TOPICAL COMMENT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 152, 29 June 1945, Page 9

TOPICAL COMMENT

A BLANK AVEEK There will be no racing In the Dominion this week-end. The next meeting is the first day of the Wellington Steeplechase fixture at Trentham tomorrow week. IN TROUBLE AGAIN Zahra, the half-brother to Wotan, Gaine Carrington and Peter Jackson, was expected to be on hand for the hack races at Trentham, but met with an accident recently which will keep him off the tracks for some time. Zahra is a galloper a good deal above the average, but has been an unlucky horse throughout his career and has raced very little. RAN A PAIR RACE Though he finished two lengths behind the first two horses home in the Winter Handicap, Air Port's third vras useful form. He was kept on the rails throughout, and between the half-mile and the home turn could not gallop with freedom. However, he had time to make up the leeway in the straight, but failed to overtake Aqueduct and Catterick Bridge. Air Port is engaged in the main handicaps at the Wellington winter meeting, and the heavy going which is certain to be experienced will improve his prospects. COINCIDENCES GALORE Unusual happenings are commonplace at Hawke's Bay meetings. In April both divisions in a hack race resulted in deadheats, this being the first occasion of such a happening in New Zealand. The club had another unusual experience at last Saturday's meeting, when the winners of both divisions of the Final Handicap were bracketed and the runners-up in both heats were also bracketed. Furthermore, two races were run in divisions on Saturday, the winner of each first division being ridden by J. McFarlane, and the winner of each second division by W. J. Broughton.

LIKES THE COURSE Foxhaven has not . had a race since Easter, but has got through a good deal of solid work in preparation for his tr p to Trentham, where he has raced consistently without yet being able to record a win on the course. He ran second to Royal Flight in last year's Whyte Handicap and second to Flahuluk in the Pariamcntary Handicap, and he s booked to contest the same races at the coming meeting. Foxhaven also had another mportlnt placing at Trentham when he acted as runner-up to Lambourn in the Wellington Cup last January. With the usual heavy track Foxhaven can bs deover the longer distance.

WIN \VEU; OVERDUE The manner in which he won the Winter HanE> at. the Hawke's Bay meeting Srill lain Aqueduct friends for his Weill iton engagements, states the Dominion. He was nSt prominent in the early running but moved up approaching the Straight to be fourth into line. Halfway down the running he strode to the front »nril finished solidly under pressure. This was Aqueduct's first win since September 1943 when he scored in the Higgle wan dican at Wanganui. He has not raced much to the meantime, his eight starts ??nce winning at Wanganui producing three second*/ He is a good looking sixyear oldl gelding by Tiderace from Oreum, dam of Gold Rod.