PAITONU HITS FORM

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 106, 7 May 1931, Page 8

PAITONU HITS FORM

MERRY DAMON UNLUCKY

> It w-is rather surprising to find Paitonu being sent out favourite' in the M'Kae " Handicap, the main handicap at Huwera • yesterday, but ho demonstrated in the ) race that the confidence-, was not mis-, , placed.:-.'li was ail improved effort oirhis sliowiugs^reOeullj' i^tiio "north, but' -he ' had beeiiiesccuting .s.pme. good track't I--5 lops:jt'i'st;'?prior to theHineetiug, aud::h.e I had Hi", Gray in . the -saddle, factors •'that i probably-very laVg'cly/'accduutcd for ": the , iu;w faith Jjl.'tcad in Jiiiii'.' Nevertheless, he ; was decidedly lucky to!'beat Merry Damon, j who was -hung up on the tape at the' start, and. then had: to wait late for'au opening through a.vbuuchcd field in" the ; atraigh*. A stride or two more, even as it- was, and ;Merry Damon ; would have been victor. It is probable that Paitonu. had:-a-little..in hand .at the finish, But-iiti was fortunate: for 'him•• that;he was■;hot actually calle'd^'on to':prove;jt;. ; v V** In ■ th'J ■-■'I'ace-'--'Shrewd : ■ and;! Kawhakma made thi."running to" the" straight from Paitouu. Calamine, and Bright Glow, with ) Chopin, Merry Damon, and Black Duke r bringing ..up ..the..rear...._Once. in line for home Kawhakina dropped out, and Paitonu challenged Shrewd, gaining the mas--3 tery inside the distance, and just manag--1 ing by a neck to ward off a claim lodged 3 very late by Merry Danion.'.Shrewd was » only a head further,, away, with Black I Duke, on the-outside, .right "up fourth. - Calamine was well back next, in front of r Chopin, Kawhafcina, Vand Bright Glow 3 Shrewd, one of<the outsiders-of the held, f went'i'a better race than he. has for some i time, and Mcri-y. Damon forged past him j to beat him for a dividend place only in . the last strides. .He wa9 carrying -lib ovcrc weight and is worth remembering. lilacK 1 Duke was just three ten-shilling tickets 3 less in demand than the winner, and he 1' regisroreJ -a very creditable fqurth for i he came down the outside' from"ivell.back in the straight, and was finishing over everythinp: except Merry Damon at the ' close. Merry Damon seems fated to bo 1 classed as an unlucky horse, but there is no doubt he ran one of his most unlucky rates yesterday.;; Chopm was. a, disappointment, and so was Bright Glow, ■ t_ _ ,„„ 4-l.n loot- fyi fimsn.