Pantheon's Great Win Over Limerick

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 180, 20 October 1927, Page 6

Pantheon's Great Win Over Limerick

BETTER AT TWO MILES LAST HALF IN SECONDS! Pantheon is a better horse than Limerick—over two miles. Conclusively he proved it at Randwick on Saturday week, when, after making his own pace all the way, he easily downed the New Zealand idol in the Randwick Plate. A thrilling duel from the top of the straight to three-quarters of a furlong from home sapped Limerick’s stamina. He couldn’t live with Pantheon over that final furlong and run off the course, the importation going on to win by 1J lengths. Pantheon, plus Pike, made the pace a cracker over the final half-mile. He was clocked to run the four furlongs in 47£. A HOPELESS TASK And as Limerick was giving him a couple of lengths’ lead when the field reached the half-mile post, Limerick was set a difficult task. But Limerick was beaten on his merits. The race was made for him. So slow did they dawdle during the early part, that Bacchus, usually tailed off in all his races, was able to be in front of Limerick. Slow-run race and sprint home seemed to be into Limerick’s hoofs, but although he had the last run in favour of him he was an easy victim at the finish. OFF THE COURSE Limerick on a couple of occasions has shown a tendency to run wide at the finish of a race. In the Hobartville Stakes at Warwick Farm as a two-year-old, when Ramp ion beat him, he ran off the course. In the Sydney Cup won by Piastoon he .showed a similar trait. Hard heads at the time picked Limerick as likely to be an untrue stayer. His brilliance has enabled him to beat better stayers by a paralysing run during the race, and, perhaps, up to a mile and a half, he will beat anything in Australia. But Mr. J. H. Brien, part-owner of Pantheon, Rampion, and Ramulus, doesn’t think so. He believed, after the Spring Stakes, of a mile and a half, on the first day of the A.J.C. spring meeting, that Pantheon was rather unlucky to lose. ALL OUT Pantheon challenged Limerick in this race, and made him go for his life over the final furlong. Limerick was inclined to run away from the rails on that occasion, but Pantheon kept him straight. With Limerick on the outside there might have been a different result in that race, Mr. Brien thought. There were many who had similar ideas, and, despite the glamour of Limerick’s recent wins in the Hill Stakes, the Warwick Stakes, the

Chelmsford Stakes, the Spring Stakes, and the Craven Plate, punters were asked to lay only light odds on him. But punters were rather consistent in their support for Panthefin. The other runner, Bacchus, wasn’t seriously considered, and good double figure odds went begging. The result of the race suggests that the connections of Limerick were wise to scratch him from the Melbourne Cup, in which he had 9.1. NEVER AGAIN Although Limerick lias a win over Pantheon in a two and a quarter miles race, the A.J.C. Plate, at w.f.a., last autumn, when he downed the English horse by three-quarters of a length, he,wouldn’t be likely to down Pantheon in a truly-run w.f.a. race over two and a quarter miles at present. But anything might happen in a muddling w.f.a. race. Limerick’s severe spring campaign should not have improved him, as he must be feeling the strain of the recent racing he has gone through, but some of his ardent admirers seem to stress this phase too strongly. That Jockey Jim Pike won the race is another excuse. Certainly Pike did everything in his power to make Limerick’s task as difficult as possible, and there was no finish for him on this occasion.

A wonderful judge of pace, Pike knew what his mount could do, and made him do it. That final half-mile in 47Js was due to Pike’s brain; but Pantheon had to be able to run it. Limerick couldn’t.

UNPLEASANT SURPRISE

FOR OWNER OF FINELLI

Intimation lias been received by Mr. P. E. Loomb, Te Awamutu, from the Racing Conference, that his six-year-old mare Finelli (Finland —Trebelli) has been placed on the schooling list, and is therefore ineligible for flat events until she has satisfied the stipendiary stewards as to her future conduct at the barrier.

Mr. Loomb, when questioned on the subject by our Te Awamutu correspondent, said the latest action was apparently because Finelli misbehaved at the Auckland meeting, when ridden by a strange jockey, H. Wiggins. The latter was put up because the stable horseman, H. Lee, was not available. Mr. Loomb added that he was not warned in any way, and naturally the action of the stewards was an unpleasant surprise for him.

MINOR MEETING

NORTH CANTERBURY ACCEPTORS CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. Acceptances for the North Canterbury Racing Club’s meeting on Labour Lay are:— HIGH-WEIGHT HANDICAP, 1 mile.— Mah Jong, 10.7; The Harp, 10.2; Shandre, S. 10; Flaming Ray, 9.9; Beaming, 9.7; Broadmoor, 9.5; Armchair, 9.4; No Rer sponse, Gay Bird, Luminant, Spearman, Rigel, 9.0. RANGIORA CUP, 1J miles.—Count Cavour, 10.4; Footfall, 10.0; Countersign, 8.3; Solferite, 7.13; Nincompoop, 7.11; Assurance, 7.10; Front Rank, 7.4; Margaret Birney, 7.2; Goosestep, Ophir, 7.0. . FLYING HANDICAP, 6 fur. —Money Order, 9.0; Paperqhase, 8.10: Saggitarius, 8.3; Moorland, 8.0; Arrowmir, 7.11; Finora, 7.7; Precious, 7.5; Note, Tannadice, 7.0. OXFORD HACK HANDICAP, 6 fur.— Note, 9.0; Motor Smash, 8.5; Sudden Storm, 7.12; Beaming, Scoff, 7.10; Jarre-

tiere, 7.9; Grey Wells, 7.2; Kulrange, 7.1; Tannadice, Lady Swinton, Gay Vera, Diana’s Lad, Rigel, 7.0. FERNSIDE HANDICAP, 7 fur.—Thorndale, 5.9; Sir Roy, 8.8; Gold Brick, 8.5; Goosestep, 5.4; Ophir, 8.3; Mime, 8.2; Kenmore, 7.10; Moratorium, Flaming Ray! Coupling, 7.0. VIEW HILL HANDICAP TROT, 1 mile 5 fur.—St. Petrox, Great Dillon, Pageant, Copra, Lincoln Pointer, Franzie Logan, August Pointer, Golden Author, Bingen Patch, limit; Kiowa, Routine, Ivy Viking, Roldena, 12yds bhd.; Mac Dillon, 24; Annie’s Dream, Auto, 36; Alvira, 72; Peter King, *B4; Erin’s Royal! ASHLEY HANDICAP TROT, 1 mile.— Great Dillon, Venare, Annie’s Dream Henry Tracey, Copra, Lady Cio, Ivy Viking, J. McClure’s mare, Silent Member, Audo Dillon, Rita Gay, limit; Auto, Ocean Spray, Sarella, 12yds bhd.; Expedient, 24; Harley Dillon, Alvira, 36; Peter King, The Pointer, 48; Stan Wilkes, Nepia, 60.

MEETINGS TO COME

October 21, 22. Waikato RC O?" 24 -Wellington RC October 24. —Waikato Hunt. October 24. Waverley RC October 24-26.—Gore R.C. October 24. Waipawa R.C. October 24.—-North Canterbury R.c. i October 27-29.—Poverty Bay T C October 29. Masterton R.C. rwSvlSI .?a Ba 2. ks Peninsula R.C. October 29-31.—Thames J.C. (at Ellerslie) November 2. Birchwood Hunt Club" November 5 -7-9-12 —Canterbury J C November 10-12. Whangarei R C November 16-17. —Winton JC November 19.—Levin R..C. «S?S£ in*2KSS2“s*g ,n * lt c December 2-3. —S^nn^CanternaryC.’^*