NAPIER PARK

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 79, 1 October 1923, Page 11

NAPIER PARK

THE SPRING MEETING

PARK STAKES WON BY KAHIKATEA.

'HI TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL TO THB POST.)

.' ■ NAPIER, 29th September. There was beautiful weather for the Napier Park-Racing Club's Spring Meeting. There was a large attendance of 'he public, and the course was in excellent order.: The totalisator • handled ■£13,520, as against-> $312,167 for the same meeting last year. ■ . ' Batting was slow in connection, with the Trial Hack, favouritism resting with .Tawehi, one of-.Jamieson's team, owned by Mr. H. M'Donald. He Is a full-' brother to Tatau Tatau, and is a big bold-appearanced gelding. Parearaua, a handsome, filly by Demosthenes—Mangaraa was sorted ont as the next bes£, with the winner j third pick. Supporters of Strongholt did not have any worry on their shoulders, for though Parearau was the first to get-clear she soon took the knock and Strongholt bolted to the _ front, and right up to the last, couple "of hundred yar^s was never approached. ■At this point the favourite made his run, .but .although his pilot got the-best out of his mount-he. just failed to reach Strongholt, who reached the post '•" by heads. ■ Royal Song, the outsider of the field, was a good third, and had he reversed places with, the favourite his partisans would have collected a twofigure dividend. The winner is owned and trained by H. Hickey at Hastings, and is a three-year-old daughter of Polydamon and Jiu Jitsu. -.: MAUNGk'S EASY .WIN. Comical, who was withdrawn on account of his rider, R. S. Bagby, having met with an accident while schooling at Hastings the previous day, was, in- conjunction with Mountain Peer, Import, and Forenoon, found missing , from the starter's slide when .the numbers were hoisted for the Greenmeadows Hack Hurdles. Maunga, Teri- . terfield, and Palm Oil were backed in *'\ as Ijder. Those who pinned their . faith to the favourite had no cause for , regrets, for he v/aa always well placed, and with half a mile to go held command from Fera, with Tenterfield the next to the others. At the entrance to the straight it was a good thing for . Maunga, who was doing his task well. Half way up the straight Tenterfield •tackled Fera, and though the gelding stuck to his task well he went under by a neck to Fera, who was a length and a half in the rear of Maunga as the . deciding point was reached. The win- . ner, who is a five-year-old gelding by Mountain Knight out of a San Fran , mare, is owned by Miss M. I. Douglas, a eiator to the late Messrs. W. J. and „ F. Douglas, and is trained at Hastings by J. Griffiths, who has had him in hand . since tre took on the racing business. A jgood sort is Maunga, a fearless fencer with a lot of pace and determination. YOUNGSTERS NOT IMPRESSIVE. „. .-.-Laraorack. a fine, bis. upstanding gfldin; l>y King Mark out oj JJirbViol, jvas .liaile a good fiisL favourite 'oi 1

rfie Prince of Wales Stakes. Rouex, the half-brother to Rouen, was second choice, with Paula third pick. The favourite went back badly on his supporters, for never, at any time was he within striking distance; of the leaders. The early run was carried on by Paula, one of Mr. H. J. Jorgensen's Aus-tralian-bred fillies, with Rouex and Coot, strung out, the best of the others. Opening lip the straight Paula, was there with Rouex, and in a good set-to between the pair the latter prevailed by a bare head, with Coot, who ran about a lot in the last hundred yards, third. Gardant, - a'half-sister by Kilbroney to Bodyguard, was fourth. , In justice to Latnorack, it has to be said that just prior to the start he toppled over heavily on his hindquarters, and the spill to6k some of the punch.out of him. They were not a very-- brilliant lot of babies, j for' it took the winner lmin 4 4-ssec to get over the five furlongs, and on the form that any of them showed to-day their chances in the future do not seem to be. impressive. THE PARK STAKES. All of the acceptors with the exception of Suspicion lined up for the Park Stakes, Kahikatea heading off Admiral Codrington for the premier position in the betting, with Kilbird ihird choice. Backers were right on the spot in the selection of Kahikatea, for the son of Wormwood and Kooya, practically speaking, led from start to finish. He only once lost his position, momentarily, to Haurangi, who was hkbi done with when heads were turned for home, where Kahikatea had a good lead, while Bonetter and Admiral Codrington were putting in their claims. The leader, however, could not be mastered, and the apprentice, Gilbert 'Morrison, attached, to W. Howard's stable, landed the gelding home' a good winner by two lengths from Bonetter, Mr. Kemball'a mare, who was a neck to the good of Admiral Codrington. Kilbird, who had been running -third to Kahikatea. and Haurangi for the greater part of the distance, was fourth, with the ancient Bagdad last. The winner, who is own- ' ed and trained by W. Howard at Greenmeadows, is- a son of -the Australian.bred.Wormwood, and that one-time sterling, performer Kooya. The gallop will assuredly do both Haurangi and Kilbird a lot of good, and in the. near future they are sure to be amongst the winners. . .

ALMARIMBA WINS IN GOOD .;:■■"■ ' ' STLYE. . ." ■• All started in the Ahuriri Hack,' ■Watchman 1 having a-sljght call in the speculative market over .Startle, i a. three-year-old filly by Flying Start— Zapora. Misgovern was third pick. Almarimba, who ranked as fourth favour' ite, '.Was the quickest to begin, but had not gone far before the kad was wrested from her by Misgovern, and a bit later oiv Startle beat Almarimba for llis position; the favourite away back 111 fifth position. At the entrance' to the straight Misgovern was in . pride of" /place, with Almarimba coming very fast. The latter got the better of Mr. Ormond's representative at the distance, and coming on in good style, won com* fortably by a'couple of ■ lengths. Misgovern just managed to beat Startle for second berth by a. neck; All Gold fourth. The" winner is one' of W. Grif-\ liths's team at Hastings, and is a four-yoar-old son of AH Red and Marimba, the latter mare in her time being a specially speedy sort over short courses.STARADALE HURDLES '.TO MOUNTAIN PEER, . A one-dividend awaited backers in the Tnradale Hurdles, the: scratching of Diamond Nap arid Whiro reducing the field to five runnars. The top weieht, Highway, had "the' "greatest number" of followers, then came Toa Taua. aud Mountain Peer. Those who backed tba latter <lid not have any cause fgr anxiety, for, though Birkenella lei for a short distance, Mountain Peer soon took charge, and going on in. good style, and fencing clean and quick, very soon had a big .break on. With heads, turned for home Toa Taua put in great work- to equalise matters*, as did the favourite, but it was ho g00d,,. for Mountain Re^J was going well, and finishing in a determined manner, landed the stake by four lengths /rom Toa Taua, \yitli Highway, three lengths away in third place, and Birkenella fourth. Zeus, who finished last, was never In a {favourable position at any part of the race. The winner is one of Mountain Knight's progeny, out of the Birkenhead mare Tihi. He "is one Of W. Woods's pupils at Hastings, and is owned by the- Native • sport, Sir. H. Tupaea.- f RAILWAY HANDICAP^ Pitch was withdrawn from the Railway Handicap, for which Tatau Tatau, a stablemate of the first-named, secured most support. Gold Light made' her first appearance this season in the race, and, considering,. she looked on the pretty side, did well to get third. Civil* form and Tatau Tatau were prominent to the home bend, where Martian Miss moved up to the leaders. The latter nrir ished -full of running, and had about three-parts of a length the best of it at tlje finish. Tatau Tatau did not see the journey out as well as her backers expected. She won at Marton, beating Hipo, who went on to Auckland and beat a good field at Avondale. The Wairarapa sportsman, Mr.- W. R. Kemball, started several horses during the afternoon, ■ but Martian Miss was the only one to score.

THE COUNT? HACK. Watchman was elected a firm first choice for the County Hack,' \vith Iversbury second in the market.. Velvet King was third pick. A good send-off saw Communicate holding the lead, but the field had hot gone far before the favourite and Queen's Ferry had become prominent. It was a great go, Queen's ■Ferry ]U3t lasting lotlg enough to get tllero by a.fair margin from the favourite, with Kalakaua in third place. The winner is always bobbing up well. This afternoon she just won by sheer force of merit. Results':-^ ' Trial Hack Handicap, of 125 soys; six • furlongs'.—'Strtmgholti 8.7 (A. Dixon) 1; Tawehi, 9.0, 2) Royal Song, 8.10, 3, Also started : Pali 8.9, Whariti 8.7, Bonino 8.7, Parearau 8.7, Mountain Top 8.7, Three Cheers 8.7. Time, lmin. 16 4-56ee. Grcenmeadows^Hack Hurdles, of 150 soys; one mile and a half.—Maunga, 9.5 <E. Copestake), 1; Tenterfield, 10.4, 2; Fera, 9.10, 3, Also smarted : Whiro, 10.13, Palm Oil 9.2, Diamond Nap 9.2, Buckeye 9.0. Time, 2min. 46 2-ssec. Ahuriri Hack' Handicap, of 125 soys; six fua-longs.—Altnarimba, 7.10 (4 Griffiths), 1'; Misgovern,'B.6, 2; Startle, 8.1, 3. Also started: Watchman, 8.7; Communicate, 8.3; Treadwell, 8.0; "All Gold, 7.11. Time, lmin 16 l-ssec. Taradale Handicap Hurdles, of ;200 soys; one mile' and three-quarters.— Mountain Peer 10.0 (A. M'Donald), 1 ; Toa'Taua, 10.3, 2; Highway, 10.7, 3. Also started : Birkenelia 9.11, Zeus 9.3. Time, Stnin. 15sec. Prince of Wales Stakes, of 150 soys; five furlongs.—Rouex. 8.2 (A J M'Fliim), 1; Paula, 7.11, 2; Coot, 7.11, 3. Also started : Lamorack 8.2, Singer Boy 8.2, The Strand 8.2, Giglot 7.11, Gardnnt 7.11. Time, lmin. 4 4-ssec. Park Stakes Handicap, of 250 soys: one mile mid a quarter.—Kahikatea. 7 0 ('.■;. Morrison), lj Bonnt.ter, 0.10. 2: Ad'mSrsl CodrLig&on, 9.0, i. Also start-

Ed : Hauranßi 8.2, Kilbird 7.12, Bagdad 7.4. Time, 2min. 9 3-ssec.

Railway Handicap, of 200 soys; six furlongs.—Martian Miss, 8.1 (A. Reed), 1; Tatau Tatau, 8.5, 2; Gold-Light, 8.13, 3. Also started : Civilform 8.40, Pabnui 7.8, Megan 7.3, Simonette 7.3, Mosthenes 7.0, Valley--'Rose 6;7. Time, lmin 15sec. •

County Hack Handicap, of-150 soys; seven furlongs.—Queen's Ferry, 7.13 (H. Dunn), 1; Watchman, 9.0, 2; Kalnkaua, 7.8, 3. Also started : Communicate 8.3, Velvet King 7.13, Merry Bells 7.8, Semplice 7.6. Time, lmin. 29sec. ••.'.-'