How Gesto Won His First Race

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 556, 8 January 1929, Page 10

How Gesto Won His First Race

STABLE OUJ FOR A COUP Rand wick trainer George Price set out to trick the Kandwick ring and greatly add to his own affluence on Saturday week, records a Sydney writer. ‘The last half of his hope was gratilled, but when he got on the course he found that two of every three racegoers knew that his New Zealand gelding, Gesto, was expected to win the second division of the Trial Stakes. Yet Gesto had not run for months, and his movements were kept quiet with a vidw to this race. Hut the ring and the public generally get wind of such attempts at a killing, and so the best price on offer against Gesto was lesii than fours. At that price, however, the followers of the Price stable stood to take so much away from the ring that fielders were forced to drop the gelding down to nearly half before the supply counterbalanced the demand. Good Reason On what grounds the placing of so much money was founded was unknown to most racegoers, for Gesto had done nothing unusual on the Randwick track. Price, however, must have had much up his sleeve to warrant such confidence, and the manner in which Gesto won demonstrated that lie is a better galloper than his Xew Zealand deeds led to believe. On Saturday week he carried the colours of Mr. “J. Tylden” for the first time. Gesto was bought by him just before the A.J.C. spring meeting for a reasonable figure, and apparently the gelding* will prove a distinct bargain. He will not need to improve greatly on Saturday’s form to win more races, for he had many difficulties to overcome. In the Ruck He started from an outside position and was lost in the ruck in the first few furlongs. He did not get a clear run until the straight was reached, and then it cost him little effort to run past Lord Romeo and Prometheus, who looked most dangerous. Shankara, looked upon as a Carrington possibility, let his backers down badly, and apparently is not the good sprinter his Warwick Farm win indicated. He was close enough to the leaders at the turn to have a chance, and as he carried only 8.2 his failure to run a place was disappointing.

FASHIONABLY BRED YEARLINGS ON OFFER BUDDING ARISTOCRATS AT TRENTHAM Features of this year’s national sales, to be held on Wednesday, January 23, at Trentham, will be the record offering: of the progeny of that great si.ro Limond, and of the successful young sire Chief Ruler. The former will have four colts and four fillies to represent him. Their quality is outstanding, for it is asserted that in the own sisters to Commendation and to Lpisode and Honour no fillies of higher merit than this pair have represented the Ivoatanui Stud. Of the colts there is Agrion’s own brother and, by Thespian, a threequarter brother to Ceremony and Lysander. Then, among others, Chief Ruler, whose stock won four of the two-year-old races at lSllerslie, and provided the second runners in two as well, will have a high-class representation from Westmere in an extraordinary goodmoving and handsome-looking bay colt out of Rosellate, half-sister to those high-class winners, Solfanello and Roseday, a brown colt out of Silver Link (dam of Silvermine), a chestnut colt out of Martianette) a half-sister by Martian to the dam of Oratress, and a chestnut colt out of Baby 8011, whose first foal, by Tea Tray, was a. winner in Victoria recently at his first start. The fillies include an own sister to that good sprinter Te Atiawa; a second is a chestnut out of the halfsister to Star Ranger; another, like Balston, is out of a Martian mare. This is Nottava, a half-sister to Rapier’s dam, etc. Befunct Catmint has also a record list, included in the Spearmint’s horse’s .representation being an own brother to Catkin. Valkyrian and Potoa will also bring up Auckland's representation with a team of two colts and five fillies, as will Kilbroney. That brilliant sire. Paper Money, has three particularly good colts to represent him, while the Hawke’s Bay': sire, Leighton, has a similar number. Hunting Song, by Hurry On. has three colts and a filly: Grandcourt has five, a black colt being out of Aureate, sister to Besert Gold. Psychology. Groyspear, Tonbridge, Tea Tray, Lackliam, Lord Quex are all to be represented, and sires whose yearlings will be from tlieir first crop of youngsters include Weathe.rvane, a son of Lemberg, bred by his Majesty the King; Biacquenod, by Bia.dumenos. and a close relative to Gallinule, the New Zealand Berby winner; Black Ronald (by Magpie), the Australian sire. Orby’s Pride (by Orby), Royal Divorce (bv King’s Proctor), Last Bart (by Spearmint), and Arausio (by Sunstar).

RUSH ON LEADLIGHT

RING HARD HIT As a. rule, the last race is the bookies’ delight, but this last was the punter’s .headlight! Books will have reason to regret a betting plunge on headlight at Randwick one day last week. It consisted of the concentrated efforts of some of Sydney's biggest plungers, and was followed so asiduously by the public that it started favourite, and thus led on the thousands of unitiated cash bettors to collect from the ring. headlight got up in the last fifty yards to win narrowly, and his victory cost the ring £50,000. Many backers believed that a recent winner, Herilda, should have' been favourite. But there was early evidence that his connections weren’t keen on him. He drifted. headlight early offered at nice odds, but suddenly there was a concerted rush to back this horse. He had been unfortunate in running into numerous minor placings in his last five races until the Villiers. Finding the class too good in that event, he had missed a place. Many Big Wagers But big punters, realising that this was not a class field, but plunged on it all the way down. And the following handsome wagers were booked: £I,OOO £4OO, £I,OOO, £I,OOO, £I,OOO, £I,OOO £I,OOO, £SOO, £9OO, £9OO. Among the backers of headlight was a prominent owner who pickes ’em on form and isn’t often wrong. He won £3,000 on the race. He was, perhaps, fortunate. headlight won. But a subsequent inquiry was held into the riding of the horse, and Crowley, the jockey, was told “that in future he would have to steer a straight course." He “came in" when he passed some of his rivals in the straight. In doing this he “shut off” the aspirations of some that -had hopes of victorv. But this did not alter the result. Punters got their money. And the stable, the big bettors who followed the stable lead, and the public who followed the lead of both, collected a huge sum from the books. Ringmen were still paying out half-an-hour after the race was run.

TIMARU TROTS

ACCEPTORS FOR SATURDAY Press Association TIMARU, Monday. Following arc the acceptances for the Timaru Trotting Club’s meeting on January 12:

Made Amends Commander Bingen could only get third on the opening day, but he went well enough to suggest he would be in the firing-line next time out. But when on parade again, the Commander did not respond like a true soldier to his orders, and the result was disastrous to his followers. The third time, however, was evidently his lucky one, for he hopped out at the signal, and quickly took up a position as advance guard, to roll home in good style, and give his admirers a reasonable return for their outlay.

CLAREMONT HANDICAP, Of £120; li miles Blue and Gold Lt yds bhd Bon Boy . . . Lt Lucky Voyage 12 Gemlight . . Lt Scuttle . . . . 24 Decrepe . . . Lt Kereta . . . . 36 Great Applause Lt Midland . . . . 60 Great Nelson Lt Aileen Wood . North Queen . Lt Koro Peter . . 72 Pavo Lt Wee Patch . . 84 IMPROVERS’ HANDICAP Of £120 12 miles Devon Child , Lt Direct Red . . Lt Doll Dance . . Lt Sunny Bob . . 12 John Noble . . Lt John Appear . 36 Otaio Rose . . Lt Onoto Our Maud . . . Lt Mary Locanda 60 Rose Queen . . Lt Lindbergh . 60 Slogan .... Lt PRESIDENT’S HANDICAP Of £350; 4.36 class; 2 miles Invader .... Lt Harold BurGreat . . . . wood .... Dolly Pet . . . 36 yds bhd Billy Sea . . . 48 Avenger . . . . 12 Dundas Boy . 48 Kotuku Jack . 32 Event .... Menem ber 12 Trampfast . . 48 Omaha . . . . 12 AN ha repiana . . 48 General Bingei 24 Fire-blight . . Macaranda . . . 24 Author Jinks . 108 LEVELS HANDICAP Of £150; J.36 class; 3 2 miles Actor . . , . Lt Roldena . . . Auto Minto . . Lt Vi can . . . Beverley Lt Audubon . . Lt Lt Dad Logan . . Lt Direct Red . . Lt. Eiffel ton Lass Lt Lily Bingen . . Forward Maid Lt Harold Logan . Lt John Appear . Lt Listen In . . . Lt Monopole . . . Lt Mountain Ore. Lt WAIMATE HANDICAP Of £170; 4.55 class; 2 miles Carclo .... Lt Quickfire . . 36 Kyra Lt Repute . . . . 60 Peter Lin . . . Lt Scuttle ... Lt Sea Queen . . 84 yds bhd Lady Fan . . 96 Nelson Prince. 12 New Metford . 24 Bingen . . . Bon Wood . . 24 Avalanche . . 36 Blue Thorpe 168 PAREORA HANDICAP Of £180; 2.o2 class, l:i miles Bonnie Prince . Lt Evelyn Macaranda . . Lt yds bhd Lingneld . . . 12 Avenger . . . Axworthy . 12 Harold BurA\ arepa . . . 12 Lulu Lad . . . 24 Arran Chief 60 SALISBURY HANDICAP Of £160; 4.46 class; 2 miles Apex .... Lt Beverley Curfew Boy . . Audubon . . Lt Delightful . . . Erin’s Lynn . Lt Great Logan . . June de Oro . Lt Our Bird . . . Lt M ild Nita . . . Lt NVakataua . . . yds bhd lone 32 Kiowa .... 12 FAREWELL HANDICAP Of £160; 2.19 class; 1 mile (saddle) Bingen Patch Lt Billy Whizz . . Lt Forward Maid Lt Chef . . . Gibraltar . . . Lt Hackthorne . . Lt Logan King . . 12 Abdallah . . Lt Okoura .... Roger Lyon Lt Nelson McKinney .... Lt