LOOKING AT AWAPUNI

NZ Truth, Issue 1152, 29 December 1927, Page 9

LOOKING AT AWAPUNI

Horses That Did, and Those That Didn't

Awapuni is a fine racecourse — providing one does not get held up at the motor gate — and the racing for the first two days was excellent.

AS usual, there were a few that rt looked not to be trying; but with the money offering it was hard to take up this attitude. But there it was — suspicious cases, if nothing else. The youthful rider of Tone just kept her going long enough to get the verdict.

Possibly she could have won with a bit more to spare with more assistance on top.

He improves every time you set your eyes on him — High Disdain. At one stage on Monday he looked like getting licked, but once he was asked a question he saw it had to be "go for your life." And he went.

Piuthair ricked herself the night before the Cup, and she was lucky /to bG able to take her place in the field. It is just possible that Kiosk was not himself at the meeting. There

is a suspicion that a splint is going to trouble him.

Silver Rule bled after winning at Otaki in the spring, and she was once again afflicted after running in the Palmerston Stakes.

Just going on the manner in which Pouri ran away from his field at the finish of the hurdles on Monday, he is going to reach top class.

"Wog" Warner rode him well and there is reason to think he will reach possibly a Northern Hurdle race.

Tom Metcalfe was showing them the way home over the 'first two days. He won three races — from in front and from behind.

Had Duke Abbey had any luck at all from the half-mile, he would not have been beaten the first day. Losing his position, he had to drop right back and come round the outside. Then he was only beaten a head. j Reg. Mackie was a very sick | man when he got off Joy Bird in I the Cup. The call to waste left him as weak as a new-born foal. Jim Bull has some sort of a hoodoo over his team. He cannot win a race. Brigadier Bill was once again in the money on Tuesday, but not in the right position. Cool Card found the Company a little richer than that met up in Gisborne. There is a suggestion that he is not quite as he should be. Blimp had his show the first day when Lady Limond ran wide at the turn, but after catching the leader he could not foot it with her. Though he has yet to do anything worth talking about, it will be in order to expect Concentrate to win a two-year-old race before long. Novar does not win out of his turn, and when he scored the second day there was a warm welcome for him when he returned to weigh in. His owner, Dave Munro, deserved the success. A well-known trainer and a well-known jockey fell out prior to Awapuni. The jockey came out of it with a smile on his side. According to all rules of the game, Royal Game should stand seventeen hands. That is, if he was built according to his heart. The first day he was sore as a troublesome finger, and the same the second, yet he came out on Tuesday and in a bulldog finish beat Polar. Stormy was a runner the first day, but he never made any show. Those who watched the race carefully will be quite prepared to take into account that he will improve on that performance. . ■ ,

In other words, he -will find that the next time out he may have visions of the judge.