VERTIGERN SHOWS THAT ELLERSLIE FORM WAS WRONG

NZ Truth, Issue 1208, 24 January 1929, Page 13

VERTIGERN SHOWS THAT ELLERSLIE FORM WAS WRONG

GOING ON WELL AT THE RIGHT END

Backers of Hoylake Had Little Chance of Winning The Wellington Cup From The Very Outset

POOR CLASS, BUT QUITE A GOOD RAGE

IN all twenty- one paraded, and they were a mixed .lot. Some looked bright and well, some were a little weary-looking to the eye, and others had a perfectly jaded look. A bracket was favorite— Hoylake and Blimp. Had the general public known what was common property to the Press early m the morning, there would not have been the deluge of money. Hoylake had knocked a knee and it was at first rumored that he was an unlikely starter. A word with Tom Lloyd brought the reply that he was awaiting the arrival of Doc. Louisson before coming to any definite decision. / The little doc. looked his horse over and -decided that he would run. The public, ignorant of the position, just went m and stuck it on the grey, and they were rewarded by witnessing him run a shocking race. He got into a, mess-up just after the start, and this left him. toiling m the rear division most of the way. From the mile post onwards he was m a hopeless position, and could from there on be counted out. Arid counted put he was. • It was left to Joy Bird for a couple of furlongs, and then Royal Saxon, to make the pace, arid after half a mile had been covered three horses were well out of court. They were Historic, Hoylake and Amor. It was not till the far turn was iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini(iiii!i

It was generally admitted that a poor field was left to battle out the Wellington Cup, and with the scratching of Oratrix, the issue was weakened further still. But weak as it was the problem of sorting the right one was none too easy — so much of a muchness was the class.

reached that there was any cause

off Papatu. Then came. Talisker Koyal Saxon, Catkin, Yoma, Pink Note Teri and the old battler, Rapine.

for anxiety. . Papatu then moved, and a little further on The Hawk did likewise. As this pair swung into the straight their riders must have been thinking how nice the winning end would be. And so it appeared; but then, when the field was well straightened up, on the outside came Vertigern, and he, having 1 the last run, or, as the jockeys say, "the drop," went on and won by a length. The Hawk, ridden right out, staved

'It was perhaps a. race of all sorts of luck — good and bad. Hoylake money was done cold at the start, and then, m the actual race, it seemed to' the experienced onlooker that The Hawk was asked to go a little too soon.

That is said after taking into account the fact that the old fellow is a doubtful stayer and would

have been better suited with a short sprint home. Royal Saxon ran a gallant race as long as he lasted. On his form, had he been saved for a, race like the mile Summer Handicap, he would have been a good thing. Patience won for Vertigern, and his bracket mate, Talisker, also went well, and with a fraction of the good things handed out would have been m the nioney. Rapine looked well — too well, m fact — and never at any stage did he threaten danger. The class was just a bit above Papatu, but then he got third money, something that would never have happened m a usual Wellington Cup field. Joy Bird was m it momentarily, and then dived into obscurity. She is a peculiar mare and hard to follow. The three-year-old, Concentrate, was m the picture for a mile, and then went out of it. It was, all. things considered, too bad a, performance to be true. ■ The winner went out of favor as a result of the showing he gave m the Racing Club Handicap at Ellerslie on New Year's Day. This was held, against him after his dead-heat the next day m .the, tenfurlong Grandstand handicap. That conditions suit,' or do. not suit, was lost sight of, and that was passed by when it came to considering Vertigern's prospects. ...... He likes firm ground, and this he got, on Tuesday. fllf!lllllllillllilll!l!!l[||ll!l!llllillllllllllll!lllllllll!lllllllllllllllll!llllllllllllllllllll!UI