UNLUCKY JUMPER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 43, 6 March 1937, Page 8

UNLUCKY JUMPER

(Special from "Early Birch")

Hack Form in The North ROYAL VAAL'S CHANCE

AUCKLAND, This day. Sandy Dix was badly cut about tho legs when he stepped into., instead of jumping, the second to last kurdle at Ta Aroha on Monday. He will have to be put aside for a short while, but his owner is hopeful that Ko will be weJJ enough to contest the Brighton Hurdles at Ellerslie on Easter Saturday. The two-year-olds seen out at Te Aroha were just a moderate lot, and. for future xeference, Huntingmore ma,y be the best to keep in mind. He is a game youngster, judging by the way he sliuok all Ms chaflengers ofTboth days, for on Monday he was headed at least once in the sfraight, only to como again. That is a good test for any horse and Huntingmore came through with flying colours. He is certainly very fa-st, and he may xun on. Piior to being saddled up last Monday at Te Aroha Royal Vaals had had three very hard races and the effeet of these may have told their tale on her lnfct appearance, when her showing did not nieasure up to her two preceding efforts. She is very like her dam, Royal Doulton, and if she comes as good chen fcke will be a big stake earner. Royal Vaals will be drfficult to Eead off if 'produced in the set weight event for two and three-year-olds on her home track at Pukekohe this -week. Good, But Not Good Enough. Oue of the disappointments of the Te Aroha hxture was Jack Tar, but he should prove eventually to be supsrior to the form he displayed last week-end. He registered an impressive performance in running Taro to a head on Saturday when conceding the Hawke'g Bay hack 2ilb. Down to 7.11 on Monday, he looked the best of good things on paper. But while the Captain Bunsby .geiding accounted for ruost of the field he failed to beat Prince Rangi. Still, as the pair left the opposition in the fiual fuxlong, the form must be taken as goo.d, This *run made Prince Rangi a better hack than he was credited with bemgfor he beat the favourife fair aud square; the only drawback to Jack Tar being that he was always two or three horses eut. Still, the winner was giving him a couple of pounds. A feature of this duel was that both hacks fought it out to"the bitter end and the honours were with the winner, so that his future prospect^ must be conceded to be bright. Taro, who made an impreesion when he won at Woodville, confirmed at Te Aroha the good reports that had preceded him, for he is a good type -that should win a lot of races. He has plenty of size and is not yet thoroughly made, so that his turn will eome again soon. While he won on the opening day, his efiiort on Monday was equally good, for he had 101b, more to carry and, in addition, started wide out and had to cover that mueh extra ground to cross over to the rails, as he was ablo to do eventually. This well-bred Hawke's Bay hack has a very bright . futuTe, even if he does not enter the best class. Won Very Easily. Pirate King scored a runaway win at Te Rapa and he repeated the performance at Te Aroha on Monday. Again, too, he was inclined to run about a lot in the straight, for he veered suddenly over towards the rails at the furlong post and his rider had to ease him and then straighten him up, despite which he scored very comfortably. This King Lu three-year-old looks to be the making of a really good horse, for onco he gets over his greenness he will be able to make hacks of any fields he is likeiy to meet in the class in this district. There is a dearth of staying hacks in the north and consequentiy the middle distance hack races at Te Rapa and Te Aroha were not very difficult to win. Earlier in the season this was a very strong feature of Auckland racing, but with most of the good hacks promoted the class has been weakened. Among those now racing in open company arc Loombinafion, Kilonsa, Relspeetful, Sweet Rose, Armacourt, King Neptune, Johnny Walls and Rulette. Some of these would be out of the grade had the old qualification been in existence, but the experience at the preeent time in the north indicates that the hack qualification of £400 should come up for review, especially with stakes soaring as they are. Went Too Sooa. International at last fulfilled early expectations when he won the Champion Hack last Saturday; ridden more judi.ciously ho might have scored again on the second day. He carried 7.11 on Saturday and he made a fast run on the outside to be in front as soon as the field straightened up, his light impost enabling him to hold olf his challengers, His rider followed exactly the eanie procedure on Monday, but with disastrous results, but this timo with 8.7 he could not liold on the last furlong. In other words, his rider failed to realise that, with the long straight and the additional weight, he should have waited a bit longer befora getting to the front. This was a pronounced weakness on the part of tho majority of jockeys at Te Aroha. Lady Siegfried failed to win on the trip north, and so did her stable mate, Pukeho. Thus, even- with good placo money won, it is doubtful if tho trip would reveal a profit. Possibly, too, undertaken by owner-trainer B. Burgess it may prove a bit costly in the way of additional weight earned by his pair. On her second in the Champion Hack, in which she finished very strongly, Lady Siegfried was heavily supported on Monday, but at the bottom of the

straight she got the worst of some bumping when King Theo iorced himself out of a jam; the latter went on to win, whereas Lady Siegfried became unbalanced and the Tace was over before she fully recovered her strlde. Burgess '8 ' pair mey stay in the north for the Franklin meeting on Saturday