FORM BEING EXPOSED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 139, 2 September 1927, Page 6

FORM BEING EXPOSED

HORSES SEEN OUT AT RECENT MEETINGS (Special to THE SUN.) WELLINGTON, Thusday. One of the best of the hunters in this part of the island is Just John, and the only surprise about the win he scored at New Plymouth last week was the excellent dividend he returned. This was due largely to the ample supply of money forthcoming for Lady Acre, and the fact that he had failed at Pakuranga. Just John waited on the field as long as he could, and when his rider let him go he ran to the front with the greatest of ease, and won in a common canter. I-Ie had only a length to spare as he passed the winning post, but it could have been many lengths. He is a substantial horse, a good ! weight carrier, and a good jumper, and next season he should have a good innings. The company he has been tested in is not of the best, but he has done so well, leaving the company out of the question for the time being, that some are selecting him as one to earn honours in quite good company next season. It is early yet to say if this opinion will prove to be correct, but it will not be surprising if it does. FAILURE AND EXCUSE

Excuse was made for the failure of Lady Acre at Ellerslie, and she was backed like a certainty at New Plymouth a week later, but the same thing happened to her there —she missed again. She can jump we.ll, but she is a bit small, and cannot stay well. She has a fair amount of speed for a hurdler, and if she gets the conditions in her favour she might yet win a race. In her last two starts she has been very expensive, but there is no chance of her being favourite next time she faces the starter, and if she does win those who stick to her will get a good price off the machine.

There was a fair amount of support for All Wind on Saturday at the Taranaki Hunt meeting, and A. McDonald was secured, to do the riding; but the All Red gelding broke down during the running of the hunters’ hurdle race. As the field was a very weak one, he might have had a chance had he kept sound, but it is a bit unlikely that he would have beaten Just John, who won with very great ease. THE “DASHING” RAFA There are few racegoers who do not remember Rafa, the big black sprinter, who was one of the foundation members of the team raced for a while by Mr. W. D. Graham, of New Plymouth. Rafa does ngt carry Mr. Grahams colours now, but he was seen out in public last Saturday, and in some respects is much the same sort of horse as of old. Over five and six furlong courses Rafa used to be very hard to beat, but he was never a stayer. Then his barrier manners got him into trouble, and he was placed on the schooling list. Pie behaved fairly well at New Plymouth on Saturday, and perhaps he has reformed sufficiently to stand a chance of getting back among the flat racers. It will not be much use racing him unless he does, as he is of no use at all as a hurdler. He dashes to the front in his hurdle races, and jumps well enough for a while, but only for a very little while, and then he retires to the other end of the field, his jumping at the finish being simply deplorable. AVOLA’S YOUNG SISTER A full-sister to the once-good performer Avola was seen out at the Tara - naki Hunt meeting, which was held at New Plymouth last Saturday, and on her running it should not be long before she runs prominently in a field oti maidens. She showed a fair turn of speed in her race, but was not forward enough to run the journey out. Hawera sports have a good word for her, and if she continues to improve she will be among those worth keeping in mind for an easy race a little later on. Pier sister, Avola, was a good mare up to a mile, and this one is the same colour, and somewhat the same build. Avola has been retired owing to unsoundness, but one of her last efforts was her second to Degage, when the latter sprang the big surprise by winning the open six . u race at Hawera in May, and paying a big double-figure dividend. Fermanagh is by the defunct side Bisogne from Avena. NOTHING BUT RAIN Most of the tracks in the southern part of the North Island have been in extremely bad condition for working on this winter, and Hawera and New Plymouth trainers complain that so much rain has not fallen in so short a time during the whole of their experience. As usual, Wanganui track is in great winter condition, and there is a big team of horses in wof. there now. Boxes are at a premium, and visitors to the coming meeting are having difficulty in obtaining suitable accommodation. Work on the new track at Marton had to be restricted some little time back, and some of the horses engaged at the meeting were not taken down from Wanganui till the day of the races. PASSIN’ THROUGH FOR AUSTRALIA Still one more New Zealand horse is making for Austraia, to try his luck during the coming spring. This is Passin’ Through, who has shown a return to form in the last few weeks, and has encouraged his owner to go on with hint while lie is still in good nick. Passin’ Through was a useful steeplechaser over short courses a season or two ago, but at the beginning , of the present steeplechase season he was performing so poorly that it seemed that he had slipped beyond recall. His owner-trainer effected a big I improvement in him, and took him to Ricearton for the second and third day of the Grand National meeting. He won very nicely on the second day, and was winning easily on the last day when he fell at the final obstacle. Pie showed, however, that he is back to form, and no doubt this has induced Mr. Cleaver to make for the Commonwealth while he has him right. He was a bit unlucky in having him off colour in the early part of the winter, and probably when he readies Australia he will have to head for Melbourne to get suitable racing for him. A BIG SURPRISE The big dividend payer of the New Plymouth gathering on Saturday, Mon Desir, is another of the useful Bisogne tribe, and as far as is known he was ob B ,ed at a modest price. Pie had a deal of the luck of the race with him on Saturday, but he ran well for a maiden, and ran very truly, jumping out like an old hand, and taking the corners splendidly. Pie had an advantage in age over most of the opposition, and on the heavy course that stood to him, ] and enabled him to see the journey out to the end. Mon Desir is by ! Bisogne from Haversack. Broad Acre must be a hardy sort. He had a heavy fall while running in one of the early events on the Taranaki Hunt programme, but came out again later in the afternoon and ran third to Wanderlust and Onward. As his name indicates, lie is one of the Acre family. He was well backed tor the race in which he fell, but he had no chance at the time, though he was finishing strongly. Apart from Miss Mercia, nothing was so solidly backed in the maiden scurr t New Plymouth as John Nod, the | ble Arch—Husheen gelding, trainc, at -Awapuni by George New. Followers of the stable seemed to be