SYDNEY RATING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 90, 18 April 1938, Page 7

SYDNEY RATING

A.J.C. CARNIVAL ST. LEG ER DEAD-HEAT DONCASTER TO FAVOURITE NUFFIELD BEST JUVENILE (By Telegraph —Pi css Association—Copyright] Received April 17, 7.5 p.m. SYDNEY, April 17. The highlight of the opening day of the A.J.C. meeting at Randwick, which was favoured with delightful weather yesterday, was Nunield s stylish win in tne Sires' Produce Stakes, turning the tables on Pandava, thus for the time baing deciding the respective merits of these good colts. The speedy Victorian coit Fort Regal, moreover, finished well to deprive Pandava of second money. The Doncaster Handicap, comprising twenty-two starters, was, as usual, a hard race, in which the consistent Salamagundi mare Hamurah again justified generous public confidence. Hamurah was always at the head of the field with King’s Head, who went down lighting. Buzalong, who finished third after being bad;y placed, came with a terrific burst aud is expected to do well later. EveningMist, Mohican and Valbeau, all of whom were heavily supported, did not flatter their backers.

Allunga returned to public favoui, taking the Autumn Plate after a stirring duel with the evergreen Sai - cherie. The Allunga people will now regret his withdrawal from the Sydney Cup. Others to provide good Sydney Cup trials were Laigion, Aitchengee, Genetout, Apollo and Billy Boy. Sir Regtnt pulled up badly owing to a recurrence of leg trouble.

The St. Leger was a two-horse race resulting in a dead-heat between John Wilkes and Cathartes. The latter’s connections are now more elated over his Cup chances than John Wilkes.

New Zealand representation at the meeting was negligible compared with former years.

The attendance at the meeting yesterday was 67 ; 000, compared with 49.600 last year. During the tussle up the straight in the Doncaster Handicap King's Head repeatedly tried to savagu Hamurah, who otherwise probably would have won more convincingly. King's Head’s jockey, F. Bartie, expressed the opinion that his mount would have won but for his h: r aging tactics. Results:—

First Hurdle Race.—Keewong 9.2 (brace) 1, Asolando 9.5 (Hood, 2, Capaneus 10.0 (Malcolm) 3. Thirteen started. The Victorian horse Jolly Boy did not appreciate the brush jumps after the battens in Melbourne. He jumped poorly and eventually was pulled up. Keewong made all the running, with his closest attendants Grecian Art, Asolando, Ranchero, Capaneus and Spearbine. Capaneus tried to get up to Keewong in the straight, but Keewong finished resolutely and won nicely by threequarters of a length, with half a length between second and third. Time, 3.41. .Spearbin? was a close fourth. Jim Ayres lost his rider. Vaucluse Handicap, First Division. —Herarde 9.1 (McMenamin) 1, Paiarang 8.4 (Voitre) 2, Warrawing 5.7 (Hickey) 3. Thirteen started, including Rival Hit. The top-weight, Heroic Faith, was first to break the line, but was soon supplanted by Herarde, who was not afterwards headed. Warrawing and Palarang challenged Herarde in the straight and made an exciting finish, in which Herarde prevailed by half a neck, with half a head between second and third. Dubonnet wag fourth and Rival Hit seventh. Time, 1.252. Rival Hit and Palarang were both interfered with during the rui> ning.

Autumn Plate, (Of £1500; 1} miles). ALLUNGA, 9.3, Bartie I SARCHERIE, 9.1, McMenamin „... 2 GENETOUT, 9.0, McCarten 4 Eleven started. Time, 2.311, Sires’ Produce Stakes. (Of £3500; seven furlongs) NUFFIELD, 8.10, Badger 1 FORT REGAL, 8.10, Wilson —2 PANDAVA, 8.10, McCarten 3 All started. Pandava led the way to nearing the turn, where Nuffield, coming from second last in great style, ran up to the leader. Fort Regal also put in a thrilling run, cutting down successively Gay Romance, Early Bird, Limulel and Destiny Bay, who were Pandava's nearest attendants. Nuffield went past Pandava at the distance and won full of running by three-quarters of a length, with Pandava a head wy, third. Time, 1.251. Doncaster Handicap. (Of £2600; one mile). HAMURAH. 7.9, Hickey - KING'S HEAD. 8.13, Bartie I BUZALONG, 8.6, Wilson 3 Heroic Faith was scratched. The first to show out were Lolorua, Mark Antony and Hamurah, while Kings Head moved into second place at the half-mile, where Beechwood and Speardale camo on the scene, When the field turned for home there wa* littl between King's Head, Hamurah and Lolorua. The next division consisted of St. Constant, Mark Antony, Arabia and Buzalong, the last-named moving up sharply. With a funong to go Hamurah and King’s Head were still disputing the lead, but the lightweight Hamurah finished on best to win in the last few strides by a head. Buzalong was three-quarters ol a length away, third, with Troy fourth and Mark Antony fifth. Then came Highborn, Mohican, St. Constant and Beechwood. Time, 1.37 L A.J.C. St. Leger. (Of £1500; 1? miles). JOHN WILKES, 8.10, McCarten ..... • CATHARTES, 8.10, W. Cook * SILENUS, 8.10, Munro —. 3 *Dead-heat for first. All started. Time, 3.4. Vaucluse Handicap, Second Division. —Tickle 8.12 (Voitre) 1, Red Thespian 9.2 (Heath) 2, Sedunum 9.4 (W. Cook) 3. Thirteen started. Time, 1.26,