HACK RACES REVIEWED

Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1930, Page 5

HACK RACES REVIEWED

. TELEGRAPH DIVISIONS TWO RACES . Originally, tho programme for the Egmont winter meeting showed a sevcn- ‘ race card, but, as it was last year, the Telegraph Handicap drew a big acceptance and the divided race is made more attractive from the owners’ as well as the public’s point of view by the allocation of £125 to each race and the totalisator being opened separately in each race. , At the Hawke's Bay summer meeting Tahoma chased Cuticle home on the first day and beat My Own the second day. The subsequent form of Cuticle and My Own makes these performances, look good. Blue Paper is working well, but Gold- • dike, a winner at Feilding, has more ' . recent form and should play a big part. Ben Hur, ‘Valstreet, Artbridge and Annoyer will all claim a few ’ friends, but they will need to be at jtheir best today. Though he is. top-weight with B.n, TAHOMA appeals as a good class hack, and even though Goldlike’s form is more recent, what beats the Hunting Song three-year-old will very nearly win the first division. '- • The speedy Callapat ran two good .faces at Feilding, but Leisure, who beat .him the second day, should again bo Capable of beating the Callaghan geldin<y. Brilliant Light should beat Lackham on the same mark, though Statuary w'ill be improved by his races at, Feild-. ing. Then there ia the New Plymouth speedster, Royal Finance, who will be ridden by Hector Gray. Royal Finance promises to be a good stake-earner and she will be expected to make a good showing today. Lucretia can move, and of those on the minimum, Crown Link cannot be despised. He is very well at present, fl..d lie finishes on. This course should ouit' him, and it will be surprising if he is far away at the finish. This division is very open, and Callapat, Brilliant Light, Leisure, Royal Finance and Statuary will all be handy at the finish. However, Taranaki sportsmen will not trouble much else than ROYAL FINANCE. . There is a big field of 17 in the Tawdiiti Handicap, and a number of those engaged were seen in favourable light during the Easter meetings. Werata won over seven furlongs at the Wairarapa meeting, and the week before won at Hastings. Kaha has not raced since November, when the ex-Taranakian won a mile race at the Waikato meeting and ran second in the Waikato Hack Cup from a good field. The half-broth-er to Gaillard is very smart, but he may need a race before he is properly tuned up.

Auctioneer is disappointing, and Latakia races more consistently. With Gray aboard he is sure to be ridden more judicially than has been the case.. in •evcral races in which I have seen him

beaten. Joyspear and Tentcall get in nicely with 7.6 and 7.4 respectively, and both stay on fairly well. The rest are on the minimum, and the maiden performer, Crennatown, appeals as well as any to me. This is the first occasion on which he has been tried over a distance, and on this big course the awk-ward-striding Archiestown gelding may make a better showing than many judges credit.'

Nothing is outstanding in this race, and betting should take a wide range. With Werata, Auctioneer, Latakia, Jqysp.ear and Tentcall engaged there is plenty of scope for speculation. Though opposed to some good class hacks, LATAKIA appeals as z . well- as any.