FITZQUEX IN FORM

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 17, 21 January 1931, Page 6

FITZQUEX IN FORM

LUCK TAKES WELCOME TURN

Ktzques has been a long time in' striking winning form, but his success at Foxton last week evidently turned his.luck, i!or he was able to. beat a strong field of hacks in the Ruapehu Handicap. Wiggins, drawing . in the middle of the line, had him handily placed after they had gone a couple,of furlongs,, and he.brought li im through on < the rail at tho distance to beat .the ,-well-fancied .Chief Joy by' nearly half a length...,. It was: au excellent performance, and points to Fitzquex'a being in better shape'now than.he has been at any other time in! his career. A quick release' was made, and when the colours' became.discernible the <most conspicuous : were those of Little Ttu-ush. and Trojan Melody. • Trojan Melody, Little Thrush, Spearful, Solmar, Denttod,- Chief Joy, and Fitzquex' were first on to the course proper, and then. Chief Joy -ran to the front,.but Mtzquex, coining strongly on the inner, finished over hiui at the close to earn the verdict by nearly half a length. Winlock was. third three or four lengths back, and next were LordJiko, Trojan Melody, Solmar, Sylvan Dell, Spearful, Adelplii, Hunting Call, and Craigavon. The Pythia-Chief Joy bracket and Hunting Call were all the rage, but there was fair support also for Solraar, the Fitz-quex-Oral bracket, and King Acre. The winner paid a double-figure but those, who held tickets on the PythiaChief Joy bracket collected less than their investment. Hunting Call. was . never in 'striking range, but he finished • • well. Pytliia, who drew wide out, \vas *not noticed at any stage,:, Solmar, Nightmarch's younger half-brother by. Solferino, looked a possibility a couple of ■■ furlongs ;out, and is a prospect for a race at the meeting. So are Winlock and Ldrdlike, who finished strongly after not , having been noticed till the contest was practically over. Spearful had ,a great.chance at the top of the straight, .but ,was> not good enough. ' King Acre, -was ' never sighted, but True Shaft was in the running as they crossed on to the'course proper, and the race will improve him. Trojan Melody failed to finish on, but he did not go badly, and he should do better next time up. ' "... '.'.. .- ' (