SUNEE'S SURPRISE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 19, 23 January 1937, Page 22

SUNEE'S SURPRISE

■■ ~ I RACING CLUB HANDICAP With big dividends coming frequently during the early races, it was only in order,- though costly for the bulk of investors, that an outsider should win the main event on the card, the Wellington Racing Club Handicap. This was the last horse on the list, the Trentham owned and trained Sunee, who carried No. 13 saddlecloth and returned his supporters over a score on the straight-out machine. In most years the Racing Club Handicap has seen the Wellington Cup minor-place form in the ascendancy, but it was not so this year. Neither Lowenberg nor Tunneller, second and third respectively in the Cup, could gain a place yesterday. It is only rarely that a fresh horse comes home in this race. Sunee was such, but he would undoubtedly have been a Cup acceptor and runner if the stable had not had Essex in that race, though in the end the three-year-old was not a starter. .. LOWE'S THIRD WINNER. It is interesting to note that the Wellington Racing Club Handicap is a race in which the veteran Trentham. trainer J. W. Lowe, now ah octogenarian, has had an excellent record of success. Back in 1922 he won it with Insurrection. four years ago he captured the prize with Red Sun, and now sunee has made his third winner in fifteen years, all in his own colours. No other owner or trainer jn the long history of the race, extending over fifty years, has had three victories. Sunee's success was the result of a confident piece o£ riding by C. Goulsbro\ Passing the stands Sunee was last." Entering the back Goulsbn? took him up very fast, and at the six furlongs he was already racing into second place ■ behind Tunneller and in front of Tiger Gain. At the half-mile Sunee was practically on terms wiln the leader, and the pair came to the straight together. Despite the effort Ihat had been exacted from him, Sunee was still full of running, and when Tunneller and Tiger Gain stopped after passing the false rail, leaving him well clear, he was capable of remammg on the stage and continuing on to win decisively bjr a length and a quarter from Argentic.' ■ ' „ Ordinarily such handling would have settled a horse's chance in a field; ol this class. But stereotype tactics had so often failed with this rather disappointing gelding that something unusual was worth trying. It was an invigorated Sunee that dashed up so brilliantly along the back and then kept going solidly till the post was past. He recently failed to make any showing comparable to this when taken .. to Auckland, but since his return he had been giriloping better than Essex at nearly every trial they had had together. , His performance yesterday was mote in line with the effort that gained him third place behind Argents and Master Brierly lh the last C.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap. Now six years old, Sunee has won races in his turn, but generally his good patches have been widely separated. He once previously sprang such a surprise at Trentham when he won the -Champion Hack Handicap, over the same distance as yesterday's, race, and left hack ranks while still being weighted down on the minimum. He is well enough bred to stay, being by Australian Sun (a sire for whom Lowe has always had a weak spot) l from the Earlston mare Bunee, so that he is a half-brother to Belgamba, triple St Leger (V.R.C., A.J.C., and S.A.J.C.) winner, and he hails from the same family as Patron (Melbourne Cup), Patroness (Sydney Cup), San Fran (Sydney Cup and A.J.C. Metropolitan), Malt Kins, Whittier, etc. He was bought privately as a yearling in Sydney for Lowe by the trainer F. McGrath, and he has paid his way with seven wins and nihe minor places in 56 starts to date for ,£1482 in stakes. ARGENTIC'S IMPROVEMENT. Argentic ran a much-improved race on the better going, and he was always in a threatening position. In the early portion he was already running up* sixth, and he remained thereabouts till nearing the straight, when he came on solidly to cut down everything except the winner, who was thus, reversing Metropolitan tables. Argentic is a different horse on firm ground from what he is on easy or dead going. Another to run in better style, was Scotland, who was a place or two behind Argentic all the way and then came through solidly in the straight to deprive Flood Tide of third money less than a length back. Flood Tide, though he showed form more in line with his northern reputation, was still not the horse he evidently can be, and he was in fourth place rather because the others tired than through any particular merit in his own effort. He must have had third money taken off him right on the post. Spiral was again finishing on a close fifth, but he never looked dangerous after failing to keep position in the early stages. Lowenberg, a big favourite, was going like a winner third or fourth till the straight, but his finish

was weak a*nd probably the Cup race took more out of-him than was suspected. Queen of Song was never able to better her position, and Davolo ran just moderately. Tunneller, who took the lead from Tiger Gain leaving the straight, came round to the straight again in front and then stopped, as also did Tiger Gain. Guarantee and Ingenuity were always in rearward positions. It was a well-rated contest. The first three furlongs took 41Jsec, the next half- | mile 52£ sec, and the final half-mile 49 sec.