MUD DID IT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 93, 11 July 1927, Page 6

MUD DID IT

| WHEN MERRY MINT FAILED FIRST RACE WON IN CANTER LONG SPELL WAS NECESSARY i In the early spr.ng the two-y ear . old Merry Mint was being h a ,t ed as a champion. But it wasquicklv proven that he was not so smart „ anticipated. * |JT was at the Dannevirke meeting I dxture opened, pumera' frora wide were asking. "What has got in the Maiden:" And well the question have been put a™ 1 *" 1 ; soon to be seen. ' j The rain had f allen steadily morning, and it did not let up d U ri£= the afternoon, therefore the conai tions were far from being ideal ThJ~Z was a big crowd in the Maiden j the result that the 23 were sent'off i. I two divisions. in HOT FAVOURITE , There was never anv doubt -ah » i was going to be favourite, for it j public property that Merrv Mint hsa ! beaten Olympic over half a mile Hastings a few mornings previouJe* and at that time Olympic was riU trying-out tackle for any younAtrr . Incidentally Olympic came ' outlaid j won the big race two events biter m j the day. u I It did not appear to be a wise policy i t ° start a two-year-old under the con. i ditions prevailing, and subsequent events proved that the doubters wer. correct. As for the second division . Merry Mint soon streaked away ,; front and never gave anything else . I look-in, winning easing up bv over a length. Behind him were Starboard Light. General Wai (second and third! j Queen's Choice and Gordon Swift, as winners since. PAID THE PENALTY F oilow ing on this Auspicious opening of his racing career, the youngster was then taken on to Auckland to contest the Avondale Stakes, the two-vear-old ! classic of the season. He was well j backed second favourite, but his effort at Dannevirke in the mud had appar- | ently got to the bottom of him. for ■ he was not sighted in the event at ; Ellerslie, which Cimabue won from High Finance and Laughing Prince - There were 21 starters, and eonse- ! quently there was some excuse for Merry Mint getting lost in the shuffle I but the right explanation is as | given. In his next few starts Merry Mint did no good, a second in a weak field to Arrow Lad at Trentham the follov- ; ing month being his only other placing. LENGTHY SPELL Then ir. was decided to give the youngster a good spell to let him recover frem his exertions. He was j brought in a few months ago. and now he is ono of the many down to contest the Trial Plate at Trentham tomorrow. His effort in this hack affair is sure to be watched with considerable interest as befitting a candidate for Australian J.C. Derby honours, for it is intended to send him across the Tasman this month to compete in the big races over there. To induce his owner, Mr. L. G. Clare, to send him across to take on the best the youngster must have shown him something pretty good. No doubt it will depend finally on Merry Mint’s showing to-morrow whether the prearranged plans will be carried out. WELL-BRED ONE In her day Merry Roe, the dam ol! Merry Mint, won lots of good races round Auckland way, and in other places, and sportsmen generally still have a soft spot for her in their hearts. Up to the present she has not given us any performer nearly as good as herself, but perhaps Merry Mint may make up for this deficiency. He claims Catmint as his sire, and therefore should be able to scamper through the Trentham mud, as he did at Dannevirke some time ago. In Arikiwai, Avro, Catapult, Fairy Tidings, Oratrix, Romantic and Tameterangri, all winners, there should be some good trying tackle to show whether Merry Mint is as good as evidently considered by his owner. Another in the Trial under orders for Australia, in addition to Arikiwai and Merry Mint, is Catkin. Merry Mint is to go to Sydney in the near future—unless he shows at Trentham this week that such a trip would be futile.