HORSES FOR COURSES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 117, 22 May 1946, Page 6

HORSES FOR COURSES

FOXCATCHER A WINNER AT OTAKI

Foxcateher proved, on Saturday, that there is a good deal of truth in the old adage about “horses for courses,” for she was again a winner at the Otaki course, registering a decisive victory over stout opposition in the seven-furlong Waiorongomai Handicap. It was her fifth success on the Otaki course in four seasons of racing, and in all she has earned £1157 10s in stake-money at Otaki.

Foxcateher is a six-year-old chestnut mare by Defoe from the Clarenceux mare Malmsey and is raced by her breeder. Mr. J. Marshall, for whom she is trained by W. J. Broniby at Trentham. Not all her wins have been registered at Otaki. but she has run some of her best races on that course.

As a three-year-old Foxcatcher registered her first success when she won the second division of the Maiden Race at the Pahiatua Racing Club’s meeting, held during the 1942-43 season at Otaki. In fifteen starts that season the Defoe filly was also a winder at Tauherenikau and Awapuni, and she finished up a strenuous season with two starts in one day at the M&nawatu and Rangitikei Hunt Clubs’ combined meeting at Awapuni, finishing second to Flying Ace in one and second to Young Jim in the other In the following season she ran out of hacks by winning at Trentham, and later on won the Huia Handicap, the open seven at Otaki. Again she .had sported silk on fifteen occasions.

It was in the 1944-45 season that Foxcatcher had her busiest period, for she was stepped out in 28 races. Early that season she beat all but Caithness in the Ling Memorial at the Otaki soring meeting, and a few weeks later she won the J. R. McDonald Memorial (six furlongs), at the Levin Club’s meeting, held at Otaki. She went on to win at Hastings, and was started twice in one day at Blenheim to finish second in the Marlborough Cup, beaten a head by Moderate, and second to Daljarrock in the open sprint. Coming back to the North Island she beat Ixmgsword and Tara King in the County Handicap at the Carterton meeting at Opaki, the Masterton Clubs' course, and was beaten a nose lby Dileas in the Thompson Handicap iat Trentham. In the Longburn Handl-' leap at Awapuni she was again second ;to Dileas, but it was a successful iseason.

I Early in the current season Foxicatcher won the Hema te Ao Handicap ; (seven furlongs) at Otaki, beating .Saludos a nose, and at the December j meeting she deaS-heated with Stony JBroke for second place behind Saludos jin the Huia Handicap at Otaki. A win jCame her way in the Pahiotua Christmas Handicap at Woodville w and an|other in the Grandstand Handicap at jAwapuni, and in the autumn she finished second in the Waimana Handicap at the Masterton meeting, beaten a neck by Da Vinci, who went on to win : the Thompson Handicap. Four unplaced performances followed before she scored in the Waiorongomai Handicap at Otaki last Saturday. Yet in spite of her record at Otaki she was only seventh favourite, and her supporters secured a double-figure dividend.

Foxcatcher is not the only winner Mr. Marshall has bred from Malmsey, for Aqua, who won good races for him and is now at the stud, is a fullsister to Foxcatcher, and a fullbrother, the two-year-old Howe, won his first race earlier in the afternoon, taking the honours in the No. 1 Manuao Maiden Plate. Howe is highly regarded by his owner, who is reported to have refused an offer of 4000gns for him. Foxcatcher is to have one more race before being retired to the stud. She may be started at the Levin meeting next month, and as this will be held at Otaki the Defoe mare may add still further to an unusual record. She has won nearly £3400 ia stakes.

Probably because of his win over the battens at Foxton a fortnight earlier, Merry Vaals was made favourite for the Westholm Hurdles on Saturday, but the novice Refort was the only one of the five starters to finish behind the Vaals gelding. The previous Saturday Merry Vaals had disappointed in the highweight event at Carterton after covering a good deal of extra ground, but there may still be hope for him when the track is not so heavy as at Waveiley.

Fortune’s Smile was expected to play a prominent part in the decision of the Waiorongomai Handicap at Otaki last Saturday, as he had won two races in two starts since linking up with W. J. McDowell's stable. The Lang Bian gelding finished a close fourth, almost in line with the minor dividend-payers, and in spite of the fact that he has topweight in the sprint at Wanganui he may prove dangerous if he fulfils his engagement.