THE JOKER ON TOP

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 21, 26 January 1943, Page 6

THE JOKER ON TOP

WELLINGTON STATISTICS

(By "Binocular.v) Although prevented from carrying his account further on the second day, lameness having overtaken him, The Joker was the biggest winner at the Wellington Meeting. As a result of his Cup success, The Joker credited his owner, Mr. J. A. Brown, of Otago, with £2100, inclusive of the value of the trophy that accompanied the stake. Two other owners shared second place on the winning owners' list with £1050, Rakanui, who took the W.R.C. Handicap on Saturday, earning that amount for Mr. R. J. Jeffares, of Napier, but there were three horses involved in Mr. G.~ M. Curries credit account, Rink, Screen, and Stairway being winners on Saturday. Those three owners were the only ones to top the £1000 mark. Good Returns.—Unlucky enough to fill the position of runner-up in both the Wellington Cup and Racing Club Handicap, Royal Lancer swelled his stake-winnings account for the current term by a further £900. Mesdames J. R. R. and R. T. Stead, of Hawke's Bay, were credited with. £700 as a result of Palora's win in the open sprint on the first day, and Mr. H. D. Greenwood, of Canterbury, also attained that figure through John Gay's win in the Metropolitan Handicap on Saturday. The only 'other owner to reach the £500 mark was Mrs. L. M. Lamb, the owner of Sea Spi, winner of the Wellington Stakes. Smaller Stakes. —Smaller winners of £100 and more were:—Messrs. F. Easton (Moutoa Bond) and F. C. Christie (Prince Shad), £420 each; Mr. T. Impey (Royal Merit), £365'; Messrs. H. H. Smith (Glenfalloch) and J. J. Roberts (Sir Bradbury), £360 each; the Hon. E. R. Davis and Mr. O. Nicholson (Foxola), £300; Mr. B. Bell (Snowman), £297 10s; Messrs. T. Ash (Nightray) and R. Gregory (Master Dash), £280 each; Mr. J. C. Kennedy (Duncannon and Duncroon), £265; Dr. C. Blundell (Neenah), £200; Mr. E. F. Ward (Good Scout), £172 10s; Mr. W. McA. Duncan (Tuatara, Spirit); £155; Mrs. E. M. Lennard((Loru r Rosa), £150; Mrs. I. Hoare (Theolateral), £135; Mr. W. Moloney (Nightglass), £120; and Messrs. H. R. Tyler (Beau Vaals), S. Taylor (First In), and D. Grant (Fur Coat), £100 each. There were 11 other winners of smaller amounts, the total offered in stakes by the club being £12,200. Training Honours.—The successes registered by Rink, Screen, and Stairway on Saturday enabled their trainer, G. W. New, of Awapuni, to head the trainers' list at the meeting, he being the only one with more than one win. Single successes by team members went to H. H. Mills, Hawera (Nightray), J. J. Waller, Awapuni (Sea Spi), F. Smith, Takanini (Royal Merit), E. J. Adams, Trentham (Master Dash), J. A. White, Wingatui (The Joker), L. A. Pine, Awapuni (Sir Bradbury), J. P. Ryan, Hastings (Palora), P. Burgess, Trentham (Moutoa Bond). H. J. Benge, Hastings (Snowman), J. McLean, Riccarton (Glenfalloch), R. J. Jeffares, Taradale (Rakanui), M. J. Wadley, Riccarton (John Gay), and F. C. Christie. Orari (Prince Shad). Drawn Clear Again.—After failing to pilot a winner on the opening day at Trentham, when W. F. Ellis drew on terms with him. as a result of his one success. W. J. Broughton re-established himself on the top rung of the jockeys' ladder by saluting the judge on three occasions on Saturday, Glenfalloch, Rink, and Screen giving him three winning rides in close succession. Otherwise, riding successes were well distributed, C. A. Bowry, another Awapuni horseman, being the only one to pilot .two winners, his mounts being Master Dash and Stairway. Single points went to L. Dulieu (Nightray), W. F. Ellis (Sea Spi), W. Caddy (Royal Merit), A. Messervy (The Joker). L. J. Ellis (Sir Bradbury), N. Holland (Palora), P. Burgess (Moutoa Bond), P. Atkins (Snowman), J. Williamson (Rakanui), A. C. Messervy (John Gay), K. Wilson (Prince Shad). Fresh Records.—ln running the mile and a half of the W.R.C. Handicap in 2.303 Rakanui set a new course record for the distance, the previous best since the original Trentham records were upset being Old Bill's 2.31| of Centennial Cup year. New figures were also set in the Douro Handicap, Prince Shad clipping £sec off Lord Puck's record of October, 1940, his 1.39 equalling the mile record held by Flammarion in the open ranks. Incidentally, Raka'nui's record fell short of the New Zealand record by only |sec. This honour is held by Argentic, who ran the distance in 2.30 at Riccarton. Fitting Reward. —The success of Rakanui in the-W.R.C. Handicap on Saturday was a highly popular one, despite the fact that the six-year-old was not one of the more favoured runners; it was evident that the applause accorded him was in tribute to lis gameness. The Hunting Song gelding brought off a meritorious win in the Islington Handicap at Riccarton last August with the steadier of 10.5, but since then he has laboured under big poundages without being fortunate enough to win. Saturday's was his twelfth start for the term, and his record reads: Two firsts, six seconds, one third, and one fourth; he failed to weigh in on two occasions only. It was the irony of things that W. J. Broughton, who has been frequently associated with him, took the mount on Lou Rosa on Saturday, and had to be content with third place. Gallant in Defeat.—With the exception of Kindergarten, Royal Lancer must rank as the best handicapper in the Dominion today. With an ounce of luck the Irish Lancer gelding might have taken the Wellington Cup, and the' fortune of war again ran against him in the W.R.C. Handicap. Drawn wide out on Saturday, he had to be hurried along to secure an early position and was never able to work over on to the rail. In. that respect Rakanui was much better favoured, and although 100 yards from home the southerner threatened to.pull Rakanui back, the advantage of a stone enabled the latter to stall off the challenger by a head. Contributed. —Much of the credit for the time returned in the W.R.C.'Handicap must go to Sir Crusoe and Moutoa Bond, but the pace, they set was suicidal to their chances of success. After a great set-to, Sir Crusoe assumed the role of pacemaker until approaching the entrance, but he was then crying enough and Moutoa Bond took over, only to be beaten into seventh in the run home.