RUMBA COMPLETED DOUBLE WON TWICE PREVIOUSLY

Wanganui Chronicle, 15 September 1948, Page 3

RUMBA COMPLETED DOUBLE WON TWICE PREVIOUSLY

History was repeated when Rumba won the Wanganui Guineas last Saturday, for he completed a double which had been registered by Howe two years ago and by Alright in .1944. All three won the Durie Hack Handicap before taking classic honours in the Wanganui Guineas, and if the latest winner of the double does as well as the other pair he will have a useful record.

One striking contrast with Rumba’s previous successes was presented by the fact that he was sent out an each-way favourite for the Guineas, whereas in the Durie Hack the previous Saturday he had returned a dividend of over a third of a century and when he won at Hawera last May his supporters were rewarded with a dividend of nearly two centuries. When the field lined up for the Durie Hack Handicap on the first day at Wanganui so little was thought of the chances of Rumba, so far as the general public was concerned, that in a total pool of just over £7OOO, only £B3 10s (win) and £l3B 10s (place) was invested on the Probation colt, as compared with £BBO and £566 10s on Quartz, the win favourite. There was a different complexion on the betting for the Wanganui Guineas, for which there was one of the largest pcols in the history of the classic, investments totalling £10,489.. Rumba this time was a firm favourite, with £1526 10s and £959 10s invested on his chances, twice as much straight out as Quartz (£763). Deseado was at a good price, there being only £362 on his win chances, and Festal was neglected at £lO4 10s. Backers were right in their support of Rumba, but it was the comparative outsiders in Festal and Deseado who filled the minor places to return handy dividends. If Rumba’s owner-trainer wanted to see his colt tested at an early stage of his three-year-old career he had his wish fulfilled. In the Durie Hack Rumba had run up to Deseado a furlong from home and went away at the finish. This time Deseado made most of the running, accompanied by Royal Shar, whom he shook off at the straight entrance. Then Festal ran up and appeared to have the measure of Deseado at the distance, where Rumba commenced to lodge his claim. Half a furlong from home Deseado and Festal were still fighting out a grim battle and it was not till the final 50 yards that Broughton got Rumba up between the pair to snatch a narrow decision. Rumba proved himself a game colt

and the experience gained in these two races should result in his being even better when he lines up for the Wellington Guineas at Trentham, which will be his next engagement. His sire, Probation, now in Queensland, was by Trimdon out of the Pharos mare Light Sentence. His dam, Waidance, was by Spear Dance out of the Musketoon mare Te Waipu. A bargain was missed when he was allowed to pass out of the sale ring because 410 guineas was not accepted. He is raced in partnership by the Hawera trainer, G. W. Moore and the colt's breeder, Mr. T. Burgess, Paerata. His winnings this season already top £740, and it would be safe to suggest that there are even bigger stakes ahead of him. , Festal ran one of the best races of her career, as it was only a question of which got the last stride in; otherwise she might have been the classic winner. She is a brown filly by Robin Goodfellow from the Bulandshar mare City Song, a half-sister to Mercian Prince. Last season she won a division of the Maiden Stakes at Awapuni in the winter. That race was over seven furlongs and encouraged her connections to have a tilt at the Guineas. Deseado was not disgraced in being beaten into third place by two noses. The manner in which he fought on when challenged labelled him a game three-year-old, and there should be some good stakes ahead of the Defaulter gelding. He should be improved by these two races, and probably next time he may not have to undertake the role of pacemaker, as was the case both days at Wanganui. Curtana, who finishe.d fourth in the Guineas, was not too well placed half a mile from home and had to cover a good deal of extra ground, unlike Rumba, on whom Broughton secured a charmed run on the rails. Curtana is a solid filly and should win in her turn. Royal Shar and Blue Skimmers both showed a good deal of pace and may not be hard to place in minor handicaps. Fighting Fox stood the leaders up a good deal of ground in the early stages after playing up at the barrier, but Quartz was rather disappointing and may not be as solid as was at first thought likely.