Miss Bairnsfather May Appeal In Main Event At Woodville

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 November 1948, Page 7

Miss Bairnsfather May Appeal In Main Event At Woodville

There have been instances of horses with important engagements at Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting sporting silk at Woodville, sometimes with success, and going on to win at Ellerslie. As recently as last year Great Trek won the sprint on the second day at Woodville and went north to add the Railway Handicap to his tally.

It may be that some of those engaged today at the opening day of the Woodville District Jockey Club’s summer meeting will follow the precedent, but with so many holiday racing fixtures in view and rich stakes offering, there is not as much inducement as of yore to travel far afield. Probably form today and next Saturday, when the meeting will conclude, will prove of greater value in the near future at the Manawatu, Marton and Wairarapa meetings.

The Woodville course, with its wide track, long run out from the mile barrier and two-furlong straight, is regarded as one of the best on the provincial circuit. After the rain experienced recently the going may be soft, but it seldom gets really bad. Large fields are engaged in the majority of the events, and provision has been made for divisions in the Mangaatua Hurdles eight over the safety number), the Maiden Stakes, the Borough Hack Handicap and the Whariti Hack Handicap. The field for the Mangarawa Hack Handicap was originally one over the safety number but the defection of Lady Myrtle enables divisions to be avoided. The Borough and Whariti fields are respectively two and thre over the safety numbers for the barriers. It may be found necessary, unless there are at least three scratchings, to run the Maiden Stakes in three divisions.

One of the problems for the club would appear to be the time schedule for the races, intervals of 45 minutes having been arranged despite the many divided races. As a result it would not be surprising to find the day’s racing behind the timetable earlv in the day. With two divisions the stake for the hurdle race will be increased to £350. as will also be the case in the Whariti Handicap. The Borough Handicap stake will be increased to £320, and in the case of the Maiden Stakes it will be £250 for two divisions or £360 for three divisions.

Principal event is the Bolton Handicap, in which the original field of seventeen has been reduced to fifteen by the defection of The Stormovik and Voltaic. Miss E: irnsfather, who appears to thrive on racing and travelling, is now topweight with 8.13. which is 101 b more than she carried when she won the Manchester Handicap at Feilding a fortnight ago. The Old Bill mare is on the small side but she can be depended on to run a solid race. Ballinagh may be the improver of the race, and Yasda was running on at the finish when he was third over seven furlongs at Feilding. Tremello is a versatile performer who appears equally at home on the flat and over the battens. Stony Broke, now in new quarters, was second over seven furlongs at Waipukurau last month but failed to show up at Feilding. Hormuz was a highweight winner at Levin, and Batley was a hack winner at Carterton in September. Good races may also be run by Second Seal, Bulaselle, Lowry Bay and Pram, but backers may show a preference for Miss Bairnsfather, Ballinagh and Tremello. Thirteen are engaged in the sixfunong Oete Handicap, Castlebrae having been scratched. Trafalgar Day proved his class last season, and since resuming he has a second to Castlebrae at Levin to his credit. Bramerton and Franada, both of whom should be improved by recent racing, form an attractive bracket.

Tribal Night is a brilliant sprinter at his best, and - loyal Cambria showed a good turn of speed to win at Waverley last month. Sorrel proved useful at ’Bay meetings, and Pitoitoi would only need to reproduce her best two-year-old form to have a good chance. Vadoz wil be more at home over the sprint distance on'a roomy track than was the case at Feilding, where the Vaals colt was definitely unlucky on the opening day. Rhbnddavale proved a speedy hack in Waikato provincial engagements, and Bonnie Fair and Oban are a couple of smart sprinters from Trentham stables.

The indications are that Trafalgar Day will be favourite, with Vadoz and the Bramerton-Franada bracket also likely to be well supported. Best form of the youngsters in the Nursery Handicap is that of the Mar-ton-trained Nigra, who won a division on her home course in September. Other likely improvers are Jenin and Servile.

There is ample material in the supporting programme for keen racing and close finishes, and the chances of the following may be favoured by course investors:—

Mangaatua Hurdles.—First Division: Mesalliance. Fox-brae. Second Division: Dawn March, Result. Maiden Stakes. First Division: Closeburn, Elbogen. Second Division: Reflect, Katydid. Third Division: Sentimental, Philanderer. Bolton Handicap.—Miss Bairnsfather, Ballinagh. Tremello. Nursery Handicap.—Nigra, Servile, Jenin. Oete Handicap. —Trafalgar Day, Vadoz, Bramerton. Mangarawa Hack Handicap.—Lord Croupier, Opalescent, Sonia. Borough Hack Handican.—First DiArvastep, Bonanza. Second Division: La Modelie, Clive Bay. Whariti Hack Handicap.—First Division: Avenger, Aristea. Second Division: Matara, Carter Fell.