CHRISTMAS PRELUDE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 144, 14 December 1940, Page 13

CHRISTMAS PRELUDE

V OTAKI MEETING!

INTERESTING CONTESTS

Following upon the sharp storm of j last evening, the weather cleared and conditions at Otaki today, when the Otaki Maori Eacing Club presented its Summer Meeting, were very pleasant. 'The meeting served as a prelude to the Christmas .activities,, and there was & large crowd in attendance.. Although the fields were not large, the racing .was-interesting and keen throughout. Eesults, up to the time of. going to press, were:— PUKETOI HACK HURDLE HANDICAP, £140; li miles. f—6.-.-W. R. Duncan's b g Prinihia, by Laughing Prince—Quinvardia, syrs, 9.0 (B. Gosford) .... 1 j&—2—E. N. Cunningham's br g v Dorado, by Grandcourt—D'Oro, aged, 11.10 (A. Jenkins) 2 $ —4—C. P. Thorburn'sblk m Chat, by Siegfried—Tale Teller, 6yrs, 10.11 (S. A. Wright) 3 Also started: Good Sun 11.13, Great 'Quex 10.3, Etruscan 9.0, Royal Stuart 9.0, Luath 9.0. Won by half a head, a length between second and third. Time, 2i>in. 49sec, Winner trained by IV C, McHugh, Marton Junction. A .surprise was forthcoming in the Puketoi Hack Hurdles when Prinihia narrowly beat Dorado, to register his first success in the role,, and also give his rider, .B. Gosford, his first winning mount In the final round Etruscan and Great Quex were in the van "from Dorado, but Great Quex made a faulty -jump, and although he challenged again crossing the top, the extra effort told. Meantime, Prinihia had,been, moving forward and in the ruii home he held on to beat Dorado by the narrowest of margins. Chat, who had/been well back throughout finished very.solidly for third, with Utruscan, who showed considerable promise for a novice, attending Great Quex.;, FUKEKAKAKA HACK HANDICAP, • £120; 6 furlongs. 2-^l—J. Jameson's br c Blue Border, , • by Myosotis—Pecunia, 3yrs, 8.4 (A. Midwood) 1 3—3 —V. E. Bryant's b f Triple Crown, by Wheriko —Hinearoha, •:.. 3yrs, 7,7 (R. E. Humphries), ... 2 7—7— J. Manuel's eh m Debretts, by . Defoe-r-Startle, aged, 7.7 (H. P. Stewart) 3 Also started: Arabic 8.2, Talenta 8.2, Taiho 8.0, Conversion 7.9. Won by a head, a length between second and third. Time, lmin 13 1-5 sec. Winner trained by J. W. Lowe, Trentham. , A good performance went to' the credit of. Blue Border, when, after, running wide at. the straight entrance, he : came very fast, to get up, to win the Pukekaraka Handicap. Triple Crown secured an advantage at the jump, out, but she was quickly displaced by Debretts, who carried on the running right to the straight entrance. However, once in line for home, Triple Crown ran past the pacemaker and, when, .promising to be...the.,winner, was overtaken by Blue Border in the last few strides. Debretts held on for third, ahead of the win favourite, Talenta, whose form was disappointing. ItERE NEKITINI MEMORIAL .; STAKES, £250; 1£ miles. 1 J. F. Cotton's br g Little Robin, by Resinous —Little ..Thrush, 6yrSj 8.4 (D.- Redstone) 1 B W. Devon's Gay Fox, by Fox- .-••■ bridge—Auriculus, 4yrs, 7.0 (J. . Forsyth) .........: .. 2 4■ J. H. Brown's and E. Gething's eh m Titter, by Laughing Prince —Sigma, 4yrs, 7.0 (T. Biggs) .. 3. , Also started: Aurora's Star, 7.12. /Won" by half a length, two lengths between second and third. Time; 2min 13sec» "Winner trained by J. Flanagan, Otaki. ■•'• The Here Nekitini Memorial Stakes was robbed of much of its interest by ihe defection of Meamea, Raana, Siglow, and Hasten, leaving four runners to go to the post. None of-the quartet appeared anxious to make the pace, and Little Robin, topweight and favourite, assumed the role. It was not till about five furlongs from home that Aurora's Star moved up and the pace commenced to quicken. Then Gay Fox ranged up and he and Little Robin carried on right to the straight. The latter, however, had the race at his mercy and he won nicely by half a length from Gay Fox, with Titter ■finishing on the rails for third, two lengths away. MANUAO MAIDEN PLATE, £100; ... . 6. furlongs. #-Bt-S. F. Cooper's eh f Red Dash. • •' „ by Foxlight—Court Gossip, 3yrs, ' 8.7 (P. Burgess) i S—s—J. H. Marshall's b g Hunting Squire, by Hunting Song or Sporting Blood — Puketawa, 3yrs, 8.7 (K. Chote) 2 4—4— H. B. Lorigan's b c The Monarch, by Croupier—Kiltruda, 3yrs, 8.7 (B. H. Morris) 3 Also, started: Elminola 8.7, Fauvette 8.7, Princess Venus. 8.7, Ramillies 8.7, Wildfire 8.7, Swell Chance 8.7, Thprama. 8.7. Won by one and a half lengths, a neck between second and third. ..Time, lmin 12 2-ssec. Winner trained by P. Burgess, Trentham After Hunting- Squire and Swell Chance, had made the pace right into the. straight the latter showing a great burst of speed to attain that position, Red Dash came through on the rails tb beat Hunting Squire quite comfortably, with The Monarch finishing on to beat the favourite, Elminola for the minor dividend. Wildfire after being a shade slow to begin, became prominent in the middle stages, but failed to run on although he was well clear of Swell Chance who stopped