BADLY HANDLED

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 84, 30 June 1927, Page 6

BADLY HANDLED

YOUNGSTER STILL WON BROTHER TO ELFACRE Circean, winner of a division of the Juvenile at Canterbury (Sydney) last Saturday week, is a brother to Elfacre, winner of the Rosehill Guineas, and a horse of outstanding promise. And, good as Elfacre was, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Circean will attain to equally good form. That is the impression gained from Saturday’s win. Circean has failed in several ra.ces recently, but indications are that horsemanship might be responsible. Apparently he needs a strong jockey, and when the right means are applied he produces a burst of speed that is really phenomenal. Even in victory he was not capably handled. His jockey let him drop right back into the ruck. CONCEDED BIG START To Vanished, the favourite, he conceded a big start over the last two furlongs, and even when he advanced in the straight the leader appeared to have much more advantage than he could overtake. At a critical moment Circean’s jockey sought his whip and fumbled. While he was idle, the two-year-old slackened speed, and lost a length. When ‘eventually the whip came Into operation it seemed too late. But Circean responded with a line run, and, though the distance was short, he got up in time to beat Vanished by a head. It was a close thing, and backers of Circean were lucky to collect. STRING OF SECONDS Vanished increased Mr. R. Wootton’s number of minor placings. He declares that he has had a sequence of 27 seconds, most of which have been close, and most of which would have returned him handsome profits from bets if they had been firsts. Vanished has been responsible for four seconds, but has yet to win. Bad riding has often been blamed. Mr. Wootton is content to give his stable jockeys a chance, but it couldn’t be said that Baker didn’t handle Vanished well this time, or at least with marked superiority over the rider of the horse that beat him. Circean is owned by Mr. G. J Carr who recently won at Randwick with Johnnie Jones, and should be well worth following in races from now on.