RACING.

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15353, 29 September 1923, Page 16 (Supplement)

RACING.

SEASON’S FIXTURES. Naw ZMland. Sept. 29—Manawatu Hunt Club. Sept 29 —Napier Park R.C. Australia. Sept. 29—Epsom and A.J.C. Derby. Oct. I—Metropolitanl—Metropolitan Handicap, Oct. 3—Craven Plate. Oct. 6—Randwick Plate. Oct. 13—Caulfield Guineas. > Oct 20—Caulfield Cup. Nov. 3—V.R.C. Derby. November 6—Melbourne Cup. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “The Grizzler,” Glen Massey.— (1) Ruapapa has -won a Te Aroha Cup. (2) Royal Blood’s time lor the Rail--way Handicap was lmln. 12 3-ssec. , **Not Sure,” Hamilton. —The Hororata Racing Club held their meeting at Riccarton this year, and not on their . twn course as you are of opinion. THE HAWK’S WIN. A DECISIVE SUCCESS. “Is it the end of Beauford’s superiorly?” “Champlion’s Ignominious Defeat by The Hawk”; "Ridden Judiciously, but not good enough” are the headings in Smith’s Weekly of Saturday last in referring to the decisive success of the New Zealand representative over Beauford. The paper states: Down goes another idol, fee defeat of Beauford could not have come at a more unexpected time. Gloaming was out of his path; he was, according to his trainer, in better ’condition than ever before in hit career, yet he was beaten in a common canter by The Hawk. Pike eased up the New Zealander over the last fifty yards and still won by two lengths. It could have been nearer six, if he had been ridden out 1 But it is generally the totally unexpected that happens on the turf. If Beauford had been off colour, or if The Hawk had been boomed as a champion from New Zealand of the Gloaming standard, the result might have been anticipated. But as I said before, Beauford was thought to be in his very best condition, and the trainer of The Hawk, Jack Cameron, had no false hopes regarding his horse. “It’s no use saying one thing and meaning another," said he after the race. "I didn’t expect my horse to beat Beauford.- I didn’t think him good enough, and I put very little on him. As a matter of fact, I expected him to be beaten in the race, and hoped that while he might run well his defeat would enable me to get a good stake about him for the Epsom Handicap. But now that he has achieved the unexpected, the form is thoroughly exposed, and there is little chance of backing The Hawk for the Epsom except at a very short price. "To tell the truth, I was as much surprised as anybody to see the easy way he beat Beauford, Gloaming couldn’t have done It better. "I was so built up about Beauford’s speed that I didn’t dream that my horse could beat him, except a fluke. Yet he. fairly made a hack of him.” Jack Cameron secured a remarkably cheap horse when he gave 800 gns. for The Hawk early this year. The executors of the late W. Duncan had raced the horse since the owner’s death, and the purchaser was fortunate in finding them a bit disappointed with three consecutive failures, or perhaps they might not have sold such a good horse so cheaply. Anyway, it was Cameron’s good for tune tp get a champion for so little, for that is what he proved himself on Saturday. Of course there Is no doubt in the world that he has caught Beauford off colour, but still he put up a fine performance, and whether he wins the F.psom or not—and in that he has a rare chance despite his 9.7 —there will be opportunities of picking up valuable stakes during the approaching Spring. Backers laid -odds of 5 to 2 on Beauford In the customary belief that it was a case of "picking up money.” So it looked when Beauford headed Wish Wynne and assumed the lead approaching the home turn. But there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip, and their confidence was soon dispelled. The Hawk kept gaining on the champion, and when Pike made a move on him a furlong and a half from home It was remarkable how quickly the New. Zealander bridged the gap of two lengths. It was at once apparent that the tragic downfall of another hero was Imminent. Beauford’s efforts to withstand the attack were futile. The Hawk reached his side, and almost without a struggle drew ahead. He got quite three lengths In front; then Pike eased him and still he won by two lengths 1 Beaten in a canter. That’s what It amounted to.

Yet if you had suggested before the race that such would be the case, it would have . been regarded as an amusing jpke.

The most surprised of all on the course was probably Albert Wood, Beauford’s jockey. He was of course at a loss to understand the champion’s failure.

“He looks better than ever,” said Wood, “and the trainer says he has done better than ever in his preparation, so it is difficult to say what caused his defeat. It can't be purely The Hawke’s superiority. Beauford was beaten too badly for that. “The fact of the matter must be that although at Newcastle he won easily enough, he has not recovered his old form.

“I realise this when I recall that as soon as he saw daylight after I took him round the held on Saturday, he did not respond like he always did in the past. “At the start I kept him behind so that I would not have to make all the running. Usually when he got a dear run in the past, he made a dash for the front and I always had the. greatest difficulty in holding him. But on Saturday there was no ginger about his effort when he ran up to Wish Wynne, and for a couple of furlongs 1 had no difficulty in keeping him behind that mare. Nor did he pull at all as we went past her, and finally when The Hawk tackled me he failed to respond in the slightest degree when I urged him to go faster. He was beaten in a stride.” Wood realised after Saturday’s race that Beauford likes things his own way. He has never shown fight when caught in his racess He beat Gloam-

ing by coming from behind the field in the Chelmsford Stakes last year, but Wood has come to the conclusion that that was an exceptional performance. ' JOTTINGS. The extent of the Hamilton meeting nominations ensures capital racing. Sir Burnett and The Curragh will take part in the racing at Whangarei. This afternoon, at Te Aroha, Gold Kip, Gold Bud, and others of H. Keesing’s string were submitted to auction. Ecuador is a consistent performer. He has not been out of the money in his last iO starts. A full sister to Curraghmore, being by Archiestown —Rady Gwendoline, has been added to the select team Mr J. Carroll supervises at Prankton. The horses supervised by F. Tutchen at Frankton have been freely entered for the Waikato Hunt Meeting. Matinee, the prominent representative in trainer Phil Brady's team, will probably be a starter at the Labour Day Meeting. Golden Image (Treadmill —Gold Top) has joined the team at “ Sunnyside Lodge.” The Waikato Trotting Club’s programme gives promise of attracting big fields.

The trouble that caused the scratching of Bonnie Winkie for the New Zealand Cup must be serious, as a Dunedin writer states he iA to be fired and given a long spell. Pompey, the winner of the Avondale Guineas, was bred by the late Mr C. R. Smallfield. In Wednesday's Issue the name of Mr Albert Kelly was mentioned in this connection. Mr Kelly purchased Pompey as a yearling. - A two-year-old full sister to Pompey, the Avondale Guineas winner, is running out on Mr W. Burbush’s property at Te Rapa.. A yearling (Day Comet—Seaquil) and a eolt foal at foot to the dam of the Guineas winner, are also there. Seaquil has visited Archietown.

Admiral Codrington is the first New Zealand Cup candidate to earn a penalty. The race he won on Saturday was worth £425 to the winner, so he has earned a 51b penalty, bringing his weight up to 7st 121 b. According to present intentions he will be at Riccarton In November.

New Zealand Cup candidates are racing prominently In both Islands. In the North, Cold Steel, Mark Time, Admiral Codrington, Counter-Attack, and Alabama, have won . races, and at Ashburton, Prince Ferouz, Happy Warrior, Luclnette, Dame Straitlace, and Palestrina have been successful.