RACING AT AWAPUNI

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 71, 25 March 1933, Page 9

RACING AT AWAPUNI

CHEAPER GATES POPULAR

SOME.HORSES TO NOTE

; Early in-the .week, and especially when the storm set in late on Tuesday afternoon,, the prospects for the Manawatu Racing Club's Autumn Meeting were far from bright. But, by a happy turn, the weather cleared during the early hours of Wednesday morning just as suddenly as the storm had come, and there were two days of sunshine and mild autumn temperatures for the meeting. With fortune so favouring the club it was not in the least unexpected that the fixture should prove a financial success. '■ The totalisator turnover was up on last year's, figures both days, and the aggregate of £22,57S was a definite improvement on last year's £19,739 10s. Still, last year's meeting was held very late, uear. the end'of April, and the better dates this year certainly made it look as if there would be some increase in investments. The officials of the club, however, would hardly' have expected a better return than-they obtained, for two years ago, when there were big fields in nearly every race, the sum put . through the machine was only £29,817 —and no club at present ever.hopes to reach the figures of two years ago. In spite of a 20 per cent, reduction in admission charges to the lawn enclosure, it is understood that the gates were as good as they were'last year. There was a r-mall decline in takings on the first, day, but this was just made-up on the second day. • - ■ . ,

In spite of a 20 per cent, reduction in admission charges to the lawn enclosure, it is understood that the gates were as good as they were'last year. Therewas a r-mall decline in takings on the first, day, but this was just made-up on the second day. • . ■ . ~ . ■ The club is to- be congratulated on cheapening its admission, for in these times 10s did seem an excessive charge fbr entrance to the lawn. Such a charge is now being made only by two of the main metropolitan clubs—Auckland and Wellington.. The' Canterbury Jockey Cliibwas charging 10s at the Cup Meeting in November, but at its last meeting it reduced the lawn admission to the popular fee of 2s 6d. This was only a temporary expedient to assist in the working of the win-and-place machine, but the club is unlikely to raise -the fee to the full 10s again for its Easter : meeting. THE STAR PERFORMERS. The two star performers at Awamini this, week .were Autopay and Golden .Wings. The former won the Awapuni Cup w tph! bulldog fashion, ami the latter emphasised his extreme brilliance in the Manawatu . Stakes. Autopay's success was only his second beyond a mile, but he achieved it like a first-class middle distance performer. His owners have always had hopes that they might win- longer handicaps with him as he aged, and it now looks quite a possibility that they will. His breeding to a. degree encourages the hope. The JPaper Money colt once again met his match as a sprinter in Golden Wings in the Manawatu Stakes on the second day, and as there was only 31b difference in,, weight between them he must be classed as not quite Golden Wings's equal at present in this role, for the 31b did not measure Golden Wings's full superiority. Probably the distance of the first (Vay's race took its temporary, toll on Autopay, for. he is. more heart than size and the big weights he was carrying would mean-more to him than to a horse such, as Golden Wings. TVith this week's racing Autopay has now contested 72 races for 18 wins; and his stake -earnings amount to £6978, of which £1480 has been gathered this season. ..... :. ...'..' . . ■Prior to.the.recent Wellington Meeting cood judges^wbo had seen -Golden Wings perform -at, New Plymouth, Wanganui, and. -Wdodyille declared that he had no equal at present iu'the Dominion as a sprinter, but .a'blow was struck at "this opinion when he failed to do better than third under 9.9 in the first day's open sprint. It was pointed out at the time that the apparently disappointing showing was probably due to Lordly Knight's having lain over on him early in the race, and his two. subsequent successes in the Challenge Stakes and Manawatu Stakes bear out that this is.what,did happen. In his two latest, successes, there was always only one' horse in the contest. This four-year-old son of Lackham has to date contested 41 races for a dozen wins, and his earnings in stakes amount to £3.537 10s. As a two-year-old he won lour races and £1240 in stakes, as a three-ye'ar-old two races and £1237 30s, and this season six races and £1110. Prior to Easter- last season Autopay, then four years- old, had won £5108 in stakes, of which £2533 had been earned in Australia. BEST TWO-YEAR-OLD. Golden Hair took first place among the two-year-olds'at the meeting, though Red Manfred's effort- .was- probably. little,. if. any, inferior, when he ran a creditable second- to Golden Wings in the second &ay's classic. ...... Golden Hair's victory in the Sires' Produce Stakes was .impressive* She. was capable of doing everything her rider asked -it the mometat of request/and she finally .proved quite up to cutting down -the-pady Princess poreen. She was just following in the footsteps of her dam. Lady Cavendish, who also'won fh'e Stake's, and' she'is likely to. develop into ' an' equally as brilliant if not more. brilliant mare • than her-mother. .At present she looks the filly of the season who has best chance of going' on to classic' honours next season. • • • • This filly .has made even and steady progress as the season has .progressed. At first she raced greenly, but'she was not asked for more than she was willing to gfve; and this caution of her careful trainer, O. Cox, has had its reward in producing-a filly^t the end of the season undoubtedly -the equal, of any of her age and sex. Her first race was in the season's first two-year-old event, the Juvenile Plate at Marton, in which she was left. Her first win came at Awapuni at Christmas, and she has since also won at Stratford, twice at New Plymouth, and again' at Awapuni. In eleven starts she has been- five times first, twice second, and twice third, and her winnings amount to £690 to date, a total inferior only to those of Princess Doreen, Dole, Red Man'fred, and Diatomous among her juvenile rivals. Red Manfred, although he has once or twice failed very badly, is a very striking galloper on his best- day, and he registered an attractive performance in finishing with a run from the back to be less than a length from Golden Wings at the end of the Manawatu Stakes. He could not be entered in the Sires' Produce Stakes, as his sire had not been nominated. He looks the likeliest classic prospect at present in the offing, and he is one who will almost definitely do his three-year-old racing here, as he is a gelding and. is thus ineligible for " the big Australian classic prizes. A PROMISING HACK. Among the hacks seen but this week none made deeper impression than the Australian-bred four-year-old, Constant Sun, -who promised big things at about this time twelve months ago. His form subsequently lapsed, but at Christmas time'he "was transferred to L. G. Morris to train, and Thursday's, was his. first appearance from his new quarters. It is hardly too much to anticipiate now that this big,' well-developed son' of Australian Sun and the Eoseworthy mare Booralie may go on to do the things forecast just a year ago. He is bred to go any. distance, for Booralie is no other than a full-sister to the Auckland Cup winner, Tanadees,,and belongs to the same redoubtable family as produced the New Zealand Derby winner, The Toff, the New Zealand St. Leger winner, Bon Ton. and the dual A.J.C. and New Zealand Derby winner, Noctuiform. His sire, Australian Sun, completes the stayer's pedigree. His effort on Thursday was achieved from the very rear end of the field with a longsustained run started at the half-mile, just as -one would expect from a horse who may shortly be one of the Dominion's foremost stayers. .

The surprise of .this week's meeting was the great dividend bordering on three score paid by Chief llarionette on Tkurs-

BY'RANGATIRA"

clay. This filly, who was having only her third start since her return from a spell of four months' duration, went quite a good race into fifth place on the first day, and she looked the improver of the field. Her big dividend was very false, as on Wednesday the joint investments on her amounted to £94 (win and place), whereas there was oniy £19 all told on her on Thursday in a field that was certainly no stronger. Her owner, Mr. R. J. Macdonald, if is said, held a third of the win investments on her.

Chief, Marionette is a three-year-old filly by Chief Ruler belonging to the same short-pedigreed family as. Antique, being from a half-sister (Dolly Foster) to Antique's dam. She was passed in at the'yearling sales for 25 guineas, but was subsequently obtained from her breeder by Mr. Macdonald. She won three races as a two-year-old, but proved several times. disappointing early this season and was therefore sent out for a spell, which appears to have had the required result.

Another surprise was the price that the public allowed Lady Spy to pay. This aged Lord Quex mare has' a very useful turn of speed at her best, and she indicated her forwardness recently by. winning and being unluckily beaten at Napier Park, then going on to run two good races in the best class at Trentham, finishing ninth in the Thompson and not far away in the Hutt Handicap. > Thursday's was her first appearance at Awapuni, and quite evidently her ability was not widely known' there. It may be recalled that at the Auckland Meeting in January she won the mile Ellerslie Handicap by seven lengths in Imin 38 3-osec. . •

I Lady Spy "did not begin racing till late jin her career, not being broken in till a | i'our-year-old, and now being in only her i third racing season. She is from the littlej raced . King Soult mare Ruse, and her j chestnut coat is .flecked throughout with ] the So.iilt grey, hairs. She is owned and j trained by Mr. E. Gregory, of Give, who j was also successful at the meeting' with his other Lord-Quex filly, Royal Dash.