Stem Chases Marked Avondale's Final

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 637, 13 April 1929, Page 10

Stem Chases Marked Avondale's Final

In an extraord i nary number of j£ instances at Avondale last Wed* t nesday horses put up a big break 1 on the field in the early part of 1 their races. Some ’of them won, i but the others didn't. TT was in the very first race that it 1 started, Clockwork setting the ball rolling in the Hurdles. From the rise of the barrier lie went to the front and literally cleared out, his lead at various stages of the two-mile contest extending from six to a dozen lengths. He never looked like getting beaten, and when he won finally—Kilburn got to within three lengths of him on sufferance—his victory was received by an almost stony silence, broken only ; by the hand-clapping of three ladies hugging the birdcage fence. Considering the fact that Clockwork cut out the first mile in 1.51 on a track - that was wet on the surface, and the last mile in 1.52 3-5, it was small wonder that the Robert the Bruce gelding spreadeagled his field. It served to show. too, that Clockwork’s victory in the Brighton Hurdles was under-rated not by the critics, but by the handicapper as well. An indifferent showing on Saturday last in a comparatively weak field left everybody but the backers of forlorn hopes right out in the cold when it came to participating in the doublefigure dividend. The second race, the Dominion Handicap, was quite a respectable contest, spreadeagling tactics not being in evidence, and a similar state of affairs prevailed in the event for two-year- ' olds. ! The Billikins It was not surprising to see Billikins . endeavouring to emulate Clockwork’s • effort when the Waitakere Handicap ( was being run, for it is a way she has ; with her. She was in front practically all the way, and kept well balanced . by the diminutive and clever idol of ; Te Aroha, J. W. Chandler, she main- ] tained her three lengths advantage . crossing the top and into the straight. Although she had just about enough at ’ the finish—she won by a bit more than ; a length—Billikins was no more tired than the opposition. Once again, in the big heat, the Autumn Handicap, a hot pace was set by one of the light-weights. This was Lady’s -Boy, who drew the ace at the mile peg, and scampering away at the rising of the tapes broke 50 for the first half-mile. He was four lengths clear at this part of the trip, and the } other riders were, like the ladies fighting round the bargain counter, all hot and bothered. Attempted Robbery Just as they were filing across the ■ top Goulsbro on Lady’s Boy made a ■ barefaced attempt to steal the stake. • Not satisfied with his four lengths ad- - vantage he drove his mount along for : the next furlong, with the result that at the home turn he was from six to eight lengths in the lead. Once straightened up for the judge < he began to tire, although it looked as ; if his lead would pull him through. But White Fang, like the character <

after whom the Gisborne horse was named, was stealing down upon him with the glimmering steel between his teeth, while King Lu was setting out in pursuit of both. “He’ll do it!” exclaimed an excited backer of Lady’s Boy, but he was doomed to disappointment. One furlong from the judge Lady’s Boy was still in the van, but he was being rapidly overhauled. His backers were now busily engaged pushing the winning post crown the straight to meet him. Lady’s Boy finished third to King Lu and White Fang, and the story of Lady’s Boy is really the story of the whole race. With two out of three attempts successful at stealing races by establishing a good break in the early and middle stages, the touts were beginning to wonder what horse’s turn was to be next. The “Black Mare” The open sprint provided sensation enough without any such chance being taken, and in any case it takes something pretty good to open up a gap in a sprint contest. Perhaps E. A. Keesing had an idea of doing so, but it is easy to arrange these things, and very difficult to carry them out. He was on Black Maire in the hack mile, a gelding variously referred to by backers as “Black Mare” and “Black Marie.” When the barrier was released in this event Star Comet slipped and nearly caipe down, interfering with Brillianr Light and Sports King. Black Maire was in between them, and he just skirted the trouble, dwelling slightly as a result. He was in the middle of the field in the first furlong, and his fine turn of speed enabled him to run up to the leaders along the back straight. As they commenced to swing across the top he ran round the pacemakers to hit the front in quick style, and coming into the straight was three lengths in front of Kawainga who had been given a breather here after making the- running. Lasted L’ong Enough It looked as if this break on Kawainga enabled Black Maire to win. for there was only a head in it at the finish. Kawainga had a great run. but the winner put up a brilliant performance to do what he did after the trouble he got into at barrier rise. It showed what a fund of speed he possesses, so the fact that he was dying in Keesing’s hand passing the post can be treated lightly. In the final event, too, the leader all the way was the actual winner, although he was just heading the field throughout. That was King Emerald, whose return to form was overdue, if nof entirely unexpected by his connections. So ended a remarkable day’s racing, in which no less than five out of the eight events resolved themselves into stern chases, with the horse that piped the tune getting the big money in four of them.