DA VINCI'S CLASS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25580, 23 August 1948, Page 4

DA VINCI'S CLASS

DECISIVE WIN IN SELWYN HANDICAP

Da Vinci ended a good day for the favourites and gained his first success since he returned from Australia last year when he won the Selwyn Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday. He carried the solid weight 9-11 and iris class told at the finish. Magnaform put in a brilliant finishing run to gain second place from Deep Harmony, but he had no chance with the winner.

Flying Orders was left at the start and Musselman, Golden Amber, and Signal Officer were slow away. Deep Harmony and Connaught began best, but at the end of a furlong Magical had joined Deep Harmony in the lead and at the end of two furlongs were followed by Verdant, Faultrosa, Connaught, Da Vinci, and Fortune’s Smile. Round the top Lovemom improved her position and Deep Harmony and Magical led into the straight from Lovemorn, Fortune’s Smile, and Faultrosa. with Da Vinci, Special Flight, and Double Cross in behind them. Magical was beaten early in the run home and at the furlong Deep Harmony was being challenged by Da Vinci, which drew out to win comfortably by three lengths from Magnaform. which came from a long way back to beat Deep Harmony by a length. Lovemom was a similar margin back in fourth place, and then came Fortune’s Smile, Signal Officer, Special Flight, and Verdant.

Colonel Smart’s Misfortune Colonel Smart’s misfortune in falling at the last fence gave Siglow an .easy victory in the Hunt Cup, in which only four of the seven runners completed the course. Real Night ran off at the first fence and Dark Game fell at the first of the stand double. Forage and Hughsotis also had fortunate escapes during the running. Forage nearly came down at the sod wall at the five furlongs the first time, and Hughsotis at the top brush the last time. Their riders, T. Goff and B. S. Wilson, both made clever recoveries after being right out of the saddle. Colonel Smart made nearly all the running. He took over from Dark Game, Siglow, and Hughsotis at the top brush after five furlongs and at Cutts’s led by six lengths from Hughsotis, with a similar margin to Siglow and a big gap to Ring Scarf and Forage. Along the back there was no change in the order, but the field closed , U P- Colonel Smart had no .difficulty in holding his lead round the top and when Hughsotis blundered at the top -brush Siglow took second place. Going to the last fence, Siglow closed on Colonel Smart, which took the fence ahead of him, but dipped on landing and fell. Siglow then came on to win easily from Ring Scarf, which just as easily beat Hughsotis. Forage followed some distance back. Hughsotis broke down, and was very lame on his return to the birdcage. Super Outclasses His Opponents

The bracketed pair, Super and Pierre, were firm favourites In the Longbeach Hack Handicap and duly won their divisions. In the first division Super outclassed his opponents. On this occasion he did not run out on the turn and veered out only slightly in the straight. Conclusion took no part in the race, and Clive Bay, Extra Flight, and Advent were slow away. Leeston, Repudiate, and General Victory began best, and General Victory was soon the pacemaker from Leeston, with Super and Repudiate most prominent of the others. Super moved up on the outside of Leeston approaching the half-mile, and they were followed by Money Lender, Chord, and Repudiate. Approaching the straight General Victory was still clear of Leeston and Super, but approaching the final furlong Super drew up to him and strode away to beat General Victory by three lengths. Repudiate came on to get third place, another two. lengths back, and a neck ahead of Solimbine, which just beat Money Lender and Leeston. Pierre Completes a Double

Pierre completed a double for the meeting when he won the second division of the Longbeach Handicap. It was a gooa performance as he started outside the stalls, and taking the lead at the end ot a furlong and a half, was not headed. Mr Buzz, Sequoia, and Beau Ideal were the first to show out, but they were soon headed by Pierre, whiefc led round to the straight from Sequoia, Deficiency, Autoshine, Idle Jest, Beaugency, and Disturbance. Though Deficiency challenged solidly in the run home, Pierre never looked like being headed, and beat her by a neck. Disturbance, finishing on, was only a length further back, with a neck to Idle Jest in fourth place, and a length to Sequoia. The rest were headed by -Mr Buzz and Autoshine. Both Disturbance and Idle Jest would have been closer had they fared better in the running. Was Not Headed

The favourite, Morocco, took the lead approaching the first fence in the Styx Hack Hurdles and was never headed. Six runners were eliminated at the first two fences. Fort Silver lost his rider at the first fence when he broke a leather, and at the second fence Vanity King fell, bringing down Precipitate, Lord Broiefort, and Robot. Cornish Note, which was at the tail of the field, was pulled up. Morocco was followed past the stands by Vanity King, Specialist, John o’ London, John Gay, and Gold Song. After Vanity King fell Morocco was left clear of Specialist, and going into the back led oy six lengths. At the seven furlongs Morocco had drawn out to be 12 lengths clear of Specialist, and with eight lengths to Money Bird, three to John o’ London, and four to Robert and Roman Duke, with Foreign Ways heading the rest, in the next furlong Money Bird drew up to Specialist and took second place going to the five furlongs, where Morocco was still eight lengths clear. Morocco led round to the straight with Money Bird gradually closing on him, and on the home turn Roman Duke headed off Specialist in third place. Though tiring over the last half furlong, Morocco held on to beat Money Bird by half a length, with eight lengths to Roman Duke in third place. Benbecula was another five lengths back, with Robert a poor fifth and Specialist, Foreign Ways and Big Top next. Carry On at Long Odds

Carry On returned a win dividend of more than £5O when he won the Redcliffs Hack Handicap after being one of the leaders all the way. Coral Arc finished brilliantly into second place after receiving two checks in the running, and Ballochbuie gained the decision in a Close finish for third. Brixton, Langham, and Screw Picket were slow away, Carry On, Young John, and Helio being the first out. Helio soon drifted, and when the field settled down Carry On was being trailed by Young John and Coxswain, with Volomai and Eulogize next, and Romantic. Peridot, and Ballochbuie heading the others. Going to the half-mile, Coxswain had joined Carry On in the lead. Otherwise there was little change among the leading division to the straight, where Carry On soon had the measure of Coxswain, and at the furlong was clear of Romantic, Eulogize, and Ballochbuie with Coral Arc coming itito the picture wide out. The last-named had too much ground to make up and Cari-y On beat him by two lengths. Ballochbuie was a similar margin back in third place with a nose to Romantic and half a length to Eulogize. The rest were headed by Loch Lennox. Helio, and Coxswain. Lord Elgin’s Running Questioned After the running of the Heathcote Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday, the connexions of Lord Elgin were questioned by the stipendiary steward (Mr C. F. Hartland) about the poor form shown by the horse after winning two races—one at the Hunt Club's meeting and one on the first day of the Grand National; meeting. The connexions satisfied the stipendiary steward that they had backed Lord Elgin and said they were disappointed with nls running. The trainer, G. Ridgway, said that the field travelled too fast in the early stages for Lord Elgin, with his big Weight of 9-8, and made him carry his weight The explanations were accepted. No Action Taken K. J. Thomson, the rider of Glad Fox in the Sydenham Hurdles, was charged with interfering with Sphere and Young Bob approaching the first hurdle. After hearing evidence, the judicial stewards unanimously decided that no action be taken. Fall Accidental A. N. Didham had a fall from Our Style soon after the start in the Longbeach Hack Handicap. The stipendiary steward (Mr C. F. Hartland) reported that the fall was accidental and was caused by Our Style’s being squeezed up after leaving the barrier.