PROMISING HACKS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 221, 15 June 1944, Page 7

PROMISING HACKS

Winners At Ellerslie Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND, June 14. Some promising young horses were seen in action in the hack class at the recent meetings at Ellerslie, notably the three-year-olds Altess and Victory Song. Altess won the first division of the First Jervois Handicap with 8.9, and was second in the First Fitzroy Handicap with 9.4. Victory Song won the Second Jervois Handicap with 8.5. Altess is a bay gelding by Defoe from Marausio, by Arausio from Maropa, by Martian from Grand Opera, by Gipsy Grand Maropa was a full sister to the 1916 Australian Cup winner Cherublna, and there is some good staying blood in the family, though it has not been much in the limelight, lately. Altess was purchased at the yearling sales at Trentham iu 1912 for 400 guineas by Mr. T. Patterson, Auckland. He was unplaced in his four starts as a two-year-old, and in his first run this season he failed in the Trial Plate at Ellerslie on September 11. Soon after that be was added to the list and given a spell. Since his return to training he has made steady progress, and since he resumed racing be has had seven starts, running unplaced in the first three, and in the next four gaining a third, two firsts and a second. Altess has not reached the top of his form yet, and Should be worth watching in the spring. Victory Song is a black gelding by Hunting Song from Laudatory, by Lapidary from Sports Queen, and be traces back to Uranium, dam of the versatile Royal Abbey, n wlnuer on the flat, over hurdles and over country. Many of the family have shown their best form when the grouufl bus been heavy, and It may be the same with Victory Song. However, he is a very smart galloper who may prove very capable under any conditions. Victory Song hn<3 bad only three starts, winning the first two, atid the next few months may do a lot for him. He eau be excused for bls defeat last Saturday because he was top-weight on a track that was extremely heavy. Another three year-old winner was Roman .Duke, who scored narrowly in the Second Ranfurly Handicap. Roman Duke is by Ninth Duke, sire of the Great Northern Oaks winner Royal Duchess, from Roman Mascot, by Lucullus from Fabriquette, by Vasco from Fabia, by Light Artillery. He was placed once in six sarts as a two-year-old. and probably would have won earlier this season only for an interruption in his preparation. It

was only when he ran second to Victory Song in the first division of the Dominion Handicap on April 15 that Roman Duke had his first race this season. He had three races at the recent meetings at Elleiislie, and won at his third attempt, after improving with every run. Roman Duke is a smart beginner with a fine turn of speed, and he should keep on improving yet awhile.

One of the features of the Auckland patriotic meeting was the tine performance of Landveyor in carrying 9.1, topweight, and Winning the principal flat event, the King George Handicap, one mile and a quarter. The performance was the more meritorious because of the extremely heavy state of the track. It is doubtful whether the going at Ellerslie has ever been heavier, the ground being thoroughly soaked after a week of squalls, and also broken on the surface after two days’ racing on the preivous Saturday and Monday. Landveyor is good under any conditions, but ho excels when the going in really heavy. Landveyor was ridden a perfect race by the apprentice G. Hughes, who placed him on the rails just behind the pacemakers, aud timed his final effort to a nicety. Over the last furlong Landyeyor proved much too good for British Mint, to whom ho conceded 181 b., and lie won going laway by three lengths. British Mint attempted to win from end. to end, aud it is doubtful whether he has ever performed better.