MISHNA ATTRACTIVELY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 90, 13 October 1939, Page 11

MISHNA ATTRACTIVELY

MASTERTON WINNER

BRUNHILD'S SPRINT UPSET

In the past form in the open events at the Masterton Racing Club's Spring Meeting has generally been profitable following at the bigger fixtures of the late spring; and the winning performance of .Mishna in the Masterton Handicap on the opening day of this year's gathering yesterday was so attractive that he might prove no exception to the usual rule. He is engaged in the Wainui Handicap at Trentham next Thursday! and he also remains in the New Zealand Cup with the minimum. Twelve • months ago Arctic King won the New Zealand Cup after a similar success at Masterton. Mishna was first to move yesterday, but he was soon "reefed back, and when the field settled down he was racing in fifth place, following Corroboree, Lucullus Lad# Winsome Lv, and Might, with Gay Chou outside him. Might ran up to the leader on.the turn, but once in the straight Mishna facilely moved forward to assume charge, and he soon opened a break that made Gay Chou's late challenge always next to hopeless. Mishna, a six-year-year entire son of Rabbi, was having his first race since his two good seconds to Haughty Winner and Tooley Street respectively at the .Grand National Meeting in August, and he made it apparent that he has done well in the meantime. He is a horse who has always raced well on roomy tracks, two seasons ago winning the Douro Cup and Kelburn Handicap at Trentham, and only last July being in that sensational finish in which Saki was disqualified. Gay Chou came home strongly over the final furlong and a half, but he had let Mishna secure ..too big an advantage by that stage to menace him. Except that he was going over a bit of ground, he was always handily placed. Arctic King put in the best work of anything in the last furlong, which got him up for third in the last stride. He was a long way back entering the straight, and, with little chance of an opening coming, he was finally moved off the fence. This race should do him much benefit. Winsome Lv, third to the straight, just lost that placing. Corroboree, a surprise favourite, dashed clear after a furlong but tired into fifth. Dainty Sue was doing good , work in sixth berth right at the close, being well back till the last furlong. Hinerawe was a shade disappointing, as she had her opportunity. Might and Lucullus Lad faded. Siegmund was slow away and never prominent. AN UNUSUAL PERFORMANCE. There was no recent winning form in the Grandstand Handicap, the day's open sprint, and the least expected of what form there was to materialise was that of Brunhild, who had not won a race since scoring in the Oaks two years ago, an effort that seemed to get to bottom in her. However, it was Brunhild who scored, as rank outsider of the six starters.' • Brunhild was very mulish at the start and would not go ndar the tapes. Finally she was moving back behind the field at the jump, but inside a furlong she raced round to the front and she remained there. It was an unusual performance in open class and very different from her form at Hastings last week. Flammariori, third.but well back turning for home, came along the outer to run the winner to half a length. Lady Montana just got up to cut Race Call out of third, Race Call chasing Brunhild but dying near the post. Matoru ran only fairly. The favourite, Globe Trotter, was a disappointment, as, though he drifted back to last early, he seemed unable to go at all when asked for an effort in the last two furlongs. This form would not win races at metropolitan meetings. A STABLE MONOPOLY. The parading of the Trentham stablemates, Enrich and Absolve, who race in different interests, had the public in a bit of a quandary in the Nursery Handicap, but those who cut the Gordian knot by backing the pair collected both dividends and showed a fair profit. Enrich looked as though he definitely should have won, but Absolve swept up on the outside and had the measure of the most dangerous of the stable's rivals, Miss Hallomet, from just inside1 the last furlong. Absolve was having his first race and ran very greenly in the early portion, zigzagging about the track from the rail draw, but he came home true out on the course. As he is the stable candidate who was not accepted for the handicap event at Trentham next week, he is not liable to receive any penalty, as his only acceptance is in the Wellesley Stakes. He is the first of the Solicitor Generals to race and he Teintroduces the colours of Captain B. H. Edkiris, who owned Dole and other good horses. Enrich, though also a bit slow, to begin, was well placed by the time they reached the straight, and his effort after being passed by his stablemate was enlightening. He is engaged in both the Taita Handicap and the Wellesley Stakes next Thursday, and he may now run in the former. Miss Hallomet showed a good turn .of speed out in the van, but she was at the mercy of the Trentham pair half-way down the straight. Beau Cnureur, handly early, did not come home too solidly, being only a moderate fourth. King's Mark, after playing up and being left, was running on fifth. Miss Wheriko, Kehurangi, and Locrian made fair showings, though the dividend pair were a whole iplane above their opposition. A DESPERATE FINISH. 1 A desperate finish was staged in the Electric Hack Handicap, and everyone was satisfied to leave it to the judge, who declared for the horse on the rail, Cherry Picker, by # short'head from Gothic, with the favourite, The Ring, who was between them, half a head away third. Most of the running was made aarprisingly by Pirinoa, and on reaching the straight this gelding was well clear of Cherry Picker and The Ring, with Gothic moving forward from the rear. It was not long before Pirinoa compounded, and, except for a brief space fifty yards from the post, Cherry Picker had a slight advantage. --This was Cherry Picker's second success, his other having been at Dannevirke in July, but he may be a better horse this season. Gothic made up his leeway in good style round the field nearing the straight, but he was flat out over the last furlong. The Ring was taken up rather soon, but otherwise she had every chance. Trench Law was finishing on a close fourth, and Mother-in-L,aw was . also going well almost in line after losing a forward position early. . Girl Pat disappointed, but Titter was.showing up for a period. CRICKET'S REPEAT. Cricket repeated his last year's success in the Highweight Handicap, and again he was at substantial odds, not far short of double figures. Time and again this race has been won by openclass handicappers relegated to this grade and leniently weighted. Twelve months ago Cricket won with 10.2, and yesterday he had only 9.13, but he is an unsound horse and he can be produced only occasionally. There was no fluke about the win, which was his first since his previous victory in the race. Joining Debham r in front five -lurlongs from home, he i took charge a .furlong and a half from < the post and easily held off Cuisinier's • stballenr"s He pulled up lame, but this I ]

is nothing unusual with him, and he has been accepted for tomorrow. Cuisinier was always going well, but he had no chance at the end with his favourably-weighted rival. Debham, after setting the pace, tired into third. Sky Limit was fourth practically all the way and he is likely to improve before long. Donegal ran only fairly, but was best of the rest. Lustral appeared to turn the game in along the back, but he returned to the enclosure lame. DUNCANNON ROMPS HOME. Duncannon made amends for some expensive failures earlier in the season when he clean-bowled his opposition in the Maiden Stakes. After following Shetland Isle, Siglow, and Coronado to the straight he raced through to the front and then left the field literally standing. •■■■■• This winner carries the same colours as Dungarvan, those of Mr. J. C. Kennedy, of Dannevirke, but he is^ trained at Awapuni by H. C. Thomson. He is a brown colt by Inflation from the Diogenes—Canyon mare Kilcannon, who never raced and was secured for the stud by Mr. Kennedy from the estate of the late Mr. A. B. Knight. Siglow, making his first appearance since his purchase at the sale of the late Mr. W. Higgins's horses, ran a creditable second, but he was bleeding after the race. Coronado was always among the leaders and he may come more solid this season. Esperance Bay and Hasten were finishing well close up, and Shetland Isle, though tiring into sixth, gave indication of promise. The favoured division, Val Pere. La Coquette, and Gay Fox, particularly the last pair, were poorly away. Cornaro was never a prospect, but Balgowlah went a useful race for her first start. FROM END TO END. The favourites were having such a bad day that it was nothing out of order for another outsider in Great Legion to upset the well-supported division in the Lawn Handicap. The Fernkloof gelding jumped away clear at the start, and, making every post a winner, he hung on to score by a length. Great Legion in the past has faded even over the shortest courses, but he showed little sign of quitting yesterday. His only previous win was as a juvenile, when his form was decidedly promising. His rider, S. Waddell, an apprentice in the ' stable of nis owner-trainer, G. W. New, was enjoying his first riding success. Morning Flight had only two horses behind him at the straight entrance, but he finished resolutely along the outer to secure the other dividend. by inches. Larwood, without the best of passages early, also ran on well for third. Colfort, who stumbled at the start but was soon in fourth place, challenged like a probable winner at the top of the straight, but he finally weakened into a close fourth. Rano Away and Acrobat chased Great Legion early but ran themselves out. Lady Cygnus, slow away, showed pace in the middle portion. Barabbas performed indifferently. STILL NO FAVOURITE. The day finished without a favourite succeeding, as Punarua, who scored in the Lansdowne Handicap, was relegated from favourite to second favourite in the last few minutes of the betting on this race. Punarua chased Hunter's Eve to the straight, and then came on, hard ridden, to win by a neck. Punarua, who is a half-brother by Pombal to Jonathan, and even more closely related in blßod to Davolo, was laving his first race since January and his first from B. Burgess's stable. His only previous win was a dead heat at Trentham last spring. Hunter's Eve, about whom there was a strange diffidence to support, showed her customary early brilliance and if her rider had not allowed Punarua to draw on terms half-way down the straight she would have won. Shining Hours came home well out on the track for a close third, finishing better than either of the dividend pair. Sigurd, who was moved about in the straight, was a good fourth. Joe Louis and Rarotonga were never dangerous. Tidal Gift, after playing up-at the barrier, dashed round to the leaders early but then faded.