The Centaur Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Would clubs similar to Woodville be "allowed" today to run races like this one. ---------------------------------- KIRRAMA FAVOURED TODAY 10 January 1973. Press Assn. Wellington. Kirrama has the chance to prove he is on his way back to his former greatness when he meets what must be the best field carded at Woodville in the weight-for-age Cup and Derby Trial on the second day of the Pahiatua meeting today. Kirrama is five and his story goes back almost two seasons and a half. He was a brilliant three-year-old in one of the strongest seasons for second season horses. He went amiss before the end of that summer but in the autumn he showed a glimpse of his tremendous ability when he beat Game in an unforgettable contest for the Stars Travel Stakes. At four he was handled patiently by W. Worrall, but from a distance the chance of a successful come-back seldom seemed particularly bright. Worrall however seems to have succeeded now. The big black son of Sobig is showing most encouraging form. Nothing yet to compare with his greatest but enough to demonstrate that all the spirit and a good deal of the ability are still there. He has had five races this season and has won for the first time since he was three. Carrying 9-3. he was unplaced in his first run over six furlongs then was beaten a nose the next time at the same distance. His third run this term saw him favourite in a weight-for-age mile when he was fifth to Hi Bing. Since then he has run twice at the Auckland Cup meeting winning by two lengths over seven furlongs with 9-3. then finishing fourth in another weight-for-age mile after an extremely severe check inside the three furlongs. Undoubtedly the country's weight-for-age champion just now is the seven-year-old Bardall. The day Kirrama won his sprint. Bardall took the Clifford Plate and before that he had beaten Ben Adhem by a nose over 11 furlongs under the same conditions at Paeroa. He has since finished third to Kalgoorlie in the mile weight-for-age King’s Plate at Ellerslie, but probably he will improve again coming back to a middle distance. Beatnik, one of two mares in the field, has also become a weight-for-age exponent. She took the Harcourt Stakes at Trentham in October, won the Avondale Cup at her next start, then reverting to weight-for-age conditions ran a fair fifth in the Foxbridge Plate. She rested after that and came back a week ago to run third in a sprint at Wairarapa. Black Rod and Curly Wave are the three-year-olds in the field Black Rod with his consistent classic form looks the hotter prospect though Curly Wave's spring form (he won the Avondale Guineas) was respectable. Ben Adhem might be better over more ground but rates among the top prospects after running Bardall to a nose at Paeroa. FIRST LEG OF T.A.B. DOUBLE 2.40 p.m. CUP AND DERBY TRIAL $5500 2000m and 80yds. 4113 Bardall (4) 9 3 2154 Fort Hagen (7) 9.3 4335 Glengowan (5) 9.3 6060 Johnny Cash (3) 9.3 2574 Kirrama (6) 9.3 0664 Origin (12) 9.3 2040 Simon de Montfort (10) 9.3 1153 Beatnik (2) 9.0 1251 Ben Adhem (1) 9.0 2691 Topsy (9) 9.0 4723 Oncide (11) 8.11 4422 Black Rod (8) 8.2 2655 Curly Wave (15) 8.2 Scratched: Mr Spy (14), Nausori (13). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 And shortly after that W Worrall was murdered -his wife employed a couple of scoundrels to do the deed and she to collect a rather minimal amount of life insurance . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy connolly Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 Mr Worrall hears a dog barking and as he's had trouble with petrol being stolen from his property he gets up, grabbing his shotgun. His wife says, be careful, dear! He goes outside and receives a shot to his left side, fired from 12.5 metres which injures but doesn't incapacitate him, but the assailant is out of ammunition (he has a single-barrelled shotgun). So Mr Worrall, barely able to see in the dawn light, turns around with his double-barrelled shotgun and shoots. The assailant is struck by the ricochet, causing minor injuries to his face. The assailant reloads, runs up to Mr Worrall and shoots him in the arm from 1.5 metres away. It breaks his arm. Mr Worrall calls out to his wife, help me, Kerry! Mr Worrall looks up at his assailant and asks, why me, mate? and the guy says, nothing personal, as he reloads and shoots him fatally in the heart. When the assailant turned up at a hospital A&E with suspicious facial injuries, staff alerted the police and he was taken in for questioning. He denied involvement at first, but later confessed. Kerry Worrall, who'd separated from Bill, then moved back into the family home, planned to pay the killer $15,000, she intended to use half her husband's life insurance money to have him shot. With regards the head post, some handy ponies in that lineup, doubt we'll see a field of that quality here again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Centaur Posted January 11, 2023 Author Share Posted January 11, 2023 19 hours ago, billy connolly said: .......... With regards the head post, some handy ponies in that lineup, doubt we'll see a field of that quality here again. I think one would have to been around at that time to appreciate how good in quality this field was. It also demonstrated that having one iconic race is enough to make a great raceday. This was a midweek day at Woodville. Incidently the race prior was won by Royal Game by Mellay having its first start and plunged heavily on the tote. Mellay horses at that time were like the Zabeels of recent times. Anyway a bit more than a year later I snagged him at an auction for around $400. The auctioneers were so embarrassed by his appearance they quickly knocked him down. Took some doing but won again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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