Levin Racing Club Will Have Doubles Totalisator As Extra Attraction Tomorrow

Wanganui Chronicle, 16 December 1949, Page 8

Levin Racing Club Will Have Doubles Totalisator As Extra Attraction Tomorrow

(By

“KESTREL”)

I’lie Levin Lacing Club will have the honour of providing, at its summer meeting tomorrow, the curtain-raiser for the holiday meetings and of introducing to New Zealand racegoers—or those in the Wellington district—the doubles totalisator.

Under the circumstances, the I dual attraction may result in I there being an extra large crowd and a totalisator turnover which should compare favourably with the £61,000 put through at the spring meeting early in November. In the days when doubles could be obtained legally on racecourses through the medium of the totalisator, some 40 years ago, it was the practice to run them on the two main races. It was in connection with the New Zealand Cup and Stewards’ Han-’ dicap double, the respective “legs” of which were won oy Star Rose and Captain Shannon, that a record dividend of over £2OOO was paid. Tomorrow at Levin the double will be run on the principal event, the President’s Handicap, and the Waitarere ' Hack Handicap. Both races are over a distance of about a mile and a-quarter, and in each case there is a limit field of 17, with one horse in the hack race balloted out with the right of reentry in the event of a scratching. Veteran racegoers might have preferred to the open sprint, the Stewards' Handicap, selected as the second “leg,” especially as there are 14 acceptors. Topweight in the President’s Handicap is Lord Manna, who was a trifle wilful at Otaki last Saturday and had to be started from behind the held in the Raukawa Handicap, eventually finishing fifth. As Lord Manna is engaged in the Auckland Cup he may be expected to play a prominent part tomorrow at Levim, Voltaic, who is in receipt of 21b •Tom Lord Manna, is another Auckland Cup aspirant. His best performances have been registered over shorter distances, and he has proved capable of winning at weight-for-age against the best company. Recently he finished third in the St. Andrew's Handicap at Feildjng to Gay Stroller and The Missioner, and went one

I better to be runner-up to Outlook in . he Bolton Handicap at Woodville. , Thus he has given evidence of his ability to run out a middle distance, and if a line is taken on his Auckland Cup prospects he must be one of the I most dangerous horses tomorrow. | Barrage is on the improve, but Blue Seal, winner of the Raukawa Handicap last Saturday, has the best recent form. Blue Seal came from several places back in the last three furlongs at Otaki and won nicely, though narrowly. Leyma has been consistent, and Golden Spa would make more appeal than Tenor Royal as this three-year-old was in the firing-line up to the final furlong at Otaki. Merry Robin is on the improve, as his third placing at Woodville suggested, and if Outlook’s connections elect to start the Robin Goodfellow horse here in preference to the open sprint they should have no cause to doubt his ability under 7.9 after his Woodville win. Silver Sam was a surprise winner the first day at Feilding, and Sly Ferry and Loud Checks, a winner at Hastings in the spring, may be best of the remainder. Class is not so outstanding in the Stewards’ Handicap, though some smart sprinters are engaged. Wild Note ran a fine race for the greater part of the journey in the Huia Handicap at Otaki, and in eventually finishing third to Demonic and Bella Mia after making the pace the Wild Chase gelding lost no friends for his early engagements. The Pagan proved himself an outstanding sprinter in his last two seasons, and the outings he has already had this season should have improved him. ’However, he would have to be at his best to head off Outlook, who has shown good form over the shorter distances as well as in provincial hanI dicaps. Livre d’Or, who developed into a [brilliant sprinter List season, will be. .wing his first ou'.ing in the current, term, and Malanui has had only one I race to fit him for this task. Recess | has shown good form, having won at i Levin and securing places al Feilding in useful sprint company, and the De- ’ Coulter gelding must be accorded a good chance. I Blue Bonny is useful when in form, land Nigra’s sprint win over Deseado lat Bulls suggested that the MartonII rained filly might hold her own in j average company. i Eesl of the remainder may be Gratuity and Servile, but the favourites •should include Wild Note, Rece s and j Outlook. j With stakes for hack events at their I present level horses in form do not I stay long in hack ranks, and recent [winners are few in the Waitarere i Hack Handicap. However, there is good form to the credit of Master 1 Crusoe. Marloch. Flying Colours, Fighting Fox. Romberg, Boyhood, Divided and Almora. ; Master Crusoe has been placed in good hack company, and Marloch was a winner at Bulls hut has not impressed in recent starts. Flying Colours has proved his ability to run out the distance, and Fighting Fox ran ••/ell enough at. Otaki to have a good ■hance. Romberg was a winner at Napier ’ark last month, and Boyhood ran a ■ne race for fourth al Otaki last Saturday after being well back in lhe irly stages. Divided made lhe pace r.iih Revel Lad in that race and eventually finished third. Almora was a winner al Gisborne and has impressed observers as a middle-distance handicap winner in the rear future. There are others in the field with average form Io commend them, but the prospects of Boyhood, Master Crusoe and Flying Colours should make most appeal