MANY GOOD FINISHES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 103, 4 May 1931, Page 6

MANY GOOD FINISHES

MARTON'S MINOR EVENTS

A SURPRISE BY KEDDAR

Although there was ■■ not much enthusiasm' imqrig'the' handful of/spectators at ! - Martori, on-Satiir^ay,. the reason could' .'■.-., hardly have ...been .that .the. .racing was :■•:•, devoid of interest,, for some excellent finishes were staged. Only three, favourites scored in the seven events, and none were second,- but;;with the exception of Keddar '~. most/ of: the winners''were well' fancied. '.., It. is probable that the .public would have ■'~ been, better, pleased, had a steeplechase '.: been' included in the -programme, as at ".". the last Winter Meetrng held by the club. -~' EASY FOR MANIFESTOr •'■ ■-.With the failure of Knqlhnere and AVallaruh to-meet their engagement...in ,the ■• -Dash. Hack Handicap, a poor-field of six ..... runners was,left,, arid .in.the.race Mani- . festq,,the favourite, always/had his back- . ers'.in a.comfortable frame of miml. He , was1 the leader ..practically throughout, and .'.won very easily ■ "by" two lengths' at the ' . end. - Der'ry Belle displaced Hihewai from 1 second place at the "distance,' and looked ■'■'.like earning the second'stake, but Chief "' Savage came; from the back-with. : _a late >■ run and snatched that-share .away-in the . '■■' last stride....Hinewai", who was nearly as ,:-. well backed as the.winner, .was a poor ...■= fourth, '.but was ! not pressed' hfter she was beaten. "■ .. • ■ • Manifesto, who is a four-year-old: chestnut gelding by Lackham from the All Black mare Sarah Grand, was recently the medium.of hoavj' support/at Waipukurau, but was beaten into second place. • This was his " first" start'since then, and the way he disposed of the opposition suggests that a turn should conic his way again before long. Happy Hit, a thrcc-ycar-old ' filly by Leighton from Kinsem, ■ • and:'who carries the samo ■ colours as '.'""■ Olairr and. Jjlandud.no,. showed pace over .-.• the early .part, and improvement. can be expected from her. • ... WiN'FROM: THE BACK. . Spearfonn indicated improving form at j . . Feilding and Stratford recently, and .his success in the Winter Hack Handicap brought his followers a better return than might have been expected. He was last for nearly ' five furlongs, but then he ■ began a:..fast move -round: the' outside, and, continuing the run down the.straight, ■"' soon had the-:measure of the leaders and ■: cams on to score comfortably by a length from Malahat, who had made all the running. Grand Jury looked a dividend certainty at the distance, but he was unable ;to catch Malahat, who.led him past the '.- post by a neck. Jayson. was a poor fourth. ■ •'.•••.:■'" : Grand-Jury, nearly twice as well back.rd as anything, else, was probably made . too much use of. ov'p'r the early, stages, for .he is a-'horse who does best iVom behind. His rider, (A. E. Djdham) steadied, him along the back, but then approaching the .straight ;wns in 100 much-of- a hurry with >'■". his. final run. (Hen I'ossiu, the, . favourite, was -beaten "by the distance and ■ .finished last. He looked like -having a say ,-• in tlie decision -llirop i'nvlonirs out, but his effort-was short lived.; Malahat,;.who :-won recently at Waipukurau, is an improver,

and should do well on winter, .tracks. Aurora Borealis retains her pace, and is very nearly reads'. The race should benefit liei1 considerably. ' ' NEVER IN DANGER. Knollmere, one of the most promising hacks in commission in the southern part of tlio island at present, hail the Welter Hack Handicap won practically from the release of..the tapes, and, although he finished only a. length and a half in front of the. second' horse, Cook, there was something* more, in it than that. Cook, Saltpb'iv Bl.iclcsL.utli, Valueless, aml:Takahue followed him into the straight, and that was the order in which they finished, except.that Takahue improved a place or two over the final furlong. Cook .beat Saltpot as comfortably as the winner beat him. Arrowhead and Manuiri .were the last to* complete. . ■'.",. Knollmere was -selected as. one of the, best things of the day, aiid so he proved,* He is a year younger ..full brother to GrandJury, and on performances to date he is likely, to prove a much'1 more serviceable proposition than his somewhat unlucky relative. Cook surprised by,, his forward running, and as he handled the somewhat holding going so well he is worth remembering for early winter engagements. Saltpot did his best, but lie is not quite' so good as he promised to turn out. However, he is fairly consistent, and may do better next season. Takahuc had his chance* ruined by,failing to move off with the others, but lie went well afterwards. ; - KEDDAR'S BIG SURPRISE. . .Keddar, who had not had a*.race since the Marton'Summer Meeting, upset nil. calculations when, he won the, Flying Handicap. 'He was rank outsider of the four totalisator lilimbers, and his price was ■just.tinder, double figures.' Gold Cure, after haying/settled Blue Paper •before reaching the straight, looked a good thing about' a'furlong .and a half out, :and so he* was, but* his rider (B. H. Morris) took matters." too nonchalantly and Keddar came' down the outside and caught him by: surprise. Morris made.* a strenuous' effort to retrieve the situation, but tlie post was too near, and Keddar won the race by half a head. Juggle, who was bracketed with Gold Cure, came through strongly into third 'place a neck fjirther away, with Briar Root close up fourth. Blue Paper* was the- hottest favourite of the meeting, but she was beaten before they entered on the home stretch. Gold Cure and Juggle are on the upgrade. Gold Cure should have won, and he may make: amends before long. LEISURE ALL THE WAY. . '.Leisure was first out in the FaVewoll Hack Handicap, and was never'caught, although Zarene, who had not had ; a race, since the Wanganui Spring Meeting, was closing up on her very fast:at the finish': and would have; won; had- the race-been much1: further. Leisure led■ Xightspeaker, Crime stor, importing Chance, ..False 'Scent;*, and: Zarorie into the straight, .and w,is. just able..to hold off a .strong-challenge: frOnv the ; last-named ' long enough to win~by a .head. Nigh tspcaker. nvas. half a ■•length* further ■. away,'' followed";. : hy ' Cririiestor, Manifesto, Derry Belle,' and False.Scent: 'Manifesto, who carried'6lb penalty,-was sent -oiit a good first favourite; but; his chance0 was: spoiled when: he: was squeezed out 'at thp start; Crimfestor,, a northern representative., who was also ,well' support, .ed, had. every chance, but: was not good enough.,' . Sporting, Chance made a* promising run approaching 'the straight/ but rhiing, out badly and was one of tlie last to finish. ■"'■."*-.' '..■'■'.-.. ', .* *'. .•'•^. ■■;'/;■:■