NOTES AND COMMENTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 27, 16 February 1937, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS

"The Baxb.")

Wild Chase Best Three-Year-/Old DUNEDIN CUP WINNER

(By

By winning the New Zealand Derby and now the Dunedin Cup with 6ibs. over w.f.a. and the Hazlett Gold Cup under a 101b. penalty, Wild Chase may lay claim to being deemed the season's best three-year-old. Accounting for the New Zealand Derby put him in the runningj for the premiership after the breakdown of the General Latour oolt, Gallio. Sir. Charles Clifford's colt did not go to Auckland for the g.n. Derby so that no line was then got as between j him and Essex, winner of that event. i However, Essex failed dismally wjhen j handicapped well under w.f.a. in the Wellington Cup. The merits of these two Derby winners may also be gauged through Tunneller who was second in the Dunedin Cup and third in the Wellington Cup. On this line Wild Chase undoubtedly shows out as the superior of Essex. There are yet the two St. Legers to be run, at Trentham and at Ellerslie, and then perkaps a revisioii may have to be made. • • • Tunneller, who rau Wild Chase to a length and a quarter in the Dunedin Cup on Friday, is a east-off of Sir Charles Clifford's, being a five-year-old ; bay gelding by Winning Hit from Gounterscarp. ) * # I Sir c. Clift'ord is enjoying the best j season he has had since taking over i the Chokebore Lodge horses- on the > death" of his fatlier, Sir George. At the last New Zealand Cup fixtute he put up an owner's recoi'd for a ringle meeting at Riccarton, second only to one accomplished by the late Mr g. g. Stead. Now on Dunedin's opening day he won the three most important events, the Cup. Publicans' Handicap and Champagne Stakes. On Saturday i his horses were first and second in the Hiuslett Cup.

Prince Rangi Wins Hack Cup MISS LU PRlsiDENTS

Paper Slipper by carrying 9.3 to victory in the Publicans' Handicap on a heavy track put up a meritorioug performance for a three-year-old. It was disappointing that that good eprinting mare Gold Boa did not go to the poet, as a meeting between. her and the O.J.C. Stewards' wiixner would have been well worth seeing. • • • Haugihty Winner justified all the nice things said about him by beating Royal Qhief in the D.J.C. Champagne Stakea by a clear cut margin of two lengths. This oolt, in his four starts to date, has suffered bnt one defeat, and that by his stable mate, Night Dress, who was having her first race, so that she too must he something ahove the ordinary, even though she had 171b. the better of the weights. Haughty Winner and Francis Drake, if they meei this season, will create untold interest in deciding a duel between North and South Islands. • • • Apropos of a paragraph whick appeared recently in these columns anent the improrement of the Lackham mare Barley Almond and her present owner's high opinion of her, she agpin won on Friday, beating a fair field of hack* in the Berwick Handicap. It is not suggested that the "hacks" racing in the far south are below mediocrity, but certainly those in the north look like bedng their superiors, as it is hardly conceivable that Barley Almond improved to such an extent in such « short time as to be capable of beating some of those on this side of Cook Strait. ■ • • • Just about the holiday meeting* at the end of last year Huntette struck a rich patch, winning three races practically on end. She then trained off to ehow no form at Wellington or Wairoa. At the latter m|^tirrg, when pitted j against the bottom graders, she failed to show up and neither was she supported as though possessing) a firstclass winning chancet The first day at Gisborne last week she was not produced, but on Saturday as first favohrite she won from a fair field, so that she must have made a quiek come-bacb to form. • • • Harry Greene has had » very fair "trot" so far this racing seasou, but he was given a set-back wheu Ea Vidette broke down at Wairoa. This Hunting Song gelding has never been sound, giving trouble from his two-year-old days. The progeny of Huntmg Song have often appeared hopeless cases only to recover and win again after a short spell and treatment. Ea Yidette has not yet contested a hurdle race but is held in higjh esteem by his. trainer and owner as a jumper of decided promise. * • • • Taitoru, winner of the Egmont Cup laSt Thursday, has been mostc, consistent to date, as in six starts he has never been further hack than second. The surprising part about his latest victory was ihe dividend returned, as it was a little over what is known as the "old limit.''