SMOKE SCREEN EASILY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 85, 12 April 1937, Page 13

SMOKE SCREEN EASILY

Smoke Screen' was a' decisive winner, of the r Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes, the final/juvenile classic .of the season, and on his-performance in_this race he must be^accdunted near if not best two-year-bid''of the term. He has taken the baton from. Francis Drake among the North Islanders, and ,Jhe :onlyjTival: left to v .<iis.pute..the, season s supremacy with" him--is the■ Ricearton colt Royal Chief.,' -It must now, however, remain for ■ next.season• to show which is the better, and also^whether Courtcraft might not be better than either." . ■ . ■' , „ Smoke Screen: was third in most of Saturday's running to the straight, first to Francis Drake and Relative, .then to Relative and Francis Drake,- and then "to Relative arid The Crooner ■approach, ing- the-stretch.- From :.that point the Limond gelding asserted clear superiority and he went on. to score by a couple; of .lengths--:irom'The Crooner. .Smoke Screen is one off.thevbiggest and heaviest two-year-olds- that-have raced' during the season, and it is: because of his size.that he was gelded before being trained. He is not typical of his'sire's gets, as he is : built on more lumbering lines, but/he possesses the galloping ability of the breed, and he has been improving- alii the time since he first raced (and incidentally won)' 'at: Feilding in - December. ■ His season's record' closes with L.fiv- -wins in- seven: outings and ..exactly--. £1200. in stakes, a good-return, already, tor the 600 guineas Mr. Kussell; Grace, . of-Wa-"ngatioi,".paid, for -him -at -the. yearling sales,-' - ' ■ ••' .'■■•■ '"■ '■"., The'- Crooner, another 'youngster who has been improving/and will go on-improving, was easily, supreme over the others -and .he at least made a-- r&fce -of it with the: winner, through the; last furlong,arid'-a half/ -.-: - Haughty Winner,., though he got up to beat Relative., narrowly''for third, was-riot impressive, --and 'his. decisive defeat might be allowed to, detract a little from Royal Chiefs victory over him at Riccarton at Easter; 'Relative ran out. the. distance' weir again and may be a useftil' .filly : next ' season, though she. has riot yet won. 'a.race. Francis Drake could not.even raise a decent gallop, and,: after his cold last month, he has clearly not been the colt .at the^end of; the season-he was' at the beginning.' -•'■ . • /-. ;• . :'.. - The.result Of .this race, with the' fur-;, ther defeat-of- Francis Drake, leaves :-Royal- Chief best- stake-winner among the two-year-olds by over £200,' but he has had 'nearly twice as much racing as Smoke Screen. ' : " '"'.