ICELAND SPAR EASILY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 92, 19 April 1941, Page 13

ICELAND SPAR EASILY

THE GREAT AUTUMN

SUCCESS FOR AUSTRALIA

(Special to the "Evening; Post")

\ CHRISTCHURCH, April 13. The postponement of the final day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's Autumn Meeting did not seriously affect the fields, and, though four horses dropped out of the Great Autumn Handicap, there remained a baker's dozen to do battle for the principal distance handicap of the autumn. First day's form in the Sockburn Handicap, for winning which no penalty is now incurred, was once again the right clue. Iceland Spar followed up his Sockburn win by outstaying his Great; Autumn opponents. He was always j within striking range of the leaders, even when Wardress opened a break inside the first half-mile. After following Wardress, Prudent . Prince, Happy Ending, and Knight Commander into the straight he still waited till the last furlong before challenging. His bid was well timed, for he had the issue safe over the last fifty yards and scored by a good neck. RECRUIT FROM HACKS. Iceland Spar has made great improvement during the last three .months. At Trentham in January he was only a highweight performer, but when F. D. Jones lost Royal Chief he became the budding star of the team and the Jones touch soon had him making his presence felt among the open performers. At his first start after running out of hacks at the C.J.C. Meeting in February he was second to Doubleack in the Dunedin Cup, beaten only a neck, and after that performance his trainer concentrated on fitting him for the C.J.C. Autumn Meeting. Iceland Spar is not the first Austra-lian-bred horse to have won the Great Autumn, as Gay Crest (1930) was similarly bred, and two English horses, Grand Knight (1926) and Princess Argosy (1933). also ' succeeded in the event. A foiu'-year-old chestnut gelding, he is a son of the Hurry On horse Excitement (sire also of Bimilla, Gilltown, Adios, Climax, and others), and his dam is the imported Rock Flint mare Calcite, from the same family as the English Derby winner Trigo, and dam earlier of the staying Metallurgy, winner of the V.R.C. Bagot Handicap, 1J miles, and beaten only half a head in the V.R.C. St. Leger. At the Sydney yearling sales he was bought by Jones on behalf of his present owner, Mr. H. S. Williams, of Christchurch, for 220 guineas. Outside of Iceland Spar, the best performance in the Great Autumn was that of Wardress, who had opened a gap of four lengths after half a mile, while the pace was slow, and stuck on to beat everything except the winner decisively. Prudent Prince ran true to his Sockburn form to secure the other dividend. Little Robin, a decided favourite, was in an awkward [position most of the way, catching the | backwash, but he came round from near the rear in the straight to fill the barren berth, three lengths behind Prudent Prince. Royal Chief was fifth, just in front of Happy Ending (who had every chance), The Wrecker, Winning Rival, and Thermidor. . - CIRCULAR NOTE FAJLS. _ "The Treh"thamsprmtef Circular Note was again sent out favourite in the j Templeton Handicap, but after being third behind Lord Nuffield and St. Cloud on to the course proper he tired into fifth. The winner was Hearth, one of the Great Autumn defections, who was fifth to the course and then came on for one of those decisive wins she from time to time .registers. Kentucky, the Great Easter winner, got up to beat Night Eruption on the post for second. The Challenge Stakes simply served to demonstrate that the, South Island two-year-olds are not of a very high standard. Density, who had not won a race among the handicappers for nearly twelve months, simply outclassed her juvenile opponents, the best of whom .was again Palfrey. The three-year-old Shikari, the ■ winner twelve months ago, was third. Monetary ran wide in the straight, and though he responded briefly when on his line again he was expended a furlong from the post.