COUNTY ELECTION RACES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 309, 23 May 1941, Page 4

COUNTY ELECTION RACES

(Sir, —What a pity so much of the t back page of THE BEACON is taken, x up each week with information; about race meetings to be held, hun-; . dreds of miles ftom Whakatane. How! lon earth can* we get benzine to motor to Hamilton or Auckland topatronise "the Tote' 'after reading your racing "forecasts,"'- and surely no one would patronise the bookmakers! Why. its against the law! Therefore give us some local'racing news like this: Notes on the Running. The Whakatane County Election Races were held, on Saturday. Mr ; C. G. Lucas was clerk of the course. The Taneatua Steeplechase held across country from Taneatua to Ohope and over the hill to the Strand resulted in a spirited contest in the early stages between * Sitting Member, piloted by H. C. McGready and Need a Change (J. Lawn). They were: on even terms, at the Waimanawater jump and the . Taneatua stonewall.* N e ?d a Change, ' found the going heavy at the O'hope--sand patch, where Sitting Member was out 23 votes ahead. As they . cantered down the hill to Whakatane McGready let his mount forge ahead and reached the finishing post 37 votes ahead of Lawn's horse which faded in the straight. The Nukuhou Hurdles provided another win for In the Ghair ridden by J. L. Burnett, which jumped all the fences in great style and won. - by 18 votes from Local Roadsfirst (F. J. Savage).. In the Chair led throughout. The second horse had * been doing good work on the track, and) may win a race before long. In the Chair was very solidly supported by punters from all over the country, but Local Roadsfirst also carried a lot of the public's l money. The best finish of the day wav seen in the Omataroa Flying HandK cap, when Absentee, on which CliffMcCulloch had the mount, just got - his head, in front of Onthespot, rid- , den by Butler," to win by 8 votes as they dashed past the County OfficeThere had been much speculation (and recrimination) as to whether ! Absentee was "sound" enough to. win another racs. but he was turned out in splendid fettle by his trainer (Thompson and Sisam),: pi roving the truth of the old adage,, "Horses for courses," the breeding ? of Absentee is interesting, being from Nomination by Cablegram (Active Servicc—Navy Blue). The principal "flat race,"' the Tarawera Cup brought out a select field •of. -three. It,'was expected that Farmers.' Own (with J. Mullins" in the saddle), a promising three year old would prove too good for those old stagers, 0-ur Charlie (CL T. Smith) and Edgecumbe Lad (D. W. Spencc),, However he failed to last the dis« tance and may be better suited iii shorter races. Passing the Otakirl mile post Farmers' (Bvn and Edgecumbe Lad were together with Our Charlie well bf:ck. Edgecumbe Lad had made a s:tiong run at the six furlongs post (near the Plains Butter Metropolis) and was out 14 votes clear of Our Charlie, withf Farmers' Own 16 votes further back. Coming round the bend into the straight, at Thornton Our Charlie kept to the rails and got close to "i Edgecumbe Lad, but could not catch -he leader, who passed the Whakatane post. 33 votes ahead of Our £ Charlie, with Farmers' Own 21 votes -i further back. v I • ■ "jJi Altogether it was great racing, 'f the sport of i-atepayers! Good luck to the jockeys! -- Yours etc.,. 808 TALE NAG.