NOTES ON THE RACING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20611, 28 December 1936, Page 8

NOTES ON THE RACING

Special to "The Timaru Herald." CHRISTCHURCH, December 26. With ideal weather conditions, the Ashburton Trotting Club held one of the best meetings in its successful history. Large fields of good class horses provided some excellent racing. The only drawback was that the last race was an hour late but with record totalisator figures it was not surprising that the timetable could not be observed. Gay Crusader was smartest out in the Mitcham Handicap, with Pilot Pet:, next, while Harvest Note, Lustre and Highrate followed them after two furlongs. The order was unchanged at the mile post, where Swift Guy and Winnow headed the others. Harvest Note broke half a mile from home, Winnow and Highrate following the two leaders to the straight. Gay Crusader held his place, beating Pilot Peter by two lengths. Winnow broke a furlong from the post but got going again to be a moderate third, with Lustre and Highrate next. Winnow, from R. Townley’s stable, trotted a good race. Her stable mate, Gracie Fields, was staying on after a slow beginning.

Boreas began best in the Wakanui Handicap, being followed by Thomworthy, Labourman and Maurie McKinney at the end of a furlong. Boreas soon opened up a gap, being eight lengths clear at the mile post. Thomworth/ broke a furlong further on, Maurie McKinney, Labourman, Ebbtide, Credit Balance and Ace High going on after the leader. Intrigue then started to move up and he was with Ace High at the home turn, behind the three leaders. Boreas and Maurie McKinney tired in the last hundred yards, leaving Labourman to stall off Credit Balance by half a length, with Linklight three lengths away, while Boreas, Player, Ace High and Maurie McKinney were next. The favourite, Intrigue, did not begin well and after being prominent at the home turn, he failed to ran on. Boreas looked unbeatable till a hundred yards from the post, when he collapsed.

Rollo and Willow Wave broke soon after the start of the Ashburton Trotting Cup. Evicus took charge, Cloudy Range, War Buoy, Tempest and Sir Guy following her after half a mile, with the whole field in close order. Cloudy Range and Sir Guy were in charge at the mile post, with Evicus and War Buoy next, then Tempest and New Derby. There was no change till half a mile from home, where New Derby broke. Blue Mountain then joined Tempest behind the four leaders. Sir Guy was beaten at the entrance to the straight, leaving Cloudy Range in front, with a big bunch, including Roi I’Or, all handy. A hundred yards from the post Cloudy Range broke and fell. Evicus then took the lead, stalling off War Buoy by a length. Tempest, coming with a late dash, was half a length away, with Rollo finishing fast half a length further back. Blue Mountain, Willow Wave and Roi I’Or were close up. Graham Direct was a disappointment. The winner ran second to Roi I’Or in this race last year. The New Zealand Champion Stakes was a good race all the way. Effiie Parrish led out from Loyal Pat, Toorak, Donald Dhu, Frisco Boy, Royal Grattan and Parisienne, with Southern Chief last. Parienne moved up fast when the field left the straight and she took charge at the mile post, with Loyal Pat, Effiie Parrish, Frisco Boy, Toorak and Donald Dhu following. There was no change at the home turn, where Southern Chief was moving up. Toorak took second place when the straight was reached. He joined Parisienne a f/ long from the post and beat her decisively by a length. Effiie Parrish was two lengths away, a neck in front of Dark Hazard, who finished fast. Southern Chief and Frisco Boy were next. Donald Dhu faded out in the last half mile. Toorak paced a solid race and is an improved colt, who stays well. Parisienne was sore. She was shipped north to-night and will ran in the Great Northern Trotting Derby at Auckland on Wednesday.

Sea Trail and Wild Dreams broke at the start of the Midsummer Handicap, while U Scott followed suit after a furlong. Raider led for two furlongs and then gave place to Kibo who was followed after five furlongs by Full Hand, Raider, Play On, Sea Trail and Lucky Jack. There was not much change in the next half-mile. Kibo led Play On and Lucky Jack to the straight, and in an exciting finish Lucky Jack beat Play On by a neck, with Kibo half a length back. Cfi Parade was a poor fourth. U Scott, the favourite, showed brilliant speed in patches but broke several times. In the Winslow Handicap, Discord broke after a furlong, Lough Guy going to the lead, but he broke a furlong further on. Discord was in front again at the mile post, with Writer, Beede Parrish, Norma Bingen and Wrackler handy. Discord had Norma Bingen and Wrackler in close attendance at the six furlong post, Bessie Parrish, Sea Gift and Trampfast being next. Discord and Wrackler led Bessie Parrish, Sea Gift and Trampfast to the straight, where Discord stopped. Bessie Parrish then shot to the front and beat Wrackler by two lengths, Sea Gift finishing strongly a length away, with Trampfast close up. Colonel Bogey and Carrageen were the early leaders in the McLean Handicap, with Oversight, Vanity Fair and Fay Rey heading the others, while after two furlongs Gaillard and Ace Pot also became prominent. Fey Rey took charge at the mile post and at the home turn Gaillard, Ace Pot, Oversight and Vanity Fair were showing up in the big bunch behind her. Gaillard joined Fey Rey a furlong from the post and won decisively, while Oversight beat Fey Rey in the last stride for second. Credit Funds finished fast in fourth place, just in front of Vanity Fair, Colonel Bogey and Dundee. The winner has not done much racing but he is a brilliant customer.

Subsidy was first to show out in the Boxing Day Handicap, with Noble Prince, Grailant Knight and Morello heading the other after a furlong. After three furlongs Subsidy, Noble Prince and Morello were showing the way. Gal 1 ant Knight and Elvo being next. Southern Smile then moved up, joining Noble Prince and Subsidy in the lead at the mile post, with Elvo, Encounter and Chechahco hands’. Southern Smile was done with five furlongs from home. Subsidy led to the straight but Gallant Knight, getting through on the rails, went on to win easily by two lengths. Reporter finished fast, beating Subsidy by half a length. Chancellor was fourth, with Noble Prince and Chechahco close up.

The win of Evicus at Ashburton was richly deserved, as it was the first success gained in New Zealand by the Tasmanian mare. Last season she finished second in the race, in 4.20. and a week later she was just beaten at Canterbury Park in 4.20 1-5. Evicus, mainly on a time basis, was awarded the grand championship last year at Perth, but it must have been gratifying to her owner to annex a big race in this country.

When Silver Bond was withdrawn from the Dunedin Handicap., Top Row looked the “money from home” bet of the day, and the Washdyke colt was made an odds-on favourite each way. The youngsters went away in ragged fashion, Top Row and Heidelberg getting out with a decided advantage from Peony Rose. The last away were Custo and Stromboli. Top Row led round the top just clear of Heidelberg and Camerino, but two furlongs from home he shot away and won easily by two or three lengths from Peony Rose. Stromboli finished very fast two lengths further back, just beating Heidelberg for third. Stromboli could not have worried Top Row, but he would have been second had he got oil decently.