RACING TOPICS

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22611, 16 May 1945, Page 6

RACING TOPICS

PROSPECTS FOR TE RAPA KHURJA SHOULD IMPROVE i ALBINO IN GOOD HEART (BY “MARTIAN”) A doubt still exists in s ° l Pf l as to whether or not Broiefield will fulfil his engagement at the Waikato Racing Club’s winter fixture here on r-aturdaj. According to a Palmerston report, however, he will do his racing at the Marton meeting. He was one of those to work pleasingly at Awapuni yesterday morning. Worked Impressively Both Hunting Park and Waiting, who are engaged at the winter meeting here on Saturday, worked impressively at Takanini the other morning and are reported in splendid nick for racing at the fixture. Waiting has run some useful races this term, his most recent success being at the November meeting here in the second division of the Hautapu Hack Cup. As he won going away on that occasion—and the distance was a mile and three furlongs— he should prove a lightweight prospect for the President’s Handicap this week. Hunting Park has been third in his last three starts, his most recent being in the Roosevelt Memorial Hack mile at the patriotic meeting here last month. He is an acceptor for the Horotiu Hack mile and a quarter and will not lack support on the machines. Sprint Candidate Kronos. a candidate for sprint honours at the Waikato meeting, worked stylishly at Takanini the other morning in company with Beau Siri, the pair getting to the end of six furlongs in 1.2 i 3-5 on a deid track. Kronos. who is now trained bv Bert Tinker at Takanini, gave his best exhibition this season when he ran second to Llandine at Matamata in February. As he can handle soft condiliuis it wound not be surprising to see him in winning vein shortly. Master Meruit Won Well Master Meruit won the Egmont Steeplechase on Saturday in a style which suggests that other cross-country events will come his way this winter. Well back in the early stages, the Colossus gelding jumping cleanly, moved up half-a-mlie from home, and was second .o Foxiana at the turn. They were together at the last fence, but over the last hit .Master Meruit drew out for an easy win. The further he went the better he'went. Master Meruit is to go to Marton and will later go cm to Wanganui. Foxiana’s Showing According to a Hawera report, Foxiana, with 12.2 on his back, gave a brilliant display of jumping in the Egmo it Stecr’echa.se and looked like winning all the way until nearing the finish, when he tired and appeared to be lame. Later, however, he was walking as if little was amiss with him. He has been withdrawn from his engagement in the big steeple nase here. In Great Heart Kanui Te Pai, top weight in the Te Rapa Steeplechase, went a good race on the flat at the Hawera meeting on Saturday and he promises to strip in splendid fettle (or Important jumping events ahead. Zahra a Smart Hack Zalira scored in the hack sprint at Hawera last Saturday In Impressive style. Always handily placed, she came away half-way down the running to win going away. This five-year-old daughter of Bulands-har and Left has now two successive wins in three starts to her credit. The half-sister to Wotan paid well into double figures. She is owned by the Smith brothers Tor whom she is likely to win some good races. Incidentally her success gave H. Callahan a win in his first up as a trainer. Khurja Should Improve Khurja. whose next outing will be in the Waikato Steeplechase, should derive benefit from -his race in the Egmont Steeplechase last week and rapid improvement can be expected of him. He jumped without prror.at Hawera but his condition failed him and he was not unduly pressed over the last two furlongs. He would have been a closer third ir he had |)t been almost run off the course approaching the third to last fence. Battle Survey Wins Battle Survey, winner or the Juvenile Handicap al the Egmont meeting, credits Croupier with a further winner for the season. Battle Survey has come to hand quickly since he commenced racing at Hastings last month. At his second start he finished second in a maiden division at Gisborne, and on Saturday he never let his opponents in at any stage of the race. He is a compact colt from Conflicting, dam . or Battle Gain, who was a first-class performer, and descends from the Martyr branch of the Flora Mclvor (18) family, which gave the turf a host of good performers. Battle Survey is raced by his breeder, Mrs A. M. Rutherfurd. of Alfredton, and is one of G. W. B. Greene’s Prospects of Maggiore Maggiore has benefited from racing last month and the Dolomite mare should strip fit and well for engagements up this way. She is to contest the Hamilton Hurdles on Sarurday and may prove one of the hardest to dispose of. Yesterday she demonstrated her quality by a Tast and clever display of jumping in association with Town Survey and Varuna and it should not be overiooked that she won the Rimu Hurdles at Trentham in October of last year, making light of her solid impost or 11.2 on a heavy track. Albino Went Well Another southerner, Albino, who won thre v e hurdles events in a row down south early in the season, gave a polished exhibition of fast and clean jumping over a round of the steeplechase fences at headquarters the other morning and the quality of his display will increase his circle of admirers for the big lepping event here on Saturday in which he is handily placed with 10.0. He was given a race at Timaru last month and while he did not show up at any part of it the outing has apparently proved beneficial. Races Well Fresh Abbey Lu will be making a reappearance at the Waikato meeting and as he races well fresh he is not altogether without prospects. The record of Abbey Lu last season was an in and out one but he lemonstrated on occasions that he is a Phaser above the average. One of those occasions was in the Te Rapa Steeplechase last year when he won so convincingly that he immediately had the spotlight rocussed on him for the Great Northern Steeplechase. However, in that latter engagement he was never dangerous over the deciding stages. Abbey Lu left nothing to be desii#d in his schooling display ner a round of the country yesterday and le pulled up well. Second Last Year Constitution, one of the early ruling 'ancies Tor the President’s Handicap here m Saturday, was runner-up to Tweedsnuir in this event last year. The Lang 3ian gelding signalled a return to Torm bv i convincing success in the Foley Memo’ial Handicap at the Avondale meeting it F.llerslie last month and in his present date of ntness he appeals as one of the ogieal favourites for the chief fiat event >n Saturday, especially as it is now stated hat Broiefield is to do his racing at the darton meeting in preference to here. V Likely Improver Among the improving jumpers who will je contesting the Melville Hack and Iluners’ steeplechase this week is the Huntno- pnno- gelding, Haereatu, who again :howed to advantage in an exhibition over he steeplechase course here yesterday. Ic was going well here at the patriotic neeting when he came to grief at the brTish Mitering the straight when in a good losition It was unlikely on that occasion hat he would have beaten Roman Orator jut he would probably have finished in he money. Condition of Roman Orator Roman Orator appeals as being the harlest to beat in the Melville Hack and lunters’ Steeplechase after the convincing lature of his achievement in a similar ■vent at the patriotic fixture last month. Jis jumping exhibition on that occasion vas a polished one and while his success vas assisted to a certain extent by the nistakes or others that feature did not letract from the merit of a solid perormance. Yesterday Roman Orator was issociated with Rockery over a round of he steeplechase course and his display vas such to confirm the good impression ie made by his recent winning performance iere. Chance to Amend Bran tome will have an opportunity to nake amends for his failure at Te Aroha vhen he contests the Seddon Hack Hurdles iere this week. At Te Aroha on Saturday ie stopped badly in the heavy going ind was done with three furlongs from tome. If the weather holds the going iere this week should be much firmer than xas the case at Herriesville in which case jrantone should be seen to better advantage. The class in the Cunningham lurdles, he so convincingly accounted Tor iere at the patriotic fixture, may not lave been out of the ordinary but it was he effortless nature of that success that rnpressed one so. Record of Tuis The consistent record of Tuis in recent tarts will ensure the Revelation filly opti- 1 rustic support in the Otorohanga liack at re Rapa on Saturday. The Trentham repreentative won the Papanui Hack mile t Riccarton convincingly from Centime and ’alconbridgc and subsequently fought on inder 8.10 to shade Falconbridge and Lex iver a similar distance on the latter day if the fixture. starting Times Starting times Tor the Waikato Racfng Hub’s winter meeting at Te Rapa on 'aturday are as follows.—Melville Hack ind Hunters’ Steppipchase. 11.0; Otoohanga Hack. 11.45; Seddon Hack Hurdles, •2.30; President's Handicap, 1.15; Te Rapa steeplechase. 2.5; steward’s Handicap, ».50; Hamilton Hurdles; 3.35; Horotiu lack* 4.20.