TWO BIG DIVIDENDS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 21, 26 January 1931, Page 6

TWO BIG DIVIDENDS

ARIKIRA ;PAYS OVER SCORE

■ With" dividends increasing at.every race, ,it' was too much to■ expect the favourites to provide the winner in the Melrose Handicap, and some of those who went for outside prices returned to the totalisator after the race. Arikira, who won, paid over a score, and Tea Queen, for second, was also at lucrative odds. The astonishing feature of the race was the winner's false price. Opening his racing career only on-Boxing Day, he was successful at his first two starts, and has not actually rtin a bad race since,' but his recent unplaced performances evidently caused his stock to recede in the market. His win on Satuiday was brimful of merit, for he lost up to a do^en lengths on the leaders at the start.

In the race the field went off like Brown's cows, with Ephialles, Jayson, Arikira, Dermond, and Rotation straggling out in the rear. Bphialtes, Dermond, and Arikira were not long in.'making up lost giound, and jvhen the field had settled down. Tea Queen had n. break on ZephyruS, Kiriana, Dermond, Enhialtes, Gold Sand, Werata, Ganpat, Courtlike, and Lordlike. There was no material change approaching the straight, except that Arikira was improving on the outside, and he was fifth- behind Tea Queen, Zephyrus, Kiriana, lind Dermond as they swung into the straight. Tea Queen stuck to her task in the run down to the judge, but she could not withstand Arikira's determined challenge, and he beat her by half a head in the last few. strides, Dermond heading off Iviriana for third money. Statuary was fifth, and Arrowhead, Ganpat, and Courtlike were next.

; ",Saltpot,.'••wli'p.iliad ,the. services o£.L. J. EHis,. was made a much better favourite than Lordlike, with drops to Statuary, Werata, The Sun (ridden by H. Gray), and Zephyrus. Saltpot drew the rail, but missed.the jump out and was quickly smothered. Lordlike had every chance, and so had Zephyrus and Wereata, ■ Statuary was shut -in till well into the straight, but he finished strongly. The Sun was never sighted. Tea Queen did not move., off as well'as some of'-the; field,' but her pace quickly took 'her to the front, and she just, failed to see . the": distance through. She .is liable to notch a win at any v time now. Dermond and Kiriana made good showings, and with, a turn of the luck their supporters might; well have particii :^ated in the dividends*.. '.. :