SPORTING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 22, 27 January 1943, Page 6

SPORTING

AT FORLORN ODDS

JOHN GAY A CHEAP COLT

(By "Binocular.") The Theio colt John Gay, the big dividend payer at Trentham on Saturday, went very close to paying a sensational dividend at his second appearance under silk. That was in the Cashmere Plate on the opening day of the Grand National Meeting in August, when he beat all but Botany when ranking 17-16 in the betting. He was then reserved for the John Gxugg Stakes at Ashburton, and, after a keen battle with King Herod, squeezed home by half a head. Although he displayed pleasing consistency thereafter, his failure to do better than fourth in the Wellington Stakes on the opening day at Trentham saw him go out of favour when transferred to the Metropolitan Handicap on Saturday. John Gay was bred in this island, being from the Lord Quex —Polly Peachum mare j Jenny Diver, and he thus belongs to the same family as Runnymede, Raasay, My Own, Simba, etc. At the 1941 National Sales Mr. H. D. Greenwood purchased the colt for 210 guineas, so he has proved to be a good ! buy. Improved.—Favoured by the shorter distance of the W.R.C. Handicap, Lou Rosa ran a greatly improved, race. Failure to begin smartly cost him a lot of ground, and he was toiling along in the rear as the field went away from home with Sir Crusoe hurrying them' along at a great pace. He was still a long way back crossing the top and, even though he never threatened danger to Rakanui and Royal Lancer, his third was a great effort. On that performance it is difficult to understand his Cup failure. WUI Come Back.—Although he did not prove equal to figuring in the j money, Battledress ran creditable races in both the Wellington Cup and W.R.C. Handicap, filling fifth place in each. Opportunities of winning a good race may not come his way from now on this term, but there is every reason to expect the Posterity gelding to stage a come-back as a five-year-old. Fell Short—Although Awapunitrained horses played prominent roles at the Wellington Meeting, their representatives in the big handicaps all failed. Under track conditions that did not help him, Gladynev ran solidly, but the expected improvement in Happy Ending quite failed to materialise on Saturday, and he and High Class were at the rear when the race concluded. Classform also raced disappointingly each day. for based on her New Zealand Cup and Metropolitan Handicap efforts she should have made a showing at least. Well Related.—Lady Nuffield, who showed iriiprovement on her first day's form by filling fourth berth in the Camp Handicap, is a half-sister by Paper Money to The Joker and Lord Nuffield. All three trace through Attractive Lady to Lady Wayward II an English mare v/ho also produced Lady Blissful, the dam of that other high-class southerner Bashful Lady. Bred as she is, Lady Nuffield should make good.