TEST OF STAMINA

Evening Post, Issue 11, 13 July 1936, Page 13

TEST OF STAMINA

TRAVELLING AGENT BEST

Well over half the field was scratched for the "Winter, Hurdles, the feature event of the final day, leaving only seven, starters, but it attracted a surprisingly ...large pool, . with Clarion CaU- a very decided ■ favourite, and Travelling Agent, Black Marlin; .and The Smuggler all evenly supported. The 'result- wa.s a clear-cut victory for the, Te. Rapa..representative Travelling Agent,-.an unsound horse whose race on ; the opening day, his first for. over a year, served.all.the public preparation that he required. For a soft track the race was run lat a very fast-.pace, the final time, being, twenty-seconds better than Revision's last ■ year. The Smuggler more than Clarion Call was responsible for this,.and whereas it settled the chances of these .two horses it played into the hands of the winner, who had previously shown that he possesses excellent stamina. Staying ability was put -to .very thorough • test, and of ,this quality Travelling Agent proved to have the longest store. ■'.. , ALWAYS WITHIN RANGE. Travelling Agent was third for over a round, while Clarion Call and then The Smuggler were burning the tracks. Without being forced along as the leaders were he was keeping within easy striking' range of them. The Smuggler quickly tired going into the back after li miles, and two furlongs further on Travelling Agent closed on Clarion Call and jumped, ahead of him at the next fence. Travelling Agent was clear at the half-mile, where Rua£f mi '*l? d 'g6n* "P fast t0 second and Black Marlin-was passing Clarion Call; and. after having Ruaform settled before .the, last fence he soon also broke clown Black Marlin's challenge below the ftnal obstacle, going away over the concluding furlong to win easily by lour lengths. Travelling Agent, though an eight-vear-old, has done very little actual racing, not "having seen the racecourse belore two seasons ago, but last winter he revealed himself to be a fine jumper and stayeiv ; He won at the Te Kuiti Meeting and ,:at the* :Great Northern .Meeting,m successive,starts, but- was ueaten.-nnto-.Becond-.:place; on -the'ifthal day>at Elterslie by ;Black Marlin. That was his final: race prior to his -reappearance atTrehtham last week,'but he had been in work'for sometime at Te Rapa, though,his trainer and part"ZZ^'u J-i?' T vt<-ben, would notice him till the tracks-were soft; which ™ST- have.been a long while hv becoming this winter,. In finishing on irom the rear into fourth/ place in the B?%?» °n Tuesday, he did well,for a first time,up, and on that performance alone he/looked■ certain to go a good race in-r-the "Winter Hurdles, though there was still. vW doubt whether hewould be sufficiently seasoned against • horses -who- had been, racing a lot recently. ■'; He appeared a little tender on putting v?1 on Saturday, so his future must remain' uncertain at present. . ■ •• ' on A 5 he c s.tn «t son of Callaghhnfgrand-1 son of St. Simon), Travelling Agent is the second of the few offspring of h S sire who died in 1931, to make good rliw 311? 1"!! 6 game" The other was Callamart, who won the Grand Nationlt»SSi eS and *e> Great Northern Steeplechase On ; his maternal side Travelling Agent is also bred along gobd jumping lines. His dam is Little footsteps, who earlier left High Commissioner, who finished second to Callamart first time over the country ."»..tte-Great;Northern. Steeplechase. ■Little Footsteps, a half-sister to Ngata an excellent performer on the flat and oyer fences, was by Projectile (son of Torpedo) out of Daisy Paul, by St. Paul out of.Daisy Clipper, by Sou'wester out of Lady Gray, who was ?w°L an h,? iaiK- xt iis a family that Mr ; = J. BtUl, of. Hunterville, has had for -many years- and Travelling Agent was bred by Mr: Bull. In al^ Saturday's, victor, who -is owned in partnership by Messrs.^. Grant, A. Miller, and :his trainer,: has. raced only ten times, and he has had three successes,- earning a sum of ■' £720' in SvQKGS*. -. - ' .- ' AUCKLAND.DIVIDENDS..' Black Marlin, the. Trentham Hurdles Vl?S^Pl nsihX* for "another solid, effort, but the winner improved too. much for him: -He was racing on l^rn° Ui er/ f felling Agent till six furlongs from home, But was unable" \?j2Ot we ?f cc with him from &at stage. He attempted a challenge over the. v concluding, stage, but was easily .disposed of. His second placing made it a. real Auckland triumph. . v-S!J al« mi'1 fg^lfsAgfos further away, went after the■ winner .from the halfmile, but,he had.ceased to be troublesome •before the last fence. Stamina, af, he showed he possesses at. Wanganui, alsp.aidedliun to gain his placing, but owmg to the greatly reduced site of the field he did not secure a dividend. Clarion Call simply had to yield to better horses, but he might have been m the.money,if he.had not been taken on by The Smuggler almost'from the start. His fencing was brilliant at first, but he did not jump so well over the closing stages when he was tiring. £**L rth was three' lengths . behind ..and-did well for a horse having bis. SuiA* 8?- this winter- The Smuggler settled his_ own chance by big early ihSVnJ'f $2"? bl£ his -onnecti^ns thought that that was S,e best way in lT^ Cb "t0 «et«e Marion Call for he had proved his stamina on the flat, .lournet. who made several. mistakes m_fencingi-was outclassed. The ride on the winner was a lucky one for J; F. Fergus, as J. Mcßae .weighed out to ride the horse but was kicked by Ruaform after going round ,-to the. post and had to relinquish the mount Red Sun also had a late change- of- riders, R. Smith taking C Thomsons place when Thomson was injured by his fall off Forest Glow in the July Steeples. There was an inquiry after the race, and Fergus was cautioned for going over too quickly on to Black Marlin after the field had traversed about five furlongs