CLASS ABOVE REST

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

CLASS ABOVE REST

, MARTARA CHAMPION HACK Class won the day when Martara carried top weight to victory in the Douro Cup Handicap. The field was evenly balanced rather than strong in quality for this premier hack prize in the. annual calendar, but it was of a sufficient standard to test the calibre of the three-year-old. who emerged from the contest with colours flying high. Martara thus keeps a hundred per cent, winning record in two appearances on the Trentham track. One cannot recall an occasion when a three-year-old won this contest with a higher impost than Martara carried, though it might have been done in the earlier days of the race. The best prior performance by a horse of the age in the last two decades was Heremia's success under 9.0. Martara carried 9.2, and, with "G. R. Tattersall back in his saddle, he must have had a couple of stone dead weight, which further enhances the merit of the victory. Martara, from No. 11 marble, made a fair beginning, but several of those on his inner were faster away and he had to stay out on the track. At the end of a couple of furlongs Petersham had taken charge from War Lap, Lady Ina, and The Buzzer, and the three-year-old was then ranging up on the outer of The Buzzer. At the half-mile he was alongside Lady Ina, and on reaching the straight he was third to Petersham and Lady Ina. with The Buzzer, Terry, and Willie Win' following in hard pursuit. Martara's test came,, when the leading pair could not carry on and he was. left in front with- still two furlongs to go. The Buzzer threw out a resolute challenge and Martara had to be kicked up to his job, but he showed no sign of flinching- and over the closing section he always had The Buzzer measured, going on to beat his three-year-old rival by three parts of a length. Whether or not Martara was unlucky not to have been placed in the Great Northern »erby will always be a disputed point, but-he is without much doubt among the best three-year-olds in the Dominion this season. He is proving a splendid advertisement for his sire, the Martian horse Martarma, whose previous winners have not lifted themselves above the ordinary. His present owner, Mr. C. W. Boyd, holds him only on lease from his northern owner, who bought him for 20 guineas at the yearling sales two years ago, but he is finding it a very profitable lease, for the chestnut has already won £665 in stakes for him with five firsts in a dozen appearances. His vast improvement since he was a two-year-old pays tribute to the skill of the Awapuni trainer G. W. New, for from apparent mediocrity he has climbed to rank as one of the most promising handicappers at present in the land. , . , The Buzzer, having only his second start beyond a sprint course, went very near repeating his staying win at Awapuni at Christmas. His rider, B. H. Morris, had to work for a good position in the first two furlongs, but after reaching there he was able to hold it till it was necessary to lodge his final claim. He was unlucky indeed to run up against such a good horse as the winner is. Stratosphere, who was third a length and a half back and at a double-figure place dividend, was the first to show out at the start, but he disappeared within half a furlong and had to come home from half the line back at the straight entrance. Cerne Abbas was also finishing very fast out on the track a close fourth; and so was the fifth horse Corroboree, who was squeezed out at the start and was most unlucky not to be one of the place-getters. ■ " The others generally were outclassed. Helen Ford,made up some ground belatedly, but Lady Ina and Petersham both stopped as soon as they reached the straight. Terry held a good position all the way without improving, and Willie Win's was a similar case, except that he was forced over extra ground. High Glee was badly away, even worse than Corroboree, and Cape Gabo also failed to make the best of beginnings. War Lap was prominent for a couple of fur--1 longs, but Nightlass and Day Dress were never in the picture.