SURPRISE DIVIDEND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 85, 12 April 1940, Page 9

SURPRISE DIVIDEND

THE RING AT HASTINGS AN ATTRACTIVE RECORD The surprise winner of the Hawke’s Bay Cup yesterday, The Ring, is a four-year-old mare by Siegfried from Gay Salute, by Lord Quex —Soot, by All Black—Salute, by Soult from Lady Musket. She carries the colours of Mr. D. M. Douglas, for whom Gold Trail won the Auckland Cup and other good races, and she is trained by the veteran J. M. Cameron, who was associated with that game and successful performer, The Hawk. It was rather surprising, at this distance at any rate, to find The Ring so neglected in the betting that she was able to return over a score to her fortunate supporters, for she has always shown signs that she would develop into the stayer that her breeding suggested. Prior to contesting the Hawke’s Bay Cup, The Ring had been started twenty times during the current season for two wins, two seconds and five third placings. In the Meeanee Hack Handicap at the Napier Park meeting in November, The Ring, carrying 7.0, beat Lindrum (8.7) by a nose. That race was over a mile, but at the summer meeting at Trentham she stayed out eleven furlongs in the Kelburn Hack Handicap, with 7.9 in the saddle, and beat Pearl of Asia (8.5) by a neck, with Trench Law (8.3) a head further away. The Ring registered 2.201 for the mile and three furlongs, and this was an indication that she should be good enough for cup company at provincial meetings. She had one race at Awapuni last week, contesting the King George Handicap, but she did not have the best of runs and was not disgraced in finishing eighth, with only Hunting Cat and Brazil behind her. As a three-year-old last season, The Ring was not kept idle, having 22 starts for three wins and a like number of seconds and thirds, thus securing nine placings in all. The axiom of “horses for courses” could be applied to The Ring, for it was at this Hawke’s Bay autumn meeting twelve months ago that she secured her initial successes, winning the Poukawa Maiden and the Tomoana Electric on the ' respective days. Her other success last season came in the Greenhills Hack Cup (nine furlongs) at the Dannevirke Hunt Club meeting during the winter. Bred as she is, The Ring might well go on to add to her record in better company than she has met hitherto, but in the meantime there will be many who will regret that they overlooked her attractive form in recent months, thus missing yesterday’s fine dividend.