RACING TOPICS

Waikato Times, Volume 193, Issue 22204, 25 November 1943, Page 6

RACING TOPICS

RICCARTON PROSPECTS

BATTLEDRESS BACK TO FORM Saturday’s racing provided a final outing in public for New Zealand Cup candidates. of which six were competing at I rvin, where a pleasing feature wa? the return to form of Battledress. After hi? three-year-old season, when he was the champion of his age. Battledress suffered an unaccountable lapse of form, and in all his race? lasi season he failed to gain a place. However, on Saturday he made amends, scoring an easy ! win in the Levin Handicap, and on that form he will now come into favour for his New Zealand Cup engagement. Another good performance was that of Gladynev, who finished fast in second place after bpins at the tail of the field most of the way. Gladynev is in good trim and should he in the firing line again on Saturday. Don Quex. who was hacked with Gladynev and who will accompany him to the Cup meeting, also ran well. He was the pacemaker all the way. and then ran a fair third, but he was weakening at the finish. However, his appearance suggested that the race should benefit him, so he might be a better horse at the end of the week. Classform. who was fourth, was going better than Don Quex as the line was reached, and she put up a fair performance. Piastre also ran a fair race, but there w-as nothing to enthuse about in the running of The Monarch, who looked better than he has for some time past. Amorlad Withdrawn Amorlad was taken out of the New Zealand Cup, as it was feared he had not been able to get through the necessary preparation for a tw'o-mile journey He is being kept going in view of other engagements that have been made for him. t The Champ and Home Rule, both of whom are owned by Mr S J Newland, of Wellington, are at present carrying a very bright and robust appearance, and it will probably be some time before they are asked to figure in public. Their trainer, T. R. George, of Masterton, left for Riccarton the other night with Silvio and Indian Sign, and the former is carrying all the polish usually associated with that capable trainer's charges. Silvio will be ridden by H. N. Wiggins at Riccarton Kindergarten also went south. He will be ridden by P. Spratt in the Canterbury Cup on the second day. Jannie Girl and Black Simpn. who are engaged in the Spring Nursery on the opening day of the C.J.C. carnival, accompanied the champion. Spratt will ride one of the two-year-olds and N. B. Holland the other. Gladynev, runner-up to Battledress, appears to be growing younger instead of older. He never looked so bright as on Saturday and has evidently been well freshened up with the spell he had during the winter. The false pace of Saturday's race did not suit Gladynev. but he was running on as well as anything at the finish and the extra half mile at Riccarton and sounder pace will suit him better. With six races this season, he has had the necessary public preparation, and is starting a look very muscular. As runner-up in the last two New Zealand Cups, a win for him this year would be a deserved reward for consistency. Stewards’ Prospect Monetary's win at Invercargill on Saturday will bring him into further favour for the Stewards’ Handicap, in which he finished second to Not Out in 1941 carrying 7.10. He has been trained for the last few months by A. E. Didham, and is reported to be a much-improved| gelding. Notary, winner of the first division of the Trial Handicap at the same meeting; is a three-year-old brother to Monetary and races in the same colours. This was his second appearance in public only. Notary is trained at Riccarton by C. McCarthy. The Trentham trainer F. Burgess was due to leave for Riccarion last nignt. He will take Tara King and Maharajah, the former being in the Derby and the latter in the Otaid Plate, and he will probably ride both horses himself. The stable apprentice. J. Garth, will be on Te Kawiti in the New Zealand Cup. There seems to be a strong tendency to boom Royal Flight for the Stewards’ Handicap. Apart from Desert Strife the strength. of the opposition in the John Grigg Slakes could not be rated high. She won well at Geraldine, but here again the field could not be classed high in handicap form. Royal Flight won the Dunedin Guineas in lmin 51scc, the race being run in heavy going as the time indicates, but neither Invulnerable nor John o’ London could act under the track conditions. It will be seen that Royal Flight has won three races this season under conditions favourable to her chance and from that point of view has received her full share of weight at Riccarton. Horses Dead Sirneri, a tliree-year-old gelding by Gynerium. died at Trentham at. the weekend nr a twisted bowel. lie was trained by W. Hawthorne for Mr and Mrs Jepson, Lower Hutt. At Awapuni on Sunday Thumbs Up. who raced at Otaki on Saturday, died from the same cause. She was a five-vear-old mare by Inflation, trained by E. W. Watson for Mr H. E. Fairey, Palmerston North. Clarice, the favourite at Levin, ran a moderate race. She was up fifth in the running to the straight, but could not raise a gallop once heads were turned for home. She does not appear to be right, and she is not to fulfil her Canterbury engagements. She and Fort Royal were returned to Hawera at the week-end and L. E. George will take only Killarney Boy to Riccarton for the two-year-old races. A southern report states that Kevin has done well since returning from the Wellington meeting, and he' is expected to be a very fit. horse for the cup race at Riccarton. He will be ridden by C. T. Wilson. Simper family Aurora Australis, winner of the second division of the Trial Handicap at Invercargill, is a chestnut filly by Salmagundi from Ruling Light and is owned by Messrs J. and W. Hazlett. The well-performed Landveyor has been turned out for a spell and will not appear again on the tracks until after the New j Year. STARTER APPOINTED WAIPA RACING CLUB Mr C. J. Clarkio, of Hamilton, has been appointed starter Tor the AVaipa Raring Club’s summer meeting at Te Awamutu, on December 11. For several seasons past Mr Clarkin has filled the position of official starter to the Stratrord Raring Club.

The AVaipa Racing Club has decided to make the AVaipa Plate the first event on its programme for the annual race meeting on December Its The club has made a donation of £lO to the Waikato Trotting Club for its matinee meeting on Saturday at Claudelands in aid of the St. John Ambulance.