AMMON RA A STALE HORSE

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1932, Page 4

AMMON RA A STALE HORSE

FIRST TIME OUT OF PLACE.

THE ALL AGED STAKES.

Describing the All Aged Stakes at Randwiok, when Ammon Ra was beaten out of a place for the first tune m his career ‘-Cheron” in the Australasian writes as follows: There was a great drop in the attendance on the third day of the meeting, but that was only to be expected after the disastrous time backers had on Cup day. Those who did go to Randwick must have wished they had gone elsewhere, as results were again all in favour of the ring. Nightmarch and Kuvera were short-priced favourites to succeed, but the other races went to outsiders. The greatest blow of the day was administered by Amnion Ra in the All Aged Stakes, for which he was an oddson favourite. Backers laid 5 to 2. on him, and in the light of his previous form it seemed a reasonable price. Ammon Ra, however, has been hard at it this autumn, and he ran like a horse that is really tired and stale. He showed none of his usual dash, and. Quite early in the race McCartcn was niggling at him to keep his place. Coming to the home turn McCarten drew the whip to the favourite, but Amnion Ra was then a spent force, and could not go on. At the bottom of the straight half a dozen horses looked possibilities, including old Greenline. Winooka, who bad carried the field along at a tremendous pace all the way, was still in front- over th© last furlong, but soon afterwards Viol d’Amour moved up smartly and challenged him. He finished too well for the tiring Winooka, and took the lead, but he only just scraped home from the fast-finishing Waterline. There was a doubt about stai ting Waterline, as just before the Doncaster Handicap he was found to bo suffering from a trouble similar to taat w hica affected him a few months ago at Williamstown. He could hardly hobble, let alone walk. He threw it off later in the day, but it came and went oyer the week-end. As he sprinted all right on the morning of the race he was started in the All Aged Stakes. He gave no trouble at the start and jumped oil with the others, but he could not go the early pace. At the end of a couple of furlomrs he was four lengths behind lhe rest of the field and still dropping astern. Winooka must have been fully 15 lengths ahead of him at one stage. It was not until approaching the turn that Waterline actually joined the. field. He mdae a great run on the outside ini the straight; and get to within a short neck of Viol d’Amour. He would have won in another couple of strides. Viol d’Am our was on offer at 25 to 1 when the betting opened, but he was backed down to 12 to 1, and quite a number of Victorians supported him . It was just as well they did, otherwise they would have had an even more disastrous day. E. J. O’Dwyer has found Viol d’Amour a rare bargain, as he paid only 100 guineas for him as a yearling. There was n, good-looking full brother to Viol d’Amour among the yearlings sold at Randwick, and O’Dwyer bougnt him foi 475 guineas. He, however, passed him on to Mr. Henry Boan, for whom he will train him, as well as the Gothic colt purchased at the Melbourne eales.