Aussie Shows Them the Way Home

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 241, 31 December 1927, Page 8

Aussie Shows Them the Way Home

When Aussie failed to get a place in the Railway Handicap on Boxing Day there were many ready to decry his speed, as had already been shown in his races and on the track. Now his critics are silenced —or should be.

In the Railway Handicap Aussie did not seem to hit out with his customary freedom, and added to this was the fact that he ran wide on the home turn. Thereafter his rider could not be blamed for not punishing - his mount, particularly in view of the fact that the second leg already had the race won. Aussie finished strongly, and the writer is of the opinion that were the Railway Handicap to be run over again the Fortaiix gelding -would prove to be the winner. WEIGHT -FOR-AGE SUCCESS This view is based on the happenings in that race, and the horse’s great win against Grand Knight, Lysander, and the three-year-olds, Gascony and Martarma, at weight-for-age. This success was achieved in the King’s Plate on Wednesday, in which Aussie was conceding twelve pounds under the scale to the juveniles, met Lysander at level weights, and was receiving a couple of pounds from Grand Knight. It was quite a good five-horse field, and incidentally attracted a big totalisator pool for a one dividend affair, at which the general run of backers generally fights shy. OUT IN FRONT

Four out of the five runners raced in line for quite a distance before Aussie was allowed to take the lead, and setting a merry pace gave the field no chance of a breather. The four-year-old led them a dance all right, for he cut out the first quarter in 25 1-5 and the half-mile in 49 2-5 with the final half mile left behind in* 48 3-5. Aussie was doing it well on the home turn, and when Gascony came at him he kept going without as much as turnmg a hair. He bounded along up the straight m great style, and he finally

won by a length, a margin that might have been a bit more had it been required. Tinker had his mount well in hand the whole way, showing that he was a fine judge of pace.

ONE OF THE BEST

By this fine performance Aussi* 5 proved himself capable of holding hi* own with the best over a mile, and now

that he has won at that distance *rcm such a classy field there arc now opened up for him fresh fields to conquer, and his popular owner-train*;-George Paul, who thinks a lot of champion—and well he might!—will to it that he gets the chances. tainly Aussie could not be in better hands, and on tlie good Te AwamUt tracks he will have a good trial ground There was a slight discrepancy in official time and that privately cloc** 0 so far as the sectional ligures were concerned. The official gave the first furlongs as being run in 1-2 whereas the writer made it 1.1 latter would make the final three Wf" longs 3G 4-5, which seems more feasi than 35 3-5, taking the official tiff. Even Aussie perhaps could not go tn - fast over the last three furlongs o 1 solidly-run mile.