CHANGE OF AIR

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 20, 14 April 1927, Page 6

CHANGE OF AIR

WORKS WONDERS WHAT RESULTS SHOW It is astonishing- how some horses will improve upon entering a different stable. Recently there have been several instances of this peculiar reversal, and the latest occurrences were at the Masterton meeting last week. There two horses won at the first time of asking for their new trainers, after failing to win a race for some time. These were Merry Damon and Raukura. It is only a short while ago that the former left J. Buchanan’s stable to be placed in the charge of Rowley Hatch at Awapuni, and of course the Ellerslie trainer must therefore share some of the credit for the win. Merry Damon was sent out favourite in the open mile event, and finally scored a really comfortable victory over Tresham, who appears to be coming back to liis form of three seasons ago. A DOUBLE CHANGE. But perhaps in the case of Merry Damon it was not altogether the chaiige of stable that was responsible for his coming in a winner. He had as his pilot Tommy Green, and in this experienced rider’s hands he made no mistake, so that it might be considered that the change of riders was more responsible than anything else. The other horse to score for a new trainer was Raukura, a three-year-old filly by Absurd from Hinepango. Until recently this filly occupied a box at Fred Tilley’s stable at Fordell, her last appearance being •at Ellerslie on the concluding day of the last summer meeting. She is now being prepared by L. Crawford at Featherston, and made her reappearance at Masterton in the Telephone Hack. She duly w ( on, and in beating Kilmezzo and Addlepate accounted for two very fair hack sprinters. Prior to this, Raukura had

only won once, in a trial event at Waverley in the spring, but she had displayed a lot of pace as a youngster. GETTINGJJSED TO IT. The Fordell stable has had some experiences of this sort of thing before but no one would lay it up against this trainer, who is one of the leading men in his line in the Dominion. One very notable case was that of Amythas, who was at Fordell as a two-year-old, and won some races there for his owner. However, the youngster was not doing as well as he should, and it -was'at F. Tilley’s suggestion that he was sent to F. D Jones, at Riccarton. Of his subsequent deeds little need be said, for they are quite well known.

Bonhomme was a pretty wild sort of customer at the start of his races, being very highly strung, and after repeated defeats he was sold, and then went into Dug. Webster’s Otaki stable. The chestnut Panmure gelding promptly took it into his head that he was a good horse, and since changing hands he has won four races, and been placed on no less than seven occasions. These things do happen, even to humans, for we all like a change sometimes!