THE FIRST FOR LEVELIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 309, 28 December 1920, Page 2

THE FIRST FOR LEVELIGHT.

] Over There. Miss Ix'slie, Onk Abbey. I'.'iiona. Sunacre. Stammer, Arch Maro..,t. and Cantoris were the defections 1 from tl.- Kobiiison Handicap, and TinoI iinfu wis sorted out for favourite, with I Prince Jewel a good second fancy, while Jth..-e t i (jr. over four figures were the I bracket -1 pair Li-velight and Aircraft. |\Vnr r.n'k. Pepin, don'mel. and lleatherinn>"i:, llynix setting most support of ; tin- other-. The early running wns made h\ Tr.-or and Night lime, and they still '.'...,1 ■■!,., 1-.-. .it tie- home turn. At this -t -c-,. however. i'lonini-1. Hyrax, !|..,?t!i. i m. I...velight. and Tinohnro . ,-,,- ~" i I'l-iv. ami the lastnamcd pair „,.:•,„•' into 'tie- had ill-ido the .lis- _, .id a ureat due' home, l.ovi'light. ,:i.|e.l !.\ ii- weight, winning by a neck. llvrax got third, a length away, witli ( ;',,'.,,m.1" 'lose up fourth. This was the tir-1 -ne.-es- gaiu'.-d by l.ovelight. \ VF.KY LINK I'INISH. Wit!, :h.- Kohinson Handicap decided : ■„. w;, v wa-i made clear for ihe big event i ihc y.-ar. the Auckland Cup, and a ru-li w;i- made fur the birdcage |, p ee | lie conte-tants parade The e.eventli hour withdrawals were Men I'iinny and Mr. 11. A. McKenzic's pair, SniiHt-t and Kilgour. both of which developed soreness. The riders were as previously announced, with the exception that 11- Kohinson had the mount. mi First Salute, owing lo H. Young being unwell and not fit lo ride during ihe day. The dozen left were n thoroughly representative lot and gave evidence "f basing got through sound preparations. I-'ir-t Salute was a hall of muscle, and I lie same could be applied to Starland, da-bag. Red Ribbon. Woody (ilen and Nightraider, the latter' bearing a particularly bright appearance. There was something about (inures that did not please, and though I'ttcle Ned looked hard and well he is n..t ..nc that takes the eye. No fault cnl,l he found with Johnnie Walker. T.-nterfield and Blue Cross, the latter of which wore a bandage, but Prince Willonyx. although a good type of horse, did m>i look tuned up for a race of this description, bis vagaries on the track preventing his trainer from having him at hi- best. THE RETTTS'O. The preliminaries over, the rush for the machine set in. and the totalisator | .-wifT was fairly rushed, and so heavy . was speculation that the total reached ! £20.417 10 before the bell .-topped, which is easily a record investment for j any one race in the Dominion. the previous best being £22.311 handled on I the same race last year. A lot ot ■ money was shut out or the total would j have been much bigger. FirFt Salute [ wound up favourite, three hundred odd pounds better fancied than I'ncle Ned, j with C!asbag within a hundred pounds ;of the last named, each of these horses i carrying over four thousand pounds, while Oratress went over the throe thousand pound mark, the order of the others in the betting "being Woody Olen, StarI land, Tenterfield, Red Ribbon, Blue Cross and Nightraider, with Johnny j Walker the outsider. THE RACE. | Taking up their positions al the post Ptarhuid was alongside the rails, with Idasbag next, and then across the course were Nightraider, Johnnie Walker (carrying 7.4 A), Oratress, Woody (Hen, Red Ribbon, Prince Willonyx (carrying 7.12), Blue Cross (carrying 0.0), Uncle Ned and First Salute, with Tenterfield on the extreme outside. There was no delay at the post, the start being worthy of the occasion, Gas-bag and Oratress moving first. The latter was soon steadied but Gasbag had charge for I a couple of furlongs. Then Blue Cross i headed him off. setting out to make the j running, but was not allowed to get away very far, for Gasbag, Prince Willonyx, Te'nterfiold, First Salute and Woody Glen were within striking distance when they entered the last half mile, at which stage Starland, which J had been lying well back, made a for- i ward move. Sweeping round the home turn Blue Cross was showing signs of the struggle, and Gasbag, Woody Glen, j First Salute and Starland made up the ! leading division, while Prince Willonyx | which had been running promi- ■ ncntly, also began to tire, but Oratress came on in good style under her weight without renliy looking to have a winning chance. Inside the distance Gasbag momentarily got in front, only to be immediately challenged by First Salute next the rails, and Starland on the outside. The last named looked like drawing away easily, but Fir3t Salute and Gasbag hung on to their tasks in great style and a punishing finish resulted in victory going to Starland by a neck from First Salute, with Gasbag a head further back, third. Oratress got fourth, and then came Blue Cross, Uncle Ned, Woody Glen and Red Rib- | bon, Tenterfield finishing last. NightI raider galloped very sourly, and after I tailing away in the rear for the first ' | mile was pulled up. Starland won in good slyre, and gave .I Air. G. L. Stead his first success in the , ] nice. Tie worked well on Saturday ' I morning in company with Gasbag over •| ii mile and :. quarter, and this gained him many friends. His public form j I ibis -cason has not been very good, but .! he ran well in the Te Awamutn Cup on i | the ISth inst.. nnd was somewhat unJ j lucky to be beaten. Fir~t Salute put lup ii good fight and was just a shade r unlucky. He stayed on in iine style, his _ condition standing to bini in the final struggle. Gasbag might have been harder to beat had he been allowed to | run along, for he seemed anxious to ; stride along faster, but his rider was probably carrying out his instructions. \ Oratress did well under her big weight, : and I'ncle Xed also made a good I showing. Woody Glen was a trifle dis- ; I appointing, for he was nicely placed at (he home turn, but failed to stay on. ' Of the others Blue Cross pleased most. | The race was run at a muddling pace, ! the first mile taking 1.47 2-5, the mile [and-a half 2.40, and it was only over the last four furlongs that they were really at racing speed, the final halfmile being covered in oO l-ss. Previous winners of the race are: — AUCKLAND CUP. Two miles. 1903—Mr S. Bradley's Walrlkl, 9.8 3 234-6 1904 -Mr C. Wallls' Mahutonga. i 5.12 3 301-5 ! 1905—Mr T. A. Williams' Putty. 7.8 3 2D4-5 1906—Mrs Coombe's Master Delaval, 7.6 3 2S 3-5 1907—Hon. .T. r>. Ormond's Zimmerman, 8.4 3 33 2-3 1908—Mr St. John Bnckley'6 All Red, 5.6 3 31 1909—Mr St. John Buckley's All Red, 9.1 3 29-1-5 1910—Mrs S. F. Lennard's Walmangu, 7.9 3 31 1911—Mr G. Robinson's Santa Rosa, i j.3 331 3-D ! 1912—Mr f. 11. Lowry's Bobrikoff, ! 8.8 329 191.1 —Mr F. Dorset's Sir Solo, 7.11 3 29 3-5 | 1911-Mr. C. G. Dalgety's Warstep, 8.9 3 26 3-3 11915—Mr T. H. Lowrv's Balboa, 8.5 3 27 3-5 • 191(5— Mr R. Barlow's Depre- | dation. 7.." 327 2-5 ,1917-Mr D. H. Roberts' Fiery ('ross, S.B 3 25 4-5 191R- Messrs Rlddiford's Mascot. j 6.13 3 26 1919—Mr. O. D. Greenwood's Karo, '•1» 3^3