MASTERTON MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 91, 18 April 1932, Page 4

MASTERTON MEETING

A WIN FOR RATIONAL 11.

RIDER: ; USES JUDGMENT

The Southern representative, Rational 11., was. ridden a. perfectly-judged race by the Southern horseman, G. Humphries, in the Op'aki Handicap, the principal event on the concluding day of the Masterton Meet"'ing-- on ■ Saturday. Pewa, Chopin, . and Shrewd were allowed.to make the running to the straight, and Rational 11. was kept going, nicely just behind them till ?J>proaching the distance. Then Humphries :Vdrove: his ■ mount along, and in a dozen strides'he-was gathering great momentum, coming*dOTm the: outside past the leaders -finally-'to- gain the mastery fifty yards from? the -.post, and win by a neck from. \Pewa, with Chopin only half a length fur--thefc,avay. . ' . ' RationalH. was the second favourite m succession to win.' There is no doubting : that'ie1 has improved since changing hands :at ther beginning- o£ the season; and his -present,owner, the Greymouth sportsman, Sliv-P.F. Thorpy, appears to have, a useful niiddle'distance performer to repre.sent hun'now.. This was certainly the Außtralian-breci; chestnut's best win since ie.annexed the Doiirb Cup over two years ►ago. -His two -recent successes. at the C.J.C.. Autumn Meeting were not in such ■_ gpod;'. class as Saturday's. ' > Pewa, oiie of the outsiders of the field,) ;alsp:.:tTeritrt fine race. At one point he Was "welll clear: of the others, and he : stuck: on fairly well in the straight. He ;is a prospect for a middle-distance race iv L.tTie iieaK. future.:. .'.' . .;.

; -Chopin, who claimed a 51b apprentice allowance^ bringiijg his weight to 7.12, also made a good showing. .With a, stronger.. rider;he.-might have., made the winner's .task harder. Half-way down the straight ie'lobked |he likeliest prospect for victory;- ■.;',. Joie; dejSYal^.a.; moderate fourth, came i^alongr: the rail from last at the top 6f <he straighti She gave K. Voitre an un:^J6mf6rtable ride, and had to be slipped cut Jflie back of the field half a mile from iiome.' Statuary was in the middle group jniost;of the w^iy, but Shrewd failed Dadly, :jn the^run to the post. Foghorn, bustled Calong on tba turn, ran off the course jyhen,swinging for home.