WHITE BIRD PROMISING

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 112, 2 August 1927, Page 6

WHITE BIRD PROMISING

SOON BE WORTH BACKING, SAYS SYDNEY CRITIC

Students of breeding often look wise when a Popinjay mare comes into a sale ring. “They don’t race on,” mutter the wise heads. But Chateau Tanunda is an object lesson to them. Chateau Tanunda is now a six-year-old, but she showed that she still has a race left in her —and if the ease of her win in the Flying at Menangle is any criterion —quite a number of races. As soon as betting opened the books had Chateau Tanunda favourite. Punters who remembered her win over Don Moon at Rosehill last August, when among the beaten horses in the field were Cawnpore, Triplex, and Loquat, didn’t mind the short price. She carried 9.1 on an 8.7 limit on that occasion, and had only a 7.13 on a 7.0 limit in a field which for class wasn’t within cooee of the Rosehill lot. Chateau Tanunda, however, didn’t run her customary race. The Auckland mare White Bird flew out of the barrier, and Booth’s candidate, Merrina, who usually is badly away through fractiousness at the post, chased the leader. Then came Chateau Tanunda. But being deprived of the lead didn’t affect the favourite’s chance. A furlong from home she pounced on the leaders, and, passing them at her ease, went on to score by three lengths. White Bird, who has had a couple of runs in provincial company, should soon be worth backing; but Merrina. who stopped very badly over the final furlong to finish fourth behind Portlight, doesn’t seem to be a likely profitearner on horse courses near the city.

Last Tuesday White Bird ran second to Portlight in the Menangle Flying Handicap, being beaten by a length and a half.