MASTERTON MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 90, 13 October 1934, Page 23

MASTERTON MEETING

WALTON PARK'S FINE WIN

4REAT FIGHT FOR HONOURS

A. thrilling: and terrific finish capped a splendid race for the Masterton Handicap, the principal event on the opening day of ■ the Masterton Racing Club's Spring Meeting at Opaki yesterday. Great excitement rent the welkin as Gold Trail, Walton Park, and Hnzoor, three Kew Zealand Cup candidates, struggled for supremacy down the three-furlong straight. Half a furlong from, the post Walton Park and Hazoor were up abreast the topweight, and the challengers prevailed hi the telling piece, Walton Park stretching out his big head to gain a very narrow verdict over Hazoor and Gold Trail, between whom the i margin was very little, if anything, more.

It was a splendid performance on the part of all three Cup aspirants, and although the honours went to Walton Park he had a definite advantage over his two fighting opponents as compared with their Riccarton weights. In the south Walton Park and Hazoor are on 7.7 and Gold Trail on 7.4, but yesterday Gold Trail had 9.0, Hazoor 8.0, and Walton Park S.O. Gold Trail will therefore meet both her yesterday's victors at several pounds better terms in the big Cup, and over two miles this will mean a lot.

Arikira, for a surprising change, set out to make the runniiig, iritli Gold Trail, Hazoor, Brambletorn, and Might next, and Walton Park last except for Chopin. Near the six furlongs Might ran up to second place and Brambletorn to third. Hazoor did not appear to be > having the smoothest of passages at this stage and he lost ground, having only Lady Konald, Walton Park, and Chopin behind him at the half-mile. Arikira and Might turned for home together, but then Gold Trail immediately challenged and ran to the lead, nearly two furlongs from home. Walton Park and Hazoor, however, were now ranging up with brilliantly inspired efforts from the back, and, reaching the topweight in the final furlong, they both just succeeded in beating her to the post. There was still no certainty about the result until the judge announced his placings. Walton Park quite evidently . suffered no ill effect from his fall at Otaki, and the change of riders to K. Voitre made all the difference. Walton Park is a great stayer, but he is no boy's horse. He is certainly the type of horse to win such a race as the New Zealand Cup with a strong lightweight rider aboard. Hazoor and Gold Trail, had the race been run differently, might either have been the winner. Hazoor's lost ground in the middle stages was his undoing. Gold Trail's rider, L. G. Morris, made his run too soon, an error into which he has fallen on other occasions. The mare fought, to the finish, and had the post not been that extra C 3 yards on now she would just have prevailed. The three placed horses proved decided' ly best. Might was fourth, but his rider (W. J. Broughton) did not _ really give him a fair chance in initiating his effort six ..furlongs out. Lady Ronald and Brambletorn were risht up next, the latter particularly going like a horse who will soon be coming back into hia own. Arikira also ran most generously, and neither Chopin nor Blue Boy were disgraced. All through it was a wonderful contest, fit to be staged on any course In the world.'