RACING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 299, 9 March 1928, Page 7

RACING

(CONTINUED)

Performers In the Wellington Area COMMENT ON FORM ( Special to THE SUN.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The maidens seen out at recent meetings are a poor lot. Of those who raced at Dannevirke without success, Gesto will (»e easily the best. War Wings, Ahalima and High Society might win races in weak company, but they will have to improve considerably to do really well. Dobbin is sprinting well now, and seems to run his best races when big. Miss Pat is a tough sort. She is only a pony, but she worried the big ones out of the sprint at Dannevirke on the second day in a manner which is as as a declaration that she will do it again soon. Her trouble might be her size, especially when she gets up in the weights a little. One of the best hacks about these parts is Discourse, who stays on nicely and has a fine finishing run. She will meet better company at the Wellington autumn meeting than is encountered on the country circuit, but she will not disgrace herself. An Unlucky One Tanagra was unlucky on the second day of the Dannevirke fixture. He should be capable of winning among the hacks before the autumn meetings come to a close. Grand National was all to pieces when he raced at Dannevirke. and might not be able to show his best for a while yet. Lady Cynthia is a hack sprinter who is well and is consistent. She does not often begin well, but she finishes up all her races strongly. Tresham is back to form, and everyone who saw him at Woodville and Dannevirke is awaiting his next appearance. The Swell is at the top of her form at present, but he is well up in the weights, and whether he wins more races or not this autumn will depend largely upon how he is placed. The' racing that Bonhomme has had has brought him on a lot, and he is due soon. The win of Moa Bird at Dannevirke was not scored in good company, but the Has lings filly might repeat the dose shortly, as she seems to be a galloper of some ability. §he has been entered for events at the Napier meeting, where, however, the opposition Will be stiffer than she met when she won. Not Worth £SO Following upon Avant Courier's inglorious display at Moonee Valley recently he went out of favour for the NevTTiarket, in which h© also finished out of a place. “If you had not known it was Avant Courier,” said Mr. Percy Miller, the Sydney owner, you wculd not want to give £SO for him.” But Avant Courier’s display was no worse relatively than Amounis’s at Caulfield. Th© form displayed by Amounis was too bad to be true, and the same remark applies to Avant Courier's effort. After the race Mr. L. M. Pearce, his owner, said he had all along felt that the colt was a false favourite for the Newmarket. Mr. Pearce invested £IBO on the colt at Moonee Valley. What'll i do? When you have tried two ways of riding a horse, and both have resulted in failure, and you can’t think of a third method, what are you going to do? That is the question pony jockey N. Turner must be asking himself after his experiences this week on the 14.1 pony Eastgrove, reports a Sydney critic. The people behind the mare threw in for a large stake at Rosebery a fev. days ago, and so unexpected was the plunge that they secured as much as good double figure odds. Turner made the best use of Eastgrove’s pace, and with a little more than two furlongs to go she was five lengths in front, and was going further away. But all the while she was legging away from the rails, and at the home bend she made for the outside fence, and was defeated by a head. A few days later Eastgrove was engaged in the second division of the 14.1 Handicap at Kensington, and was always a warm favourite. With the idea of preventing her from running away from the rails, different tactics were adopted. Turner held her in check, and let Passeila make the running. Eastgrove did not gallop nearly as; kindly under this treatment and before the turn was reached. Predominate had also rushed past her. . Failing to get a run on the inside, Eastgrove mi.d to be brought round Passeila and Predominate, but despite a game finish "as beaten into third place, with heads separating the placed horses.