MONSTER DIVIDEND

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

MONSTER DIVIDEND

MISURINA UPSETS FORM

There was a real Trentham upset in the Belmont Handicap, with which the day's racing concluded and which was run in heavy rain. Misurina sprang a rare surprise at nearly three parts of a century straight out, and he and the second horse, Tom-Tom, were at double figures a place. The racing conditions by the time this event came up for decision were very bad, and so it was that the form was all wrong. Neither of the first pair raced on the first day, and TomTom was started here in preference to in the Trial Stakes only because of the large field in the novice event. Misurina ran away with the stake at the close. He was never far from the leaders, arid was about eighth to re&cn the straight. Hardly anyone on the course appeared to know what the horse was that raced clear at the distance, and there were the usual shouts of astonishment when the dividend was hoisted. ■ . Misurina possessed speed early in his career but did not stay. After being off the scene for over a year he reappeared in gentleman riders' events last winter, leased by the Hastings amateur Mr. N. A. Cowrie, who won the Corinthian Plate on him himself at the Hawke's Bay Winter Meeting. That he was better than this grade he sh6wed by dead-heating with Barley Almond over a distance at Wanganui in the spring. His more recent form, however, was not so good, hence few gave him a thought on Saturday. Tom-Tom, the half-sister to Catalogue, came from nowhere over the last furlong to beat Vadanoe for second. This mare also recorded a surprise second at Awapuni in July, and she looks overdue for her first success. A feature of all her efforts is her final run. Vadanoe followed Rowana, White Gold, and Lady Chat into the straight and hung on best of the leaders for the other dividend. Dark Eagle came from the ruck for fourth and was possibly unlucky. o*?^ Sigurd, Gay Artist, and White Gold were nearest of the remainder at the post, Rotoma finishing through the field and Gay Artist coming again after a bad check shortly after the start. Lady Chat and Hagen were among the leaders on the home turn, but both stopped in the going. Trebor was always badly placed in the middle of the field. Flying mud probably accounted for some of the failures in this race. White Lady's rider, for instance, returned to the birdcage with his face plastered in dirt.