TWO DEFEATS

NZ Truth, Issue 1206, 10 January 1929, Page 11

TWO DEFEATS

'.•■■■* : ; ' ' ' Riding Errors Were Responsible To Some Degree BODY-BLOW TQ PUNTERS (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) It is nothing: new to see " odds-on" propositions up-ended at Bllerslie, but when two are bowled over m the' same afternoon through errors m riding, then it conies as a double body-blow.

CUCH was the case "m connection with tD the failures of Supremacy m the Royal Stakes and Laughing Prince m the Clifford Plate on January 2. ' Defeat may possibly have come about m both cases under more favorable riding exhibitions. As matters stood the victories registered by both Honour and Mask do not tingle with the same decisive ring as could be wished.

In the case of Reed on Supremacy m the Royal Stakes there is reason to believe he was likely to get into a quandary over instructions once he found himself getting much the worst of matters from the hop-off. To the innocent onlooker it certainly savored of very moderate riding tactics to have rushed • Supremacy up to the leaders m such double quick time as was the case. The mad dash ] certainly showed Supremacy to be possessed of great speed, but, being a six-furlong test, the pace could not last. Though the Great Northern Foal Stakes victor was actually m line with the leaders as they neared the last furlong, he would indeed have been something- phenomenal to have lasted it out after the killing pace that his rider asked him to keep up. Under the circumstances it was not surprising to note Supremacy suffer his first defeat. L. Morris on Laughing Prince probably knows himself now that his decision to "go for the, doctor" should have been delayed until he got on top of the rise. It is admitted the pace had been painfully slow up to the stage when "L.G." decided to improve matters, but to leave his mount without the necessary, vim over the final furlong was certainly not m. keeping with the wisdom expected from a rider of "L.G.'s" lengthy' experience. • It is quite possible that Mask may have proved the Uest horse on the day under any conditions. . That does not get away from the fact that Morris displayed want of sound judgment m speeding his mount up the incline m the seventh furlong of twelve. The public will surely get fed up of punting on "odds-on" chances m classic races if such errors of judgment^ by prominent riders are to become a habit.