WANGANUI.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1553, 29 January 1920, Page 13

WANGANUI.

Iceberg Recommissioned After a Lengthy Spell—Lift Taken in Hand Again by M. Gardner —Oratress’ Remarkable Sequence of Victories -—Next Engagement to be Wanganui Culp—Handsome Trophy to Accompany Wanganui Cup Stake — Demand’s Win at Trentham —Excellent Entry Promised for Wanganui Trotting Club’s Meeting—Attractions for Carnival Week in Wanganui. WANGANUI. Monday. C. Jackson has put Iceberg into commission again after a couple of years’ spell. The gelding developed

a growth on the knee, but hopes are entertained that this will not trouble him now. Jackson has also added ,the steeplechaser Polthogue to his team, to be got ready for the winter season.

Murt Gardner is going to try Lift (by Elevation—Eduam) again. When the full-brother to Alteration was a two-year-old it was hoped that he would prove fairly good, but he did not show any pace, and he was spelled for a couple of years. The Marton sport who races as Mr. F. Preston has had a good innings with Oratress this season. She started by placing the Waverley Cup to her credit, then won a couple of races at Awapuni, and afterwards scored in the Marton Cup. She was turned out in- great fettle by F. Tilley for the Christmas meetings, but looked even better when she left Fordell for Trentham, where she ran a deadheat in the Wellington Cup and followed this up by finishing second in the Wellington R.C. Handicap. As she was well supported in all these races by her owner, he has good reason to be well pleased with the performances of the daughter of Demosthenes —Equitas, who had been rather disappointing until this season.

It is expected that Oratress will make her next appearance in the Wanganui Cup, in which the Fordell stable will also be represented by Client, if the son of Elevation keeps well. It would be a fine performance

on his part if he could succeed in placing his third Wanganui Cup to his credit, and it is by no means improbable, as the gelding has shown that he is nearly as good as ever by hie form this season.

By the way, the silver cup which is to be given to the winner of the Cup race this year by Mr. R. Grace, has come to hand from Bpgland, and a very fine specimen of the silversmith’s art it is. It is a remarkably handsome trophy, and worth fully £l5O. It has been photographed, and will be reproduced in the “Review” later on. The owner who has the good fortune to win this fine trophy will have every reason to be proud of it.

It was pleasing to see Mr. T. A. Duncan get a win with Demand, the two-year-old half-brother to Client. This youngster was very unlucky in three or four of his previous efforts, getting away very badly. That he has a lot of pace when he does get going he has repeatedly shown, and he is likely to turn out a really good three-year-old.

Acre was taken to Trentham by F. Tilley, but failed to do any good. It is thought that the heavy going was not to his liking. He will be taken to Hawera for the weight-for-age events there, and will then contest the Jackson Stakes. The field in this latter event promises to be a very fine one, as practically all the best sprinters in the Dominion are engaged in the event, which is to be run on the second day of the Wanganui meeting. W. Rayner has his team in steady work. Listowel and Zola have not raced since the Auckland spring meeting, and the spell they have recently had appears to have freshened them up well. The two-year-old son of Absurd is engaged in the weight-for-age events at the Taranaki and Egmont meetings, but it is uncertain whether he will be taken up. The Fordell stable was represented at Foxton by Coolpan and Warning, but neither did any good. Coolpan was started in the hurdles, but hit the first one hard and bashed into one or two others, going right through one. Warning was well backed for the Maiden, but ran indifferently. He evidently has pace, but runs all over the course. On the second day Coolpan could not run owing to an injury sustained on the first day. The secretary of the Wanganui Trotting Club has received a number of. inquiries from owners as to the forthcoming meeting, and the indications are that the entries, which close on Friday week, February 6, will be very large. It is pleasing to know that all trotting men who have seen the new track lately anticipate that with' favourable weather on the day it will be in excellent order and very fast. In the circumstances it is hoped that a number of the better class of horses will come here to compete, especially as the prize money is on a liberal scale, and the programme one to suit all classes. There will be quite a carnival of sport in Wanganui from February 21 to March 1, as the N.Z. championship regatta will be held on Saturday, February 21: there will be a chopping match for £lOO aside, and the championship of New Zealand on Wednesday, February 25, together with a handicap chop. On Thursday the Wanganui J.C. Cup meeting will open; on Friday there will be the first day of the trots and the PooleyTracey boxing contest at night for a purse of £2OO. On Saturday there wll be more racing, and on Monday the Trotting Club’s meeting will be concluded. Such a great sporting week ought to attract a big crowd to Wanganui.