PLUNGE THAT SUCCEEDED,

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1935, Page 9

PLUNGE THAT SUCCEEDED,

HALL MARK’S DONCASTER THE PROTEST DISMISSED' The connections of Hall Mark took the gambler’s chance, and it “came off.” They realised there was no' possibility of beating Peter Pan at weight-for-age. And the form revealed that there were no good , milers at Sydney, writes C. J. Graves in-'the Sydney Referee. So, although. Hall Mark had begun slowly in' every, race for a- long time, they.-decided to have a tilt at the Doncaster, and a £lO,OOO plunge came off. To Trainer Jack Holt must-be given the .credit for the generalship, the consummation of which, was witnessed at Randwick on Saturday, when Hall -Mark ran to the front a furlong from home, and after a struggle won the lioncaster Handicap by a long • head. When High passed the leaders in the run for home and left them standing, it looked as if he would win the Doncaster. in runaway fashion. Arachne, Winooka, Sarcherie and Dark Sky were-all quickly beaten and dropping out. But just as it looked as if the leader had the race to himself Hall Mark ■ began his run. He had been almost at the . rear of the field three furlongs from home; But Voitre had made • forward move, and then had eased him 00 that he would not go wide round the home turn. 1

The consequence was that he had everything left in ’ him for the final run home. He caught High as if he was going to gallop on an easy winner. But apparently his speed had been used up in getting thus far. The pair hung together for 50 yards. Suddenly High began to draw away again. Then there appeared to be slight interference, they were so close. But Hall Mark was straightened and came on again over the last 25 yards, and it was then that he gained the advantage which resulted in victory by a neck.

The protest’was expected. But the fact that, books demanded 4 to 1 on Hall Mark indicated opinion on the question. Personally, it struck me that it was ,4u*-to Hjgh’s failure to quite run. out

the mile that he weakened over the final stages rather than any squeeze he got from Hall Mark, and I believe that when the investigation got down to tin tacks it was a complaint merely that the rider of Hall Mark did not give High’s rider room enough to use his whip. The honours were, of course, all to Hall Mark. He has been a stayer so long since his Melbourne Cup victory that I hardly anticipated he would begin fast enough for a chance against such fast gallopers as he met on Saturday. But he carried the sprint job through like a champion, and earned all the credit fori his success. To High, like himself a four-year-old, he conceded 301 b, and under his 9.8 he ran the mile in Im. 3715., which is not often beaten, though it is Igs. off the Randwick record,