AT SANDOWN

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 50, 27 August 1921, Page 11

AT SANDOWN

: f DUAL WIN FOR HECTOR GRAY

(fIIOH OVI OWN CORRBSFONBONT.)

LONDON, 6th July.

Many appreciatory comments are made in sporting circles touching the successful appearances of Hector Gray.

Afr Sandown Park, ■ on 25th June, he brought in two winners. The King and Queen—rare visitors 'at a Park Meeting, nowadays—were present, and there was a large and brilliant attendance. New Zealand . was \ well represented, alike by owner and jockey, for Mr; T. H. Lowry had the satisfaction of /seeing his colours brought to. victory in England for '. the .first- time by Paradise Duck, the filly .which he purchased last year at Doncaster. The .event was the British Dominion T.Y.O.'Plate, of'looo soys; five furlongs. [Lord Glanely decided at the last minute not to' run Drake's Drum in this event, and'on his withdrawal Mr. Sol. Joel's Fodder became the favourite.

"Fodder (says the Morning Post) looked remarkably ' well ' and made a good effort, but Paradise Duck was always travelling a shade too well for him, and scored decisively by a length. Sun Charmer (another of Sunstar's offspring) ran well enough to suggest that Mr. Heybourn did well when he bought him for 500 gns last- autumn. Paradise Duck, a really good-looking filly, was bred in Ireland, and cost 1300 gns at Doncaster.' She was purchased by Mr. T. H. Lowry, one of the foremost owners and breeders 1 in New Zealand. He is the owner of that famous mare Desert Grold, whose performances in New Zealand and Australia have been compared with Carbine's. Hector Gray, who was seen to advantage on Paradise Duck, has ridden for Mr. Lowry on' a number of. occasions in New Zealand.". The filly ran creditably at Newmarket in May, when she handicapped herself by galloping over a lot of unnecessary ground before the start, and many onlookers made a favourable note of her prospects. She justified them last week by -winning in attractive style. The Sunday Times says Fodder "never had a chance with Paradise 1 Duck, who, when known as the Teal filly, had run unplaced to Hippocras at Newmarket. Paradise Duck jumped off with a good lead, and, maintaining it all the way, won rather easily by a length." Robin Goodfellow, in the Daily Mail, decides that Paradise Duck was "largely indebted to jockeyship for her success.. Hector Gray may not be a brilliant finisher—no; jockey of that sort has yet come out of New Zealand—but the latest arrival possesses the fine quality of ridin? his race at all points, and realises that 1 it is not always necessary to leave the winning of it till the last moment. Paradise Duck , showed the ' potted' Fodder a clean pair of heels throughout, and won with manifest ease, being one to remember unless Do Mestre has preatly over-rated the merits of Mr. Sol Joel's youngster. Drake's Drum was not produced, the ' going ' probably being too hard, and in his absence backers laid odds on Fodder. \This delighted the Sam Darling party by giving them a good price about Paradise Duck, who was fully expected to upset the favourite." . '

" The New Zealand rider, H. Gray, once more demonstrated his prow ess in tllje saddle (says the Daily Telegraph), first of all —and very appropriately— steering Mr. T. H. Lorry's Paradise Duck, a bay filly by Sunstar—Teal, to victory in the British Dominion Two-year-old Plate, and then winning the snrint, the Wellington Stakes, on Lady Cunliffe-Owen's Totrach colt, Precious, whose running behind Black Gown at Asco^ hf»4 clearly presaged_ this' result. Paradise Duck, who is trained by Sam Darling, led, throughout her race, the odds-on favourite, Mr. Sol Joel's Fodder, being a length behind. On his previous outing Fodder had run third in the Great Surrey Foal Stakes to Stupidity and Chinese • White, while' Paradise Duck signalised her first appearance by being fifth to Hippocras in divisiontwo ( of the Norfolk Stake's at Newmarket: The much-fancied Drake's Drum, from F. Darling's stable, was not ijsked to turn out on, Saturday, otherwise the betting,. at any rate, would have been considerably altered." Gray's second success at Sandbwn was in tho Wellington Stakes (£.300, five furlongs), when Lady 'Cunliffe-Owen's Precious (Tetrach —Zoara.) came in three' lengths ahead of Mr. J. Watson's Marissa.

" Hitherto (says the Morning Post) this son of The Tetracb. had made no return for the 1 5200 guineas given for him as a yearling, but he had run so well behind Black Gown at Ascot that he was now a r good.favourite. The issue was never really in doubt, Precious having it in safe keeping a long wiy from home." , , Precious (says the Sunday Times) won very ( easily, and "Hector Gray cvi-

dently had little to learn in the art of race riding." Last week. Gray was offered a mount in the Grand Prix at Paris on Hartacrate, the property of the Due de Gaze. The ra'ie took place on Sunday, and the original intention of the 'owner was that Gray should fly over' to Paris on the Wednesday previous, in order to ride in a.trial gallop. Owing to another engagement which Gray had to ride a horse .in the Derby at Newcastle on that day, he was unable to make the journey to Paris, and as a result of this he did not ride in the actual event on the Sundayl The irony of the circumstances was that Lonewood, the horse.he was to ride at Newcastle, was scratched by the owner on account of the hard'going.