FORM AT PUKEKOHE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20254, 14 May 1929, Page 13

FORM AT PUKEKOHE.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

BY ARCHER

"With fine weather, a largo attendance, good fields aud excellent racing, the Franklin Racing Club's meeting at T'ukokohe on Saturday passed off very successfully. The arrangements made by the secretary, Mr. A. P. Daysh, worked very smoothly and the lengthy programme was got oft within a few minutes of advertised time.

A promising hack in Cruachan was seen to advantage in winning the first division of the Trial Handicap at the right end. There should bo more success awaiting the chestnut, who should improve a, good deal with racing. Hitherto Cruachan lias been referred to as a son of Lord Quex, but in the official card he was returned as being by King Mark, who is recorded ub his sire in the Stud Book.

After mauy failures Diamond Queen opened her winning account by scoring a comfortable victory in the Becond division of the Trial Handicap. She was patiently ridden by L. Malison and finished on better than usual when asked for a final effort. Diamond Queen is making slight improvement. but will have to be carefully placed to achieve much success.

Condition and patient horsemanship were factors in the victory of Bizarro in the Ramarama High-weight Handicap, wherein ho was always nicely placed and had enough in reserve at the finish to just win. Bizarro and Diamond Queen race in the same ownership and it was pleasing to see the pair reward Mr. J. Ross for his perseverance iu the face of a number of disappointments. Neither Harbour View nor Kawini was well placed in the early stages of the Ramarama High-weight Handicap and it was only when they moved up sharply at the top that they came into promineuce. If they had been allowed to make up their ground more gradually, they would certainly have given the winner more trouble. Kawini is in great heart, and. all going well, should be a very fit horse next month, when he will contest the Great Northerns. Glendowie on the Flat. Although Glendowie looked nice and jaunty, he was not fancied in the Ramarama High-weight Handicap and was one of the outsiders. Without being really prominent, he made a very satisfactory showing to be ahqut the middle of the field at the finish, The run should be beneficial to Gleudowie, who may have another outing on the flat before tackling the Great Northern Steeplechase, for which he has an army of ad mirers.

Two candidates for jumping honours in Clockwork and Pouri were among the runners in the Ramarania, High-weight Handicap and both shaped respectably. Clockwork has lately won two hurdle races at two miles and his breeding is in favour of his getting longer journeys, so that he may be one of the possibles of the divisions between 10.0 and 9.0 in the Great Northerns. Pouri is a capable jumper both over hurdles and country and he may also give a good account of himself next month. Another defeat went down against Standfast in tho Pukekawa Hack Handicap, and, though he might have done slightly better with a stronger horseman aboard, no real excuse can be offered for failure to finish closer than third. He was one of three to receive tlio best of the start arid was thereforo very favourably placed to show his best. Standfast appears rather difficult for light boys and is likely to do best in ihe hands of one of the older riders. Catapult in Form. favoured with a good jump-out from an inside position. Catapult was always in the lending division in the Pukekawa Hack Handicap and battled on gamely to deadheat with Kawainga. It is only when the tracks are soft, that Catapult shows his true form, and, if he were big enough to handle weight, he would be a good proposition for winter racing.

It: dead-heating. with Catapult in the Pukekawa Hack Handicap Kawainga emphasised tho improvement sho has made since going into .the care of R. E. Brown. Sho has raced very consistently in the past fouple of months and appears to do a little better each time out. If she had had the luck to draw a position closer in than 16 at the start, she would probably have won outright. Like her half-sister, Titaness, Kawainga acts well in soft going. There was solid support for both Leitrim and Valuation in the Pukekawa Hack Handicap, and, whereas tho former was never sighted. Valuation was always fairly handy and finished seventh. Leitrim looks nn improved horse since going into the care of A. Cook and. can he expected to show to more advantage later. Valuation is not racing as well as anticipated and may not be quite himself at present. "When right, he has sufficient brilliancy to ' seriously trouble any. hack field. So well was Thursby travelling when he ran to the front at the home turn that he appeared almost certain to win the Massey Memorial Cup. Inside the distance he was still in .charge, only to weaken quickly and be beaten into third place. Thursby has been working very lazily and should be all the better fcr the race, so that be might be a. likely one for the leading handicaps at the corning winter carnival. He is very partial to heavy going and will be racing under his favourite conditions in Iho next-few months.

As a result of several recent failures, Royal Doulton was not;fancied to any extent in the Massey Memorial Cup, wherein she was always handy and smothered the opposition at the finish. - It was the weakest field she had met since 'winning the Ohinemuri Cup, and. in the circumstances the price she returned was rather surprising. Royal Doulton has done well this season and has only to remain sound to win more good stakes in the future.

Handicap Horses. It was considered that the soft track would bo in favour of High Pitch and backers had no hesitation in making him favourite ' for thi Massey Memorial Cup. Over the first few furlongs he was not well placed, but moved up handy at the halfmile, and was third into the straight. Then be made a solid effort, but had no chance with Royal Doulton High Pitch will take no harm from the run and slight improvement on this form will give him a good chance in the Cornwall Handicap. Appearances indicate that In the Shade has thrived on hi. recent racing, for he has never looked better at any stage of the season than ho did when he went out to contest the Massey Memorial Cup. On the heavy track he was incapable of • running inlo a. place and it is unfortunate for lm connections that, be is only regaining his dash now that the tracks are soft. Jn The Shade should come into his own iu the spring. . It was certainly not ill favour of, King Emerald to • e running on the outside or two horses for aboyt. six furlongs m the Massey Memorial Cup and iu the circumstances he did well to finish fourth. Last year King Epieiaid nearly sprung a surprise in running second ir. the Cornwall Handicap and, all going well in the next few weeks, lio may again race prominently_ this year. It was only by a narrow margin that tiie favourite Te Taone won the first division of the Franklin Stakes, but he would have been unlucky to lose. When the barrier lifted he dwelt slightly, only to run through (juickly and bo un third before reaching (he turn. Then, when coming through on the rails at the distance, he received a slight check. Te 'laone' has a nice turn of speed and may be very useful next season. A solid finishing effort landed Crimes tor in second place in the,first division of the Franklin Stakis and his display was very encouraging, more especially as be did not nppear to bo entirely at home in tho heavy ground. Crimeslor is a big youngster likely to benefit by age and next season he should be a payable proposition in the hack class. One of the most impressive performances of tho meeting was that of Gold Money in winning the Harrisville £ lying Handicap. She was last early and then moved up on the outside to be. handy at the turn, where she was very vide out. In the straight she kept up her effort and in the end won very comfortably. Gold Money is very smart' at distances up .to a mile and in her present form is likely to make her presence felt at the coming winter carnival nt EHerslie. ... . . Only for his rider being m a hurry to 4-each the front after waiting on the lenders for about three furlongs Ruffles might have triven Moii<*y more trouble in Uflrrisville Flying 1 Handicap, although it is unlikely that he would have beaten the winner in anv e : rcu:nistanccs. This was the best race Ruffles has un for some time and. as he is distinctly partial to heavy ,101112. li« is likely to return to the winning list at the winter meetings. - . After, a long nbsence from the winning list Barometer displayed a return to form in narrowly beating Lorient If. in the President's Handicap. As a result of a decent showing at Te Bapa Barometer was a, good third choice in the betting and his dividend wna fairly short! When he was tailing the field over the first five furlongs his prospects did not appear bright, but he unwound a solid finishing run, aud won by half a length.