BRILLIANT EFFORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 99, 24 October 1938, Page 13

BRILLIANT EFFORT

COUNTERBLAST IN SPLINT

Counterblast heralded her return to the racing arena by winning the AwaItea Handicap at her second appearance following a spell of nearly two years. iAt her first start in the hack sprint on the opening day last week she ran a highly creditable' race from the outside marble in the big field, and the improvement that that outing effected in her enabled her to vanquish a strong open sprint field on Saturday. This race was run in very thick ram and it was next to impossible to discern the colours till the horses were approaching the straight. What happened in the early stages was known only to the riders of the respective horses. , ■ Counterblast finished on most resolutely of the leaders. The vanguard running across to the straight comprised Mittie, Hollicker (on rail), Old Surrey, Brunhild, and Majority, with Counterblast outside them all. Counterblast continued her effort out on the track, and she was too brilliant under her light weight for her opponents, whom she beat by well over a length. As a two-year-old Counterblast won two juvenile handicaps at Trentham in the spring at her first two starts. Then at Riccarton she was narrowly beaten by Francis Drake in the Welcome Stakes and was second again on one of the later days. Knee trouble then came against her and she did not race again till last week. Her record thus comprises three wins, two seconds, and a fifth in six starts, for £875 in stakemoney, and if she remains sound more successes should not be long in coming her way. , . Counterblast, who is the second winner for the estate of the late Sir Charles Clifford, is a four-year-old daughter of the Archery horse Jericho and the Antagonist mare Counterscarp, the dam also of Countermarch, Counterplay, and Tunneller. Jericho, who has not had many horses yet representing him, is now at the Stonyhurst Stud. Majority ran up to his first day's form, and after being always prominent he was a worthy second. He is back to his best again and is due for an early success. He may take high rank among the sprinters this season. Mittie went an improved race for a good place price. She was the early leader from a wide marble, and, like Majority, she should not be long in having her next turn. Rollicker was second to reach the straight, but he finally weakened into fourth. As it was his first race since July he made a promising showing and he is worth remembering for events ahead. Of the others Old Surrey and Brunhild were best, but they had full opportunity. Peter Beckford and Gay Chou headed the bunch. Gay Chou did not justify his favouritism, but he was palpably inconvenienced by the slippery track under his weight. Florence Mills appeared to get away well enough, but after being handy to the course she dropped right out of it. Alunga, one of the first day's deadheaters, was never sighted.

Iddo had to show improvement on his first day's form to win the Rimu Hurdles, but he proved capable of doing so over the quarter-mile shorter distance and on the rain-dampened track. Though he was still well supported it was evidently not a very popular win, as there was a breathless hush as he trotted through the birdcage on his return to the weighing enclosure.

Iddo infused more enthusiasm into his job on this occasion. Always within easy range, he dashed up to second place following Beau Galiante after jumping the fence near the five furlongs, and from the last fence he outstayed his pacemaker by a length and a half.

On appearance .Jddo was certainly the picture horse of the hurdle fields at the meeting. Except for his lapse last Thursday, his recent form has been more consistent than it was last season. He is a versatile performer, as he is just as liable to win on the flat as over fences. He has done all his racing in the colours of his breeder-trainer, Mr. W. J. Wood, of Hastings, who once tried hard to sell him, but, somewhat luckily as it has turned out, could find no one willing to give the price he asked. Beau Galiante was another to improve a great deal on his Thursday's form, when he was one of the first horses to tire and was last home. The shorter distance and that race served him. He assumed charge from Ambition at the seven furlongs and then saw out the rest of the journey well. Pango, moving up alongside Silver Sight following the leading pair at the second last fence, hung on better over the shorter distance for third. Ambition drifted a bit in the middle section, but was finishing on better than Pango again a close fourth. Silver Sight, a hot favourite, failed after having every chance, but under his extra weight he did not try to leave the field as he did on the first day, which Iddo showed might well have been done. Southern Blood settled his prospects with two bad jumps. The rest were always tailed off.