WAVERLEY MEETING TOMORROW WILL OPEN WINTER CAMPAIGN

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 April 1949, Page 2

WAVERLEY MEETING TOMORROW WILL OPEN WINTER CAMPAIGN

-Marking the close of the autumn racing' campaign and the start of winter fixtures, the Waverley Racing Club’s autumn meeting will, be held tomorrow. The Waverley Steeplechase, main .jumping event, will pave the way for the Egmont Steeples a week later and more important cross-eouidry raees later on, and the WesthoJm Hurdles will eater for the hurdlers.

Fields for the main flat events I are also such as to mark the clash of autumn form ajid winter pros-' peels. Several of those engaged in the Bosley Memorial, the Wairoa Handicap, and the Ngutuwera Hack Cup have good aut-' unm form to commend them, and others have only recently resuined racing in view of the winter campaign. At such an eariy stage in the jumping season few of those engaged in the Waverley Steeplechase have any • recent form to commend them to ' backers, but some have proved their ability over the oig fences. Three , years ago Gay Rouen was the winner, carrying lu.u, and Lis form in the meantime has earned him topweight with 11.0. Twelve months ago he finished second to Whiphand in the Grandstand Steeples at Wanganui but failed in the Wanganui Steeplechase. Those were his only starts in the 1947-48 season. Last August Gaiety won over the big jumps at Hastings and New Plymouth (Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Cup) after having been successful at Awapuni and Marton (Rangitikei Hunt Cup). The Gay Boy mare would onlyhave to show a repetition of that form to have a great chance at Waverley. Duality was a good performer on the flat and should sr.ape wfcll over the big fences. Captain Jesse, from the same stable as Gay Rouen, has also shown promising form the obstacles, and both Odysseus and Old Joe have been winners in the jumping game. Voltage won the Fordell Hack Hurdles at Wanganui last February. Middoon ana Cherry Grove have displayed promise as jumpers, and there may be some promising recruits among those on the minimum. Included among the Westholm Hurdles acceptors are First Act, a winner of the Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase at Marton last spring and placed in other starts; Foxland, winner of this race two years ago, and Odysseus, who won over hurdles at Hawera early in March. Dawn March, Northfield, Royal Scholar and Night Charm have also shown ability over the battens, and Awaroa Stream was a highweight winner at Hawera. BESLEY MEMORIAL ' The field for the Lesley Memoral is headed by Morotai, who has generally shown her best form when the tracks are easy. Atomic showed at Feilding that he may soon be expected to stage a return to winning form, but a better prospect should be the Wanganuitrained Hostess. Tiie Contact mare was third in the Feilding Cup and second in the Goodbehere Memorial, and she is handily placed to open her account in the higher ranks after her good form in hack company. Mission has only recently resumed racing but he comes from a stable

that generally turns out a winner without much public preparation. Alright ran a good race in the sevenfurlong Makino Handicap at Feilding, in which race Lady Oratory beat al) but Faultina. On that form the Christopher Robin mare should take a lot of beating. There are also other prospects in the improved hack Arvastep and the consistent Duke of Gloucester Cup winner Balintore. The field for the open sprint, the Wairoa Handicap, is not so strong in numbers as is the distance event, but several of those engaged have shown good form. The Pagan has generally run good races and It will be interesting to see how he goes for his new mentor, M. Brooks, Stratford, whose stable he entered recently. The Pagan has been troubled with bleeding, but if there is no recuirenc'e he should make his presence felt at the early winter meetings.

Ozami is a smart uuce-year-old Nizami colt from S. McGreal’s Te Rapa stable, and Black Beret is another visitor from the,Waikato centre. Sir Royal finished on into third place in the open sprint at Hastings last Saturday. Mangurakau is a second string from the stable which now shelters The Pagan, and Bright Side impressed when winning his way out of hack company. Celebration has faced disappointingly, but new that the tracks are easier she may come into her own. DUAL ENGAGEMENTS Several horses listed lor the Waverley meeting tomorrow claim dual engagements, and thi3 may result in divisions being avoided in the Kohi Hack Handicap (one over). The Symes Memorial Maiden field is six over the safety number, so it is doubtful whether there wdl be enough scratchings. Six of the Ngutuwera Hack Cup acceptors figure in other events, Earl} Bird being it. th«. President’s Hack, Sweet Revenge. Graeme’s Joy, General Sand and Golden Poi in the Kohl Hack, and Royal Seli'flar in the West' holm Hurdles. Sweet Revenge is to race at Hastings tomorrow. Pa pawhero and Night Lady are in the Symes Memorial Maiden and the President’s Hack. White Diamond ■<md Dallas are in the Kohi Hack and ho President’s Hack. Silver Pal, who has not so fa; raced this season, is engaged in the Wairoa Handicap and the Besley Memorial. Barrier positions in the main flat events tomorrow are as follow: — Besley Memorial: Morotai 5, Atomic