CUP DAY AT TRENTHAM

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 18, 21 January 1921, Page 11

CUP DAY AT TRENTHAM

GREAT FINISH IN BIG EVENT

RATIONAL WINS THE STAKES.

(D? "SIR UMCSIOT.")'

The perfect weather conditions prevail-ing--at Tientham yesterday' were responsible ..for a record crowd foi- the opening day of. the Wellington " Racing Club's- Summer Meeting. The racing witnessed was fittst-claas, several of the events resulting in exciting finishes.. Al-t-hough the opening event was not started till noon, the programme was run off to dine, enabling the club's patrons to get back in town by 6 o'clock. This is, one of the advantages derived from the use of the electric totalisator. During the afternoon the staff handled £71,----234 10s, as compared with £49,183 10s on the corresponding day last year. The. racing track was fast, and it was' not surprising «t!ia.t record time was registered in the' Wellington Cup and Wellington Stakes. ' . . . WELLINGTON-OWNED WINNER. Of the ! fourteen acceptors for the Jumpers' Flat Handicap all started except Master Boris, who was only taken out on account of the jockey who had been engaged being unable to ride. Padciington Green, as usual, caused trouble at the start, tut eventually was got away with the others. Falstaff and King Star showed out in front when Uiey had gone a furlong, and, with half the distance covered, Wiere leading Maniaheva, Euripos, and, Pacific Slope. The last-named moyed_up to the leaders at the turn, neadetj Falstaff at the distance, and won #uidsomely. Euripos 'fell near the three furlongs post, and, as he broke a leg, had to* be destroyed. A. ,T. M'Flynn escaped injury. An inquiry was held into.the cause of the accident, and, after "the evidence of the jockeys concerned had been heard, it was adjourned until Saturday. Pacific Slope, who recently won at Daawevirke and Wairarapa,. was a useful performer on the flat in Mr. De Latour's colours a few seasons, back before he went wrong. Both .first and second horses are trained at, Trent-ham. ANOTHER TRENTHAM WINNER' Warpath, Tqmmy Rot, and Password were, taken out of the Nursery Handicap', leaving in .thirteen runners. The Trentham.-brained Back&heesh (H. Gray's mount) was the popular pick, but never sho\yed, up prominently. Pluto was in charge'in "the .early part, but gave way to Quest as they came to the- course proper. Sleeping Beauty headed Quest at thY distance, ami looked, all over a winner. In the last hundred yards Princess Pat put in/a 'claim, and got the judge's verdict, Sleeping Beauty being placed second. ; Pluto shaped well, as also did Ditchlcy, who was making her firs,t-appearance. F. Davis started two, Five-Eighths and Soldier's Love, but neither of them was, well placed at the finish. The Awapuni-trained Creme de Menthe also failed to run up to expectations. Princess Pat (All Black—Martian Princess) is owned by her breeder, Mr. George Hume, the well-known Lower Valley sportsman. Mr. J. B. MacEwan (owner of Sleeping Beauty) cannot be considered a,lucky owner. De.yption died after winning the Metropolitan, at Riccarton, Fisher won a. race at Dannevirke but lost the stakethrough the jockey failing to draw the .weight, and Lady Violet had to be retired after running second to Mermiii in ithe Avondale Stakes this season. . ANNIVERSARY HANDICAP Maioha and Parorahgi were the only defections from the Anniversary Handicap.' Pentfe (wjth three wins, to her. credit) finisJi-ed up a better favourite than'the R-iccarton-trained pair, Will Oakland and Counter Attack. Rose Wreath began best, 'but was soon headed off. Early,' Dawn also jumped out i smartly, and was running jn behwid Will Oakland and^, Counter Attack at halfi way. Sycorax- (H. Gray) joined the I leaders at the turn, and drawing away in the straight had the race in safe keeping a, furlong from home. In filling second place, Railand ran one of', his best races to date. . Pen to' and Early Dawn were next. Johnny Walker was tailed j off a bad last/all the way.- Mumble | showed up well' on the outside, at the j top of the straight, but wa"s settled by the great finishing run Sycorax put in. | " APPRENTICES-PLATE TQ" STRATEGY. The Hastings-trained Battle Knight, who vyas successful „on his only previous appearance "at Trentham last winter, received, most support of the twenty-one i r\iriners for the Apprentices' Plate. Although he did not get in the money, h^e ran a fair race. The Opaki-krained Strategy jumped put smartly, and had a break at the half-mile post. He ; was' firet into- the straight, and won- fairly easily from the consistent but unlucky Foo Chow, who made a"*game effort, to re^ch his opponent. Wamba. and-Ma-laga were next. Strategy, who was f among the winners . at- Awapuni at i Christmas time, was ridden by R. S. Bagby, the beat horseman Mri .the field. La Paloma parted compaiiy .with her. rider'after the field had gone half-a-mile. An inquiry wasi held,'and it was considered the occurrence was accidental. MAIOHA'S WELLINGTON CUP. All the acceptors paraded for the Wellington Cup. The light-weighted Bonnie Heather was i-esponsible for the 1 pace set, which effectually extinguished the chance of the top weight (Client), who -was toiling at the tail end 'of the field when half the journey was covered. Dusky Eve, Maioha, and Eleus were> well placed half a mile from home. They were prominent when Bonnie Heather dropped into the, ruck. Punka put in a good run in the straight, and her supporters proclaimed her victory, but she •just failed to get up. Maioha ijot the verdict by a nose from Eleus, who was about half a length ahead of First Salute, with Punka only a nose away. It was a slashing finish, and the race was won by the best horse on the day. Maioha was ridden by R. Reed, who was also on Rewi Poto and Kihnoon, two of the dead-heaters in previous years. The time registered was a record for the race. Maioha i 3 a well-known performer at I Trentham. He ran. third in the last! Thompson-Handicap,, and won the Au-i tumn Handicap on the second day of the meeting. He has had a successful run lately, anH jhas been kept in tip-top form by trainer L. Wilson, who also celebrated his birthday yesterday. Maioha won the principal event' on the second day at Woodville last month, and, going on,to Auckland, won the Christmas Handicap . and.. Summer Cup, and dead-heated in the Grandstand Handicap with Red Ribbon. • WELLINGTON STAKES TO RATIONAL. The Wellington Stakes, a 1000 soys stake, only brought out a field of six, two three-year-olds and four two-year-olds. It was a pity Mermin. was not on hand to t\'y conclusions, with Rational, who holds an unbeaten record at five furlongs. The Hawera-owne'd colt was backed down to a ridiculously ahori price. He began well, but had to b© shaken up when Anomaly put' in a. claim a furlong from horn?. Ho drew away jn the run to the post and won easily enough at the finish. Kick 02 was a, ]

fair third, and Tommy Rot,' who made the favourite gallop in the first part, was next., Rational will probably meet Gloaming in the Kelburn Plate . and Waterloo Stakes. . ■ ' »• .; GOOD PERFORMANCE BY STATUETTE, Silver Peak, Blackmail, Affectation, and Early Dawn were vtlie defections from the Telegraph Handicap. Statuette (H. Gray), who had been favourite for the racp since the appearance <of the weights, carried most money. The lightweighted Going Up appeared to be clear for about a furlong, but at the course proper the favourite was in front on the" rails. She won decisively from Waiplanc, Whoso best performance it was to date. Two of the light-weights, Kinsem and Miss Mimic, were next. Statuette, who recently . won the Railway.Handicap at Ellerslie, has improved wonder-fully-since she won the Trentham race twelve months ago. In yesterday's race shs beat some highrclaas sprinters point-., less. The team trained by A. Oliver for Mr. G. D. Beatson is having a very successful run u-t present. .'■■ ■■'-.. '\ . ANOTHER WELLINGTON WIN.' . All started for. the Ruapehu Handicap except Strategy; Waimahoe, and Militaire. .Canyon and the Auckland representative, Canzonet, who has not won .a race since he scored at Trentham eighteen months ago, began well. Canyon reached the course proper first, but was being ridden when Automoana challenged at the distance. In the last fifty yards. Egotism dashed up on the' outside and was in front a stxida past the post. In a close finish Hepta w<is placed third and Aittomoaua fourth. Canyon, who is trained by C. Pritchard for a" Wellington, sportsman, had previously demonstrated that she is fast over a five furlongs course.