EVERGREEN LOU ROSA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 270, 15 November 1945, Page 7

EVERGREEN LOU ROSA

BRILLIANT WIN AT ELLERSLIE Six years ago, on November 18,1939, a two-year-old Foxbridge—Lucy Hose gelding, having his second start, romped home four lengths ahead of eighteen opponents in the Tamahere Stakes at. Te Rapa and returned a dividend of half a century. The majority of his opponents have been forgotten by present-day race patrons, but last Saturday that winner was again to the fore, for he led the leld home in the King George Handicap at. Ellerslie, carrying topweight 9.10. He was Lou Rosa, recipient of an ovjation from the Ellerslie crowd for his brilliant win. It. was recognition of the fact that, though now rated as aged, Lou Rosa ’is the best handicap horse seen in the Auckland province for a long time and one of jhe greatest weight-carriers for over a decade.

In his first season Lou Rosa followed up his Waikato success by winning the Great Northern Foal Stakes and the A.R.C. Royal Stakes, his stake-win-nings amounting to £1225. It would have been a different picture had stakes been on the scale they are today, for he would have got £250 for winning the Tamahere Stakes, instead of £175, £lOOO for the Foal Stakes, instead of £625, and £7OO for the Royal Stakes, instead of £350.

Lou Rosa was well tested as a three-year-old, for he started in 23 races for four wins and six minor placi-ngs. His wins comorised the Members’ Handicap at Avondale, the Takapuna Cup. the Storey Memorial at Te Rapa (with 8.10) and the Foley Memorial at Avondale. He was started sixteen times as a four-year-old for two wins and five minor placings, his successes being in the Clifford Plate (after being third in the Auckland Cup) and the Storey Memorial again, this time with 9.6.

In fifteen starts as a five-year-old Lou Rosa won three races and was placed in i\ur others. He was second to Kindergarten in the Auckland Cup, and won the Auckland Racing Club Handicap, the Clifford Plate and the Frankel Cup (at Te Rapa), carrying 9.11. He failed to win a race as a six-year-old, though in nine starts he was twice placed, being third in the Auckland Cup and fourth in the Wellington Cup

Last season, when seven years old, Lou Rosa showed that he retained his ability by winning twice and being placed four times in his twelve starts. He won the Mitchelson Cup with 9.4. and. the President’s Handicap at Ellerslie with 9.3. He just failed to concede Water Vixen 361 b when he carried 9.12 into second place in the Waikato Cup. Now eight years old, he was third in the Mitchelson Cup recently, which gave an indication that he could be expected to run prominently in the King George Handicap last Saturday. He has won about £l3 000 in stakes in seven seasons of racing—and he’s still going strong.

This aged horse took up a handy position early in the contest and he produced a typical Lou Rosa run in the home stretch, to give 281 b. and a beating to the New Plymouth-owned Broledame. Chung Chong, 2-1 in the betting, wag three lengths clear at the quarter-mile pole and the race was all over bar the shouting, but he petered out badly in the run home and Dunbar, a visitor from Stratford, took third honours after having been very badly served when the barrier rose. Lou Rosa was in a new role in the big race. In the past ’he has been tailed off in the early stages of his races, but on Saturday he was never far away from the leaders and was close handy to the pacemakers as they approached the home turn, where he challenged Swift Quarry was the first to show out and he was a length clear of Broiedame and Abbey Fox passing the members’ stand, where Autbscore. Batal, Betterman, Beau Dink, Corot and Chung Chong were close handy. Entering the back stretch, Betterman went through smartly to take second place behind Swift Quarry and ahead of Autoscore, while Chung Chong moved into fourth, to be closely followed at the -six furlongs by Broiedame, Abbey Fox, Corot (going well on the fence) and Lou Rosa.

A somewhat startling change came over the scene as the field entered the half-mile, for here Chung Chong dashed into the lead to open up a gap of four lengths from Swift Quarry and Betterman. Chung Chong’s backers were then on great terms with themselves, but Hughes, on Broiedame, and Ensor, on Lou Rosa then got to work on their mounts and they gathered up Chung Chong once in the home stretch. It was a great set-to after that between the topweight and Broiedame, while Dunbar surprised with a fine finishing run to take third place. Chung Chong punctured badly in the run down to the judge and never finished in the first eight. On the other hand, Beau Dink ran on solidly to take fourth place from Corot, who beat Swift Quarry bv a head, with Our Gold almost in line.

Riding engagements so far announced for the Waikato Racing Club's spring meeting at Te Rapa on Saturday include:—C. Jillings: Royal Master, Night Messenger, Lady Foxbridge, Royal Scot, Brown Night. H. P. Stewart: Skymaster. M. Coon: Wildore, Constitution, Leigh Hark. J. Bagby: Royal Charter. Bronya, Hippodrome, Alnajo. S. Tremain: Silver Lap, Little Dude, Peria Prince. The promising two-year-old gelding Karachi (Nizari— Sharmin) has been sold and has gone to new quarters in G. W. Greene’s stable at Hastings. Karachi was owned by Mr. E. G. Gardner and trained by F. W. Davis. It is understood that the price at which he changed hands was in the vicinity of £l5OO. ♦ * * ♦ Dougal, the full-brother to Kraal, left hack class behind when he won the Apprentices’ Handicap at the Avondale meeting on Saturday, but he will be able to run out his nomination in the hack mile at Ellerslie on November 24. He stays on well, as he showed when he held on gamely under pressure to gel the verdict on Saturday by a nose. This was his fourth start this season. In his second two preceding races Dougal finished second. * « tOwners these days are keen to secure some of the generous stakemoney offering and will probably take every opportunity available now that racing dates have been restored. It I would be w ell if club executives also [woke up to the fact that it. is an opportune time to fix on a universal hour for the taking of nominations and lirst-dav acceptances. The Auckland Wellington and Canterbury clubs linn it convenient to close nominations and acceptances at 5 p.m., and the Southland Racing Club is the latest to fall ‘into liijp. Many other clubs still adhere to the antedeluvian custom ot

accepting entries up to 9 p.m. Then they expect a morning paper to publish the nominations in the next morning's issue. They would be doing their staffs and the newspapers a service if they adopted the 5 p.m. standard.

The Stratford-trained Dunbar shaped promisingly when he finished third in the Waverley Cup on Labour Day and bore out the good impression he macle when he won the Champion Hack Plate at Hawera in May. He was taken north for the King George Handicap at Ellerslie last Saturday, and put up a good performance by finishing fast into third place behind Lou Rosa and Broiedame. This form should at tract attention to his chances m the Waikato Cup next Saturday. At Ellerslie Dunbar came into contact with a trestle at the barrier and lost considerable ground with the result that he was not within striking distance of the leaders until he came with a great run on the outside in the straight.

Sweet Biscuit drew well out in the Avondale sprint on Saturday and consequently had ground to make up, and then she had to travel four horses out to make the home turn. Under this handicap she fought on gallantly, and while likely to be defeated when several threw out challenges, she was good enough to maintain her advantage, slight as it was. While there was merit in this success, it is doubtful if this mare is as good as she was earlier in her career. Sweet Biscuit won the Auckland Railway Handicap as a three-year-old with 7.12 two years ago, and last Boxing Day she carried 8.9 to within a head of that .good horse Neenah when in receipt of 101 b.

When Dante, the winter favourite for the Derby, won that classic, bookmakers in England were hard hit, as they appeared to have the Impression that this Nearco colt would not stay. However, they got back their losses over the big autumn double, the Cesarewitch and the Cambridgeshire, for outsiders won both events. It Is estimated that Britain’s 20,000 bookmakers cleared £1,500,000 on the double.

That versatile galloper and hurdler, Betterman, ran a fine race in the King George Handicap at Ellerslie. He was up. with Chung Chong and Swift Quarry at the home turn and while he did not run on it was a useful effort considering the use that was made ot him. Betterman’s owner left it to this race to decide whether his horse should go to Riccarton for the New Zealand Cup, and he was still undecided later in the day. The last time Betterman raced at Riccarton was to finish a close fourth in the last Grand National Hurdles. ... * Riding engagements announced for the Levin meeting at Otaki on Saturday include the following:—W. J. Broughton: Cooraclare, Iron Duke, Leighon’s Glory. G. R. Tattersall: Broiefield, Solver, Fen, Theiolyn. Our Pat, Tremello. W. J. Stevens: Speed King, Mine Host. V. J. Sellars: Langue d’Or, Dutch Mary, Tintern. C. A. Bowry: Beneve. M. Andrews: Gold Money Song. J. Fagan; Flying Ace, Te Hiwera, Caclus. H. Pearce; Tukumaitu. J. P. Bowness; Tula.

Royal Heir, winner of the Stewards' Handicap at Riccarton last year, failed badly at Napier Park last Saturdav and was withdrawn from the big Ricearton sprint at. 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday. Royal Heir had 8.13, which was 111 b. more than he won with twelve months ago but he appears to have lost form, so his defection was not unexpected. * * * *

Thornbridge, who is to run in the highweight at Motukarara on Saturday, is a candidate for the New Zealand Derby. He ran a fair race in the Wellington Guineas and looked as if he would soon improve on it. * * * ♦

When he competed at Trentham, Bruce was unlucky not to win a race and his form was good enough to warrant support for him in the very near future. He will have an opportunity at the Banks Peninsula meeting this week-end and afterwards at the New Zealand Cup meeting.