AWAPUNI FINALS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 81, 30 December 1940, Page 9

AWAPUNI FINALS

Dark Eagle’s Handicap SPRINT TO RAKAHANGA

Increase On Totalizator

(By The Watcher.) Keen racing featured the third and concluding day of the Maiiawatu Racing Club's summer meeting al Awapuni on Saturday. The principal handicap, the Liverpool, was won by Dark Eagle, and the sprint went to iiakaliatiga. Iwo horses again won who had been successful on previous days. Etruscan and Hie Wbipper, and W. .1. Broughton rode two winners, as also did apprentice L>. Vv. Redstone. The weather was line and hot, and attracted a large attendance, the totalizator returns being well ahead of last year, and wiping off the deficit from the bad weather on the opening day. The returns for the day were iob.obt) 10/-, against £28,659. an increase of £9721/10/-. The total for the three days was compared with £108,712, an increase of £5931/10/-. 'The going was firm and fast. An inquiry was held after the running of the fifth race, the Westbury Handicap, into interference met with by Synthetic and other horses about the halt-niile. The evidence showed it to be due to the winner, Teacony, running in. This was admitted by Waddell, the rider of leacony, bat it was clear from the evidence that the horse has this tendency, as shown in previous races, that YV addell was not. to blame. He was exonerated and the judicial committee decided not to disturb the judge’s placings. Blue Bor: der, who was narrowly beaten in the finish by Teaeony, was one of the horses to whom the interference was passed on. A Form Result. War Credit, the form horse in the Novice, had a decisive win after lying in behind the pacemakers, Namesake and Victoire, to the straight, but his task would have been harder hud The Monarch got away better. One of the last to get going, The Monarch obtained a good run through on the fence round the turn and into the straight, and while he was unable to overhaul the winner, he had no difficulty in running past Namesake for second. Namesake just beat Squeers and Coronado. Victoire faded out in the straight. The Whipper Wins Again. The Whipper, ridden by Broughton, scored again in the juvenile handicap after a solid effort. Five places back early, he was improving his position round the turn, the pace being made by Drake’s Drum from Golden Moon and Gunyah. Golden Moon took sole charge at the last furlong, where The Whipper, coming on the outer, began to put in some great strides. He had to be hit witli the whip to get Golden Moon, but he responded courageously and won going away. The early leaders stopped baflly and third and fourth went to Fleche D'Or and Monetary, who both came home solidly after a slow beginning which cost them any winning chance they may have had. An Easy Win. Tlie second day’s high weight winner, Etruscan, had another comfortable victory. He led all the way and for most of the journey was under restraint. Foxiana, who had been toward the rear in the early running, came at him in the run home, but Etruscan always held him safe. Red Chief was a poor third, and Good Sun was fourth, handy. Dark Eagle Surprises.

Dark Eagle scored at double figures in the principal handicap, but it was a wellmerited win. Never further back than fourth on the outer of Areas in behind the pacemakers White Rajah and Cherry Bay, Dark Eagle was headed by Homily as they ran for the straight, but after the lenders weakened Dark Eagle drew ahead and was strongly challenged by Little Robin, who had moved from the middle of the field, while Du Maurier, back in the rear early, had come forward in a challenging position also. He had obtained a good run on the rails to. the turn in behind Areas. Du Mauriers threat was only momentary, but Little Robin pushed Dark Eagle right home not being quite equal to getting him. Du Maurier was a poor third just heading Aurora’s Star, who finished fast along the fence. Du Maurier was unlucky losing too much ground at the start ever to have a chance of recovery in a very fast-run race. To get third was a good effort. Homily weakened to fifth, and the best of the others were Old Surrey, Hunting Cat, Ruatiti and Areas. Ruatiti missed the jump and was in the rear most of the running. A Good Finish. There was a good finish to the hack sprint, a comparative outsider in Teacony, the least fancied of the eight runners, winning narrowly from the favourite, Blue Border, With Lady Ex and Synthetic right up. Teacony was always well placed and took charge at the nail, while Blue Border toward the rear early was not far away in a bunched field and he was within striking distance over the last three. He was just unable to overhaul Teacony. The unlucky horse ot the race was Synthetic. Well placed to the turn lie nearly got knocked over just past the half and fell right out oi it. His close fourth at the finish after this was an amazing effort. Piastre Sticks On. Finishing strongly on the outer in the straight Piastre wore down Gay l'»x at the finish of the Champion Hack alter the latter had taken charge from the leading bunch, Renascor, Arabic and Hunting Lore. Gay Fox was clear at the last furlong, but. Piastre, with a pull ot -Olin in the weights, was a little too good for him. Gold Bridge improved on previous showings for liis third. The disappointment was Laughing Song. In the rear early she was moving up approaching the halt but failed to run on in the straight. Hunting Lore, prominent throughout, M>t badly squeezed just after entering the straight. Rakalianga All Tlie Way. Rakahanga scored an all the way win in the open sprint and surprisingly tlieie were three others ahead ot her in the betting, after her good race against Sir Beau on the opening day. Wings of Song went with her in the early stages and then dropped in benim! the leader again in the straight. hanga, however, was never in d.ngi t being caught, and at the finish Night Eruption, who had gone back the turn, came along on the luia, and was rapidly overhauling W mgs of Sou.-,. Better Placed for a run Night Eruption would have been hard. Sir Crusoe was always well enough placed to have unproved upon his fourth. to find his feet, showed brilliant pace the middle stages, but weakened .mam the straight. , Talenta At LastAfter a series of near misses Talent a came into her own in the event, giving Broughton a don tic 1 i c dav Talenta was well placed throu„u out,' ami hit the front three iurlongs 1 .roil home, giving Kotua the drop on hei. . the straight, but. wlul % Ko , "l*, l-e beii •■i-mlually Talenta never looked like bcm. caught. ' Uni- one of the leading bu.ii' ougliout. was a fair third, jits be; ti g Stencil. Stencil was very unlucky, cm one of the last to leave the maik. the favourite, AU Quiet, justification 10l which backing was hard to uni ersLand, was also badly oil. The paeeiimkei, Ambury tiueen, weakened Io I>lU>. clinips got <i bud run.