WANGANUI.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1397, 1 February 1917, Page 15

WANGANUI.

Wanganui J.C.’s Excellent Nominations —Notes on the Foxton R.C.’s Gathering — A. Hall’s Trio for Hawera. WANGANUI, Monday. The nominations received by the Wanganui Jockey Club for its autumn meeting, to be held on the 22nd and 24th February, show a falling off in numbers compared with last year, but at the same time all the events have filled very well except the hurdles, and in the principal events the quality of the horses engaged is ot the very best. In the Cup, lor instance, quite a number of the best performers in the Dominion are engaged, including Colonel Soult, Bee, Depredation, Indigo, Rangitero, Egypt, Housewife, Rewi Poto, and others. Colonel Soult won last year’s Wanganui Cup like a racehorse, and it will be interesting to see how he will shape this year. It is said he is in splendid fettle, and if so he should take no end of beating. Depredation has had an easy time since returning from the north, but the Auckland Cup winner is expected to be at his best for the Wanganui Cup.

The entrants for the Flying comprise many of the finest sprinters m the land, and the winner will take a lot of picking. Messrs. Walsh and Quarterman have both Lady Middleton and Tyson engaged at the Wanganui meeting. The report that Lady Middleton had been sold on the West Coast turns out to be incorrect. The entries for the hurdle events at the Wanganui meeting are very disappointing, seven being the main on the first day and nine on the second day. This is a very poor response for the good stakes offered, and the club would no doubt get much bigger fields if a couple of open welters were substituted.

Starengo scored a couple of wins at the Foxton meeting, and in both cases he won in good style. He has shown consistently fine form in most of his races, and now that he has started winning he may soon be heard of again. He is trained by A. Rayner, who had him in excellent fettle. Interlude carried a lot of Wanganui money in her races at Foxton, but she displayed none of the dash expected of her, a third being the best she could do. She will probably be seen to more advantage at the Egmont meeting, as she is looking and going really well. The performance put up by Kurapai in running a dead-heat with Ladify

in the Foxton Cup led to the Papakura gelding being entered for the Wanganui Cup, in which he may run a big race, as he is fairly fast, and is a fine stayer, which is more than can be said for some of those entered. Local racing enthusiasts were pleased to see Haupai win a race at Foxton, as she is owned by Mr. T. S. Bristol, one of the most popular of sportsmen, and is trained by W. Rayner. She had run well on several occasions, but without any luck until she landed the Maiden last week.

A. Hall intends taking Master Lupin, Moulu, and Combustion to Hawera tomorrow. The former gelding is engaged in the Cup at 7.10, and should be very hard to beat, as he is in excellent form. He went stale before the Stratford meeting, but has freshened up again, and appears to be at his best now. The topweight, Egypt, w.ll probably be favourite, but he will need to do his very best to neat Master Lupin if the latter is in the humour.

Moulu has been allowed to drop out of his first day’s engagements at Hawera, but will probably be started in the hurdles the second day. Combustion is going well and ought to run prominently in the hurdles on Wednesday. F. Tilley is taking Gang Awa and Pohehe to Hawera. Both are in capital nick, and it will be no surprise to find them amongst the winners at the meeting.