VERTIGERN AT LAST

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 33, 9 February 1931, Page 6

VERTIGERN AT LAST

MAIN/RACE AT HAWERA

CHOP IX SOMEWHAT UNLUCKY

yfe\\ placed on the rail throughout, Vertigern, who has been shoeing every evidence of returning to form in his recent races, scored neatly at the finish of the Tonks Stakes, the main handicap event on the final day of the Egmont Racing Club's Summer Meeting on Saturday. Only Otairi had been able to boat him iii the Egmont Cup, on Thursday, after he had looked a winner a hundred yards from the post, and the improvement on that effort was freely anticipated. He was going better at the close than anything else, except perhaps the second horse, Chopin, who was compelled to go wide qver the last'half mile. Vertigern 'had not had a success since he beat a poor field at the Otaki Spring Meeting. but now that he has struck a winning vein he may be worth following. .. ■', In the race, Silvermine and Melissa made '■: the early running from Vertigern and The "Swell, with First Acre, Monalof, Paitonu, and Chopin nearest of the others. ; First Acre ran to the front at the halfmile, and was followed across the top l>y The Swell, Silvermine, Melissa, Vertigern, Monalof, and-Chopin. First Acre indThe Swell turned for home ahead of Silvermine, Melissa, Vertigern, Monalof, and Chopin (wide out), but Vertigern came through at the distance, and, sustaining his effort, cut down Silvermine' and withstood a strong challenge from Chopin, to win by half a length from Chopin, Silvermine being a head further back. The Swell was a fair 'fourth, and next were High Falutin', Bright Glow, First Acre, Monalof, Paitonu, and MclSilvermine, in spite of his failure in the Egmont Cup, was entrusted with the strongest support, but Vertigern wag only a little less fancied. There were good drops to Chopin,- High Falutin', and Bright Glow, Silvermine went better than he did on Thursday, and at the top of the straight it looked as though hemight win, but again he lacked his customary brilliance at the end. His confident backing was 'due .to-excellent recent track work. Chopin would probably haVe succeeded had he been better placed early, and had not had to go. wide on the turn. He was one, of the' fittest horses racing at the meeting, and the only factor that prevented him doing better than he did was his inability to move away with his fields. High Falutin' and Bright Glow went fair., races without ever being dangerous. Tho latter was having her first outing since October, ■ and the. race should work a lot of improvement in her. First Acre attempted unusual tactics by going to the lead half a mile from home, but he was unable to sustain his effort further than to the straight. His. sequence of recent poor ■showings is difficult, to understand, after Ju"s.;;excellent form in" Australia during the late spring.