THE WHYTE HANDICAP

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 9, 11 July 1934, Page 8

THE WHYTE HANDICAP

DAVOLQ WINS DECISIVELY

Davolp, already well known to Trentham patrons'.for- his Donrb- Cup win on the course last. January,, completely: upset general calculations. in j the. Whyte Handicap,, the, big toiler of, the. Winter Meeting. His win was achieved, in very hollow vfashjpn, by three and a half lengths, and he. made the. fourth double-Sgure straightout winner during the day, thus adding to the consternation of those who have so aptly termed Ti-entham the "Punters' Graveyard."l'"' ':: ■ .. ■.■ -;

Davolo drew the handy No. 5 marble, and, beginning., smartly,, he. .was. always within easy; range Of the. front. Lord Val and Rebel; Star, were the only pair to jump ; out., with. more; alacrity, and Rebel Star settled' down to, ' lead Lord .'Val; Dayolo,' Lady Spy, Ida Merling, View Halloo;' Gurie, and Ruri. Lord Val, on the rail,' was steadied, and with half the journey traversed'-Rebel' Star was' two lengths in front, of Daroto, Ida Merling, and. Lady .Spyl together,: then Lord Val, Cui-ie^ Ruri,, View- Halloo, and Gaiusfid. The leaders; were- the same approaching the straight, , but once on the home stretch Davolo, Curie, and Lord' • Vat issued.: theiKA eliimsi i,. Weight-.- told oil CuriE, .who. hung in' on Lord .Va,l,,..but Davolo, continuing his' challenge, passed the leader more- than a furlong from the popt and caitiferon toiHvtw -in.very: decisive fashion,-. '■• \-;:v;..; ; .-:i:. ;■■:.'.-.-'.'..i:'.-:

Itjs the wljijn, o£ foi-tune that tlie Christchurch: ownec ofjDay.olo (Mr.,P.-]f. Catnj>. bell) should spi quickly ■ have found, a wovtliy substitjute &>r. Comp.ris, who was sold to go to. India nearly two years a'gbl Davolo will probably prove'an even better horse 'than ever '.Compris was, as -he is only^;three-years:-ojd now. -He' is a bay gelding- by PombaJ'from the Royal Lancec mare. Jinprudeßee.-who was imported by Mrw Gt^M~Guixie in utero; of her^daro, the Juggernaut mate JoanJaiCi,'dam also of the Ajt-C. Ea^tes.,w,}naer Jpnathani .He was, Imprudence's" first foal, and at the 1932 Trentham.; -; sales;. Mr. , Campbell" obtained him.at 40g>, i*.,real bargain price,, as he has. ahjeady' wqn ' £1069 10s (includingl a £3ff trophy at Greymouth) in; stakes for his'nine .wins ai\d -five'placings in twentynine starts. All his racing- except an<ttppearance as.>a -two-yeac-old has been done during the. present term. ■■■

Rebel.. Star^ another/ Riccarton representative, Uyed. up :to-.Jiis' reputation of being, a fine-class ..horse, iv- the makings, for, heklieat the, rest of ycsterday!s good field , j'usC .'as, easily as he himself was. beaten. ■ He was always going' smoothly out infroiitt and had the winner not been iii the; field he; would have recorded an excellent win.. Jn bis-latest -racing this four-year-old son of Robespierre has- not had £ny..of. A his,;share. of^Juck, for at Auckland he^'was J tVicejusti beaten aiiil "once fourth »,:%ree:.starts,- but,his, turn, may weltcftmerUeiore ,the,pr.esent meeting conclMejs: "He carries, the qoloiu's'of the wellkno^yn'trotting trainer-J.; 8. Sfiaw.- ■■'• '>■■ , Lord" Valil wh'6 .was-third' tw'6 lengths futtheij'bacK,* drew1 the raU/-and' was -well placed'falls the- way,'^so- that lie certainly didt'-notlaefcforifull opportuijityv He #prr peare.4ito;.|ttid it difficult to- hold^his position early," and was steadied, but he was looming':up;dangerous at the- head' of the "straight,. >As he 3 began his final. effort, hojweverj Clurichung in. on him, and this might, meant the difference "between Second.aid third placirigs, but he' never had - thej slightest'cbaae'e with the winner:

Prince Val; 'who was bracketed ■ with. Lord Val, though .they now run in different' colours;; came home fast from the middle of the field and just failed to .deprive: big former stablemate of the third placing. His was an effort that might 'well bear remembering for* the later days of the meeting. Curie, a solid first favourite, was always running well v.\>, but he had drawn wide and was never able to get over near the'fence, in the straight he threw out a valiant challenge, but he was tired and ran in on his field, and his rider- (A. ,E. Ellis) had to straighten him. Even when so beaten, .however, he stuck on grimly and was right up in fifth place at the post.- The backing he received amply justified the estimate the handicapper took'about him.

Gainsfid, Gustavo,' aiid View Halloo were the nearest, pf. the remainder... Gainsfid and View; Halloo ran useful races in forward positions, but Gustavo came from further back. Royal Bengal, Guarantee, and.'Red Sun were also running on at the end. AH these three; as well as Gay Court, Copper King, and Protomint, were slow in beginning. Ida Merling arid Lady Spy, who were prominent till they readied the straight, failed to come on! over, the critical . stage. The well-fancied King Mus^iU favoured in the draw, was noticed running up wide out on the-track in, the middle,, stages,..but apparently he could not get in near the. fence and he finally faded, again from tlje scene. With a better passage he /may make some amends before the meeting' is over.