Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 271, 6 February 1928, Page 12

Turf Notes

Conducted by

EARLY BIRD”

FINE RACING AT MATAMATA RARAKAU WINS THE CUP SPRINT TO MACROOM TE KOROKE A DOUBLE WINNER In hot, sultry weather, the annual meeting of the Matamata Racing Club was held at Matamata on Saturday. The meeting was a great success, there being an attendance of several thousand, while the racing proved interesting with several close finishes in a number of events. The Matamata Cup provided a thrilling finish, Rarakau winning by the barest margin from the favourite Branson, with the unlucky Mervette a good third. Immediately after the race the silver cup donated by Messrs. *W. and E. Montgomery was presented to Mr. J. McNicol, owner of Rarakau, by Mr. C. E. Macmillan, M.P. The cup attached to the Okoroire Hack Cup Handicap was presented to Mr. R. Hannon, whose horse, Ripon Abbey, secured a most popular victory. a Totalisator Figures ' The business part of the programme, the totalisator handled £19,689, compared with £21,810 last year—a decrease of £2,121. The stewards were called upon to act twice during the day, the first time in connection with E. A. Keesing,

rider of Ripon Abbey, who was fine £ 2 for looking round during the race. On the second occasion J. Gray, rider of Day Guard, was suspended for three months for careless riding and jostling in the straight. Notes on the racing appear below. Te Koroke Starts Well The opening event, the Tirau High-, weight Handicap, saw the scratching pen freely used, Lord Star, Red Comet, Dress Circle, Pukerimu, Wiltshire and Roman Abbey all forfeiting 'their engagement. Te Koroke £571, Prince Lu £487, Lady Spalpeen £284, and Bright Day £261 10s, were best backed. Prince Lu began smartly and led out from King Merv and Gold Rain, with the rest well strung out. Along the back Prince Lu was about a length and a-half in front of Day Abbey, who was the same distanpe ahead* of King Merv, Lord Thurnhafti, Te Koroke and Gold Rain in that order, Crossing the top, the order was almost the same, and nearing the straight the field closed up. Prince Lu still held his advantage, his nearest attendants being Lord Thurnliam and Lady Spalpeen, who were closely followed by Te Koroke, Gold Rain and King Merv. In the run home Prince Lu weakened and Te Koroke, who finished strongly won by a neck from Bright Day, th,e latter coming from a long way back. Prince Lu was half a length.away third, and then came Lady Spalpeen, Lord Thurnham, Gold Rain, Riti Hiki and Day Abbey. Backers Astray Calculations were upset in the small field of seven which contested tho Waharoa Handicap, as the first and second horses returned an acceptable price. King Arch £909 10s was a firm favourite, while at the head of the other quotations were Taurimu £ 601 and Dress Circle £ 305. King Arch and Taurimu were first away and led Queen Comet, Dress Circle, Menance and Tarrapeen. Running round the back King Arch still led and after him came Taurimu, who was pursued by Queen Comet, Master Lu and Dress Circle, while Tarrapeen was moving up. Across the top King Arch began to falter, and Taurimu led into the straight from Queen Comet, King Arch and Master Lu. In a fine finish Master Lu got up to beat Queen Comet by a head, while Taurimu was also a head away third. King Arch was a moderate fourth, and then came Dress Circle, Menance and TaJfrapeen. Close Finish in Cup Wedding March and Muscari were tho scratchings in the big event, the Matamata Cup. Branson £964 10s, Mervette £616 and Siaosi £483 carried most money, while the eventual winner, Rarakau, was at a good price. Red Comet set out to make the running, and passing out of the straight was a length in front of Branson, who had in attendance The Author, Rarakau, Siaosi and Mervette. Along tho back the order was similar to the above, and when the straight was reached Red Comet was still in the van, with Bronson cloae up, and Rarakau, Siaosi and Mervette handy. In the run home Rod Comet weakened, and a good finish between Rarakau and Branson saw tlie former win by a neck. Mervette, who was nut handled to the best advantage, finished strongly in third place, half a length away. Siaosi was fourth, and then at intervals came Red Comet, Tho Author and Lord Star. Hone Heke Easily A number of withdrawals was announced for the Hinuera Handicap, and of the big field left Young Pretender £490 10s was supported with confidence from Carlaris £261 and Bright Comet £243. A straggling start saw Leitrim left, and when they had settled down Hone Heke led Young Pretender, Kerry Dance, Day Abbey, Bright Comet, Haurua and Carlaris. Crossing the top there was a good length between Hone Heke and Young Pretender, while Day Abbey and Bright Cornet Were on terms, with Cybele, Haurua and Kerry Dance following. Once straightened up Hone Heke -went on to win very easily by a length and a-half from

Cybele, who beat Bright Comet by a neck. Young Pretender was fourth, and then came Te Waka, Oscar, Carlaris, Kerry Dance, Red Day and Haurua. The Hack Cup Seven stepped out for the Hack Cup Handicap, in which Ripon Abbey £686 received most support, with Rarakau (penalised 21b) £524 10s and High Rose £489 10s best backed of the others. Owen was smartest away, being attended by Wiltshire and Ripon Abbey, and along the back Owen was a little in front of Ripon Abbey, who was about a length ahead of High Rose, Wiltshire, Lady Spalpeen and Rarakau. Nearing the top Ripon Abbey assumed command from Owen, who had drifted well back by the time the straight was reached. Ripon Abbey was the first to turn for home from High Rose, Rarakau and Lady Spalpeen, and in the run to the post stayed on well to win by a head from Lady Spalpeen, who was a good length in front of.Rarakau. King Amans was going well in fourth place, and then came Wiltshire and Owen. Macroom Gets Up Punters were given a scare in the Railway Handicap, v . in which the favourite just won by the barest possible margin. Macroom £864, Day Guard £634 and King Arch £496 -10s,* was the order of the betting, and they filled the pla’ces. Bracken Abbey went away well and in behind him were Day Guard and Muscari, with the other three together. Running along the back Macroom moved up into third place behind Bracken Abbey and Day Guard, this being the order into the straight. Day Guard then made a determined run and appeared' to be the winner, but Macroom, under punishment, came strongly and in a thrilling finish got up to beat Day Guard by a nose. King Arch was a length away third, and the next to finish were Muscari, Regent and Bracken Abbey. A Surprise Winner Again the necessity of two divisions was avoided, there being ten scratchings in the Putaruru Stakes. Venus Abbey £5835, Rangi Kokiri £44BJrCarlaris £257 and Day Guide £241 carried most money. Day Guide and Venus Abbey jumped out best, and when a furlong had been covered Venus Abbey took command from Ladies’ Boy, Day Guide and Rangi Kokiri. Round the top Ladies’ Boy supplanted Venus Abbey, who was followed by Rangi Kokiri and Day Guide, this being the order into the straight. In the run to the judge a keen finish between Ladies’ Boy and Venus Abbey saw the former prevail by a short neck. Day Guide was half a length away third, and then at intervals came Rangi Kokiri, Archieleen, Carlaris and Valkyrite. Kineton got left badly at the start, and was later pulled up. Prior to the race Yellow Bonnet took command of his rider and bolted for a furlong, and took no part in the race. Completed the Double Macroom, The Author, New Moon, Wedding March and Ripon Abbey were the defections from the concluding event, the Walton Handicap. As the result of his win earlier in the day Te Koroke was penalised 71b, and notwithstanding this was made a good first choice, carrying £9ll as compared with Berinthia £740 10s and Prince Lu £6J7. The five runners got away to a good start, and Berinthia set out to make the pace warm, attended by Prince Lu, Menance and Te Koroke in that order. Berinthia a~id Prince Lu had about a length between them along the back, and a couple of lengths further back came Te Koroke and Menance. The order was the same into the straight, although Te Koroke had moved up behind Prince Lu. In the run home the extra poundage did not appear to affect Te Koroke, for he won with comparative ease at the finish by a length from Prince Lu, wlio was a similar distance in front of Gold Rain. Menance was a poor fourth, and Berinthia, after making all the running, faded out quickly. Later results were: MATAMATA CUP Of £225; 10 fur. 15yds 4 RARAKAU (J. McNicol), b m, by Day Comet —Waterwood, aged, 7.8, Keesing * 1— BRANSON, 8.7, Driscoll 2 2 MERVETTE, 7.0, Gilmer ...... 3 Also started: 6 Lord Star, 3 Siaosi, 7 The Author, 5 Red Comet. (Winner trained by A. E. Cox, Te A Wori ) by neck; half length between second and thjrd. Time, 2.8 1-5. HINUERA HANDICAP Of £80; 6 Furlongs. . 5 HONE HEKE cl. Dunn), br g, by.., Prince Merriwee —Elysian Rose, , 3yrs, 8.7, K. Gill J 7—CYBELE, 8.4, H. Jones * 3 BRIGHT COMET, 8.11, J. Gray .. o Also started: 6 Te Waka, 2 Carlaris, 11 Jov Dav, 8 Oscar, 17 Eastbourne, ■l- - Dance, 10 Haurua, 9 Scaramouche, 1 Young Pretender, 15 Luminary, lo Leitrim, 4 Red Day, 14 Day Abbey, 18 Rose Arch, 16 Glad Abbey. (Winner trained by J. W. Anderton, EI W(Dn by one and a-half lengths, neck between ‘second and third. Time, 1.15 4-5. OKOROIRE HACK CUP HANDICAP Of £100; 85 Furlongs. 1 — RI PON ABBEY (R. Hannon), b g, by Quin Abbey—Bell Cnspen, syrs, 8.1, E. Keesing •••••••• •• i 4 LADY ♦SPALPEEN, 7.5, G. Stead 2 2 RARAKAU, 9.7 (inc. 21b pen.), S. Henderson 0 Also started: 3 High Rose, 5 Wiltshire, 7 Owen, 6 King Amans. (Winner trained by owner, Cambridge.) . , , Won by a head, length between second and third. Time, 1.49. RAILWAY HANDICAP Of £105; 6 furlongs. .I—MACROOM (Mrs. P. Carter), ch f, by Archiestown—Lady Gwendoline, 4vrs, 7.13, O. Mclnally .. . . 1 2 DAY GUARD, 8.9, J. Gray . . .. 2 3 KING ARCH, 7.3, K. Gill 3 Also started: 5 Muscari, 4 Regent, 6 Bracken Abbey. Winner trained by M. J. Carroll, Frankton Junction. Won by a nose. a. length between second and third. Time, 1.13 4-5. PUTARURU STAKES Of £SO; 5 Furlongs. 6 LADIES’ BOY (Mrs. W. Henderson), b g, by Some Boy—Lady Potoa, 4vrs, 9.0, C. Carmont .... 1 I—VENUS ABBEY, 8.11, E. Keesing 2 4 DAY GUIDE, 9.0, F. Foster .. 3 Also started: 17 Bunker, 16 Kineton, 13 High Flight, 11 Cloud Bank, 12 The Jack Jumper, 14 Tarrapeen, 7 Bright Comet, 15 Cometary, 2 Rangi Hokiri, 3 Carlaris, S Yellow Bonnet, 9 Archileen, TO Wild Mint, 5 Valkyriti and Lucy Rose (bracketed). (Winner trained by C. Carmont, sen., Te Aroha.) Won by a+ short neck, half a length between second and third. Time, 60 3-5. WALTON HANDICAP Of £100; 7i furlongs. I—TE KOROKE (J. Asher), ch g, by Humbug—Tigritya, syrs, 8.9 (inc. 71b pen.), G. Holland -1 3 PRINCE LU, 7.10, E. Keesing .. 2 4 GOLD RAIN, 7.13, K. Gill 3 Also started: 2 Berinthia, 5 Menance. Winner trained by J. H. Wallace, Te Aroha. Won by a length, similar distance between second and third. Time, 1.36 2-5.