FIRST DAY’S FORM

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22242, 30 January 1947, Page 8

FIRST DAY’S FORM

TE HINEMOA’S SUCCESS BT. ROYAL DISAPPOINTS (Herald Special Service.) Te Hinemoa won her second race of the season when accounting for the £ISOO Takapuna Cup at Ellerslie on Saturday, bringing her earnings for the season to £3OOO. In this race she did not have a great deal to beat, and once again the Coronach horse Balgowan failed, while in the same event Balmacara found the mile and a half too far. Second to Te Hinemoa was the minimum-weighed Battle Royal, who in his seven previous starts this season had not weighed-in on any occasion. Last season he only won One race and that when running out of the hack class with a success in a Hack Cup race at Te Rapa. There was a time- when it was expected that he would develop open handicap class but so far he has failed to do this. However, he is now a five-year-old and maybe i.t is a little late to expect him to develop good form now. He is by imported 'Battle Song from Langue d’Or’s dam Princess Doreen, by Chief Ruler from Doree. by Lucullus from Desert Gold’s own sister D’Oro. Leigh Hark followed up his consistent form by gaining third money in the Takapuna Cup. He is a more than useful sort and one that does best when the tracks are easy so that his best will be later in the season. Royal Scot Wins “Rubber” The two sprinters Flowerburn and Royal Scot who met on four occasions at the last Auckland Cup race meeting with two wins each met on Saturday at Ellerslie again to decide the' “rubber.” Royal Scot was the winner while Flowerburn’s best was fourth, but as the latter was conceding his opponent 101 b the winner was indeed fortunate in getting, this difference in his favour.

This four-year-old son of Foxbridge and Highland Queen has won four races this season and also a third, while his total in prize-money for the season amounts to £3950, a very nice little purse for a sprinter to win in about six months. He is an inmate of Geo. Cobb’s Matamata racing establishment.

Third to Royal Scot was Kindroon, a useful sort last season, but who in his few starts this season was unplaced. His placing over the week-end suggests that it will not be long ere he is on the winning list again. He is a five-year-old by Dink from Crooning (dam of the useful Odvaals), by Whirlwind from Cradle Song, by Lucullus from Husheen, by Hymettus from Snooze, a member, as the name strongly suggests, of the Hamock family and who was the dam of Napper, who won the Great Northern Hurdles and when winning the big Ellerslie steeplechase a few days after by a couple of furlongs fell on the fiat and broke a leg. Kindroon is earmarked for an early win.

Babrow did a little better than expected by running second and dividing Royal Scot and Kindroon. Babrow is an eight-year-old by Hunting Song (this horse died in 1940) from Princess Rewa (dam of Kerry Lad), and had performed better over eight furlongs and on easy tracks. It is said that this gelding is a proficient jumper, but the writer cannot remember him starting in a hurdle race to date. On the Job Again

White Blaze was once again on the job on Saturday when collecting the £IOOO Rangitoto Handicap, this being her third victory this season and all over a mile course. She is slick over this distance and. despite the fact that she has won three races this season has been expensive on occasions to her supporters as when she looked a “good thing” she failed to run up to expectations.

In gaining the above success White Blaze stopped Iwo Jima’s undefeated sequence of wins. Iwo Jima recently graduated from the hack ranks at the Auckland Racing Club’s meeting and this was his first start in open company. That he will make the grade goes without saying as on Saturday he was a little unlucky twice in the running, but his second at l3lb above the minimum is going to advance him a few more pounds in the handicaps. Third place went to Dougal, who won the weekliefore at the Te Aroha meeting.