RACING REVIEWED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 223, 14 May 1932, Page 7

RACING REVIEWED

WANGANUI MEETING PRESENT FORM AND FUTURE PROSPECTS SOME RIDING INCIDENTS (Special to the "Morning Post" by "The Judge).

A Cornwall Handicap candidate that will run a good race at Ellerslie next month is Little Doubt, who showed a lot of pace at Hawera and then won so easily at Wanganui on. Thursday. He was never farther hack than second on Thursday and then when he was tackled in the straight he responded to score a comfortable win. In the Cornwall Handicap Little Doubt has one pound more than he scored with this week, but there is always^the possibility of a re-handi-cap. Little Doubt is a proved mudlark and he found the conditions to his lilcing at Wanganui the first day, for the heavy rain that fell without cessation after the first event resulted in the track becoming heavy and it cut up quickly. Little Doubt may he given a run at the Waikato meetiiig next week on the way to Ellerslie and he will run well in whichever event he takes on. It is some time since Chief Link showed any form, his third at Hawera last week holding out promise of better things to eome. In the mud at Wanganui on Thursday he made no mistake in winning the sprint, and the good support that was forthcoming for him suggested that his win was unexpected. The heavy track was all in his favour too, but his form was so good that it will not be su£prising if he goes on with it now that he has at last struek form. Good Thing Beaten Slump was one of those good things heaten in the Grandstand Steeplechase on Thursday at Wanganui. He gave a wonderful exhibition of fenc-

ing, and he never put a foot wrong until the last fence, the treacherous hencoop, and that proved his waterloo, as it does for so many horses that are not used to that type of ohstacle. His rider appeared to he taking things too easy at the last fence, apparently thinking that his mount was a good thing. So it was, had he heen clever enough to hold the horse together more. There was no doubt, in the light of his previous form round the Auckland circuit, that Slump was well treated in being placed on the minimum in this hack 'ehase and it was only sheer bad luek that prevented the northerner from winning handsomely. For a few fences prior to tlie last Princess Elizabeth endeavoured to go with him but he left her a couple of lengths each «time they went up and over. Thanks to the untimely exit of Slump in the Grandstand Steeplechase last Thursday at Wanganui, Hawke's Bay horses filled the first three places. Princess Elizabeth arrived at Wanganui with the reputation of being fesponsible for the hest schooling displays ever seen in Hawke's Bay, but she did not live up to that reputation on Thursday, even if she did win. In fact her success was of the fluky type, with the pronounced leader tipping out at the last fence. Princess Elizabeth Still, one must hear in mind the repUtation that Princess Elizabeth gained in her home town was not based on false reports, and now that she has had a' race over the bigger fences in public it is reasonable to expect her to make an improved showing next time out. Over the stieks she was not over reliable, being a horse of moods, but perhaps she will get over this in' 'chasing, where the pace is never so fast as in hurdle races. Kaihoro has a ton of speed, and in the sihall field in the Wanganui sprint on' Thursday she was backed down to a very short priee. She certainly went out fast from the barrier, but Chief Link stuck to her right round to the home turn and eventually it was Kaihoro that had to cry ■enough first. She fought it out however and it was only in the final thirty yards that Chief Link had her measure. Had the going heen dry it is probable that Kaihoro would have won. It was thought that the conditions would favour Ganpat in the concluding event at Wanganui the first day, the open sprint, and he canie in for good backing. However he was forced1 to cover a lot of ground, being three or four horses out crossing the top and he compounded in the straight, finally being heaten into fourth place. He is finding it hard to win now. Two- Brilliant Wine Sparkling Morn, fresh fxom her two brilliant Hawera wins, was at a short priee in the hack sprint at Wanganui on Friday, and she had to be. ridden right out to get second money. With a big pull in the weights as eompared with Egmont, Orby's Choice was alWays going well just hehind her

! and he came away in the straight to win decisively. King Peg had a good deal to do with the defeat of Sparkling Morn, for the hack from the winterless north kept Sparkling Morn at it all the way and in effeet they both ran themselves out. King Peg gave in first and then the Taranaki filly gained a distinct advantage but she failed to run on. Sparkling Morn should not be lost sight of because she was beaten on Thursday. On top of the ground she will hold her own in any hack company. As the field came into the home stretch in the Rata Hack Hurdles at Wanganui ou Thursday, Bon Eve was hanging out badly and he lost some ground, hefore he was straightened up. Even then he was good enough to finish second, but he would not have

i paid a dividend had Rallooh's jockey ridden his mount out. Baclcers of the hot favourite had a real grievance against Bowden for the manner in which he stopped riding near the post, but for which he was certain to have heen second. « It was a phenomenal run that Preehoi'd put in over the last three quarters of a mile in the Grandstand Steeplechase at Wanganui on Thursday. He was right back last witfi Kowhatu at that point, when he seemed to get his second wind and away he went, passing several other horses as if they were walking. Freehold finally finished second and had he not, lost so much ground at the very first fence he might have won. He is one to bear in mind for future hack steeplechase contests.