THE AUSTRALIAN HURDLE RACE.

NZ Truth, Issue 166, 22 August 1908, Page 2

THE AUSTRALIAN HURDLE RACE.

Bold Showing by Ataahua. ,

the following, fironi -the Syjdney '.'Sportsman" will -be of interest 'to readers . of"Truth":—"The big race;'; produced a field of 15, ■ and an uncommoDiy useful looking lot* of hofsbs they .iyrere, Form w^as well represented. There were two Grand National"* winners m Brifbeey 11.9, and Lady Quiz 10.il, and ' all the r others, bar Ko'roroit; ; had winning credentials. They ■were -a well-jcanditioned . field, too, ewery one: of them having, a thoroughly seasoned appearance, 'and it was -no wbndeif ' th& : race was., a good jbe.ttihg one. ;. At the end: tliere; was little to choose between Lady Quiz and Enchanted States for : fayoritf ism, while Garches, who was reported as . being somewhat sore, was next m de-* mand. Early iD the day; there was-abig : run bii the Newi Zealander, Ataajbua, 10.3,.''. who is owned by Mr' E: Manifold, but' then. the" money came/for D. J. , : Price's,, bther charge, Bribery, and eventually^ &> good price was bet about either of them. The ; -.race is oiie thatiii%illVbe remembered ;fof a ]yei;y long time ■^oScbrie, .for Ataa*: flua> a Vorkmaiiiite,' mpd§r^,te-sißed forpwh' 1 ;) Jgcldin'g; % . at once. took" bhar^, and! set a/ pace that has rarely before: been-^een m;; ationg^istaiice event., jumping ' 'In 1 . rareV iform;' he soon topic! aibig" lead from jCtiar-^' lemagne, * Lady Quiz," Enchanted States/i Dagobaand Geraa, with the. field strung. At the third ■ hurdle Brjbery.caTrie a cropper, and rolling over his jockey,' \F. McQai).e, gave 'him t a -bad sq|ueezing ; .anda fractured, collarbone. Regret also came down at A an early s^tage. : When a couple .of f miles had been covered Ataahua was still going strongly with;. £ lead of some 20 lengths from Cbarlemagne, Lady Quiz,: Enohanted' States, vDagobaaDd Garches, while Mercury had been pulled up. Garches blundered on landing and fell, .and Paraloch followed suit cpming down the ..railway side for the. last tane; Ataahua. vwas still going 'easily/ with, a ./big lead,; and eyeryttiing behind him m spre trouble, but .he made his first bail; jump at' tliei, second last obstacle, '. aivd, standing' off too far, just tipped. itj dipped arid unshipped R. Wilson, who had ridden a beautiful waiting race m front. * This mishap ,l«£t Dagoba with a big' lead, aftd,, although" he Avas very tired^the old Tasma-nian-bred. gelding struggled on, and won all V.out : by ,three lengths from Charlemagne iifho ran a wonderfully game race. Eight lengths away Lady Quiz: was third, iSU lengths m front of Topaz, at interyals^ followed Kalnuck, Enchanted States, Concave, Kororoit and Geilah. Morie ol ;the jockeys except McOalje , were niuchthe worse for their falls, but Gar ohes hurt his neck, and Paraloch came ,m very lame. A new record was established for the race, •; the timej, 6min 40|sec, being do less than tight seconds « faster t na ri the- previous best, and "if: Ataahua had kept his, feet this, would still- have been, bettered' considerably. The winner was quite an but- . aider, only being backed for a few stray pounds, and even his connections did not anticipate his success. It was very, bad luck for Mr Manifold that • Ataahua should get such -a showing up,, for Maorivlander will now be handicapped as though he were' the actual winner of the race, and will be a bad horse, to back m future events. : It was singular, however, that so very few people sedmed sorry about his defeat,, and there, is, no discussing the fact that the tactics of the connections of D. J. Price's * stable do not commend themselves to tlte' public, and that it is most unpopular. At the sarhe time it cannot be said that much sluccess has attended 'its inmates^ during the past year, while it must be a very expensive establishment to keep going. ' .