THE FOXTON MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 124, 27 May 1937, Page 13

THE FOXTON MEETING

A NEAR MONOPOLY

BRIEF GLANCE OVER FORM

With only the distant Otautau Meeting, twice postponed, in opposition, the Foxton Racing Club's Winter Meeting holds the big interest ,in .racing In the Dominion on Saturday. This club struggled for many years to retain its identity while its single1* meeting in January became more and more hopeless as a draw card for horses. And then came a time four years ago when the nominations were so small that the meeting had to be abandoned. Yet this was the luckiest mischance that' could ever have come the way of the club, for the dates were later used in the winter and these two single-day fixtures were a striking success. So it was that the Foxton Club discovered that it had one of the finest courses in the Dominion for meetings ,; when other courses were nearly always water -logged, and that winter or spring meetings on the course would always draw excellent patronage, both from horses and racegoers. The club never tried again to race in January, but has since held two Saturday meetings in the season, one- in the early spring and the other in the winter just prior to the opening of the big jumping fixtures. t POPULAR MEETINGS. Nothing could show more how useful a service the Foxton winter gatherings are doing for owners and trainers than the response that has been re : ceived for Saturday's meeting. While fields have been thin at nearly all meetings held in the southern nortion of :the North Island recently, the Foxton acceptors are plentiful in every event, ranging from 21 and 20 in the opening and-last races respectively to the eleven in the Cup field. In many ways/it seems a pity that the club has not gone' back to win-and-place betting for Saturday's meeting, as then a' very large turnover must have been secured. But the club, because it was the desire of the majority of its patrons, reverted to the single-pool system last winter, and generally the single-pool is the better for this course, particularly at the spring fixture: Even with the 75-25 system on Saturday, however, a bumper turnover may be anticipated with favourable weather; and ever since the change of dates the club has been- most fortunate in the days,on which its meetings have been held. The card for Saturday comprises seven events, and three of these are for the open ■ performers. The Poroutawhao Hurdles caters for the open jumpers, and with Red Sun heading the list with the solid but necessarilyearned parcel of 12.6, the quality of the field is excellent. There are also fine lists for the Foxton Cup and the Kebbell ' Memorial Handicap, the open items on the flat. Another interesting event is the Whirokino Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase, for which the best class of 'chaser that has yet been seen on the course is engaged. FOXTON CUP ISSUE. The eleven acceptors for the Foxton Cup, run over \\ miles, make up the best-quality lot that has been scheduled for this old-established race in many years. With Prostration (the winner), Alchemic, and others in the field last year the quality then . was probably no less than this year's, but the addition of numbers on Saturday will make it a rather better told than twelve months ago. ' Good form is represented as well as quality. Pukeko, Rona Bay, Gay Boy, and Davistock have been recent winners over middle distances, Gold Mission has succeeded over shorter courses, and Even Money has won at a middle distance among the hacks. Place form in comparable class is possessed as well by One Whetu, Lapel, Tahurangi, and Round Score. There is therefore ample scope for investors. On latest form the' Trentham mare Rona Bay deserves post of favouritism, but it is a place she rarely if ever takes in the betting, and perhaps local money will decTde against her again on-Saturday-in favour of Gay Boy. Rona. Bay gave conclusive proof at Carterton that her Otaki effort was no fluke. The- Sandwich Man admittedly made a race of it with her; but the others, including Pukeko and Hazoor, were lengths away at me close. The drier Foxton. track will be to the mare's advantage as well, and with a rehandicap of only 21b she is offered every chance of carrying her recent sequence of wins to three. Gay Boy, winner at Woodville and ' second to Padishah in the Hawkes Bay Cup, failed subsequently in the race won by Rona Bay at Otaki, but now he comes in at 121b better terms, which is a lot his way; Moreover, he seems well treated in being allowed to receive 91b from Pukeko. He has won previously on the Foxton track. where he was originally trained, and purely on handicap he is the best horse in Saturdays Cup. „ , . Pukeko' was so well trounced by Rona Bay at Carterton that there does not seem great likelihood of his turning the tables here, in spite of an advantage of 41b. He made a dashing run just after entering the straight last Saturday, but failed to sustain the effort. The short straight at Foxton, also hardly suits a horse who usually wins his races from the back. ■■ Davistock, despite his form at Nelson, is probably not the horse he was. Less than two years ago, however, he won the Carnarvon Gold Cup at the Foxton Spring Meeting, so he is suited ,by the track. More likely than Davi'stock to upset the form trio may be Onp Whetu, who is long overdue for his first win this season and was recently twice in the money at Hawera. Tahurangi and Round Score may be best of the lighter weights. GOOD SPRINT CLASS. The class in' the Kebbell Memorial Handicap, run over seven furlongs, is particularly strong. This event in the past has generally drawn only a moderate field, but a better array could hardly have been desired than Saturday's dozen acceptors. Gold Mission and Windsoreen have the double engagement, but the former at least may prefer this race. . . ■ On latest form Gold Mission would be entitled to go out near favourite for the Kebbell. At Hawera she was a winner over the distance on the final day, after having been defeated only by Ffiesland on the first day. If she is not troubled by the strange going she must be one of the hardest .here to beat. . , . ■ Passion Fruit, the topweight, has been off the scene for nearly fifteen months, and though he has come up quickly in the past it may be yet too soon to expect him to play a prominent part. Red Manfred, also an acceptor in, the hurdles, has still to show that he is capable of staging a comeback. Essex, the.Great Northern Derby winner, is well after his spell, but is rather too lusty to do himself justice y6So if Gold Mission cannot win for the top group, the victor may be expected to come from the lower section. On his day Sir Nigel would take a power of stopping with 8.5, but he has not since repeated his Woodville form of February. Hunting Lodge, winner of the race two years ago, is due to bob up again at any time, and she will be in stul better demand if either of her stablemates, Gay Boy and Round Score, should have won the Cup earlier in the day. Reipar, on a course on which he has previously won, is reported to be well enough to make a bold show first, out in open class; and High Test is another who may not be long in making the grade, though a race may be helpful towards this aim. Airing .and Solaria are others possessed of reasonable prospects.