THE TURF.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 107, 7 May 1909, Page 2

THE TURF.

NOTES ON THE HAWKES BAY: MEETING. PROVOCATION'S SUCCESS. There were several features in connection with the Hawkes Bay meeting deserving of comment. On the concluding day, it was made abundantly evident that eight races per day in these late autumn days is a Gargantuan repast. Seven is ample ; in fact, six would provide better sport. The Farewell was a ghostly affair, and no one had the faintest idea of what horse was leading until the field turned into the straight. It was like a squadron of phantoms. It is plainly the duty of the Racing Conference to lay down a dictum that there shall not be more than seven races per day, say, after Ist May. The fielders began badly. Pull of hope, they renewed the unceasing battle with the punting brigade, but the stars in their courses were against them, and the lowest deep of Wednesday was succeeded by an even lower one on Thursday. It is only fair to t-ay that they* took their punishment like Britons, and parted as if the operation gave them never ai pang. Speaking, roughly, I would say that two of the leading Wellington layers must have disbursed a thousand each, and a son of Anak v from the North also caught it tropical. The starting was perfect, Mr. Piper's new method o£ walking them up to the barrier proving highly successful. The Hon. J. D. Ormond's horses were in great form, and in Bollin, the Hawkes Bay sportsman lias got hold of a clinker. Provocation was thoroughly tested in the Stakes. Xylophone was in great heart, and he took the champion colt along at a rare bat. A furlong from home it did look momentarily as if Provocation's \\eight was telling, but a few yards further on the big Karamu colt was under the whip, and Provocation's ball-bearing action swept him home by half a length. Provocation's victory was a record both from a weight and a time point of view, for the field was sent away some distance in front of the semaphore. Provocation, has piled Pelion upon Ossa, so to speak, and judges, whose experience goes back many years, cannot recall a two-year-old that could be judged his superior, not even Multiform. The Bourke Memorial was another easy prize for Aborigine, who, just at present, might beat Master Soult at level weights. Corazon was the hot stuff in the Hack Hurdles, the hors d'oeuvre of the programme. Those who noted the pitch of the obstacles, and their rather slender battens, chanced a few pounds at long prices on Chicane, whoso otf fore-knee is as big as a water melon. Chicane was lucky. She smashed a liurdle in the straight. Corazon, hanging badly, made a dive for the opening, but came a cropper. Entering the straight, Chicane, Papata-wa, and Nero raced for the opening, but the first-named had too much pace, and, after a gruelling finish, she just squeezed home by a note from Papatawa, who, had the hurdle^ been \p, could not very well have lost. Form pointed to King's Prize in the Okawa .Hack. The half-brother to Prospector, to whom, by the way, he bears a strong resemblance, had had a bad passage in the Maiden, and the - race tightened him up. There was a little money for Gold Treasure and Illustrious. j The three practically had the race to I themselves. Gold Treasure ran nicely to j within a few lengths from the judge, but King's Prize was not to be denied, and after a good set-to he gamed the verdict by a liead, with Illustrious two lengths away. Awha showed up at the turn, and Pikapoa, a scventeen-hander, was putting some long ones round the bend. Provocation's backers naturally were requested to give odds, which they did without turning a .hair, and at the finish Mr. 'Bidwili's colt was at English prices. The Karamu stable started 'Fiddler as well as Xylophone, but his was a minor key movement from Bach, for he was in the rear all the way. Not a bad colt, all the same. Quinlivan was perfectly satisfied after the Manawatu running that it would take 10 or 141b to 'bring .Maori King up to Provocation. He fancied that King 'Billy's brother might run j second by virtue of his finishing powers, and Maraghan .was not without hopes of the dapper Elysian making a bold bid for the 50 isovs. Solatium 'Bliss looks a speedy lady, but she got chopped out early, and accompanied Fiddler. Elysian was a length behind Maori King, and then came Boanerges, who, although, out of his class, ran really well. The secret of Provocation's sweet action is to bo found in his perfectly-shaped pasterns. I fancy iDeclcy, who rode a welljudged race, timing his run to a nicety, had a little more up his sleeve than was generally supposed. Bobrikoff was asked for early and Jato in the Memorial. The noxt lines favoured wcry Sir Tristram and Waitapu, whilst Aborigine, who had the services of Jenkins, was always quoted at a remunerative price. Just 'before the bell, a great rush set in for Waitapu, many opining that with a decent run he coultl not have mi?se<L the cup. Aborigine has furnished a lot, and wa-s on the big 6ide, but he had tho hard condition necessary. Jenkins did not take him to the front, 'but allowed Tangimoana and I Sir Tristram to make the running. At the turn Mr. Watt's gelding slipped his field, and won just as easily as he did at Trentliam. Bobrikoff was not forward enough to see out a severe ten furlongs, and Buchanan wisely did not knock him about. Waitopu's rider drew No. 3 berth, but elected to start on the extreme outside ; consequently, ho covered far more ground than was necessary, and was one of the last to finish. Sandstream was galloping very fast in the last half furlong, and was only a neck away from Sir Tristram. Tangimoana ran well for a mile, but she had "no earthly" with the winner at the weights. Aborigine is the lucky horse of tho season, and wiiting at the beginning of the week my readers will have noted that I placed him close up to the 9 stono mark. The only gleam of sunshine, crumb of com foil, or other metaphor for the "bookies"' was in tho Scurry Hack. Mxuidic and Contendent were backed solidly, the former being reckoned a real good bet. A surprise was in store, however, as Tina Toa, a great, whacking Conqueror gelding, hailing from Gisbornc, caught Mundic in the straight, and beat the favourite by a short head. Contendent, who was slow to move, was a good fourth, and Cork a promising third. The Squatter showed pace for the first two furlongs, but Waiouru ran badly. Tina Toa paid his few supporters very handsomely, and, being a horse of substance, should pay his way this winter. For money there were two backed in the Mangatarata Hurdles — Master Douglas and Gold Dust. Among the starters was Kaipetipeti, but he was not fancied, and ran accordingly, but it was on sufferance only, as Master Douglas cut him down without an effort. Gold

Dust came fast after jumping. lie last 1 hurdle, but could not extend the winner. Waipu was placed third by the judge, but it was Aroha who really fillea that position. Xylophone's .good gallop m the Stakes pointed to Golden Water in the Juvenile. Also believers in signs and portents made much of the fact that rain began to fall pretty heavily as the -horses did their preliminaries. l«;y Beam and Bridge came in for Budfe-Tri, and at long odds Te Puia was nibbled at. Day Beam, on his spring form, looked decidedly well treated m the handicap, and, beginning quickly, he had the opposition in trouble all the way. Golden Water moved up below the distance, and so did Te Puia. There was a great battle, for second place, Golden Water having a. very narrow margin in his favour. Stourfcon, & half-brother by Birkenhead to Golden Gate, jumped back at the barrier rise, and was last all tho way. He is a strongly-framed, racy gelding that will do better with experience. Ambala is improving. When Master Soult was pulled out of the Farewell, it directed attention to Bollin. Punters snapped up the short prices on offer with avidity. On Bollin's form on the previous day, the odds offered were really generous. Raised only four pounds, it was really a shame to take the money. There was a lot of money for Sunbonnet, but nothing for the others. Bollin was first out of the tapes, and, finishing as strongly as a motor, he won just as decisively as on Wednesday. Chanteuse was again run-ner-up, with Sunbonnet, badly placed, in the early stages, a very taking third. Gold Thread, who was prominent up to the distance, was a fair fourth. THE BLADE.