VERGURE BRILLIANT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 140, 11 December 1939, Page 13

VERGURE BRILLIANT

MCMENAMIN'S FINE FEAT

(From "V.edtetie.")

! SYDNEY, November 21. High lights of the weekend .rftein'g were jockey E. MeMenamiri's.. four winners at Randwick last Saturday, making a total of 14 in seven days, and. Maikai's deserved victory in^the WiHiamstown Gup after his seconds in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups; McMenamin has struck a patch of real form,,and,is riding with«the confidence which; goes ; with success. As he broke into the city as a hurdle j rider his success on the fiat is all the j more marked. John Peel, a winner at Randwick last Saturday, is. a three-year-old-half-brother to Ammon Ra. He won only a maiden handicap but in good s^-yle, and just defeated G. Young's charge High Rank, ridden by- M. McCarten. John Peel has not lived up to his early j promise or to his relationship, but now that he has struck form he may go on and justify early expectations. . Vei'gure, an Irish-bred horse, w,on the Flying Handicap at Randwick by. his superior class. He has won four of his five races in Australia and is likely to be one of the best- sprinters of this season. He is not a big fellow but is solid, and should carry weight fairly well. He rates as a four-year-old but is at the disadvantage of all horses foaled north of the Line. His connections now are talking of the Newmarket Handicap, which may not be beyond him. Dark Elegance showed herself to be the best of the Sydney. two-year-old fillies in the absence of Trueness. She gave weight to the colts and-geldings and beat them with something to spare. The Iliad—Courtesy colt Patrician was runner-up to Dark Elegance but prejudiced any chance he possessed by running greenly throughout the race. With experience he should be more than useful. >High Caste is likely to be kept going throughout the summer and run in some of the major events at Randwick at Christmas and New Year. J. T. Jamieson ' lias been influenced in this by the short period available between the end of the spring and opening of the autumn campaigns. In addi' tion High Caste is such a big gross colt that keeping him going almost is a necessity. For instance he was a better colt in the C. B. Fisher Plate on the last day at Flemington than he was either at Randwick or Caulfield. It is doubtful if Reading could have beaten him had they met in the Plate. Maikai earned a great reception after his win in the Williamstown Cup. He had had such an exasperating run that racegoers realised that he had earned his success. He was a clear-cut winner and success was obvious some distance from home. Catalogue ran on into second place without ever looking a winner. He has paid his way again on the trip, and ranks as one 3f the most remarkable horses sent trom New Zealand to Australia.