A GOOD DIVIDEND

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 22, 27 January 1938, Page 13

A GOOD DIVIDEND

PLANS FOR GRATEFUL

(Special from "Early Bird.")

AUCKLAND, January 26. Grateful ran two very solid races at Thames, and will have to be respected if he is produced either day at the Takapuna Meeting at Ellerslie, although he is up against strong opposition, all the best northern handicap horses being engaged. He will probably go on to.New Plymouth and Hawera for' the coming Taranaki and Egmorit fixtures, r.nd ,the class there should suit him.

The real surprise about Rona Bay's Goldfields Cup victory at Thames was the extraordinary price she started at to win, her dividend being well on the way to a score. .She had previously show,- her ability when the class was a bit below the top flight, and her success at Thames was not unexpected. On Monday she ran another fine race, finishing fourth in the handicap, the run of. the race being rather against her. . •.-.;■ A LIKELY IMPROVER. A hack who should do well is High Delight, winner of the Trial Handicap at Thames.. He may be given a run in the hack sprints at the Takapuna fixture, and although the opposition is better than he encountered last weekend, he should be able to hold his own. He was really the unlucky horse in the final event at Thames, for ue dwelt at the barrier rise, to tHen run very wide coming round the home turn, so his close fourth rather indicated that he might have won had he got away on terms..

5 British Banner, whose win in the . race confined to local horses at the , Whangarei Meeting three months ago ' was favourably commented upon at the ; time, came into his own again at Thames on Monday. T n his first start ; that day he finished in third place in the hack mile, and in the final event ■ he improved to win and pay a dividend of over a third of a century, which, in view of his earlier:effort, was astonishing. The British King gelding is not engaged at Takapuria. .. Barricade was a disappointment at Thames, and it is evident that he is not ■at home on right-handed tracks. At Te Awamutu in 'the early summer he spoilt an excellent winning chance by . boring out badly,. and so. if' was on , both days at Thames, this weakness on Monday permitting Friskland to get up on the inside and beat him narrowly. In the southern portion of the district Te Rapa and ■ Tauranga are the Qnly left-handed tracks, so his opportunities ; are limited, and on this account his owners may decide to patronise the Hawera fixture-early next month. ; As anticipated, Palustre and Orate had a very interesting-duel in the sprint on the opening day at Thames, with the former, who ; Jiad drawn the rails, having sufficient advantage to head off • Orate over the last bit, the latter havi ing to run outside her all the way. On Monday Orate tried to win all the way, but Torch kept him up to it, and Tosh came from well back to defeat Orate. In their; class Orate,-Palustre, and Tosh are quite good, but how they will measure up against the best sprinters will be revealed at the .Takapuna fixture. / A PROMISING YOUNGSTER. An impressivie. 'win was notched by the three-year-old colt Romani in the Kopu Handicap on>the second day at : Thames.; On Saturday this colt was prominent until he began to bore out , inside the final furlong, and he missed a place as a result. He again revealed ; fine speed on Monday, only, to again veer .out in the last (hundred yards, but once straightened >up he, shot forward to retrieve the situation. If this weakness can be overcome'he should , be good enough to Win open sprints later on. Last autumn/he;,was sent to Australia, but was still a maiden when he returned... Incidentally, both he and High Delight, the maiden victors at Thames,- are not eligible for this class at the Takapuna'fixture. , -■ Privy 'Seal has' not raced since the Auckland Summer. Meeting, where her efforts were not quite up to the form she displayed when she won over a mile at the preceding Takapuna fixture. However, she is to race this coming weekend and is one who should 'take a-lot of beating-*H handled by a strong horseman. ,_The mile hack the first day and the Plate oh the second comprise her engagements, and as she ,is very fast, if, a .bit delicate, she is one to keep on side for coming events.