AUSSIE ODDS AND ENDS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 306, 10 December 1931, Page 2

AUSSIE ODDS AND ENDS

Press reports are now to hand of tin first day's racing at last week’s A.J.C. meeting at Warwick Farm. These show that Gemlight, who did his early racing round Auckland, had a fairly comfortable win ui the principal event, the Farm Handicap, 1J mile, while the unlucky Vertigern was just beaten out of second money. Although a day or two before the race Gemlight had executed a fine trial gallop and on the strength of it was heavily backed by

his immediate connections, he did not catch the public fancy and went out at little under double-figure odds. • • • The concluding event of the day, the Three and Four Year Old Handicap, j>ne mile, went to a rank outsider in the N.Z.-bred Tea Tray—Fair Fight mare Tea Fight, about whom odds up to 20 and 25 to 1 were on offer. It appears, however, that she was made the medium of heavy backing away from the course, so that, while th< ringmen operating on the spot escaped lightly, the “shopkeepers” were pretty hardly hit. 'Tea Fight is spoken of as “a diminutive mare, who some time ago won in fourteen-two company on unregistered courses ” • • • The only other Maorilander to run into a place at this meeting was the Limond—Royal Exchange hlly Golden Gate, who finished third in the aixturlong Horsley Handicap. Mr. E. J. Watt’s luck was again of the negative order, his four-year-old mare Royal Alms finished third, close up to two dead-heaters, in a division of the Maiden Handicap. • • • In the Nursery Handicap, five furlongs, another of the progeny of the successful young Australian sire Heroic got on to the winning list. This Was Heroic’s Hope (from the imported mare Hayhope), who on the previous Saturday had run disappointingly when Bent out to win from end to end. On this occasion, ridden in behind for the first stage of the journey, she smothered everything for pace at the finish and won with a couple of lengths to spare. There can be little doubt but that Heroic’s yearlings will command good prices, as prices go these times, at the coming Sydney Easter sales. • • • Reports of the ante-post double betting show that First Acre’s chance m the Farm Handicap was the best favoured of any, though he was weighted at 9st. 21b. However, he was eventually withdrawn from the race, being reserved for the December Handicap, H mile, on the second day of the fixture. As we know by cable, this policy worked out to advantage, for, ridden by “young Tommy,” the aged Acre —Oka gelding duly scored at the same weight. First Acre has proved something of a little gold-mine to A. D. Webster in his several suesuccesive Australian expeditions. • • • At the Canterbury Park meeting on the previous Saturday the New Zea* landers engaged were out of luck. Each of Moroney’s pair, Tenterden and Vertigern, was made favourite for his race, the former m the Flying Handicap, six furlongs, and the latter in the Canterbury Handicap, 1 mile 3 furlongs. Tenterden tailed utterly to fulfil expectations, finishing well back, while Vertigern just missed by a short neck, owing, as some reports say, to his rider, M. McCarten, holding the opposition a little too cheaply. These two must have proved expensive propositions not only to the etable, but also to the general body of backers, for nearly every start since going over they have carried a lot of public money.

Of some indirect interest to us here in New Zealand was the success of the four-year-old gelding Trevanion, backed to win a little fortune, in the Highweight Handicap at Canterbury Park. By Redfern—Meriden, he is a full- > brother to Fernden and Korokio, both j well known performers in this country. / On the same day that Yea Fight brought off the little coup at Warwick Farm another of Tea Tray’s gets in the Hawke's Bay bred Tea Miss, from Miss Girton, was successful in the Hying Handicap at Bathurst, for which she went out a short-priced first favourite. Then, ‘on the like date, the “Karamu” bred three-year-old filly Also, bv Arausio—Matty, secured the Trial Handicap at the Tasmanian A.J.C. meeting, while the Acre —Nauteh Girl mare Miss Field won the Purse event at tho Goodwood meeting in West Australia. It will thus be seen how widely distributed is New Zealand blood in the land of the strike and the hold-up.