BARGAIN HORSE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 171, 10 October 1927, Page 6

BARGAIN HORSE

BOUGHT FOR £SOO, WINS £8,115

STORY OF THE MITCHELSON CUP

£~\XE of the finest mite and a-half handicap races he had ever " ' seen, was how one well-known racing official described Saturday's contest tor the Mitchelson Cup. Very few will disagree ■with this view. Below is a commentary and review of the struggle for the second richest of the Dominion's racing events.

Two years ago Te Monanui won the Mitchelson Cup, and on Saturday he repeated the feat. Bred by Mr. W. C. Ring, there was a time when the Potoa horse could have been picked up for a matter of £250. at that period when he was failing to do much good for himself in maiden company. However, the New Plymouth lady owner, Mrs. W. D. Graham, stepped in at the right moment, and for £SOO (that is said to be the amount) Te Monanui became her property. At that figure the dual Mitchelson Cup winner must be accounted one of the bargains of the turf. A CHANCE RIDER There was no semblance of a fluke about the son of Potoa’s latest \ictory. Associated with the horse was L. G. Morris, who had several rides on Te Monanui when at his best last season, and in many of his engagements he was recognised as one of the unluckiest horses racing. A. E. Ellis was to have ridden Te Monanui on Saturday, but he was crocked up when Maidos fell at Awapuni last Wednesday, and he had not recovered sufficiently to take the mount. Then L. G. Morris got his chance, and this time he made the utmost use of it. It’s an ill wind, you know. PATIENT THIS TIME

It is not often that L. G. Morris is satisfied with waiting near the middle of the field, but he did so on Saturday. At the end of three furlongs Te Monanui was lying sixth, just a nice position going out of the straight, and three furlongs further on, with half the journey covered, he had only dropped back one. He was not bustled

from here to the home turn, where he was again sixth, but when the field had straightened up it was a horse of a different colour. Timing his run to a nicety, Morris drew up with Mask a hundred yards from the post, and he was then going too fast for the Wanganui representative, finally winning by half a length, with Mask disputing every inch. TUNED UP

Although not altogether unexpected, the improved showing of Te Monanui was an indication of how much he had improved by the fast work he had done on the last three galloping mornings at Ellerslie, which were respectively nine furlongs, a mile and a-quarter, and nine furlongs again as a final preparation. Before the last trial he still looked a bit too pretty, but no doubt it was that final effort which succeeded in tuning him up to the top of his form. The son of Potoa pulled up quiet fresh, considering the hard race he had, and although he is now right on top in the handicaps, he has not yet done winning. BROTHERLY LOVE

It was not an uncommon sight on North Island racecourses to see the brothers L. G. and B. H. Morris fighting out a finish. When they do there are no beg pardons, their maxim is first home and the devil take the hindmost. Out of the saddle, brotherly love continues. B. H. on this occasion was the unfortunate one, and L. G. had the laugh on him. B. H. was the pilot of Mask, and perhaps he was a bit unlucky not to have pulled it off in the Mitchelson Cup. The Limond gelding was lying second in the early stages, and was not hard ridden to keep in behind the leaders round the back and into the straight, lying fifth at the latter point, just in front of Te Monanui. Mask was the first to thread a way past the beaten pacemakers, and inside the distance he had collared Delightment and looked a certainty—when Te Monanui came on the scene. WENT FOR POSITION

Mask fought it out, but had to go under. The Limond gelding covered a lot of ground coming into the straight soon after the start, being eight horses out, and on the other side of the gap separating him from the inside bunch was Star Stranger. Both riders apparently were quite prepared to sacrifice a little ground with the object of getting into a good position in the run up the home stretch prior to rounding the sharp bend leading out. Whether the end justified the means will be a matter for conjectures. Certainly Mask was enabled to get into second place then, and Star Stranger got over to the rails, which was no doubt’s Reed’s objective. In Mask’s case it might have meant 'all the difference between success and defeat when one considers the narrow margin separating him from Te Monanui when they passed the judge. DELIGHTMENT IMPRESSES

The writer was quite expecting Delightment to make a brave showing, and he did. Indeed, at the bottom of the straight his supporters were on good terms with themselves, for the Catmint gelding, after having made all the running, was still in front doing it pretty well. He hung on, too, but he was not possessed of sufficient stamina to shake off Te Monanui and Mask. Had Delightment been kept for the King Edward Handicap to-day—an event he was not even entered for—he must have been extremely difficult to beat. In the meantime the horse has been exposed as a possibility for a mile and a-half handicap, and that (foes not read like good policy on the part of the stable. WANTED THIS RACE The last few long gallops that Star Stranger had had at Ellerslie had

brought him along in great style, and it was certain that he would be made favourite. He was, and his price had he succeeded would have been less than two to one, or abcut the same dimensions as Glendowie’s dividend. There was a rush i:o be on Star Stranger when backers were given the chance, and they rushed in. It was rot a wise step on their part, for the Martian gelding stripped a bit too big, and on the day looked as if he wanted another gallop. This despite his track efforts. Reed gave him every chance in the race, and hugged the rails for the last mile and a-quarter, but when he moved on him it took him seme time to get up speed. He was going strongly in fourth place, at the finish, and in another few strides world have ousted Delightment from third money. Star Stranger will be all the better for that race, and as a result lie is sure to be more; favoured than ever for the New Zealand Cup. HIS USUAL FINISH It looks as if Royal Mint is a lazy sort of customer, for he was always near the rear of the field in the Mitchelson Cup. In the 1 ght of previous experience the Catmint gelding would have been kept much closer to the leaders had he gone a” all generously. At is was he was a good fifth, finishing well as usual. Desert Glow gave ample evidence of having made a big improvement in the past fortnight, and he ran a good race into sixth place after having had every chance. Te Kara appeared to be anchored by his weight, and except at the finish, when he was seventh, was never nearer than eighth, and was twelfth into the straight the last time. Eden Hall was a disappointment, for he was patiently handled, and at the home turn he was up with Te Monanui, but failed to follow him through. SOME FAILURES Mint Leaf toiled in the rear in his usual sluggish style, but he was conspicuous wide out coming into the straight the last time, and had he finished as did his stable mate, Royal Mint, who- was still further away, he would have got in the money". Cohesion was a failure after being n cely placed all the way, and when he came into the home stretch in behind the leaders he looked a possibility. Ho did not finish on, however, and at the end had but four horses behind him. Perhaps the policy of riding him in behind instead of allowing him to run along was responsible, or was it the distance? Transformer went well v/hile his condition lasted, and proved he was not tuned up by stopping as if he was shot. Lord Star and Tresham fought out the wooden spooner’s position and as far as could be seen it was a deadheat between them. Tresham appears to be as erratic as ever, and is best

left alone. Then of course he might win, but all the same he is not the sort of customer to follow. The official sections.! times supplied were as follows: —Two furlongs 27 3-5, three furlongs 40 3-5, four furlongs 54, five furlongs 1.8 2-5. six furlongs 1.20 3-5, seven furlongs 1.33. mile 1.47, nine furlongs 1.59 1-5. and the mile and. a-half 2.37.