FORM IN THE SOUTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 156, 22 September 1927, Page 6

FORM IN THE SOUTH

INTERESTING SUMMARY HINTS FOR NAPIER PARK (Special to THE SUN.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A fair amount of Wellington money was lost over the failure of Arch Arrow at Dannevirke. The Arrowsmith gelding went out almost unbacked on the first day and ran such a good race that he was at the top of the market the next day. Roy Reed was in the saddle, and, getting out of the barrier well, was in a leading position most of the way, but about a furlong from home Arch Arrow punctured and faded right away. Those who saw him work at Trentham have a good opinion of him as a hack sprinter, so he might do better when a little more seasoned. He runs in the colours of Mr. H. W. Brown, for

whom Arrowsmith won many races, and is from Loyal Arch, a mare Mr. Brown raced with moderate success. A hurdler that is racing back to form is Revel. The two races he had last week seem to have brought him on a lot, and he should be able to show his best soon. All the same, unless he has improved since last season, his beet is well below the top class. A hurdler that shapes like a coming steeplechaser is Red Fuchsia, a five-year-old gelding by All Red from Nedra, who races in the interests of Mr. C. F. Vallance. Red Fuchsia won two hurdle races last week. He beat weak opposition, but the way in which he won his races was the thing that made him look like a coming star. He will take time to make, but he is bred the right way and looks a nice solid sort. His dam Nedra won steeplechases for Mr. Vallance, including a Wellington Steeplechase shortly before the outbreak of the Great War. ONE BY CYNIC

Cynic, winner of a Great Northern Hurdle Race was represented in the hurdle races at Dannevirke last week by a moderate, but improving, hurdler in Ballyfarnon. Ballyfarnon bumped up against Red Fuchsia on the first day and was easily beaten, but on the second day, with Red Fuchsia engaged in another race, he won very easily. Just how far he will go on improving is difficult to estimate, but the chances are he will do a lot better yet and turn out a useful hurdler in the weaker class races.

Any time now the Hastings galloper Abisogne should win a maiden race or a hack sprint event. It was thought he would have done so before this, but he has taken a while to come right. As far back as the beginning of the winter he had been showing such good form on the tracks that it was considered he would win then, but he has been a little disappointing and rather expensive. However, now that he is coming right is the time to watch him. ! He ran two good v races last week— I about the best he has run—and the second one was so good that Imitation, a first-rater among the hacks when he is ready, only got him in the last stride. WAS THERE EXAGGERATION? One of the biggest bubbles that has. ever been pricked at the expense of bettors was pricked at Dannevirke last week, when Excess went under in the Maiden Stakes after being sent to the post as unbeatable. Excess is a nicelooking gelding by Kilbroney from Fulsome, a sister to Epitaph. The breeding is right, and as he was reported to have done a phenomenal trial at Green meadows before being taken to the meeting, she was backed with the utmost confidence. Her display must have been a grave disappointment to her owner, Mr. Herbert Gaisford, who owns Commendation also, for she did not move out of the tapes at all smartly, and did not run a good race after that, though she had a chance had she been able to get going. She made amends to some extent on the following day by winning the Novice Stakes, in which the field was somewhat similar. BACKED AND BEATEN Another from the same stable who failed last week when well backed was Atereria, the Australian-bred hack for whom Mr. Gaisford gave a good price last season when he was performing with great promise in the Auckland district. Atereria went so close to defeating Nastori at Wanganui that it was generally recognised that with any other rider than R. Reed in the saddle Nastori would have been beaten. As that was his first race for some time, it was thought he would do better at Dannevirke, and he was backed for big money each day. On neither occasion did he get at all a good run, but there was something about his second day’s form which indicated that he should win soon. ROYAL DAMON VERY FIT For the time of the year there are few fitter horses about than Royal

Worth Noting Frisco Jack, winner of the Hunt Club Steeplechase at Dannevirke last week is one of the most promising horses of his kind seen out this seasdn, and he might go on and do well in better company. He is a good jumper and has more stamina than the average horse seen contesting this class of race. A Great Chance One of the simplest things seen on a racecourse for a long while was the success of Lady Faye in the Lady’s

Bracelet event at Diinnevirke on Thursday. The only opponent in the race likely to have a chance of beating the northern mare was Tintoretto, but with the crack gentleman rider, Mr. J. Morris, on Lady Faye, and an unknown amateur pilot on Tintoretto, Lady Faye looked unbeatable. She won all the way and cantered in at the finish, with Tintoretto second, and yet she paid a better price than was being shown on the machine by some of the horses that were favourites in races that looked open and difficult to win.

Damon, who last year had a. most successful season, and this year might do even better than he has done in the past. Royal Damon’s best distance in the past has been six furlongs, but there has always been an impression that seven furlongs or a mile would suit him well, as he finishes his races better than he begins them.

He was tried over a mile at Dannevirke last week, and he made a complete hash of his field, notwithstanding that he had to carry the tidy burden of 9.4. He finishes like a horse that will go a mile in better company without disgracing himself, and if this idea, of him proves correct he will have another good season, as his trainer usually places him at meetings where the horses engaged in mile and middle distance races are well below the best. Epistle, in the same stable, is shaping up nicely and is due to win one soon. She is almost as well forward as Royal Damon, judging her by appearances, and past experience has taught racegoers that she is a very handy sort of sprinter when she is well. WORKING WELL Arrow Lad had been going so well in his work at Woodville he was given a great chance of picking up a sprint race at Dannevirke, but it was not anticipated that he would fairly run away with the President’s Handicap in the way he did. He has grown to be a better looking horse than he used to be, and perhaps he is improving with age. He was turned out in great trim, and after being handy all the way he led into the straight, and when challenged drew right away and won as he liked with several lengths to spare. He is expected to do better as the season advances. BACK TO FORM Looking a bit big, but obviously well, Imitation reappeared last week and covered himself with credit. He was net suspected by the public of be:ing forward enough to win on the first day, and when he came with a late run just in time to be first to catch the judge’s eye his supporters received a substantial dividend. He repeated the dose next day, but this time the dividend was small. He pulled up well after both gallops, and should be in great condition next time he is stepped out. A bit of weight will not stop him, and in the same class as he met at Dannevirke he will win again. Royal Game has been entered for coming evens in the South Island. The owner of the little Trentham horse has a soft spot for the South Island courses and probably he will take a small team there. Royal Game has run a lot of good races of late, but the best was not seen of him at Wanganui. He proved that at Dannevirke, where he won the big handicap, run over a distance of a mile and a-quarter, after being in front all the way. SHOULD WIN SOON

Tresham’s defeat at Dannevirke, though unexpected, was not a disgrace, and he should not return emptyhanded from the East Coast trip. For a while he lost all form, but McCauley seems to have effected a comeback with him, and if that is so he will give some of the present-day middle-distance performers something to do to keep him from paying his way. E. A. Keesing has been induced to forego the Avondale meeting to ride him in his engagements in the Hawke’s Bay Province.