NOT DISGRACED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 29, 10 December 1945, Page 7

NOT DISGRACED

CALM COURAGE NORTHERN DERBY HORSE Special to the Auckland Star PALMERSTON NORTH, Sunday. Calm Courage, who claims an engagement in the • Great Northern Derby as well as in other events at the Auckland Racing Club's summer meeting, was expected to win the ten-furlong Stewards' Hack Handicap at Woodville on Saturday, but lie had to be content with second money. Nevertheless, he left the impression that he was the unlucky runner of the race. On the other ha»wl, Battle Dance, ridden confidently *oy W. Hume's apprentice, A. Johnson, was taken to the front in the first furlong and then steadied in behind Rothnic. When the latter retired three /nrlongs from home, Battle Dance shot away again and gave nothing else a chance. At the three furlongs, Calm Courage was ten lengths behind Battle Dance and then had to pull around to the field. Although beaten, Calm Courage was far from disgraced; in fact, he did remarkably well to get up for second money, for the solid Lang Bian marc Fame Bian also received a good run and she did not surrender until Hie last 50 yards, when Calm Courage came right away from her. It was only in the last furlong that the Foxbridge colt was fully stretched out. Hampered in Running Calm Courage usually runs his races out in front, but he had been shin-sore again since winning at Bulls, and had done no work during the week. Because of this check in his preparation, it was decided to ride him in behind, but these tactics were not successful, as he was checked going out of the straight and then squeezed back to the tail of a strung-out field at the half-mile. Fame Bian showed an appreciation of the easier stale or the tracks, but she had to be kept going to hold o(T the diminutive Incline, wiio came from second to last. Roto Parera (always prominent in the running), Master Gary, and Matador ran fair races, but. Grand Coulee suffered a bad check soon after the start and never emerged from the ruck. Calm Courage appeared to pull up well and a decision will be made this week with regard to his projected trip to Kllcrslie.