Straight Bits & Spurs

NZ Truth, Issue 1153, 5 January 1928, Page 9

Straight Bits & Spurs

OVER MIDDLE DISTANCE JOY KING, after finishing on strongly in the Railway Handicap, was pounced upon as a twelfth-hour tip for the Summer Cup, but he let his supporters down, being well out of the money at the close, though up handy at the straight entrance. He may improve over a middle distance, and it will not surprise anyone if he proves capable of winning a good mile event. It will be remembered he was up second to Civility in the Easter at Ellerslie last autumn. EULALIE AT RIDICULOUS PRICE THERE were some hot propositions 1 on Summer Cup day at Ellerslie, and two odds-on pops came off, but it seemed out of all reason to note Eulalie at such a ridiculous "odds-on" price as she was in the Electric Handicap sprint. She was returning well under even money in a field of ten, which field included such brilliant sprinters as Cimabue and Paganelli. The last-named pair filled the right places, and Eulalie's defeat should serve a good purpose — that of educating punters up to the fact that no handicap sprinter is worthy of being made odds-on when there are dangerous risks such as the quality of the sprint opposition on Summer Cup day. OINGLETON was giving his trainer some trouble with soreness at the start off of the big Ellei-slie fixture, but he was hopeful of getting him right. NOT SO GOOD NOW T YSANDER is not the horse he was, as was evidenced when he finished last of five starters in the King's Plate, and that over the same course as where he put up his memorable dead-heat with Commendation as a three-year-old. HAD ENOUGH MASTER DOON probably had enough iVI last Saturday morning at Ellerslie to satisfy him for some time. After getting rid of his boy during work he careered round the track for at least four circuits and finally got away on the pavements, knocking himself about a bit before being finally captured. STILL USEFUL DEAU CAVALIER gave a lot of cheek D for most of the Ponsonby Hurdles distance at Ellerslie on the second day. When the winter comes round again he looks likely to be in some crosscountry fights. DARI is a coming sprinter. This two-' 1 year-old son of Leighton — Cassock from Wilfred Stead's team displayed great pace in the middle stages of his juvenile engagement at Ellerslie on Summer Cup day.

WILL FIND IT HARD WHEN Yaqui bobbed up and returned a very good dividend in the Ferguson Handicap at Ellerslie he raced himself into the open class, where he will find it hard to win, as many other hack victors at Ellerslie have done before him. - TWO SWEEPSTAKES TT is worth noting .that Awarere appears to know when his owner is called upon to make up a sweepstake. Awarere has been in two and won them both. One was a £5 hack affair at Te Aroha, the other the £10 for starters in the Railway.

■him AUSSIE'S WINNING FORM AFTER opening day at Ellerslie had proved that he must have been unlucky in the Railway, Aussie won the big sprint on Monday just as he did the King's Plate— out in front with his big load for most of the trip. AUSSIE'S PLATE TO be truthful, Aussie did not appear to be going at top at any stage of his King's Plate victory, and yet he ran the mile with 9st in 1.38. The sectional times were: 13 3/5, 25, 36 4/5, 49 2/5, 1.2 2/5. TI TREE is a bit small to be battling *■ against the best, but may win in her turn. She was certainly fighting on gamely when she finished third in the Plunket Handicap at Ellerslie.

OUT OF HACKS DOYAL DOULTON made hacks of the ** Waitemata Handicap opposition, most of which were more seasoned than Roulston's mare. . She 'has now to go out into the open class, but she is good enough to be placed carefully for further victories. The manner in which she gave poundage away and defeated the rest does not say much for them. A USEFUL MILER r\ORBB made a job of the Plunket Handicap lot up north on the second day, and it would appear that her H.B. Guineas victory was not such a fluke as quite a lot imagined. She is more than a useful miler.

i " 3 TO DO THINGS piDGEMOUNT was not himself for the ** commencement of the Ellers'lie carnival, which was the reason of his withdrawal from the Foal Stakes. When he is right, Stead's chestnut can be looked for to do things. MAY COME ALL RIGHT DATTLEMENT is going to come all *-* right on his Ellerslie form. It takes a fair horse to get up third in the Auckland Cup; and he was also up as close as fourth in the Summer Cup. ( TE MONANUI was very sore after racing in the Auckland Cup and trainer J. O'Neil could not get the son of Potoa home quick enough, by the first boat to New Plymouth.

WANTED THE RACE THAT one rate in the Railway -was what Cimabue required. Nej^t up he was a vastly- improved horse and once he collared Paganelli in the Electric it was all, up with the Waikato sprinter. Then Cimabue went on and ran over nine furlongs on the course proper at Ellerslie two days before the Derby in time which surprised most onlookers, giving out the signal that a real good mile or a bit further may be well within his grasp. WINS BROKEN DOWN FANCY backing a hurdle horse at 1 heavy odds-on when he had to clear eight nights of hurdles and opposed by half a dozen others I The opposition was certainly weak, but punters were lucky that King's Guard pulled them through on Summer Cup day at Ellerslie, for he went past the post badly broken down In front. ■ So much so that Rennie had to dismount and lead King's Guard back to the weighing enclosure. It is generally believed that Hannon's horse went wrong fully three furlongs from home, and punters on I him all consider themselves fortunate in being eligible to present themselves at the pay-out windows. Nevertheless, King's Guard would make a classy hurdler if sound. DATODAWN was a great tm*n -up for Jamieson's stable when he took the Criterion Handicap for juveniles at Ellerslie on the second day. He is one of the Kilbroney breed and stayed on . over six furlongs in a fashion which denotes that he is worth watching next season. ARCHIBALD COMES HOME THE fall on fhe fiat suffered by Archi--1 bald in the first hurdles at Ellerslie left no ill- effects, for he registered 3.42 2-5 when he led the obstacle field home last Monday. That time is worth noting for a horse saddled with the steadier of 11.7. Hannon's horses had been experiencing such a great trot over hurdles at the Ellerslie meeting that Archibald was allowed to return a false price. CONSISTENT GLENOTUS QLD Glenotus was consistency itself over hurdles at Ellerslie. He acted as runner-up to a trio of different winners on the first three days, which says something for the fourteen-year-old gelding. THE most notable outcome of the 1 horse sales at Ellerslie on Friday last is that after being offered in the sale ring, Antrim Boy was later sold privately to the Duiiedin sportsman, G. J. Barton. • ■ . Antrim Boy gave great promise early in his career, and may prove handy to place to effect way down in the tor south* '/:■"',