RACING FORM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 214, 4 May 1932, Page 2

RACING FORM

"The Judge.")

HAWERA MEETING WINTER SEASON OPENING WITH GOOD FIELDS FOR EGMONT. • MARTON STEEPLEOHASIN G. ( Specially Written for the "Post"

by '

The real opening of the winter racing series will be inaugurated at Hawera to-day, at the winter meeting of the Egmont Racing Club. The helds are excelient and have succeeded in crushing the doubters who maintain, as tKey' do season after season, that there will be a dearth of jumpers. From this time onwards, the tracks will become heavy, so that racing conditions will be vastly diifereht from those prevailing over the last several months. There is class in the hurdles afid stseplechase contests at Hawera, and sueh being the case, the form there should at least have a slight bearing on the Great Northerns and subsequent big jumping events. A splendid field promises to be on hand for the opening race, the Tongahoe Hurdles, class being a strong fea'ture. The only promisirig novice engaged is Fernden, who should furnish. into a fine hurdler. He finished second on the fiat at Marton and he may run well at Hawera; he appeals as a likely hurdling reeruit. Proved jumpers in Otairi and L'andmarlc will make it hard for those below, for they are ' both fit, especially Landmark, who has done a lot of fiat racing. Otairi looked well- at Marton. TenaCre has not raced for a long time, but he can go fast and if forward enough could beat this crowd over the short journey. Just an Idea is good when in the mood, and Full Mark on Awapuni running should be the favourite, for he might have won the second day had his rider been a bit more energetic. Cruachan is a fit horse and was a good jumper last season. Callapat can go fast and he . and Banbridge appeal most of the bottom weights. The issue may rest between Full Mark, Curachan and Landmark. Royal Bengal Dominates. The situation in the hack sprint, the Telegraph Handicap, is completely dominated by Royal Bengal. He won easily the first day at Awapuni and -might have repeated it the next day had his rider not waited for the winner (Royal Hunting) to come baclc to him, instead of which he hung on. Royal Bengal is one of the hack finds of the autumn and any price in the Telegraph Hack should be a good one. Orby's Choice is improving and he reads better than La Crown and Ra- : souli. It is a sign of the times that for many years this race was so popular that it had to be run in divisions. Satisfactory Acceptances. The acceptance of a dozen for the big jumping race, the Egmont Steeple- ' chase, is very satisfactory and it should prove to he much better contest than the' farcical event seen at Marton. The twelve will be reduced to at least eleven runners no'w, for Arrohdead went the way of all flesh last Saturday. On top of the list is Wiltshire, who is in nicely, and as he Won over hurdles at Te Aroha a few weeks ago and was third and should have won the second day at Paeroa over country, his chanee may come here. Indeed, in the north he is given

a great chance. Birkbeck looked forward enough at Marton, and it was no fault of his that he fell, his jumping up to that time being particulai'ly smooth. Make Up, like Land- ' mark, has had a lot of racing on the fiat, but this will mark his debut as a | 'chaser, and he should fill the bill. | Omeo may want a race, for his preparation has been interrupted. Nuku- \ mai 'is Teported- from Hawera as be- \ ing a bit backward. Callamart went ; well over the Marton country after being remounted on Saturday and he | will make good soon. ■: The Fancied. ■\ Pangolin is the logical favourite after his easy win at Marton, where , his task was considerably lighten«d : by the other fancied runners malcing l mistakes. He sticks on and jumps ? splendidly; he looks certain to capi ture a big jumping event fhis winter. I King's Counsel gave Marton a miss, "j but he is very well and as he finished I second in both steeplechases at Ellers- | lie at Easter he must be given seri1 ous consideration. Just an Idea is 1 fancied more as a hurdler, and Hard | Gold does not impress yet as a 'chaser. Copey will be one of the best backed, for h's has schooled well on the' coursa and his record over counti'y last winter was remarkahle for i'ts c'onsiste'ncy. It is an open race, with Wiltshire, Pangolin,' King's Counsel, Birkbeck aixd ' Copey fancied in that order. One of the strongest fields of the day will he seen in the sprint, the ! Flying Handicap. Havering "is to lxxake a reappearance after long 1 speil. Silvernxine will he very xxxuch at 'home on the easier tracks, and Orapai if he does his best will he in the limelight. Green Linnet continues to disappoint, and Richfield readS better placed in the handicap i eVent. The Tiger is an interesting acceptor, for there is no dou^t as to - his hrilliance. Just how he will fare onj heavy ground is prohlematical. Hampton Park stands a good chance in this company with his impost, ahd Hampden was very , unlueky not to have beaten Consent the first day at Awapuni. Little Doubt is not fancied and Ganpat's Marton form does ' not rxlle bixxx out. The best of the lot may be Silvernxine, Hampton Park and Hampden: Early Pace. There should be no lack of early pace in this five furlong flutter, the Hack 'Seuffy, for The Tiger-, Lapstone, Merry Hunter and Right Bower can all turn on the pace. Which of them will do best in tlie bad ground? Lapstone won on a very dead track at Te Kuiti, and the riortbeftt'er '*• reafe as good as any-

thing. The Tiger xxxay be anchored by his weight on a muddy track, but he is a smart one. Merry Hunter's lack of support at Marton suggested that he was not ready, but that race will have worlced sonxe improvement. Right Bower was one of the xxxxlucky ones in the five furlongs race at Marton; he has a lot of pace and is a bold galloper. It looks as if Lapstoxxe, The Tiger (on a firm track), Right Bower' and the improved Cereal will fight it out. Chopin's remax-kable finishing effort from last to third over the seven furlongs at Marton will cause hixn to he one of the heaviest backed horses for the McRae Handicap, especially if^his rider claims the full allowance. However, he will need to be pretty good to account for Puriri Park on the xxortherxxer's latest forxxx and track efrorts. This pair read best, but Gold Dawn and Eastertime should assist to make the contest very interesting. Richfield showed a glimpse of his old forxxx when he got up third to Pomp and Rational H at Awapuni; it was this time last season that he suddexxly struck form. Those in the first half of the handicap overshadow the remainder, with Puriri Park, Chopin, Eastertixne and Gold Dawn disputing favouritisxxx, and they are preferred in that order. It is not a strong' fi'dd that will take on the coneluding event, the Tawhiti Hack. Davidstock and Orby's Choice read very well, but those below this pair do xxot represent good class and the two tops should more than hold their own. Tentcall, Illuminate and Captain Dan have chances, but with an even break Davidstock and Orby's Choice should fight it out.

Marton Form. Steeplechase contests on the Marton course generally provide more thantheir share of thrills for the spectators, and last Saturday's event, run on a dead track under typical winter conditions, will go down in history as one of the most exciting and thrilling seen on the ground. Memory takes one hack to at least one steeplechase run on the club's old coursc when it was practically under water, the low-lying parts'of the course being something more thaxx mere shallow lakes. Saturday's contest was not particularly thrilling from the viewpoint of those backers who were so sooxx to see their xxxoney go "into the air," for of the nine ruxxxxers six went out in the first circuit. Callamart, the last winner of the Graxxd National Hurdles, went at the second fence, the fitst of the double opposite the main stand, and at the next obstacle Democratic, who was haxxxpered by the fallen Ixorse, also fell. The next obstacle saw the field successfully over, but at the next, at the five furlongs, Jen blundered and lost his rider. Passing the half-xxxile, what was left of the field carne to a board fence. Here Otairi and Birkbeck were together, three lexxgths behind the leadex-, Arrowhead, and Otairi seexxxed to make a bad xxxist'ake and in falling struck Birkbeck, who also caxxxe down. This left Arrowhead with a commanding lead over Pangolin,- but the leader failed to negotiate the next fence, the last on the first circuit, and he, too, fell heavily. This left only three standing up, Pangolin, Gueress and Mangani, who were separated by long intervals. At this stage, Gueress' rider must have thoxxght it was the finish of the race, for he rode his mount hard in the straight, where she headed Mangani, Pangolin being three lengths ahead of them. Canxe on to Wixx. In the meantixne, Callamart was remounted by L. Jarvis, and he was ridden into each of his fences, finally completing the course. Pangolin drew away from the other pair half a mile from home and thereafter he never looked like getting beaten, go•ing on to win by about 75 yards from the 1930 Grand National Hurdles winner, Mangani. Gueress was a sixnilar distance back, and more judiciously handled might have been a good' second. Callamart was about the three furlongs post when the winner passed the post. :So exided a" race that was full of interest for the speetators. There was an axnusing incidexxt, not unattended withou't soxne risk of trouble, when the remounted Callamart was completing the course. Coming up Ihe straight the second time, about three furlong^ behind the others left in the race, the ground officials were" already removing the fences of the 'double, erected just short of the winning post, when Callamart cam'e along. His rider called out to the officials to "'get oilt of th'e' way," and

there was a scamper for safety then. It says something for Callamart's penehant for jumping that despite the fact that the xnen were on the course and the fences had been rexxxoved into sections, he took thexxx both in fine style. As a Contest, a Farce. As a contest, of course, the Marton Steeplechase was ari out and out farce. Certainly it was early in the season, but then the going was better than will be in evidence in future contests of a sixxxilar nature and the country could not by any stretch of" the ixxxaginatidn be termed difficult. One of the primary causes of the series of disaste'rs was the ridiculously fast pace set over the first few - fences, the riders apparently thinking they were out for a run on the fiat only. They travelled very fast for a short part of the journey. Pangolin was the only horse ridden to the best advantage. While the others were adopting cut-throat tactics, Miles' was .content to sit still, and although he was a long way back j over the first mile, he not only was i able to keep out of trouble, but was j left with something in reserve. when it came to staying the journey right out. Pangolin's jumping was firstelass, and despite his penalty he is going to take a lot of beating in the Egmoxxt Steeplechase next "Wednesday. Jockey R. C. Miles understands the horse adxnirably, and the combination should do well this winter. Mangani's second was only on sufferance, for he never at any stage looked a possibility. His jumping was all right, but at the last fence he displayed his old weakness for running down the obstacle. Gueress has the makixxgs of a fine jumper and she should pick up a race where the company is not too seleet. Career Cut Short. Up to the time he fell at the end of a mile, Arrowhead was jumping splendidly, so that his untimely crash was very unfortunate. The horse broke a leg when he fell and was subsequently destroyed. Otairi and Birkbeck appeared to be none the worse for their fall. Indeed, Otairi, who looked nice and big but a bit lusty, sprixxted back to the birdcage like a two-year-old. Birkbeck looked vex-y forward, but he was xxot as well backed as miglxt have been expected. Callamart was given a good schooliixg when he was remounted axxd he fenced like an old hand once his rider got him settled down. It should not he long before this reeruit to 'chasing gets oix the winnixxg list. Jen was not by axxy rneans beaten when he tipped his rider off.