REVIEW OF THE FORM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19516, 20 February 1926, Page 4

REVIEW OF THE FORM

POINTERS ON FIRST DAY BIG PRICES FOR YEARLINGS • 1 THESPIAN’S BROTHER TOPS MARKET i Below there appears an interesting budget of comments on Thursday’s racing, with current topics. Considerable interest was taken in yesterday’s sale of the Koatamii yearlings, and, as anticipated in j these columns, the Absurd —Leta colt, a full-brother to the once brilliant performer Thespian, topped the market at the splendid figure : of 2250 guineas. The nine yearlings offered were sold at very satisfactory prices, the average being 7741 guineas.

THURSDAY’S FORM

i COMMENTS ON THE RUNNING. NOTES AND COMM IN’-. (By '‘Early Bird.’’) Four was the payable number on : Thursday. Following it would have resulted in the doubling of the total i amount invested. I Tamatete rut out the first half mile 'of the Flying Handicap distance in 47 :‘.-ssec., one-fifth of a second faster ■ than the hack sprint, the preceding race. King Cheops, who won the open ! sprint at Fahiat.ua on the concluding ■ day last month, failed badly in the : Flying Handicap, being a long way 'back last. i ’Making their first appearance in public, three local horses Musket Vein, Great Day and Makuku—were t green at the barrier and they lost a ifair bit of ground when Mr O’Connor said “go.-” Bright Day is a fine horse and a great weight carrier, but he seems to be unable to go with his fields over the early and middle stages, and consequently has a lot of ground to make up over the last furlong or so. Wanganui hordes put up an inglorious performance in the Maiden. Eight local horses were saddled up and four visiting equines. Great Day was third. Bent fifth, and the other six filled the last half dozen position! 1 The track was exceptionally fast on Thursday. The Stewards’ Handicap Was cut out in very slick time, the first four ami a-half furlongs being run in ■56 4-ssec., six and a-half furlongs in ilmin. 21 3-ssec., ami the final quarter in 25 4-ssec. ; Deluge, who had been shaping ex■eeptionally well on the track, evii dently took it into his head not to gallop in the Flying Handicap, and ■ consequently w T as never further up than eighth. Deluge eventually finishbed third to last. His form was a lot ■below what was expected. ; Glenross won the Stewards’ Handi ieap in fine style, putting up one of his 'best performances, for he beat a smart field pointless. The T.amb finished on j strongly to get second money, ami he i too ran one of his finest races. Ynma i had every chance, being handy at the home turn, but he died away in the run home. I First Acre did not begin with his !customary brillincy on Thursday, and jin consequence, with a very fast pace ! being set by the leaders, he was (scratching over the first half mile. He i came along well in the straight in a {gallant finishing dash, and was close I behind the first four horses when the judge was passed. * There was no semblance of a fluke (about Income’s success in the Wanganui Cup. Roy Reed kept him in a handy position, never further back than fourth until hr was being reserved for the last run, and then he was fifth on the home bend. He hit th<» front when the field landed into the straight and then won easily. Licinius appears to lack just that little finishing effort so necessary to success. Of late he has been running conspicuously in sprint races, and his showing on Thursday was in keeping with some of his previous showings. [He may improve to-day.

Then' wore quite a few unlucky horses on Thursday, and easily the most unlucky was Black. Cat in the Flying j Handicap. With a slice of luck she jiiay have bothered the winner. On [three occasions the filly got into [trouble, and to finish fourth was a •great performance under the cireum- | stances. The popular horseman. L. G. Morris, was seen up on a trotter in the saddle race yesterday. This was Cora Tacks, ami at the starting point he was .cheered on his way when iTe whistle [blew by an enthusiastic group of joc■keys, ami when he came to weigh in [after running second his fellow riders |wero there waiting to receive him. [“Snow” experienced a little difficulty jin taking the saddle off the mare. When iafter some friendly and even impertinent suggestions from the group, he managed to remove the gear he received ja rousing cheer from the boys. It was a pleasant diversion. I The round course apparently suited j Pamatetc in the Flying, for he began [brilliantly, was in front in a few (strides, and was soon on the rails, setting a fast pace to the field. Kaiti [ami Licinius were close to him at the home turn and they were still [alongside of the Fordcll horse at the ■half-distance, but over the last thirty i.vards Tamatete wds going better than [either of them ami he was moving fas- ■ ter than either of his two nearest opponents as they crossed the deciding {line. T’lie win was the most popular of .the day. for Tamatete has long been a (favourite with Wanganui racegoers. [ Mountain Top. the big dividend payer, won the Victory Hack Welter in good style. Had she not. been so eriratie in her performances the Hastings representative would not have gone ■ out at such a long price. Perhaps a ' ont ributing factor was that Mountain I’op’s rider ami number were taken down from the board anti were not put pip again until a few minutes before starting time. Some were surprised to Jimi that she was a runner. Mountain lop had to survive an inquiry before the dividend was paid out, foj she came over on Catcall just inside the distance. but the stewards decided that the interference was not sufficient to cause them to alter the placing. H. K. Alexander rode Mountain Top. 1 The Wanganui Trotting Club once again was disfavoured with Fortune’s frown when yesterday, on the occasion the opening of their annual meeting. the day broke wet, a thick drizzle continuing until midday. The attendance was small, for which the {weather was no doubt responsible, and ,it is to be hoped fhat the chib will be more fortunate for the concluding day on Monday. Yesterday’s failure—for such it was—is a further argument, [which can he advanced to the New Zealand Racing Conference and the New Zealand Trotting Association as an additional reason why the Trotting Club’s jpennit should be transferred to the Jockey Club. Wanganui must not lose .this permit, notwithstanding the attitude of a < ertain Auckland club, which {wants tin l extra two days for itself. ; The Woodville District Jockey Club, (following the precedent established at its December meeting, has decided to increase the stakes for division race?. There are 20 acceptors for the County Hack and the same number for the VicI toria .Hack M elter oi Wednesday next, I which will necessitate divisions if all go to the post. Ihe stake for the division 'winner in each case will bo £9O, .is ■ against £lOO to the winner without a division. Unfortunately, the Rules of Racing do not allow of place money be- . ing paid in such cases.