Joy Bird is Rewarded for Her Consistency

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 283, 20 February 1928, Page 12

Joy Bird is Rewarded for Her Consistency

Wins the Earle Stakes SPRINT TO SHIRLEY (Special to THE SUN.) WANGANUI, Saturday. The Wanganui Jockey Club’s autumn meeting concludede to-day in fine weather. There was a good attendance and the going was good. The totalisator handled £29,327, as against £31.896 last year. The total for the meeting was £ 52,403 10s, compared with £57,787 10s last year. Results were as follow; A POOR LOT - The field that contested the Okoia Handicap, the middle distance hack race, was a really weak one, and favouritism rested with Royal Acre and Capitulation. Capitulation had her supporters out of their trouble early in the race, as she tailed behind the field. On the other hand Royal Acre was in the picture all the way to the straight, but in the end faded out* so badly that he finished last. There was no pace on in the early part of the race, and Sovena, who was very sore, was out in front, but when Kawakina challenged a furlong from home he settled the opposition very quickly and moved right away to win like a good one. The distance by which he won was only a length, but he did it so well that it is quite safe to say he has not yet done winning. EASY FOR TIEGA It was a treat to see Tiega win the Harrison Handicap. He was backed for the race as though the event were already over, and his easy win showed that the public confidence was not misplaced. Horses with early speed like Huikai, Waicullus and Ruanui did the early leading, and Tiega and Hipo were so far in the rear with half a mile to go that observers began to wonder if the favourite would get up in time. Tiega began to move two furlongs from home, and he skipped round the field to such purpose that he was in charge at the home turn, with his rider taking things easy. Hipo made a sudden dash from the rear and Tiega had to be got going again to win by a long head, but he had it on Hipo all the way along the straight. Huikai .made a very ordinary showing, and Waicullus did not do as well as he had done on the opening day. g A PRETTY RACE

The hurdle race again tripped backers. It was a pretty race. Hymgreat, Powhiri and Elysianor were in line over the last portion of the journey, taking the hurdles together. Powhiri came away a little at the entrance to the straight, but Kilburn bowled up with a determined run and wore him down in the run home. Kilburn was doing much better than anything at the finish, and was going right away from Powhiri in the last few strides. Hymgreat also was gathering Powhiri, and Matu was finishing on from the back. Matu lost ground at his jumps, or he would have been hard. Nucleus gave a shocking exhibition all through. LADY KILLER GETS HOME Some very fair hacks contested the Autumn Handicap. Favouritism was fairly evenly divided between King Midas and Polydectes, but the former had a slight call in the betting. He had been considered unlucky on the first day, and was backed almost as a good think. However, he ran an awful race, and there was no stage of the proceedings at which he inspired the least confidence. He began well enough but soon began to labour. Polydectes ran a solid race all the way. He was never far from the leaders, and at the home turn he looked like winning, but the distance proved a little too far for i him. The winner turned up in Ladykiller, whom T. Green rode with great vigour and judgment. She is not easy to ride on small courses, and she had had a lot of bad luck in her race on the first day. She had to come from well back on this occasion, and only a vigorous boy would have got her to the front in the straight. When she did hit the front half-way down the stretch she had to be shaken up to do her utmost to keep off Discourse, who finished very solidly and was odly beaten by about a neck. Discourse j has improved and is useful in the hack , class.

NOT TRULY RUN The Earle Stakes, the big handicap of the afternoon, run over a mile and a-half, was by no means a true run race. The field was loafing in the first half mile, which was done in ridiculously slow time, and this resulted in the prize being made a present to Joy Bird. Mandane was a good thing beaten. The pace was so slow at the start that Our Jack was out in front cantering. Joy Bird slipped away to the front a mile from home and she was still in charge when Mandane ranged alongside her at the home turn. Joy Bird carried Mandane out wide on the turn, and ridden out, got home a neck in front of the favourite, with

Yoma a nose away in third place, Yoma, ! who was not suited by the slow pace, I got a run on the fence at the home ! turn, and had he had a little more dash ; would have won. None of the others had any chance. Favourite Squeezes Home Dimmer was backed to a short price in the Matarawa Hack, but hard ridden he got home narrowly. Eka and The Raider soon got to front and led from Helotis, White Ringlet and Le Champ, while Dimmer and Paul Lucerne improved their position crossing the top. Le Champ -ran up fast two furlongs from home, and going round the field, was in the front line at the bottom of the straight, but could nbt sustain the effort, and Dimmer and Paul Lucerne -fought out a great contest, Green getting Dimmer home by a neck. Eka was a length away third, Le Champ fourth, and Orbit, White Ringlet and The Raider next. ‘ Shirley Wins Well Shirley and Limited carried most of the money in the Farewell Handicap, and they finished as backed. High Finance got away brilliantly and led down the back from Shirley, Sarchee, Limited and Lady Cavendish, and there was practically no change in the order right round to the bottom of the straight. Here High Finance was collared* and Shirley forged to the front, followed by Limited, the former winning by half a length. Sarchee was a couple of lengths behind Limited, with High Finance fourth and Melissa and Lady Cavendish next. Later results: FORDELL HANDICAP HURDLES Of £200; 12 miles 4 KILBURN, 9.6, F. Corlett 1 5 POWHIRI, 11.2, A. McDonald .. 2 6 HYMGREAT, 9.3, P. Adams .... 3 Also: 3 Matu, 10.3: 2 Elysianor, 10.9; 7 Mountain Bell, 9.8; 1 Nucleus, 10. S. Won by two lengths; half a length between second and third. Time, 3.12 1-5. AUTUMN HACK HANDICAP

Of £175; about 7 furlongs 3 LADYKILLER, 8.0, T. Green .. 1 4 DISCOURSE, 8.10, L. G. Morris .. 2 2—POLYDECTES, 9.8, Campbell .... 3 Also: 5 Whisogne, 7.10; 9 War Wings, 7.1?*; 1 King Midas, 8.7; 6 Some Lad, 7.2; 10 Royal Elm, 7.5?*; 8 Service, 7.2; 7 Aropeta, 7.5. Won by a head; a head between second and third. Time, 1.31 4-5. EARLE STAKES Of £400; li miles 2 JOY BIRD, 7.11, C. Goulsbro .... 1 I—-MANDANE, 9.0, L. G. Morris .. 2 3 YOMA, 8.5, B. H. Morris 3 Also: 5 David Garrick# 7.2; 4 Novar, 7.3; 6 Henna, 7 Our Jack, 7.0. Won by a neck; a head between second and third. Time, 2.37 3-5. MATARAWA HACK HANDICAP Of £175; 6 furlongs I—DIMMER, 7.6, T. Green 1 4 PAUL LUCERNE, 8.12, A. McCormac 2 8-EKA, 8.2, B. H. Morris ........ 3 Also: 6 Le Champ, 7.3; 32 Orbit, 7.0; 7 White Ringlet, 7.1; 2 The Raider, 8.10; 5 King Mark, Yawl, 9 Thrift, 11 Double Mint, 7.0. ■Won by a head; two lengths between second and third. Time, 1.15 1-5. FAREWELL HANDICAP Of .£300; 6 furlongs 1— SHIRLEY, 8.7, J. Barry .. .. .. 1 2 LIMITED. 8.3, H. Wiggins .. .. 2 7—SARCHEE, 7.3, T. Metcalfe 3 Also: 5 High Finance, 7.6; 3 Melissa, 7.0; 4 Lady Cavendish, 8.8; 6 Tip Tree, 7.0. Won by three-quarters of a length; half a length between second and third. Time, 1.13 4-5. TE AROHA FIXTURE OPENS ON SATURDAY WINNERS’ REHANDICAPS Acceptances for all events to be run on the first day (Saturday next) of the Te Aroha Jockey Club’s meeting close to-day at 5 p.m., and the same may be lodged either with the acting-secre-tary, Mr. G. A. Bush, Te Aroha, or with Messrs. Blomfield and Co., High Street, Auckland. The following re-handicaps have been declared for the Te Aroha Jockey Club’s meeting, which opens on Saturday, by Mr. F. J. McManemin: Waihou Handicap.—Paganelli (61b), 9.0. Shaftesbury Hack Handicap.—Dimmer (51b), 8.7.

Messrs. Walker and Hall have donated a golji-mounted whip to the rider of the winner of the Herries Memorial Cup.