BRILLIANT EFFORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 18, 22 January 1940, Page 11

BRILLIANT EFFORT

ARVAKUR IN FAST TIME

It is doubtful if ;& better field of open sprinters h^s ever gone to the post on the Trentham track than paraded for the Metropolitan Handicap. And Arvakur, cbnfounding those who had sent him out favourite on the first day, shone out like a star among thehv sweeping aside all opposition with a brilliant challenge out on the track from, the middle of the field. His time was tiyo seconds faster than in Thursday's Telegraph Handicap. Arvakur came south from Auckland ■with Vfie reputation Of being the fastest horse '"t6 have raced in the north, with the possible exception of Suleiman, during the* past couple of sea: sons. He demonstrated on* Saturday that he- is- as good as his reputation.

Qn the first day he drew the wide 'marble",-:-which will ;* always; excuse failures down the Trentham six. A four-year-old brown horse by Beau* Pere from the Chief Ruler—Lucella , mare The Begum, a full-sister to Supremacy and the dam' also of the brilliant Stretto and' High Caste, Aryakur. is bred on the highest; quality lines. His career was chequered, for a time, as he became '\ troubled in' the wind, but an operation on • this affliction has been' completely successful.

He isCbeing "raced by Mr. -T. Impey. of Auckland; who secured him privately'from his breeder, Mr. A- J,- Mc; Govern, of Te'Awamutu. -

. Spanish Lad ran up. to nis best southern form in beating the rest. Al-

ways well placed, he-came over to the course proper following Suleiman and Black Thread, -and he finished very stoutly under pressure for a substantial plgce:-dividend. ;: ..... .• Footlbose, who did not i race on the first day but was a winner --:in Tara-: naki during the holidays,, was with Spanish Lad most of the way and he was only a head behind him at the post, another very solid performance. Black Thread, always "one o£ the vanguard, weakened just out of the money, but he beat Suleiman, who had run past him after half the trip. Suleiman - tout -his- big weight was beyond him in a very jfast-fun race. "

Duhcannon was undoubtedly the unluckiest runnen Sixth to the course, he was disappointed when going for an opening and had to be taken out on the. track, and even then his troubles were riot ended, as Arvakur hung in on him and so cos^ him any chance, he still had. Among the others the closest at, tne end "were Amigo (running on). Counterblast, Endorsement, Disdain (prominent; early but wide , out),, and,. Race Call. Bronwen showed- up for two furlongs, then faded badly.. .None of the remainder were ever seriously, in the issue. \ .