FINE NIGHT WINS AT GORE

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25734, 21 February 1949, Page 5

FINE NIGHT WINS AT GORE

MANTUA’S LONG CAREER RECALLED Fine Night scored his second win in 12 starts this season when he won the Waikawa Handicap, principal event ’on the second day of the Gore meeting on Saturday. The Nightly gelding was made favourite for the Gore Racing Club Han>dicap on the first day of the meeting, but he lost a possible winning chance with about two furlongs to run when he was checked. He finished on again to be third, the winner being Sea Flower. Sea Flower was second to Fine Night on Saturday, beaten by a length. Fine Night was the seventh foal of the Paladin mare Palantua, ai)d ft owned by Mrs W. Mackenzie, who also raced the dam. Palantua won the New Zealand Cup as a four-year-old from Rocket and The Smuggler in the Australasian record time of 3min 22 l-ssec. She did not race beyond that season. At the stud she has produced Our Pal and Night Pal, both by Nightmarch; Boucaut (by Te Monanui); Royal Chance, by Irish Lancer; and Jamell, by Nightly, as is Fine Night. Palantua’s dam, Mantua, began racing as a two-year-old, and in seven seasons she contested 137 events for 24 wins, 37 places, and £7724 10s in stakes. She won at her first start as a two-year-old, and then finished second to Winter Wind in the McLean Stakes. As a three-year-old she won the Winton Stakes from Com Riggs and Morse Signal (the dam of Signal Officer). As a four-year-old she was a sprinter of some merit against such

horses as Silver Peak, Glentruin, Roseday, Listening Post, Francaise, Song Bird, Vice Grand, and Deucalion. She was later raced over longer distances, and as a six-year-old she won the C.J.C. Midsummer Handicap, of one mile and a half, and the Invercargill Cup. In her eighth year she finished second to Limelight in the CJ.C. Metropolitan Handicap and third to Listening Post and Suggestion in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap. Mantua’s record has been approached by few, and when she was retired to the stud it was commonly believed that she would be of little worth. Students of heeding who contended that any race mare raced to the extent that Mantua had would be worthless as a breeding proposition had their theories dashed to the ground when Palantua, her second ’ foal, won the New Zealand Cup in record time. Others of Mantua’s produce were Rose Dart, Impala, and Valantua, the lasti named proving almost as hard-wearing as his dam. In nine seasons he appeared in 122 races for 13 wins and 36 placings and £4022 in stakes. In his eleventh year 1 Valantua (a son of Valkyrian) finished second to Dozie Boy in the Great North- : ern Steeplechase, and won the Winter • Steeplechase on the second day. Tj _Later ■ in the season he finished second to Khurja 5 in the Wellington Steeplechase. t Hasty Glance Impressive , Hasty Glance, which ran second in the 5 New Zealand Derby at Riccarton lost No- » vember, outclassed the field in the Rangitikei Handicap at Bulls on Saturday, and , will now enter discussions for the New ■ Zealand St. Leger at Trentham next

month. , , ~ Most of the early pace was set by the Hals well-trained Clyde Bridge, and Bonnie Fair, and they were followed by Emerge, Faultina, Blue Seal, Ngakoti, Rockanui, Beau Or, and Culloden Moor, with Hasty Glance towards the rear. Down the back Hasty Glance improved his position and, in spite of covering much extra ground, was first to turn fqr home from Clyde Bridge, Culloden Moor, Alright, and Emerge. Hasty Glance was not ridden out to win by a length and a half from Emerge, which finished well without having any chance with the winner. Culloden Moor battled on for third, two and a half lengths away, and he was closely followed by Clyde Bridge, Ngakoti, Beau Or, Alright, and Blue Seal. The favourite, Faultina, was prominent to the three furlongs, but then faded and finished well back. Finished Fast One of the features of the Williams Hack Handicap at Hokitika on Saturday was the strong finishing run by Gold Script’s half-brother. Valley Gold (by Balloch). He was always well back in the running, but showed up approaching the straight, where Morning Watch, Cinereous, and Jinny Jinks were almost in line in front from Valmeer and Chaka. Morning Watch came away in the straight to win easily, but Valley Gold got up just short of the line to take second place from Valmeer. Earlier in the day Valley Gold had finished third in the Novice Stakes, run over six furlongs, and the Balloch gelding shapes like the makings of a useful middle distance performer.

Useful Hack Finigin, Mr C. C. Davis’s black Robin Goodfellow colt from the good sprinter, Knockfin, won his second race in as many starts on the present West Coast circuit when he outclassed the Thompson Hack Handicap field at Hokitika on Saturday. He followed Gold Medallion into the straight, but once in line Finigin came away for an easy win. It was the colt’s third win, this season, all on the West Coast.