SPORTING PEDANTIC FIRST HOME IN KUMARA HANDICAP

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 February 1947, Page 7

SPORTING PEDANTIC FIRST HOME IN KUMARA HANDICAP

Palomino Has Narrow Victory In Sprint GreyrnoiHh-owned Pedanlic unwound a telling sprint over the final furlong lo' beat a strong field home in the Kumara Handicap, the principal event on the programme for the annual meeting of the Kumara Placing Club which was held at Omoto on Saturday. About five places back for seven furlongs. Pedantic shot through an opening on the .rails as the field turned for home, raced past last year’s winner, Royal Tor, and then beat off strong challenges by Master Baron, the Trentham candidate, and Palomino, fancied Riccarton three-year-old.

Royal Tor hit the front as the field settled down, with John o’ London in a good position. Then followed Atreus, Master Baron, Palomino, Wise Girl, and Graeme. Royal Tor increased his lead during the next three furlongs, with Master Baron and Palomino racing on fairly even terms behind John o’ London and Atreus. Pedantic held an advantage from Wise Girl, while Graeme commenced to move up. The two Greymouth contestants, John o’ London and Atreus, were done with at the distance, and then Pedantic made his effort. Master Baron finished on better than Palomino, which was a

shade in front of the tiring win favourite, Royal Tor. Graeme was fifth. The track was in excellent condition following the prolonged spell of fine weather and, as a result, fast times were recorded. Decisive victories were recorded in some races, but there were splendid finishes to others. Good fields paraded in all events. The attendance was good, but smaller than at the New Year meetings. Record Turnover. The totalisator handled £11,245 10/-, which is an increase of £4141 10/- on that for last year’s meeting at the Kumara course, when the sum of £7104/10/- was put through the machine. The turnover set a new record for the club, the previous best figure of £9500 being established in 1944. The Greymouth-owned My Hope looked a possible winner in the Borough Handicap trot when he opened up a gap of over 10 lengths on the remainder of the field. Pie rapidly tired in the back straight, however, and Lady Ellen, which had occupied second place until then, went to the front and won decisively from Carlow, which also finished well. Locknit finished third just ahead of the favourite bracket, Brown Shadow and Lodestone. Two horses fell in the back straight when Calworth put his foot into Agrosan’s sulky. At an inquiry after this race Locknit was disqualified and Brown Shadow placed third and Lodestone fourth. This was the result of Locknit interfering with the bracketed pair when Calworth fell in the back straight. The driver of Locknit, A. R. McKenzie, was warned that he must not alter his course at the expense of other horses in a race.

Solid Race.

Vonettee surprised when she won the Dillmans Hack Handicap with relative ease from good perl ormers in Belfort and Young John. Scene jumped to the lead from the outse.. and soon opened up a gap of several lengths. Early Night, Young John, and Vonettee were close up, .with Belfort in the rear. With two furlongs to go the field had bunched up and Vonettee took the lole. of pacemaker when Scene began to tire. Young John was close behind at the straight entrance, but in the run lor the post Vonettee held on to hex advantage, while Belfort, finishing strongly, just beat Young John. The favourite, Early Night, was also well I,P The Te Aroha trainer, M. Conza, who has had a team of seven horses on the West Coast since before the circuit, led in his second winner lor the day in the Flying Hack Handicap. His charge, Race Lad, showed a Jot of speed over the final stages, and after beating off the early leadei, Royal Baron, withstood a determined challenge by Cipher Roya * was first to show out from Mystciious Melody, which was checked after five furlongs and drifted to thej rear. Leeston, Cipher, Race Lad, Hansell, and Make Good were also well up. Bannockburn, which got the worst of the start, was well back with Croupier’s Pride and Great Legend. Rndon Lea and Bannockburn in Sol their loss of ground early finished impressively to be behinc the placed horses. The Red Shadow mare, Brown Shadow, paced splendidly to win the le L d X Potts, Brown Shadow, began to open up a g P nf+pv i-. e cuo<4nw however, set aitei Brown Shadow, +u P straight cided the jsstieand SWt lhe Wring Cash Bond for third. _. ... Stirring Finish. In one of the most stirring finishes seen at Omoto for some time, the locally-owned Palomino got up to win the Stewards’ Handicap by a short head, while the consistent LegaJ, Rose held on for second place by a similar margin. Ration and

Velvet Slipper led after the jumpout, but Legal Rose raced across the track to take over after less than a furlong had been covered. Palomino settled down just behind Velvet Slipper, and then came Atreus, Chellow Dene, with a gap back to Wise Girl, which tailed off. With two furlongs to race, Velvet Slipper was checked and drifted, and Palomino worked her way to a handy position. Legal Rose led into the straight and a stern contest developed halfway down the straight, where Palomino edged his way forward on the rails and Chellow Dene came with a run from a long way back to be a serious challenger. Just on the post. Palomino forged to the front. Atreus gave an improved performance to be fourth. Palomino was ridden by M. Jones, who was having his second race ride. For failing to weigh-in after the race, H. Conza, rider of Atreus, was fined £2.

In winning the final race, the, Taramakau Handicap, in a decisive manner, Sitology gave his trainer, M. Conza, a total of three wins for the day. There was a thrilling tussle for the minor money, Miss Mercury and Mercia’s Mystery finishing splendidly to force the place favourite. Prana, into fourth position. Sitology raced to the front from the barrier rise, and soon opened up a gap to Prana, which was content to hold an advantage from Liquidate, Miss Mercury' Hot Foot, Highland Dance, Mercia’s Mystery and Irish Pride. Foreign Ways got the worst of the start and was always near the rear. Sitology still held command at the turn for home and won well, but Prana tired when headed by Miss Mercury and succumbed to a strong challenge by Mercia’s Mystery. Results:—

BOROUGH HANDICAP TROT, of £125; 2.23 class; one mile:— 4-5 Mr. A. W. Johnston’s LADY ELLEN, by Logan Fraser —Flying Helen, scr (I. G. Bennett) .. .. 1 13-15 Carlow, scr (J. R. Wright) 2 1.-1 Brown Shadow, 12 (C. C. Devine), bracketed with Lodestone 3 Also started: 12-15 Agrosan (bracketed with Koumac), 14-14 Calworth, 9-9 Cash Bond, 16-17 Golden Pye, 3-3 Lady Indiana, 9-8 Lucky Potts, 6-7 My Hope, 8-12 Our Parade, 10-13 Sandy Drive, 2-2 Locknit, 11-10 Shalimar, 5-4 Lady Goldworth, 7-6 Dawn Patrol, 15-16 Wee Jack. Two lengths; two lengths. Lodestone fourth. Times: 2.19, 2.19 2-5, 2.19 4-5. Totalisator: £1268. DILLMANS HACK HANDICAP, of £145; one mile and a quarter:— 3- Mr. E. A. Graeff’s VONETTEE, by Silver StickQueen Rewa, 4yrs, 9.0, car. 8.7 (T. J. Conza) . . ... 1 2-2 Belfort, 8.11 (A. M. Ellis) 2 4- Young John, 7.9 (J. A. McFarlane) • ■ ■ • • ■ • 3 Also started: 1-1 Early Night. 5-5 Scene. Two lengths; half a length. Early Night fourth. Time, 2.9 4-5. Totalisator: £1076/10/-. KUMARA HANDICAP, of £2OO and trophy; one mile: — 2- Mr. J. P. Low’s PEDANTIC , by Inflation —Discourse, aged, 7.11 (J. A. McFarlane) • • ’ 1 4-4 Master Baron, 7.13, car. 7.6 (L. Anderson) 2 3- Palomino, 7.0 (J. L. Stove) 3 Also started: 1-2 Royal \ Tor, 7-7 John o’ London, 8-8 Wise Girl, 6-6 Atreus, 5-5 Graeme. One and a halt lengths; one length. Royal for fourth. Time, 1.39 3-5. Totalisator: £1569/10/-. FLYING HACK HANDICAP, of £120; six furlongs and a half:—-3-3 Mr. E. Norman’s RACE LAD, by Raceful —Shetland. aged 9.0, car. 8.7 (F. Conza) •• 1 2-2 Cipher, 8.5, car. 8.2 (M. McClintock) 2 1- Royal Baron, 7.12 (J. A. McFarlane) • • ■ • • • 3 Also started: 8-9 Mysterious Melody 5-6 Leeston, 4-4 Croupier S Pride, 7-5 Hansell, 10-10 Lyndon Lea, 6-7 Make Good, 11-11 Bannockburn, 9-8 Great Legend. One length; three lengths. Lyndon Lea fourth. Time, 1.21. Totalisator: £1665/10/-. DIGGERS’ HANDICAP TROT, of £128; 2.59 class; one mile and three’furlongs:— 2- Mr. L. Duff’s BROWN SHADOW, by Red Shadow —Balaclava, 6yrs, 24yds (C. C. Devine), bracketed with Lodestone 1 ]-l Expensive, scr (L. G. Smilhe) •• •• •’ (J 9-7 Lucky Potts, scr (A. 1. Fairbairn) •• „ Also started: 11-10 Agrosan (bracketed with Koumac), 4-3 Cmlow, 10-10 Cash Bond, Doub Deck 3-4 Lady Ellen, 5-5 Locknit, 14-12 My Hope, 13-13 Our Parade, 12-11 Sandy Drive, 9-9 Lady Goldworth 2-2 Lodestone (bracketed with ’winner), 8-8 Da wn Patrok 14-14 Wee Jack. Two lengths, six lengths. Cash Bond fourth. Times. 3.7 2-5, 3.10, 3.12. Totalisator: £1364. STEWARDS’ HANDICAP, of £130; 3 seven furlongs:— a 2-2 Mrs. J. Freitas’s PALOt MINO, by Solicitor Gen- - eral—Charmeuse, 3yrs, 7.7, car. 7.0 (M, Jones) .. •. 1

1-1 Legal Rose, 7.7, car. 7.0 (A. M. Ellis) .. ••••„• 3-3 Chellow Dene. 8.1 (H. Phillips)

Also started: 6-6 Wise Girl, 7-7 Atreus, 5-5 Ration, .4-4 Velvet Slipper. Half a head; half a head. Atreus fourth. Time, 1.27. Totalisator: £l5Ol.

TARAMAKAU HACK HANDICAP, of £125; seven furlongs:— 1-2 Mr. L. T. Clarke’s SITOLOGY, by Leighon—Skyrena, 3yrs, 7.11 (H. Conza) 1 4-4 Miss Mercury, 7.11, car. 7.12| (D. Thistoll) . . • ■ 2 6-6 Mercia’s Mystery, 7.7, car. 7.0 (J. Campbell) .. ■ • 3

Also started: 5-5 Foreign Ways, 3-3 Liquidate, 2-1 Prana, 7-8 Hot Foot, 8-7 Highland Dance, 9-9 Irish Pride. One length; two lengths. Prana fourth. Time, 1.27 3-5. Totalisator: £1387/10/-.