EASTER HANDICAP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22389, 8 April 1936, Page 11

EASTER HANDICAP

LESSONS FROM THE PAST SOME THRILLING CONTESTS ONE WINNER GIVEN AWAY BY SPEARMINT According to the Turf Register, the A.R.C. Easter Handicap was first run in 1874, and for the first time under conditions as we know them in 1898. The Auckland Cup winner Wairiki made two attempts to win tho Easter Handicap, but failed on each occasion. Ho was topweight both times, carrying 9.7 and 10.2 respectivelv.

Sinco the distance was reduced to one mile only two horses have won tho ICaster Handicap twice. These were Rex in 1898 and 1899 and Reremoana in 1925 and 1926. In 1901 Rosella was second to tho grout Advance and she won tho following year, while in 1924 Hipo was tho winner, but next year had to strike his colours to Reremoana. No previous winner is engaged this year.

There has been only one dead-heat in the Easter Handicap, when Radames and Administrator finished together in 1884. The distance was two miles and tho time, 3.35 i, was a record for the course. Two years ago Pomp and Imamint dead-heated for second, threequarters of a length behind the fastfinishing Jonathan. Story of Regulation

There have been many romantic incidents connected with the Easter Handicap and sensational dividends have been paid in recent years by Hipo and In the Shade. However, nothing can approach for dranjatic interest the history of Regulation, who won in 1904: It goes back to the year 1868, in which tho Australian-bred mare Friendship, a hardy veteran of nine years, scored in the nomination of Mr. George Wright. Friendship was in foal to King Cole at the time and ran her last race at the A.R.C. Winter Meeting, being beaten a head and conceding the winner 2st. Friendship belonged to Messrs. Alison Brothers and was running on the Takapuna racecourse when sho produced twins as a result of the mating with King Cole. One of these was May, who was nearly drowned through falling into a drain on the racecourse on the day of her birth. May was undersized and was put to pony racing, but developed such a vile temper that she was driven in a bus to cure her, and on many occasions helped to pull the coach from Devonport to Takapuna. Irt due course she was sent to the stud and a filly foal by St. Regal came up at the yearling sales. The late Mr. J. Corrigan, of Hawera, bid 5 guineas for her, " to give lior a start," and was surprised when she was knocked down to him for 10 guineas. However, he took h"r and away she went to Hawera, and was running in a paddock there when a cattle dealer called on Mr. Corrigan and purchased a big line of stock. Ho remarked that Mr. Corrigan ought to throw in "a bit of horseflesh'' and the latter made him a present of tho St. Regal filly. This was Regulation, who won tho Easter Handicap of 1901 from a smart field, which included Wairiki, tho champion of the day.

Some Famous Winners However, very few winners of tho Easter Handicap have had such a humble origin. It is generally regarded as one of the hardest races to win and is nowadays nearly always won by a high-class horse. In recent years it numbers among its winners such fine performers as Chortle, Silver Link, lloseday, Reremoana, Civility, Pegaway, Hunting Cry, Golden Wings and Jonathan. Ono of the greatest winners was Advance, who carried 9.6 to victory as a three-year-old in 1900. Ho followed this with victories in the Century Stakes with a 101b. penalty and in tho Autumn Handicap with 10.5. Next year Rosella won, and her grandson, Roseday, won in 1923. This year Kakama, the winner of 1912, has a grand-daughter engaged, namelj', tho much-fancied Namakia.

An even greater feat than that of Advance was the victory of Nonette, who won as a three-year-old in 1902 with the crushing burden of 9.11. Nonette also won the Century Stakes and was unlucky to be defeated in the Autumn Handicap with 10.6. A great performance was that of Chortle in 1916. At the distance tho lightweight Housewife looked all over a winner, but Chortle, who was favourite with 9.7, came with an irresistible run and cut her down at the finish. A tremendous battle took place in 1926, when, in a record field of 27, tho favourite, Reremoana, just got homo by a head from Sun Up, to whom he was conceding 351b. The race of 1928 was sensational. In the Shade, than whom only ono horso was less fancied on tho totalisator, was in tho rear most of the way, and when they entered the straight he had eight horses in front of him. Favoured by ail uninterrupted run on the rails, ho came with a great burst of speed to win by half a length and pay a substantial dividend.

Topweights t and Favourites Topweights have generally found the Easter Handicap a difficult race to win and only three have succeeded in the last 15 years. A list of tho touweights since 1920, with the positions they filled at the finish, is as follows:—1020—Uncle Ned, 8.10 .. .. Unplaced 1921—Maioha, !).6 .. .. .. Unplaced 1922—Gasbag, 9.0 Second 10-.'J—Thespian, 9.3 Third 1924 —Ruapapa, 8.5 .. .. Unplaced 1925—Suggestion, 9.6 .. .. Unplaced 1926—Reremoana, 9.11 .. .. First 1927—Reremoana. 10.2 .. .. Unplaced 1928—Joy King, 8.13 .. .. Unplaced 1929—Reremoana, 9.6 .. .. Unplaced 1930—Pegaway, 9.5.. .. .. First 1931—Pegaway, 9.6 Unplaced 1932—(Pegaway, 9.3 .. .. Unplaced (Hunting Cry, 9.3 .. .. Unplaced 1933—Golden Wings, 9.9.. .. First 1934—Curie, 8.11 Unplaced 1935—Kiltowyn, 9.5 .. .. Unplaced First favourites have done a little better and have not given their supporters much cause for rejoicing. Their fate since 1920 is as follows: —

I<)2o—Unclo Ned.. 8.10 .. .. Unplaced 1921—(Gasbag. 5.5 Unplaced (Chr.ysostom, 7.8 .. .. Unplaced 1922—(Grotesque. 8.1 ■ .. .. First (Gasbag, 9.0 Second 1923—Royal Blood, 8.4 .. .. Unplaced 1924—Ruapapa. 3.5 .. .. Unplaced 1925—Heremoana, B.f> .. .. First 192(5—Reremouna, 9.11 .. .. First 1927—(J0y King, 7.12 .. .. Second (Rapine, 9.7 Unplaced 1928—Joy King. 8.13 .. .. Unplaced 1929—Vullar, 7.0 Unplaced 1930—Pegaway, 9.5 First 1931—Pcgaway. 9.G .. .. Unplaced 1932—Huntingdon, 8.0 .. .. Unplaced 1933—L'Allegro, 7.12 .. .. Unplaced 1934 —Gay Shiela, 8.3 .. .. Unplaced 1935—Red Manfred, 8.12 .. .. First In 1922 Grotesque and Gasbag were coupled on the machine and their supporters divided the pool. The fastest time recorded in the Easter Handicap is Red Manfred's 1.36 3-5 last year. This equals the New Zealand record, previously held jointly by Thespian and Karapoti, both of whom recorded their times at Ellerslie. The time when Rex won the first contest over a mile was 1.415. The slowest time was in J922, when Grotesque won in 1.4-4 in heavy going.

TROTTING FIXTURES April 11, 13—Hawera Trotting Club. April 11, 15—Metropolitan Trotting Club. April 18 —Ashburton Trotting Club. April 18, 22—Manawatu Trotting Club. April 30, May 2—Forbury Park Trotting Club. May 2—Cambridge Trotting Club. May 7—Marlborough Trotting Club. May 9 Oamaru Trotting Club. May ®—Waikato Trotting Club.