WINOOKA WINS.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20921, 31 July 1933, Page 13

WINOOKA WINS.

FIRST RACE IN UNITED STATES. (OKITED TRESS ASSOC! ATIOK—EJ ELBCTBIC TELEaRAI'U—COPIBIUHT.) (Received July 30, 5.5 p.m.» TANFORAN, July 29. Winooka won the match race by a length and a half in lmin 0 2-sscc. This time is two-fifths of a second slower than the track record, which has stood for 10 years. BEFORE THE EVENT. ißeceived July 30, 5.5 p.m.; I SAN FRANCISCO, 'uly 28. With the memory of the great Phar Lap still ft- in the minds of American track followers, another crack Australian thoroughbred will make his debut to-morrow, when Winooka goes to the post at Tanforan in a 10,000 dollar match race. The Australian invader will race against Hueu, of Charles Hartwell's stable, in a five furlong sprint at weight-for-age, with Winooka under an impost of 11-3 and Hueu under 7-7. Frisky Matron, the three-year-old filly originally selected to race Winooka, has a bad knee. Hueu is Hawaiian-bred by a leading sire in the islands. o Winooka will go to the post an oddsor favourite. Ho will be ridden by Edgar Britt, who accompanied the stable here. Following the race, Winooka may be shipped north to Seattle, Washington, before going to Chicago for the Hawthorne track meeting. TANFORAN, July 29. Two hours before the post time, Winooka ruled as favourite when it was announced that Winooka had drawn the rail position and Hueu No. 2. The owners and stable personnel of the Australian mount were confident of their chances of success. Owen Webster, called "the quick gate boy," and a powerful finisher, was announced as the rider of Hueu. The match race was sixth on the day's programme. The crowd was disappointingly small, due to the change in Winooka's opponent, there being fewer than 10.000 persons when the third race was run, but the crowd made up in enthusiasm what it lacked in numbers, cheering Winooka and his stable mate, Trevallion, when the two walked to the saddling paddock considerably ahead of the time for their race. The weather was net, San Francisco suffering from a prolonged heat wave, and the track was lightning fast. A slight wind was blowing down the course, the horses having to meet it racing to the first turn up the back stretch, but would have the wind at their backs down the home stretch. Hueu, now a three-year-old gelding, ran 13 races last year, winning five. Hueu, in his first race in 1933, ran fourth in a field of six. in his second race second in a field of five, and in his third race last in a field of six. On racing form he failed to impress racing enthusiasts. ['RESS COMMENT. (Received July 30, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. July 29. The racing editor of the "New York Times" soys. "It is to be hoped Winooka can go from a good beginning and beat the better class horses later in the Middle West and East. He lias demonstrated by his victory that he is fit to be acclaimed, andean run over American tracks. With thai much known, there is no telling how far towards the top he may go." RACE DESCRIBED. UNIMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE. (Received July 30, 5.5 p.m.) TANFORAN, July 29. As Winooka and Hueu came to the post they became somewhat fractious, but broke Quickly. Taking the lead a few jumps after the start, after two furlongs, Wirooka was well in hand with a short lead, and was running easily. Winooka was headed on the bend by Hueu, and Britt, calling on Winooka for extra speed, the Australian horse responded courageously, and in a charge through the stretch passed and beat off Hueu inside the furlong from home, Winooka winning easily with speed in reserve by a length and a half. The fractional times were:—First furlong, 12 4-ssec; first quarter, 23 2-ssec; three furlongs, 33 l-ssec; and half mile, 48Jsec. Winooka came back to the scales proudly as though cognisant of the enthusiastic ovation. His trainer; M. Poison, smiled happily, apparently greatly pleased that the first hurdle in the important invasion of American turf has been cleared. Although Winooka has been scheduled to run on the Seattl* track on August 23, with the possibility that Pillow Fight and Tea Trader will also run there, racing circles here believe the Australian horse will probably be shipped to the Hawthorne track, Chicago, for the August meeting. Gratified by the result, Messrs Matthews and Macdonald, however, had little to offer in way of comment. Mr Matthews said: "He raced well, but under our expectations. It was his first race, and that may have had something to do with it." Mr Poison said: "Winooka will improve, and when he does I expect him to show America better form, something approaching his winning effort in the Doncaster Handicap at Randwick." The racing editor of the "San Francisco News" says: "Winooka was in Britt s lap from barrier to wire Hueu did nothing more than provide the Australian with a workout Britt was looking back from the sixteenth pole, and he did his best to make it look like a horse race. Winooka could have won by five lengths. However, final judgment must be held in abeyance until he meets older horses, possessing real class."