WHICH IS THE BETTER.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 6 September 1927, Page 2

WHICH IS THE BETTER.

COMMENDATION OR LIMERICK T

So far as a mile race is concerned the answer to this question was given at Warwick Farm on Saturday in favour of Limerick. This is the first time the two have met in a race since they were two-year-olds, when Lin»erick beat Commendation twice in each instance over seven furlongs, while Commendation has beaten Lamerick once. Commendation was very -fractious at the barrier during his two-year-old career and that spoiled his chances on more than one occasion. After running unplaced in the Prince of Wales Handicap at Napier he won the Nursery at Hawke’s Bay the Cave Plate at Maeterton, the Wellesley Stakes at Wellington and the Welcome Stakes at Christchurch. On being brought north for the Great Northern Foal Stakes he stood at the post and took no part in the race. The Royal Stakes saw him placed third, but at the Rangitikei in March Commendation scored again.

In the meantime Limerick made his first appearance under silk at the Manawatu summer meeting, running unplaced in a couple of juvenile events. He was taken to Marton but failed to gain a place there. Going to Dunedin he registered his first win in the Dunedin Champagne Stakes, but was unplaced in the C.J.C. Middle Park Plate. Up to this time Commendation and Limerick had not met. They first came together in the autumn in the Champagne Stakes, six furlongs, at Riccarton. when Cummendation beat Limerick by a length, but in the Challenge Stakes, seven furlongs, on the next day, Limerick beat Commendation by a similar margin. They met again in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, seven furlongs, and Limerick won, while Commcndatin was unplaced. The pair never came together during their tiiree-year-old career for Limerick did all his racing in Australia, being taken over for the spring meeting and returning again in the autumn for the A.J.C. meeting. He started at Rosehill in August, winning the Carlingford Mile, and later at Warwick Farm met Rampion -for the first time in the Hobartville Stakes, seven furlongs, being beaten by two lengths and a-half. This caused his stock to fall for the A.J.C. Derby, but he quickly redeemed himself by beating the mighty Windbag at weight-for-age in the Chelmford Stakcn nine furlongs, at Tattersal’s meeting. Limerick developed a cracked heel and was beaten in the A.J.C. Derby by Rampion, but in the Craven Plate he was only defeated by a head by Windbag, with Valicare half a length away third. Limerick was taken on to Melbourne and was second in the Cox Plate, nine furlongs and a-half, to Heroic at Moonee Valley, while he finished third in the vLk.C. Derby to Rampion and Thracian. Commendation had not been idle ia the interval, for starting off with a win in the President’s Handicap,, six furlongs, at Dannevirke, he deadheated with Lysander in the Avondale Guineas, won the Hawke's Bay Guineas, the Riccarton Handicap at

the C.J.C. Metropolitan meeting, and the N.Z. Derby, but was beaten in the Stead Memorial Gold Cup, one mile and a-quarter, by Rapine. The Great Northern Derby proved a good thing for him, and his next appearance was in the autumn when the New Zealand St. Leger Stakes, one mile and three-quarters, run at Trentham, fell to him in record time for Australasia. The Great Northern St. Leger was also annexed by Commendation, and he wound up the season by winning the Awapuni Gold Cup, one mile and a-quarter. Thus he was only once beaten during his three-year-old career and most people think he was very unlucky on that occasion. He further has the distinction of winning both Derbies and both St. Leger Stakes—a feat which had not previously been accomplished. Limeriek did not race after his return from Australia in the spring un til he was taken over to Sydney again in the autumn. He then beat Windbag in the Rawson Stakes, nine furlongs, at Rosehill, but had to go under to Amounis in the Chipping Norton Stakes, one mile and a-quarter at Warwick Farm which was his second race on that course and his second defeat there. He won the A.J.C. St. Leger, but the going was veTy heavy, while he finished .second m the Sydney Cup, two miles, to Piastroon. The Cumberland Stakes, one mile and three-quarters, and the A.J.C. Plate, two miles and a-quarter were won by Limerick.