PHENOMENAL SEASON

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 89, 11 October 1941, Page 14

PHENOMENAL SEASON

FORM UNRELIABLE

NATURE'S UPSETTING ROLE

The lot of racing owners, not to mention patrons who are largely responsible for keeping the game going, has been a far from happy one this season, for instead of spring-like conditions ruling at this end of the North ! Island of late, the weather has been most erratic. Repeatedly, the stage, to all appearances, has been. fittingly set for the opening of a fixture only for unfavourable weather to intervene and throw form right out of gear. Just such an example was forthcoming at Mastertori on Thursday, for after Weilingtonians being relieved on arrival to find that conditions were comparatively favourable, the day, not to mention the track, became steadily worse as the programme advanced. Form went topsy-turvy and only one favourite fulfilled expectations, and that winner was the lesser fancied of a bracketed pair, although the elect attended him home. A Poor Day. Both the leading trainer and horseman, T. R. George and W. J. Broughton, found the going adverse at Masterton on Thursday, and the trainer's only winner came from his Trentham | division, who are under the charge of P J. Reardon. Broughton went through | the day without saluting the judge on | a single occasion. The two Were as- j sociated in the opening event, j Broughton having the mount on Dun- i sloe but the filly met her master on the day, Legal beating her pointlessly. Broughton was in the saddle on five other occasions, and in four instances was not only beaten, but was actually last to finish. It was very evident that he did not press his mounts when he found they were beaten, but it was remarkable to find him last home so frequently. Merited. The win of Trench Law in the Masterton Handicap was fully merited, for the Gascony gelding is an honest little fellow and seldom runs a bad race. lie had some leeway to make up after passing the half-mile peg, but he had \ too much pace for the others in the j run home. By the success of Trench Law his owner, Mr. N. W. Nelson of Wellington, became the possessor of a handsome case of cutlery, and N. Vaughan, the gelding's rider, added a gold-mounted whip to his equipment. Again Failed. When Duncannon followed up his win at the Wanganui Meeting at his first start in the current term he appeared to be back to his best, but it would almost seem as though history is to be repeated in that, as was the case last season, his form has slumped after early success. At Carterton he failed, and Thursday # saw him beaten badly over a mile in the Masterton Handicap. Actually, he was last °Backers suffered a severe set-back when Dungloe, favourite for the maiden event at Masterton, failed after having every chance. In a pool 01 £1025 on the win-totalisator the Inflation filly was entrusted with 512 tickets, so even had she won the profit would have been small. However, her backers were fated to suffer a still further reverse when she paid less than' the original outlay on the placemachine. In all there was £1291 invested on the place machine and he filly 'carried £437 of the total. Benefited by Race. When he raced at the Marton Meeting the Solicitor General gelding Legal looked decidedly burly, but he apneared a lot more forward when paraded for the maiden event at MasFerton on. Thursday. Few were prepared to see him run out the sk :furlongs journey so resolutely however. Ridden by S. Anderson, whose forte is-getting his mount away from the barrier, Legal, who is by Solicitor General from the Paper Money mare desirable, a daughter of the Australian- | bred Bahama Girl, was early in front' and never looked in danger of defeat. Stuck On. -ill Even though his form, to date has not been particularly impressive, Maharajah had been doing well enough! in his track work at Trentham to indicate that he would run a creditable j race at Masterton on Thursday. The, expectation was realised, for. although j he never looked like winning he ran a Sseful third. This Bulandshar-Choral gelding sticks on fairly well. i Confident. i Ridden a very confident race, Gothic! did not move up from the rear till approaching the turn in the Solway Handicap. The Australian-bred gelding moved up on the outer as soon as heads were straightened up for home and he soon had the race in safe keeping. < Trifle Small. Owing to her lack of inches Red] Dash is finding it difficult to win under her present poundage, but despite being required to carry 9.0 she continues to run good races. In the Solway Handicap at Masterton she put in her typical finish to fill second place. She did not enjoy the best of runs, but it is problematical whether she would have troubled the winner.