NORTHERN FORM

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 53, 18 March 1937, Page 8

NORTHERN FORM

'Early

Bird.").

Review of Running at Paeroa DON ERMA UNLUCKY

(By

. AUCKLAND, Last Night. At Paeroa on Saturday, Don Erma appeared to have the Steeplechase won three fences from bome, when he got into the brush obstaele and nearly came down. At the time he looked to have the call over Irish Comet and Mangu King, who subsequently fought out a great finish. Don Erma had arrived on the scene early, but he was in trouble a day prior to the race, so he may improve if his race has not found a weak spot. Four of the nine starters completed the course, and the second horse, Mangu King, pulled up lame, and so did Stray Dog, Nukutere and Mio Stune, but they breed them tough in noxthern hunting fields, and they may come up smiling again before long. Count Rousillon and Siwell fell, the latter's crash being of a spectacular nature, for the horse did a complete somersault. Irish Comet and Don Erma are likely improvers on Saturday 's showing. Valpeen will be better suited over a longer journey. One From Opotiki. One of the most impressive haclcs seen put on Saturday was Llangollen, who won the second division of the maiden race. He was a long way back in the first furlong, and nobody could have given him any show at all. In addition, when he did make a move he came into the home stretch out in the middle of the track, but he overcame these handicaps and won in fine style. The opposition was very weak, yet that should not detract from the merit of the performance. Llangollen comes from Opotiki, and is a half sister, by The Ace, to Kilberis. There was a tense finish between the well-backed Bronzette and Malagigi in the first division of the Awaiti Hack, and they dead-heated. It was only lack of experience that prevented the latter from winning outright at his first ' start, and the double figure \yin dividend and a near-double figure price for a place were in order, for baclcers had nothing to go on. Malagigi is a four-year-old gelding by Paladin from Drop One, and on this showing he proxnises. to be a good sort of hack. One To Remember. Ringshot received a bad xun In the Netherton Hack on Saturday, and may be expected to do better at his next appearance, though at Paeroa one must be prepared to see horses receive a bad run. In this event Calcutta was airded to his sixth victory in his last seven starts by his rider's judgment in nursing him for a final effort, otherwise Tosh might have beaten him. The latter ran about a bit in the straight, and this probably cost him first place. Jewelled Girdle ran another good race in this class, and his turn may not be far off. The luck of racing was never better demonstrated than in the Awaiti Hack at Paeroa the first day. Trainer A. Cook had three horses in this race, all being accepted for, and. they were by some means or another drawn in the second division. Cook decided to start only one, Lady Meath, bnt while walking down for her preliminary another horse collided "with her, and the Irish-bred filly Teceived injuries necessitating her withdrawal. Pleasant Surprise. It was surprising to find King Neptune at such long odds in the open sprint on Saturday, for his form has been consistently good. However, speculators do not like a "bleeder," and in the immediato past this three-year-old had let his supporters down through a recurrence of this trouble.

| On Saturday, always well placed, he won in a very tight finish with two other outsiders in Sir Tommy and Gay Seton, to return a win price exceeding a quarter of a century. King Neptune is a half brother, by Tidal, to those good gallopers Limarch an-d King March. Gay Talkie demonstrated his superiority over the Ohinemuri Cup field in most unmistakable fashion. Always in the first three for the first mile, he was much better placed than he was on the roomier course at Pukekohe a week earlier. However, three furlongs from home he drifted slightily, but he came again and was up handy. at the turn. At the distance he was checked when Royal Dance began to weaken, and his rider had to pull out. Even then he won, going away, by the best part of a length. On his best form Gay Talkie would be a St. Leger possibility, but unfortunately he was not entered for the classics. He may reach top handicap class at four years. Why He Lost. Royal Dance tried to win the Ohinemuri Cup all the way, and he might have done so had his rider been able to hold him together more. He is always a difficult horse to handle, and after pulling Eard he weakened in the final furlong, so much so that he was well beaten by Gay Talkie and Valrent, while a bunch comprising Rulette, Knight of Australia and Lagoon, were only heads behind him. Valrent, by the way, ran a very fine race, but he was a bit lame when he pulled up, though this may wear off. Knight of Ajistralia was going so well in the middle stages of the Ohinemuri Cup, and even till he was making the home turn, that another victory appeared to be in sight for the Windbag gelding. He failed to run on in the last dash. Mazir was np fairly handy with threp furlongs to go, and then weakened, while Master Brierly, unsuited by the track, was always in the ruck. Lagoon finished on again after meeting with trouble on the rails early, and Sinking Fund was also in trouble while racing on the inside of his field.