ROYAL TOAST SCORES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 14, 17 July 1939, Page 13

ROYAL TOAST SCORES

HAWKE'S BAY HUNT

PADISHAH'S LIKELY FORM

(Special to the ""Evcninjj rost.")

HASTINGS, July 13

Fvoyal Toast opened up a big break in the. first half-mile of the Harolc Russell Memorial Challenge Cup, the feature event at the Hawke's Bay Hunl Clubs Annual Meeting today, and he was never headed. Throughout the race he jumped well, and, though ne was inclined to chance a few of the brush fences, he otherwise gave a really sound display and must be hard to beat in his coming engagements ir this class of race. The diminutive Acron was always in second place, well clear of the rest umil challenged by Blue Tiger at the lasi fence. The latter's rider, however, tried to squeeze through on the inner where there was quite obviously nc room, and, as a result, Blue Tiger was forced across the wing, through which he fell, A. Lord breaking his collarbone. But for that Blue Tiger must have been second, though it is mosl unlikely that he would have caught Royal Toast. Count Willonyx was n poor third from Sabatini and Given. Umpire ran off at the first fence and Hiiaria wa;* pulled up. AT A FALSE PRICE. Contact, who had been off the winning list for three seasons, staged a big surprise jn the Otane Hurdles and paid almost two score, but he was at a false price for he showed pace for v mile when he returned to racing at Hastings last month and had since schooled well. His victory, however, w;js due mainly to a great jump he made at the last fence, which Birkology hooked badly when in the lead with Tigreterre. He reached the front inside the distance, but Begorrah, who had made several bad jumps, came along with a late run and failed oniy by inches. Tigreterre, however, looked unlucky to lose, for he made a fast run down the back and was going into the lead when he hit the hurdle at the half-mile *and'that must have taken a lot of the sting out of him. Birkology's jumping was patchy, but he ran a good race for a novice and is sure to improve with the experience. There was a-lot of money for De Friend, but he did not jump at all well, and Harbour Bar stopped to a walk after leading to-the-half-mile. A PROMISING SORT. Black Majesty, who showed a lot of pace in the Trial Plate at Trentham, was hopped out smartly in the Okawa Maiden and he was never headed, although he was pressed all the way by the hot favourite Harina, who was a little slow off the mark. Harina looked likely to come through when heads were turned for home, but she could not make any impression on the Defoe colt, who looks likely to prove useful next season, Harina really had every chance, but she is still green and ran wide into the straight. The third horse was Etla, a littlefancied Arausio filly who stood at the post at her only" previous start. Laughing Song was again running on. but she was well enough placed on the turn to have won had she been good enough. Tideway showed a lot of pace from wide out and finished fifth with Yogi, who ran his best race to date and was finishing on. Modern Way was next. AN OVERDUE WIN. Vigorously ridden over the last fifty yards, Le Toquet got up in the last stride to beat the pacemaker. The Ring, in the Riverslea Handicap. It was a bumping race in the straight, and the favourite. Raana. stopped a bad check just as they straightened up. However, Le Toquet. was always handy beside Raana, in behind The Riftg and Shani, and he came away well when called upon. The Ring was raced in blinkers, but as the new rule does not come into operation until next month her owner was fined £1. She struck very gamely to her task, failing only in the last stride. Anini finished on to cut Raana out of third money. There was support for Marsyas, but he was never closer to the rails than four horses out and he weakened into fifth place. . . A judicial inquiry was held into interference suffered by Raana, the favourite. It was found that this was caused by The Ring's running about in the straight. C. G. Goulsbro', rider of The Ring, was exonerated, it being considered that he did his best to control the filly, who was wearing blinkers. THE FAVOURITE FAILS. Once more Inheritance let his admirers down with a crash, for he was voted a certainty for the Soutra Hunters' Flat. After momentarily flattering his admirers as they straightened up, he turned the game in and could not even finish second, being cut out of that position in the last fifty yards by Hethers. Lacan, who ran a good race at Dannevirke recently, dashed past Hethers and Inheritance half a mile from home, and this half-brother to Chief Ranger hung on well to win decisively. He is ! susceptible to still further improvement. , __. Hethers would not have beaten the winner, but he might have been a closer second had not Inheritance bumped him badly at the distance. The others were well beaten. CROSS ON TERMS. There was a desperate finish in the Waitangi Hack Handicap, and the judge gave it a dead head between Lindrum and Halley, though it looked as if Lindrum still had his head in front at the post. Lindrum did not begin at all well, and for that matter neither did Halley, while the well-backed Hunting Royal was always in trouble and had to come from an impossible position over the last two furlongs. Lindrum made a smart run across the top into third position behind Quilp and Gay Laura, but, with these horses collapsing, he was left in front below the distance, where Haile Selassie, Halley, and Royal Spades were right up with him. Ridden right out, Halley closed on Lindrum in the last few strides and they passed the post practically together. Gay Laura just ke*>t Hunting Royal out of third money, with Haile Selassie and Morning Flight next. Gold Ballad was never sighted. A CONSISTENT SORT. j Hunting Mint, whose recent racing] J has been over middle distances, proved j too good for the sprinters in the Tiko-] kino Handicap. She was well back in the mididle stages but secured a nice run through on the rails as the leaders swung out at the straight entrance, where First Chapter, Royal Minstrel, and Fossicker were most prominent. Finishing like a train down the fence, she came through to win going away from Granvale, who came home better than Royal Minstrel. First Chapter was fourth, but he iheld that position by inches only from the Grand National candidate Padishah, who had stood up the leaders thirty lengths at the three furlongs. Padishan simply flew over the last furlong and a half.. Black Thread, a hot favourite, was never in the hunt.