NOTES ON THE RACING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22447, 17 December 1934, Page 15

NOTES ON THE RACING

REBEL CHIEF’S BRILLIANT WIN. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, December 15. An outsider in The Khedive registered a narrow, last-stride victory in the Highweight Handicap just as Blue -Boy looked all over a winner. Bold Jim backed away from the field at the start, and was completely left. Gayfire and Round Score finally settled down in the running ahead of Blue Boy, Hounslow, Black Man, and King Thomond, but King Thomond later dropped back to the rear. Gayfire dropped out on the turn and Round Score went into the lead, followed by Blue Boy, the bunch being headed by Black Man, King Thomond, and The Khedive. Blue Boy took the lead off Round Score when well in the straight, and was well clear at the last furlong, but The Khedive, finishing resolutely, got up to beat him in the last stride. Revision finished on for a good third, with Hounslow fourth, and then eaine Black Man and Round Score. It was The Khedive’s first win and for a strong horseman he went well. Blue Boy put up a good performance, but Black Man was disappointing after having every chance. Revision was finishing well, and Hounslow ran a good race. Too much use was made of'Round Score for him to run well. . • Another surprise, was brought off in the hack seven-furlong race by an outsider in Tunneller, the big field giving a number of horses no opportunity for a good run. Cyclonic did show up toward the end of the race, but Sea Fox was never in the picture. They took some time to settle down, but Land Tax, Palm, Tunneller, Wasteland, Cawbeen, and then Limulus were always fairly prominent. Palm, Limulus, Cawbeen, Wasteland, Land Tax, Tunneller, and Orby’s Last were prominent across the top, and Sunee was also showing up, and as they entered the straight Palm had the .lead from .the false rail until well within striking distance of the post, when she was hotly challenged by Wasteland, Limulus, and Tunneller. lira close finish, Tunneller Woiv narrowly 1 but very decisively from Limulus, who only beat Palm by inches. Wasteland was right up, and then came Miss Hush-a-bye, Orby’s Last, and Maine. The three placed horses are ? all three-year-olds. Tunneller won his first race at Ashburton only recently, and has made substantial improvement. He ■ carried 21b overweight. ■ Limulus emphasised the good impression she made by her first win at Feilding by running an-excellent race. Palm, after drawing 21, put up a first class effort. Wasteland was the best of the older horses. The favouritie s were disappointing, but no doubt the large .field was responsible for their failing-to show their right form.. Haut. Monde proved the best--two-year-old in the Balmoral Stakes. He was always well placed in front, biit was kept thoroughly up to his job by Severe, Silver Coat, and Round Up, with Bun Fight and Penelope in behind. Haut Monde had dropped the leaders as they ran from the false rail, but Bun Fight and Penelope were there, and finally Legatee came with a good run. Haut Monde, however, could not be reached and won very decisively from Bun Fight, with Legatee cutting out Penelope for third. Then came Alchemic and Severe. The winner i s a good colt, maintaining all the promise he .showed earlier in’the-season.. Bun Fight 'improved, and both Legatee and Penelope ran good races. « ; Cricket Bat won the Duke of Gloucester Handicap like a good horse. He was always well placed, and avoiding trouble early, which one or two of the more prominent of the candidates ran into, die finished very resolutely, to fight .off a strong and sensational challenge by the little-fancied runner- Caliente. The order of running changed very quickly in the early stages, but horses that got out well were Southdown, Sweet Agnes, Passion Fruit, Cricket Bat, Spiral, Going Gay, Vintage and Manetho. Gold Trail and Vintage were both slow away. Spiral soon got into trouble and his chance was settled before the end of three furlongs. He went right back, and a little later Vintage also lost ground. The main running order over the last mile was Manetho and Southdown from Red Sun, Passion Fruit, Sweet Agnes and Cricket Bat-. Into the straight Southdown and Manetho still had charge, but were being closely pressed by a host of horses, in which Cricket Bat, Red Sun, Passion Fruit and Solarium were prominent, with Vintage commencing his run. _ Once in line, however, the leaders quickly gave way and Cricket Bat had charge at the last furlong. He drew well clear, ami theri Caliente came fast on the inner with a well sustained run. Cricket Bat, however, held on and’ beat him by a neck. Gay Marigold emerged from the ruck over the concluding stages and finished very resolutely into third place. Vintage was fourth, and then came Passion Fruit, Southdown, Solarium, Spiral, Rocket, and Gold Trail. Cricket Bat’s was a solid performance. Caliente put up a fine performance, and so did Gay Marigold, while Vintage put in a great run at the finish and was unlucky in the running. Horses that did have every chance were Southdown, Passion Fruit, and Sweet Agnes. Solarium showed up only at one stage, and possibly the worst run of all was got by Spiral, who again finished well up after his early trouble. Gold Trail met with bad luck early, and was always well back. The Three-year-old Race proved conclusively that Synagogue has made the greatest improvement since the New Zealand Cup meeting. He and Sporting Blood followed the pacemaker. Canopy, to the straight, and when challenges were issued there was only one horse in it, Synagogue romping home, having the race won almost as soon as he was asked for his effort, while Sporting Blood was unable even to get second, being decisively beaten for that position by Lady Kyra. He also just beat Canopy for third. The Bledisloe Stakes Handicap was won decisively by Rebel Chief. He began well, and was lying third early, but dropped back four or five places in the running, the pace being cut out by Cottesmore and Diatomous, others well placed being Hunting Lodge, Cranford, Pomp, and Princess Doreen. Diatomous held on well in the straight, but Rebel Chief ran on very strongly and cut him down decisively. Cranford was a moderate third, and Princess Doreen fourth, followed by Gaysome, Copyist, and Autopay. Golden Wings was completely left after delaying the start, and he also badly interfered with Miladi and spoiled her chance. He wag in the rear of the field throughout the running. Rebel Chief finished too solidlv for the pure sprinters Diatomous and Cranford. Princess Doreen showed signs of returning form, and while one or two others showed up at various stages of the running they were beaten at the finish. . . , Cuddle led all the way in the Windsor Handicap, and, as has been the case in all her recent races, the further they went the easier became her victory, and she eventually won easily from Courtega, West Tor, and Wasteland, who had followed her throughout the running. The rest were well away, there being a big gap to a bunch which was headed by Final Shot.