The Easter Will Be Fine Contest

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 624, 28 March 1929, Page 14

The Easter Will Be Fine Contest

VALLAR MAY TAKE SOME HEADING THE most interest at Ellerslie on Saturday will be focused upon the valuable Easter Handicap, run over a mile, a race which is a sprint from barrier-rise to judge. The three horses that must be fancied on form are Vallar, Branson and Bright Glow.

Even if the field is not ud to the standard of the immediate past, it at least gives the race an open appearance. No doubt the sweepstake clause attached to the conditions of the race had something to do with the wholesale defection on acceptance night, and for this the early speekers have something to be thankful for, ensuring as far as possible that the horses that accepted would be certain to go to the post, barring unforeseen accidents in the interim of course. At the head of affairs is that grand old galloper, Reremoana, who is now conceding from 151 b. to 341 b. all round. He won this race in 1925 and 1926, and that is just long enough ago to suggest that he may not be able to produce that form now. But his finishing effort in the sprint at Trentham a little over a couple of months ago, one of the most exhilarating efforts ever seen on a racecourse, showed that then he was at his best, for he came from the clouds in the straight and failed by a nose to catch Meadow Lark; a stride past the post he was in front. Still Good After that race Reremoana met with a mishap and was not produced until the Challenge Stakes on the same course last Saturday week. Over the seven furlongs’ course that wonderfully improved two-year-old filly, Gay Ballerina, beat him pointless, but it must not be forgotten that Reremoana. was second, and he defeated the rest just as easily as he was downed by the youngster. And in third berth was Gascony, who five days later beat the brilliant Pagartelli at Awapuni. This is mentioned just to show that Reremoana should not be passed by when looking for the winner. There is another point to be considered also—the absence of a real good, proved horse in the field outside of the top-weight. Reremoana was to have been taken to Riccarton to race this Easter, but ,as anticipated in these columns, the acceptances published on Saturday Jast induced a change of plan. Should Reremoana win on Saturday next, it will be easily the most popular item of the day. Trained for It The racing he has had over sprint distances on the country circuit, during tho past few weeks has eminently fitted Branson for his task. He has had four races of this description, with the following results: —First and second at Rotorua; second at Te Aroha, and third at Pukekohe. On the last occasion he indulged in an escapade that must have had its effect, and even although last two furlongs from home he put in an eye-opening run that landed him into third place. It is quite possible that but for the incident referred to. Branson might have beaten both The Begum and Kingfield. In the four sprint races quoted above Branson has tailed the field over the first four to five fur-

longs, and this Has conveyed the impression that he will not be able to do this, and still win, in company such as he will be called upon to meet on Saturday. There may be something in this contention, too. Still, “Early Bird” held that opinion in one of Branson’s races last season, but he was confounded when the Greyspear gelding was- lying just behind the leaders at the home turn —and he won. The pace will be sultry all the way in the Easter, and so he will have to keep handy if he is to score, and it is considered that he will have pace enough to get a good position in the first quarter. The Form Horse Second in the Thompson Handicap to Paganelli with 8.2, and easily successful with 9.0 in the nine furlongs, Prince of Wales Handicap, a moderate field, at Awapuni last week. This suggests that Bright Glow, with 8.4, will take a lot of heading off. She undoubtedly reads very well, and what beats her should win. However, the Hawera representative has not done really well when raced at Ellerslie during the past twelve months, and it maybe that she is not partial to the reverse way of galloping. In her present form, and with three runs (for a second and a third) at headquarters at the midsummer meeting she might have overcome her prejudice. Bright Glow looks the goods for this year’s Easter Handicap. Royal Boulton and Flying Juliet have been performing well on the “smalls’’ since Christmas, and they cannot be ruled out, although there are others preferred. King Lu appears hardly seasoned enough for this class of a race, which is a hot mile, to describe it bluntly. Will He Bolt Again? No matter what White Fang does on the race track, his name will always linger in the memory of Auckland racegoers, mainly on account of his great run in the A.R.C. Handicap last New Year’s Bay, when at one stage of the journey he held a lead of over fifteen lengths, finally tiring to finish in third place. A mile is his favourite distance, and his recent form shows that he is in good order for his engagement. He galloped well this morning. -vwarere followed up his Railway j Handicap success last season by runj ning second in the Easter Handicap. He ! does not appear to have struck his best | form this season, if one excepts his j sterling performance at Takapuna, and

it is doubtful if his two runs at Paeroa will bring the chestnut up to concert pitch. Kingfield is now at the top of his form, and probably better than ever

before. With such a light impost he as capable of bearing out the contention that a good sprinter is the horse for a mile race. A Takanini Fancy Merry Mint hardly appears to have got back to his three-year-old form, which was really good, for lie was not far removed from Australia’s best. In the Shade has been regarded as one of the picks on the handicaps, lie was not raced when taken South for the Wellington and Manawatu meetings. an injured leg being the cause. In the Shade has only got to be at the post on Saturday to come in for big support. He put it all over Bright Glow in a gallop at Trentham prior to the Wellington meeting. That should be sufficient! A good word must be said for Mosque, and if there is to be a surprise he is fully capable of springing it. The manner in which he won over a mile at Rotorua was very impressive. Vallar won over seven furlongs at Ellerslie in hack company on New Year’s Day, and the next day defeated all but Paganelli in the sprint. Vallar is fast, without a doubt, and it is expected that he will be able to run into the required position before the field commences to swing round the big bends which lands the contestants into tho straight. It is that factor which is going to give the Ellerslie candidate his big chance. Added to this is his rare gallop at Ellerslie on Tuesday morning. That was a winner!

Of the others on the minimum, there is Mervette, a brilliant one at eight furlongs, and she is now in excellent fettle; High Pitch, a distinct possibility if there is any mud to wade through; Golden Krist, a useful sort over a middle distance: and Lorient 11., the second string to In the Shade, and a horse that is showing considerable improvement nowadays and possessing a fine chance if his rider can keep him up to his field. . _ That completes the review the Easter Handicap field for 1929, the final summing up of which will be found in the usual place—where the winners are to be found. But the best half dozen in the writer’s opinion are Reremoana, Branson, Bright Glow, White Fang, In the Shade and Vallar. One of these should secure the principal honour. The following are expected to be the riders in the big event, the EASTER HANDICAP

Of £1,500; 1 mile. Reremoana (A. McCormac) .. .. .. 9 6 Branson (R. McTavish) 5 Bright Glow (R. Reed) .. - - .. .. 8 4 Royal Doulton (E. A. Keesing) .. Flying Juliet (O. Mctnally) .. .. King Lu <L. Manson) White Fang ( —) Awarere (D. Cotton) .* Kingfield (O. Mclnaliy) .. 7 7 Merry Mint (J. Cammick) .. . - .. 7 7 In the Shade (H. Goldfinch) .. .. 6 Mosque (A. Stead) Vallar (W. H. Jones) Mervette (H. Wiggins) High Pitch (E. Ludlow) Golden Krist ( —) Lorient II. ( —)