is W. Matenga, the representative half-back, who played for the Maori Battalion overseas. His divepassing caught the eye on Saturday against Taihape. A fair admirer declared: “Isn’t his hair nice?” Her male companion replied: “Never imind his hair. Can he get the ball pi way?” : Memories of Rugby! .. . One could go on for a long. long time, recalling I all the friendships and fun the game stimulated.—“ Crossbar.”

Gay Witch . S 7 Pallello .. .. M 7 Te Wanaka Light o’ Dawn 8 7 Theioway . . s 7 Ever Aussie . 8 7 (Jay Lena Prairie Flower x 7 Tid-A pa .. .. 8 7 Broderie .. . 8 7 Glen Urquhart y i '1'e Ao 7 .Jackets .. 5 7 Sporting Gold x 7 Irish Chance 8 Sandy Cape . x 7 Royal Scholar 8 7 Old Red . . . y 9 Sporting Style § 7 Brilliant Scholar 8 7 Signal Light 12.10— 8 4 EMPIRE HACK. £200 ; 7 furlongs. Foxcover .. . 9 2 Bendemecr . . 9 Novocaine . . 8 11 Arctic Night g 0 The Grand .. Cetewayo . Lord Darnley Mouton Lad . 8 8 8 8 9 Sandy Bay .. Rosinante . . Pennyroyal . 8 0 0 0 12.50— CENTURY HURDLES. £300; l«j miles. Red Glare ... 10 10 Mountain Fox 9 II Authoress . .. 10 ID Lightfair ... 9 3 Epping .. .. n 6 Colonel Bogey <i Young Charles 10 4 Indian Sign . 9 0 Par Avion .. 10 0 Ascot Bloom 9 0 Glaciate .. .. 9 i ;> Rhodes 9 1) Pompit .. 1.30— 9 13 Gay Hussar . 9 0 BA LG OWN IE HACK. £200 ; 1* miles Flahuhik .. . 9 3 Airlie 8 0 Ring Scarf . . x 10 PenwUt .. .. 8 0 Hulabaloo . . 8 - Lady Midian . V Rehearsal . . Aristocrat • . 8 0 Golden Tide Worton . . .. 8 2 Pongi 8 0 2.15— WANGANUI STEEPLES. £400 ; shout 21 Malacca .. .. 10 12 Imperium . . 9 11 Anglo-Irish 10 4 Malik Kafur . 9 7 Idle Hour .. . 10 0 Opaltown ... 9 6 Last Match .. 2.55— 10 0 CONNOLLY HANDICAP. £350: 11 miles. Nighean .. .. Par Avion ... 7 11 Te Kawiti .. 9 Foreign Coin 7 Lady Spiral .. 8 7 Peter's Choice 7 7 Good Scout .. § .. Mountain Fox 7 7 Noble Fox ... 8 a Tau-uru .. .. 7 7 Alexcelia . .. 3.40— 4 11 Blue Border . 7 WINTER OATS. £800; fi furlongs. Whackie .. .. Amigo 9 First Round Plato Lad .. 8 8 5 Lady Accra . 1 Sterling Lad . The Monarch 9 Duality .. .. 8 o Wingo of Song 8 11 1 Ring Chief . Duncannon . 4.25— 8 6 Pan ami nt . . 8 o BOROUGH HACK £200; 8 furlongs. Hard Frost . 9 Observatory . 8 n Omahina . . 9 8 All Bunaby .. 8 <1 Novocaine . . 8 11 Panamint . . 8 n Lord Darnley 8 8 Te Wanaka .. 8 Q Vermette . . . 8 8 Theioway , .. Lady Nahleen Moutoa Lad . Atoms 8 8 fi 4 Irish Chance . Sporting Style Sandy Bay .. Light o’ Dawn Ever Aussie , 8 8 8 0 0 Manpower . . Tintorn . ... 8 9 8 8 0 Keite He .. . 8 9