CHAPTER OF MISHAPS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 11, 13 July 1931, Page 6

CHAPTER OF MISHAPS

OPENING STEEPLECHASE

• The Matai' Hack Steeplechase was. <a regular' chapter of accidents and other obligatory retirements from the contest. 0£ the dpzeii that y;ent to the stavter only three finally completed the course, the winner being the Southland-trained West Dome, a six-year-old son of Balboa, who always, held tho measure of the outsider. Fresh Breeze, from .the time the real .struggle begau between jthcni for supre-

macy. West Dome was one of the roar division ,eavly, but he moved up .steadily in the second circuit, and finally took tho lend-about half a'mile from home when Thurina fell.

After the field had settled down, Pangolin was in the lead from Tai'dmuf and Winter Day. ' The trouble. Started when Pangolin'refused at the'permanent brush near the half-mile, and as a result Panorama and Umtali, fell, and Taramoa, Jiu Jazz, -and Kaokaoroa were stopped. Thuriua'. then . took charge, but made a faulty .jump at the second of 'the e-innd double, '.and nearly brought Winter ' Day down. ■■■ .-Tliuriha,1 fresh, Breeze, Winter Bay, and West Dome were well clear in the back,, but -Whiter Day. and Thurina came to grief at successive fences, leaving West Dome: and Fresh Breeze to fight, out the remaining half-mile. The former jumping well,, always held the upper hand, and beat; Fresh Breeze finally by three lengths. ;Senora'.was a: furlong away third, and pulled inn1* lame. . The favourite/Winter Day, would proIbably have been in the'dividends but.for his fall. :;He just .tipped the board fence at'the five" furlongs, and failed to recover, on landing. Corneroff ■ tailed, off after a round had been traversed, and was pulled up along the back. Taramoa resumed' the chase after Pangolin had stopped him, and he continued on till his rider_ saw that there was no chance of his being in the money.. Both West Dome and Fresh Breeze were at good prices. .