YESTERDAY’S RACING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 82, 18 March 1933, Page 3

YESTERDAY’S RACING

! THE “CHAMPION” TWO-YEAR-OLD ’ Dole seems to have made a fairly easy and very complete job of his win in yesterday’s Champion Two-year-old Plate. Still, two-year-old form has been of such a see-saw character this season that it can scarcely be said his , victory really settles the championship J question. Hitherto he had not aspired to what are so loosely called “classic” events, but he had a quite good record in juvenile handicaps and has evidently ■ come on a lot since last seen out, when, carrying 9st I.llb he ran second, beaten by two lengths, to Red Manfred, 9.5, in the Hopeful Stakes at Trentham on January 21. It looks as if we should have to await Eastertime results at Ellerslie and Riecarton before making any decision as to which of our youngsters is to be regarded as the best. Even then it may be difficult to make any definite pronouncement excepting with regard to the aggregate of stakes earned, and the season may well end without any one being able to claim outstanding excellence. The Wellington “Post” scribe “Rangatira,” writing during the week on the prospects of the race, had this to say about the ultimate winner: “Dole is undoubtedly one of the speediest youngsters that have stepped out this term. Ho may yet prove speediest of them all. From a yearling who was so lightly regarded by his owner that he could have been bought for a ‘tenner’ he has developed into a colt of superlatively racy appearance. He is every meh a racehorse now. Of a pleasing deep rich brown, almost a black, he is sure to appeal to those who back by looks. He is not exceptionally big, but he is solidly and speedily moulded. Ho is as fit as handp can make him, and he is a better htfrse now than he was in January. Some question his ability to stay, but those who have watched him work have little fear on this point. The youngster who is to beat him on Friday must be good above any average year.” IS MONEY “EASIER”? Those who regard the totalisator as the most reliable “financial barometer” will be able to take further heart of grace from yesterday’s racing, when at all three race meetings held there was an increase in turn-over, and a most notable one at both Trentham and Paeroa. At the Wellington meeting the fairly wide distribution of the “straight-out” money no doubt assisted materially to the handsome improvement in the figures. Three first favourites were successful, while no other outright winner was further down the betting than fourth, though a dead-heater in Eupator was as far down as sixth. At Ohinemuri however, two rank outsiders, “popping up” in the middle of the programme, must have appreciably affected the aggregate return. Despite this, there was an increase of over 30 per cent, on last ] year’s figures. It is also to be noted 1 that the little mining town put 1 through something a good deal better than two-thirds of the amount collected at metropolitan course. “Things” i are surely “looking up,” at both ends i of this island at any rate, <