PLEASING FORM PRODUCED BY ROBIN’S REWARD

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22826, 22 December 1948, Page 8

PLEASING FORM PRODUCED BY ROBIN’S REWARD

(Herald Special Service.)

As a trial for the Auckland Cup the performance of Robin’s Reward in winning the Manawatu Cup on Saturday, was pleasing to his many supporters. This handsome entire son of Robin Goodfellow and Rapt is in the top class of handicap horses. Last season his most important victory success was in the Wanganui Cup of one mile and a half in which he recorded 2.31 J, particularly fast time for Wanganui. On the second dav of the same meeting he gave an outstanding performance in winning the Earle Stakes with 9.5. This was one of the best handicap displays known on the Wanganui track as at one part of the race on the circular track he was last and at the home turn his task looked hopeless.

On Saturday he carried 9.4 over the mile and five'furlongs and won against a strong field including the third placegetter in the last New Zealand Cup, Welcome Guest. Last year the Robin Goodfellow horse contested the Auckland Cup. Although he was one of the first into the straight he only finished eighth, but he was not then in the racing condition he is today.

Robin’s Reward is bred on great staying lines, tracing back to Mermaid, the New Zealand tap-root of many highclass horses over distances, including Ballymena, Limerick and others. The Spiral gelding, Barrage, again ran an honest race in filling second place in the Manawatu Cup. Third money went to the consistent four-year-old Old Bill mare. Miss Bairnsfather, scratched from the Auckland Cup last week.

Welcome Guest was not in one of his generous moods on Saturday. He is to go to Auckland and may run a better race there. Imperial found the disa little too far at Awapuni. Yasda did not run up to expectations based on his track work.