RACING NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 130, 5 June 1933, Page 6

RACING NEWS

(BY "R.

OTAKI MAORI RACES

WIN FOR LITTLE DOUBT

VOITRE REACHES RECORD

Mild, overcast weather gave -way to sunshine- during the final day of the Otaki Maori Racing Club's AVinter Meeting on Saturday, and, except that it was still damp underfoot after Friday's downpour, the conditions from a racegoer's point of view were ideal for a .winter fixture. The track was heavy and as the day progressed it became very sticky. The attendance was satisfactory, but it would undoubtedly' have been better with a more promising morning. A feature of "the day's racing was that it enabled the Dominion's premier horseman, X; Voitre, to equal H. Gray's Dominion riding record of 116 wins in a season, and there was a big ovation for him. In two subsequent rides, however, he was unable to pass the mark. The totalisator turnover amounted to £840(3 10s for the day, .compared with £10,557 10s on the holiday last year, making a total of £12,506 for the meeting, as against £16,280 5s last year, a decline of £3354 ss. A DECIDED IMPROVEMENT. A very decided1 improvement in form saw Palm comfortably winning the Pukehou Hack Hurdles from the first clay's winner, Adventus. In contrast to the, former occasion, he was not allowed to drift, and when Adventus and Cotsfield had cut each other's throats .out lengths in front he quickly closed the gap and came, home much too strongly from the last hurdle for Advontus, whom he beat by two lengths. Adventus also went a very different race, attempting to carry nearly a Stone more weight out in front, instead of waiting in behind as he did on Friday, but he held on for second money. Vitaphone, a length back third, might have at least paid a dividend had he • jumped better, his fault being a tendency to overjump himself. The judge placed his bracketed mate, Capetown, third, but this "leg" finished last except for Ruanui. Cotsfield was beaten before reaching the straight, and Riianui was always at the rear. The betting in the two days' hurdles is* interesting. On the first day Palm carried £11 10s, straight out to Advefttus's £61 10s, but on Saturday he was ii good favourite with £05 10s" invested for ai win, compared with Adventus's £7S 10s. ' On the place machine the differences were similar. ,An inquiry into "the improvement in form shown by Pahu was held after the race, and the explanation of his connections was accepted. CHANCE COMES AT LAST. •Boon's chance to leave maiden ranks came at last,in the Waikanae Hack Scurry, in which absolutely nothing of account opposed him, and 'he accepted it. He began smartly from the rail position, and he was never caught. . Secrecy, D'Acre, and To Ua were within challenging range nearihg the distance, but .he beat them hpme by a length and a half." The winner is a well-bred three-year-old brown gelding by Pombal from the Absurd mare Ohui, a'sister to Tamatete, Tukia, and Freehold, but, .on what has been .seen, of him yet, lie .is, not in the. same class as that of his redoubtable, relatives. He is owned by his breeder, Mr. W. McA. Duncan, and he is another of the many successful candidates' P. Tilley has produced at Otaki. Secrecy, who was second, ran in halfway down the straight and ■ bumped Weatherzane on to Te Ua, thus effectively settling any chance for a place that they possessed. Count Roussillon came up from the back for third money threeparts of a length away. MORE PATIENTLY HANDLED. Little Doubt, with his rider exercising more patience than on the first day, made short work of his four opponents in the Ta Timi Kara Handicap. He was not sent, along seriously till about three furlongs from home, but once he began his effort lie' quickly drew up to Shootist in the lead and came right away in the straight to win by four lengths. This was the first success this aged Antagonist gelding has had since entering O. Cox's stable .early in the summer, but he paved the way to it with several good efforts, both in public and on the tracks, during the last month. The going on Saturday was just . how he relishes it,, and he has only to strike such a track again during the winter to succeed in much better tfbmpany. , i . Lucky Alice,' though never dangerous, got up in the final strides to cut Shootist out of second money by a, neck. Shootist fought with his young rider for over half a mile before finally pulling his way to the front, ancl it was no wonder he was practically in a walk at the end. Retract was finishing on in fourth place; coming from a long way back. Navaho was again beaten by the' distance. HOT FAVOURITE BEATEN. Thrasher, appearing well treated in the Rangiuru Hack Handicap, was more than twice as well supported as anything else to win,, but, after looking'a prospect entering the straight,-he was beaten out of a place. The winner turned up in the first day's maiden victor, Mercian Prince, who scored in pointless style at nearly double figures straight out. Mercian Prince followed Kotaki- Eka and • Red Flush for nearly . six furlongs, but then was sent along well out on "he track rounding . the turn. He came into the straight lengths clear, and he continued on unchallenged to win by four lengths. He.gallops particularly freely in heayy ground, and he is worth remembering for other events ahead during the winter. Kalmuck, at a good price also, came home solidly down the outer for second money. Red Flush finished better than Thrasher for the other place three lengths further away. Thrasher, after a premising move along the fence just after the field landed- in the straight, shopped over the last hundred yards. Kotaki Eka again began best from the outside, but failed to see the race through. Plateau was beaten by the going. SLIPPERY'S OPEN SIX. In the day's open aprint, the Taipua Handicap, Slippery illustrated once .again that it is often easier to win in open company than among good hacks. He .could do no better than third on Friday in. the latter category, but he accounted for Saturday's race in good style. The field was certainly small, but Farmer was the first day's open sprint winner, and Sir Pombal has several times succeeded in the class. Slippery undoubtedly had the run of the 2'ace. After Good Hunting had. 6et. the early pace he left the fence well open rounding the turn, and Slippery was able to go through to the lead. Sir Pombal, who had drifted to the rear, threw out a challenge in the straight, but he never seriously menaced Slippery's supremacy, being still a length' and a half away at the end. Farmer, three lengths back, just beat Good Hunting-for third money. The victory carried K. Voitre level with 11. Gray's riding record, and there ■was an ovation awaiting this young horseman on his return to the birdcage. HAT-TRICK COMPLETED. Walton Park completed a hat-trick at the meeting for the Opaki trainer, B. Burgess, when he won the Ohau Hack Handicap, for the other two of the three W'nirarapa visitors, West Tor and Kalmuck, had previously been successful, and West Tor was yet to score again. He is a four-year-old brown gelding by Cape, Horn from the useful Kilboy mare Kilceit, having been bred by his owner-

NOTES AND COMMENTS

fffATlfiA.")

trainer, and not having been raced till this season* and ■it looks as if he must certainly go on. to furthers successes. Walton Park came home in the same solid style as his two mates, for all that, as he did himself into third place, on' the first day. Arastar led round the home turn from Dick Whittington, Priscilla Verne, Redtop, .and Bomiie Vale,.in .line . in that order out from the rail, with. Walton Park running up behind them,' but once landed' in the straight Walton Park, racing along the outside, finished over them all to score by a length and' a half from Priscilla'-.Verne, with BonnieVale half a length away third, then Red-: top, Arastar, and Dick Whittington. The winner's was Van exceptionally good performance, and his • recent successes would tend to further the contention that the Cape Horns are best .when, allowed plenty of time in which to mature. Priscilla Verne ancl Bonnie' Vale were best of the others. The former dropped^ back nearing the straight so as riot to be iorced into covering too much ground, but the latter -was asked to traverse1 a lot ot extra ground, yet was still full of running at the ..end. Weight beat the.win favourite,; Dick AVhittington. WEST TOR BRILLIANT. West "Tor ,made- his record three wins, in three1-starts to date when he romped, home- at the head of the ■-Tainui- Hack Handicap. He did his job really brilliantly; ..-and- is a,great find, among the hacks. There wasVno sign of the: lameness that troubled him earlier in the season when he . had his: first: race and his first win. He provided, -the' fourth, success: at the meeting for his trainer, B. Burgess, and the third win for the apprentice rider, C. Carroll.. /■ . . .. . , Early in the race this Australian-bred three-year-old was a bad .last, with Foreign Queen and Arena fighting it out in front, ahead o£- St. Roger and Hunting Lodge. He began to move up very rapidly from the three furlongs, and so quickly did he go that he was in front when they reached the straight, and carried along to win with the utmost ease by four lengths from the little-fancied 'Aroma. ■ ■ ■ ■ Aroma,: just, ahead of the. winner early, followed him, through, and she finished, strongly, too, four,lengths ahead of Hunting Lodge. She paid the best place price of the day. Foreign Queen and Arena settled each other by their. early cutthroat tactics. Voitre, on Hunting /Lodge, failed to pass Gray-s winning, total. RESULTS IN DETAIL. Results of the racing were:— Pukehou • Hack Hurdles; o£ 90 sots ; 1V 2 miles—l-2 Tahu, 11.0 (W. J. Bowden), 1; 2-3 Adventus, 11.0, 2; 3-1 -. Vitaphone, 9.2, 3. Also started: 4-4 Ruanui, 0.9, 3-1 Capetown (1.6 (bracketed with Vltaphone), 6-6 Ramami 9.0, 5-s.,Cotsfleld- car. .9.1.' . Time, 3mtn. li sec.' ' ... - -, ■ . » Waikanae Hack Scurry, of 60 sots ; special weights; --B.- furlongs.—l-1 Boon, .8.5 (B. H. Morris). '-i: 3-4 Secrecy, car. ■ 8.1, 2; 5-a Count'Roussillon, car. 8.8, 3. Also started: <-< D'Acre 8.5. 6-6 Princess Dawn B.a, 4-8 Te Ua 8.5,-.2-2 Weatherzano car. 8.2..■ Time, lmin lOsec. . , . ■.■■',-•!'/■, ■■• ■ TA TIMI KARA ; MEMORIAL HANDICAP, of ' i 130 soys; 9 furlongs. .■ 4—3—Littlß Doubt, 7.11 (J. 8arry):..,... 1 I—2—Lucky Alice;.18.2. (B.H. Morris) ... 2 s—s—Shootist, car. 7.1 (C. Carroll) ...... 3 Also, started: 2-1, Retract 9.2, 3-4 Nayaho car. 7.0.' Time, ,2miri-9 2-ssec., ~.:- : ■.-.- " Rangiuru Hack Handicap, of 70' soys;, 1 mile and 55 yards1.—5-5 Mercian Prince, car. 7.6 (W. E. Bine), 1; 4-3 Kalmuck, car. 8.3, 2; 7-7 Red Plush, 7.0, 3. Also -started: 3-4 Plateau 5.9, 1-1 Thrasher 8.8, 6-6 Chief Line car. 8.0, 2-2 Kotaki Eka car. 7,13. Time, lmin 50 2-ssec. ' . . ■ ■ ■ , Talpua,Handicap, of 110 soys; 6 furlongs.— 1 Slippery, car... 7.9 (K. Voitre), 1; a bir I'ombal, car. 7.0. 2; 2 Farmer, 8.7 3. Also started: 4 Good Hunting 8.2. Time, lmin ITsec. Ohau Hack Handicap, of 70 soys; 7 furlongs. —2-1 Walton Park, 8.7 (S. Anderson), l\3-i Prisrill.i Verne car. 8.2, 2; 5-5 Bonnie \aic, tCT ~Aiso^twted:-, i,^ Dlefe WhitUugWn; 9.0 -&-S Arastar 8,2, 7-7 Re<Uop.;3.o;/8.-8 Dignified March'- 8.0," !>*>,■ Star. Acre S_,o_. 6-6 . Wlllowmjre car.'B.2.?-. Time,, lmin 3i 3-jsec. Tainui Hack Handicap, of 70 soys; 6 furlongs. -1-2 West Tor, car. 7.12 (C. Carroll), 1; 6-6 Aroma, car. 7.1, 21:3-3 Hunting Lodge, 7.11, 3. Also started:.-4-5' Arena 8.10 2-1 Foreign Queen 8.8. 5-4 St. Rofier.car. 5.3. Time, lmin 17 3-ssec.' ■■'-...'■■.. - ,