When Cup Result Might Have Been Different

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 609, 11 March 1929, Page 12

When Cup Result Might Have Been Different

The Lover won the Franklin Cup on Saturday fairly comfortably.

But what a finish it would have been had Hyde Park not been carried out by Maori Boy, and the latter had been more judiciously ridden.

Indeed, it seemed that Maori Boy might have won narrowly from Hyde Park and The Lover had not his rider committed a serious error of judgment.

The torrid pace set by Eager Rose had the held tangling: before half the distance had been covered, and had the pacemaker been given a breather then he too, might have played a more

prominent part, for he finished sixth

not a great distance away

In Trouble Early

At the very start Maori Boy's rid«r

used trouble, cutting right acros:

THE LOVER Sir Archie and chopping him out, with the result that the chestnut was always near the rear. With half the journey negotiated the field was well strung out, but at the half-mile Eager Rose had come back to the field. Three furlongs from home Hyde Park and Maori Boy were up with him. Not satisfied with waiting. and despite the fact that his mount was going well beneath him, Maori Boy’s pilot began to ride hard, and he was actually first into the straight. with Hyde Park outside and the tiring Eager Rose falling back beaten. Carried Out At the distance out came the bat on Maori Boy, and he forced Hyde Park off the course too. In the meantime McTavish made his run, beautifully judged it was, and with the other two horses fighting it out in the centre of the track he had a clear run on the inside, the shortest way home, and he scored by a length. Hyde Park and Maori Boy were locked together under the judge’s box, half a length separating them. That, in short, was how the 1929 Franklin Cup was won by The Lover and lost by both Hyde Park and Maori Boy, and all through overeagerness of apprentice jockey Mclnally. Without detracting from the merit attaching to The Lover’s victory—and the horse was turned out in excellent trim by J. 'Williamson—were the race to be run over again there would be precious little between The Lover, Maori Boy and Hyde Park. Might Have Won The writer would go further and say that Maori Boy should have won. He

is not an easy horse to handle, but Mclnally is a strong rider, and in addition he was warned prior to the race how to handle the gelding without getting into trouble and thus interfering with other horses. This was whv he came in for censure at the hands of the judiciary after the race.

Hyde Park is an unlucky horse, for it was not in his favour that he was seriously interfered with by Maori Boy. Had the latter actually finished second it is more than likely that the stewards would h ive reversed those placings. It goes to show, however, that quite apart from The Lover, Hyde Park and Maori Boy must be considered for future middle-distance handicap events. Royal’s Doulton’s Form In finishing fourth Royal Doulton was not disgraced, l'or the race proved that she was asked to concede weight to several promising handicap horses recently promoted from the hack class. She did not appear to be racing generously for Keesing in the early part, and she was elostest at the judge than at any stage. Desert Glow* was always near the end of the field and so too was Sir Archie. Tidal was very disappointing. He was one of the tail-enders right to the home turn, but he finished on in the straight to be just behind Royal Doulton in fifth place. From this it will be seen that he cannot be ruled out just yet, for on a bigger course he might have gone more generously. Went Fast As already stated Eager Rose made the pace a cracker, so that it was small wonder that she petered out over the last couple of furlongs. A mile handicap should come her way before the season closes. Schorr went a fair race, and may do better later on when the tracks are easier. Far North failed to reproduce his Rotorua Cup effort, being always in the ruck. In view of her recent showings, including a fourth in the Great Northern Derby, it was very disappointing to see Gold Money throw up the figlu so quickly. She was handily placed throughout, being in fourth place for most of the journey, and was right behind the three leaders into the home stretch. At this stage she was a possibility, but when the whip came out she closed up like a book, and gave up the ghost without a struggle. At the finish she had only one horse behind her. The Paper Money filly’s showing was too bad to be true, and perhaps had better be overlooked. It is probable however, that Gold Money may be seen to more advantage over a mile.