A COMPLETE RUNAWAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 21, 25 January 1936, Page 22

A COMPLETE RUNAWAY

ETHfOP TAKES DOURO CUP

The Douro Cup, the recognised leading hack event of the season in the Dominion, was a complete debacle for the whole field except the winner, Ethiop, who simply romped home five lengths rhead of his opposition. Such victories are now becoming a rule in this event, only last year Miss Hushabye scoring a runaway victory by eight lengths. Few winners of the race, however, have gone on to great achievement afterwards, and it remains to be seen if Ethiop is an exception.

Ethiop was never further from the front than in second place. Colombo beat him away from the barrier, and after going three furlongs, as he was displacing Colombo, Solaria ran through to the van and opened up a break. Ethiop, however, was soon on his quarters, and once they had landed in fee straight Ethiop went clean away from the field, the race being over a furlong and a half from the post. Ethiop was the first horse at the meeting to record a double success, as he also triumphed in the highweight on the first day. His victory yesterday, and that of Shy, who had been only fourth the first de&, paid high tribute to the quality of the highweight performers at the fixture. As mentioned in the first day's review he is a four-year-old half-brother by Nigger Minstrel to that former useful sprinter Acora, whose colours he also carries, those of his breeder, Mr. A. T. Gatrell, of Marton. To date he has raced on twenty occasions for five wins, and his stake-earnings amount to £569, of which £474 has been gained this season. He is now well out of hack class.

Golden Dart, the first day's apprentices' race winner, was a narrow second over Colombo. Colombo and he were third and fourth respectively in the running to the straight, but in the final stages he did just a shade the better, gaining the larger minor placing by half a head. Both horses ran sound races without being any match for the winner.

The best of the others was Silver Jest, who was one of four horses slow to begin but who finished fast along the outer, though he never reached near the money. The judge, however, placed Blue Garter, another who did not start well, fourth, though she ap- § eared fifth or sixth alongside Solaria, olaria, too, dwelt at the dispatch, but he quickly raced to the lead. Debham was another who was finishing on at the close. The rest, headed by Darecourt, Master Reynard, and Corroboree (last to begin), were some way back. Darecourt received a severe bump after going a furlong,' which settled his chance. The last .to finish was Nightlass. The public selected the horses very near correctly, for Ethiop was a firm favourite over Golden Dart. There was a false start in which Nightlass, Debham, Master Reynard, Colombo, and Golden Dart went about a furlong before being pulled up. Solaria and Blue Garter considerably delayed the dispatch. Windsoreen was badly away, last except for Corroboree.