MAT PROVE HARDER

Evening Post, Issue 36, 12 February 1935, Page 6

MAT PROVE HARDER

HAZOOR AND CHERRY KING

(Special from "Early Bird.") WANGANUI, This Day. The Taranaki Cup at New Plymouth 1 last week was a very fine contest indeed, I and it was not surprising to find the lightI weight Person beating the good ones. For he was better suited by this track than Hazoor and Cherry King, who followed lura homo, but on a larger course both Cherry King and Hazoor might have headed him. The last - three-year-old to win the Taranaki Cup was Surveyor, who scored 15 years ago, when the race was run over a mile and a half. Fersen was bought by his trainer, 0. Cox, in Victoria on behalf of Mrs. Walter Graham, of New Plymouth, for the express purpose of winning the Taranaki Cup. Plans made so gallantly in Turf contests go very astray in 09 per cent, of cases, but happily this one was brought to fruition in quick time, for fersen has not been" in the Dominion more, than three months. His Taranaki Cup success'was well achieved, for he covered more^ .ground than' anything in the race, but it; was this factor .that proved "the winning point, for 'the -colt was kept out of trouble. In.'sUbtt, 'Fersen' was better built than' either "Haioor or Cherry King 'to negotiate the Taranaki track, and his jockey, H. N. Wiggins, appreciated this to the full. Fersen is engaged in the Egmont Cup, after which he may go to Te Aroha. - It is an interesting sidelight on the Dominion's industrial activities that it exports wool and imports manufactured woollen goods made from the very fleeces sent overseas. So it-is, with our thoroughbred breeding industry, which is a very similar case in point, i Out best yearlings are too expensive for local buyers, so they go to Australia at almost fabulous pnees, only the unwanted youngsters, selling fairly cheaply, being left for Dominion owners. These are not sufficient to meet Dominion requirements, so Australian youngsters and older horses are purchased- for racing in New Zealand. Fersen is a lecent. striking case; and another is the Auckland owner" who has made handsome profits through the purchase of three Australian horses in British Columbila, Velocipede, and Triune. The , value of ■ the Taranaki Stakes to the Taranaki Jockey Club was well'illustrated last week. Stakes candidates were lined up in the eprint the first day, a field that was good enough for any metropolitan course, and it' provided a very fine race." It was pleasing to record the success of Mr. Q. M. Curries fine filly Burnish, who was perhaps the best two-year-old last season, about on a par with Gay Blonde. Her recent running at Trentham was the first sign of returning form that she had given, arid she proved herself by winning the Taranaki sprint. In this effort the Limond filly did not handle, the turning course at all well, but it was' her brilliancy and gameness that enabled her to get up and snatch victory from Diatomous on the post. The Taranaki Stakes on Saturday, run under weight-f or-age,. saw Mother Superior score a very easy win, clearly indicating that t she is back to her very best. Her effort'was a big improvement on her showing the previous week' at Wanganui, and on both occasions the course was hard, whereas when she won on the final day of I the Auckland Summer Meeting the course I was very Bloppy. Diatomous tried .to win all the way, but after a sharp 'struggle | inside the distance he had to yield to the filly, whose effort -was comparable to any performance registered in the history of I this sprint classic. Cherry King commenced galloping in the Taranaki Cup only when the race was all but over. It waa the same on the second day, when, though opposed by only tour moderates, he .was still beaten. He i failed to negotiate the home turn at all well and v it seems obvious that he was not suited by the turning New Plymouth track. If he is started in the Egmont Cup .there'may be' a * different story. I Panlog is a good sort of galloper to keep on side in the'hack classes. He beat a very poor maiden field pointless the first day. at New-Plymouth., covering a lot o£ ground, and it'looked as if he was a good .thing; beaten, on*, the. second day,, for he' was carried wide at the home^urn arid wasjtah narrowly beaten by a horse, that came home the shortest-route. Pa'hloff is a decided possibility at Hawera. * , . Slowness in'leaving the barrier and then being forced to cover a lot of. extra ground accounted; for Note Issue's defeat by Hororata on the opening' day. On the secoud day she waa hopelessly left, through no fault perhaps of the rider or hdtse, and she was in the rear,the whole* way. Note Issue has a lot of speed, and in view of her splendid effort on'the first day it seems that she must Boon win a hack sprint. The. northern galloper Monanui was produced in the main event on Saturday, and she received a very rough spin. In the first place she was a trifle-slow to begin; and that meant that she was in the rear

throughout. llidcing the home turn' she went to go up on the inside of Pomp, but the latter came over and nearly brought her down. She was going so well at the time that it appealed as it she might have played a part in the finish, but she will be tried out again in the Egmont Cup. Link Divine had her first race at Ellerslie at the end of November (Triune beating her a head) and her second at New Plymouth last Thursday. In the latter she displayed greenness and actually did well to finish third, so that she will be a hard proposition to beat if produced on the second day at Hawera. Lady Kyra is a smart filly, but she was very sore when she went out to contest i the sprint last Thursday and so her fourth was quite a smart effort. If she is produced at all at Hawera she may pay, to follow, for according to all accounts there is a wonderful sole of ■grass on that course and this will favour the horses that have been displaying evidence of tenderness. Rust pulled very hard in the middle stages of the highweight on Thursday, and she got into a rather bad position just before the home- turn was reached. Therefore, her, winning effort was a good one, even if she only just won, for she had to come from a long way back. She got into a hopeless position again on the second day, and with her extra weight she had to stay there. She should play a part in middle-distance handicaps in the future, *in lields where the best horses are missing. Her stablemate Pomp . cracked 'up badly in the Taranaki Cup, and he is evidently a moody fellow. A horse making his reappearance on .the first day last week after a lengthy spell and then running a fine race was Ruri, who covered a lot of ground in the highweight and then finished a good fourth. Ruri looks well and he may show up in his engagements at Hawera this week. Having her first race, Lady Eka showed plenty of pace in Thursday's maiden, and although she weakened into third place the effort was certainly encouraging in view of. the fact- that she ran greenly.