HASTINGS RACES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17835, 1 May 1926, Page 7

HASTINGS RACES.

FIRST DAT. (Special to the “Star.") NAPIER, April 30. The racing at Hastings to-day was very good and In most oP the events backers found it hard to pick winders. L.ittle River, with Allan M'Donald in the saddle, was made favourite for the Karamu Hurdle Handicap. carrying twenty-three tickets more than Suspicion. The favourite was always well placed and won comfortably from Toa Taua, one of the last fancied competitors. Landbird ran a good race in third place. Lark Hall lost his rider. My Hobby was. a strong favourite for the Longlands Welter Handicap, being nearly twice as well backed as the second fancy, Othon. The best the favourite could do was third, Hillation winning from Strongholt. This made the second successive winner from Miss Grace Maher’s stable.

Backers were all astray in the Nursery Handicap, for which Magna Charta carried nearly half the machine money. Rascal was the only other backed to any extent and he was over 400 .tickets behind Magna Charta, with Beth third choice. Not one of the three filled a place. Inner Harbr*jr and Hymgreat fighting out. the finish, which ended in the former's favour by a length. Silver Tray was third. A fair amount of money was poured in on Silver Tray, whose backers did not participate in the collection. A large number of withdrawals left only Glentruin, Peneus and Decoy Bird to start in the Hawke's Bay Stakes. Glentruin was a hot order and justified his favouritism by winning easily. Notwithstanding his big weight, for a three-year-old. Star Stranger was made a good favourite for the Hawke’s Bay Cup, being ninety pounds better supported than Piuthair, with Kilfaire third favourite. The favourite, splendidly handled by R. Reed, ran a great race, but failed to quite stall off a strong finIshing run by Opa, who dead-heated with him. Gaze was a good third and Kilfaire was fourth.

1 lain Sailing, Vivo and Imitation were backed in that order for the Poukawa Handicap. Plain Sailing and Imitation were fhe early pacemakers. In the straight Imitation had Plain Sailing’s measure but he had to be shaken up to stall off a good run by Break o’ Day, a I ® nsrth behind Imitation wnen the post was reached. Minstrel Boy was third and Plain Sailing fourth. coated sufficient backers to °^ lt fav ourite for the Autumn mS?nn P i,i bUt u he had lecs than thirty while C ! ha T Ce than Royal Diadem. fer'lS SSSta. ttfii p,° a U wlth Newbu^ S, as , a r . ush to be on Royal Dab Pr-V’S be° l anythlni^ r tp ad ,,e t °, f on r t t e U nr-J, o t r h , ;Sfl Place behilld Father* tel O’pTynn ‘and Autuomne. who -were respectively third and second favourites. y thud