LORD MANNA NOT DISGRACED IN HAWKE’S BAY COP RACE

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 April 1949, Page 3

LORD MANNA NOT DISGRACED IN HAWKE’S BAY COP RACE

Defeated hut not disgraced should he the suiniiiing up of Lord Manna's display in the Hawke’s J Jay Cup on Saturday for the Robin (ioodfehow gelding is still the grand horse lie had proved himself prior to contesting the big race on the opening day of the I lawke’s Lav Jockey (hub's autumn meeting.

Probably Lord Manna will not race again this season, for there are few opportunities now. especially in the winter months. Further, he was a trille tender after pulling up following his Cup effort, the trouble being stated to be in a tendon.

Judging by his displays in the Stratford Cup, the Egmont Cup, the President’s Handicap at T. ent ham and the weight-for-age Awapuni Gold Cup, Lord Manna, in spite of his 9.9, was entitled to favouritism. He certainly went out at a short price. Probably not since Beau le Hav*e won the Wanganui Cup has a hoise been at such damped odds in a iiandicap race. That Lord Manna failed to carry his backers through was not altogether his fault. He was entrusted with £3lBO in the combined pool of £BOl4, and as a result a double-figure dividend was obtainable over all seven of his opponents. After throwing his jockey and bearing away for two furlongs Lord Manna was stopped near the gate leading into the birdcage and was taken back to the barrier stalls- to which he showed a marked aversion similar to that which he displayed at Wanganui when ne was on the verge of being banned from flat races. It was stated that he had been tried out in the barrier stalls on the Thursday morning before the races and had kicked out, injuring himself slightly. However, when he went bac.t to the starting stalls he was allowed to start from the rogues’ pen on the extreme outside.

Though this in itself was a handicap, Lord Manna made it worse by rearing up when the tapes were released. Had his ndcr then let him run along on the outside of the track he would have taken a shorter route over the first three furlongs inacead of being on the softer track near the rails and tailing the field. Thus at the mile Lord Manna was the best part of ten lengths behind rhe pacemaking Sunburn. Down the back Lord Manna's pilot attempted to move up, but he was on the outside of two other runners. Thus he covered extra ground all the way from the live furlongs to the straight entrance, at which point he was on the outside of Avenger and Sunburn. Avenger appeared to carry him out still further, and apparently he refused to go on with it when asked to continue his effort. That was small wonder as he had been required to make a long-sustained run- whereas when Broughton has ridden the horse he has been required io make one burst over the final two furlongs, always enough to carry him to victory. When Meynell round that there was a gap that could not be bridged to Avenger and Sunburn he gave up the effort, with the result that Barrage and Loyal Bian caught him in the last 50 yards and the favourite was relegated to fifth place. Avenger earned £3OO and a gold cup valued at £lOO, and thus was some compensation for the ill-luck which dogged him in such races as the Wangan < Cup and the Folding Cup, in whicxi he was runner-up. It was his first success since making the grade to open company, but Avenger appears the type that will do better with age. Well placed, he should win more good handicaps.