HIGHWEIGHT UPSET

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 18, 23 January 1939, Page 13

HIGHWEIGHT UPSET

BUMBLE BEATS FAVOURITE

The day's racing was ushered m with the defeat of the favourite and a double-figure win dividend in the Mungaroa Highweight Handicap. The victor was Bumble, who had run quite a good race on the opening day, nishing. just behind. the places,, with the win favourite, Golden Ridge, in second berth and probably unlucky. Bumble, who was ridden by the veteran horseman A. McDonald, was well up throughout a fast-run welter contest, never, further from the front than fourth. Actually, he was third following; Dancing Fliame and Otaki till Pladie , passed him at. the halfmile, arid, after remaining there till the straight, he came through to assume charge below the false rail and then stall off a challenge from Golden Ridge by a couple of lengths. Bumble's only previous success was in a mile hack event.at Waipukurau recently, but he was off the scene last season and has not had a deal of racing. He is well enough bred to win more races, as he is a six-year-old half-brother by Captain Bunsby to Admiral Drake and Francis Drake. He. still parries the colours of his breeder, Mr. F. Armstrong, of Akitio, for whom he is now trained at Awapuni by Mrs. A. W. McDonald. Golden Ridge would probably have won comfortably if he had not been forced back near the five furlongs. He did not appear to be going too happily with horses round about him along the back stretch, after haying been well up till then, and he finally dropped out to the rear. He was last making the turn, but in the straight he came home strongly out in the middle of the track, though he found the winner then with too much of an advantage on him to be caught. Nereus, racing for the first time in the colours of Mr. A. R. Standish, was sixth most of the way, and he finished on best of the others for third, clear of the remainder.

Lustral also finished on for fourth, just cutting Pladie out of the barren honour. Pladie was made rather much use of in the middle stages, and, after weakening badly on straightening for home, he was going on again over the last furlong. Otaki and Dancing Flame both tired, and Patches, nearly as well supported as Golden Ridge, ran. disappointingly. Southern Blood and Great Quex went fair races, but Sunee made no showing whatever. Dancing Flame was racing in the colours of Mr. B. L. Hammond, which is permissible under the Rules of Racing, owing to a bereavement in her owner's family.