Napier Form Guides For Hawke's Bay

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 694, 20 June 1929, Page 10

Napier Form Guides For Hawke's Bay

CRISHNA SHOWS PROMISE BALLYFARNON A STAYER (Special to THE SUN) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. One of the most impressive performances witnessed at Napier was that of Home Made in the open hurdle race on the first day. Home Made carried only half a stone above the minimum, and some of those opposed to him will do better a little later, but that does not get away from the fact that he won in great style. He has improved a lot, and was never out of a canter at any stage of the race. Some time back he was on the easy list, and there were a few who considered he would not be forward enough to win. Home Made will go on to better tilings. That good hurdler Nukumai looked well enough at Napier Park, but he did not jump as well as he might have. However, he was not strongly fancied, and apparently it was considered that he required a little more racing before he was backed to any extent. He is engaged among th© steeplechasers at Hastings, and his performance tliere will be of exceptional interest. Already this season he has competed twice over country, and it is possible that he will be seriously persevered with as a steeplechaser this winter. Beaumont was taken to Napier especially for the Ahuriri Hurdles, which was looked upon as a good thing for him. Tie went out fast and was prominent for a mile or more, but after that he tired so rapidly that he was a hopeless case a long way from home. Beaumont had the course conditions to suit him, and his collapse was a surprise. Unfortunate Mishap Sylvan Dell is a very fit hack, and might win a race at Hastings. She had been working well prior to the Napier Park fixture, and was backed to win the Meanee Hack Handicap. Beginning better than usual, she was one of the leaders when the horses had gone a couple qt furlongs, but as she was outside several other runners, her rider decided to pull her in behind them on the rails. When Sylvan Dell was about to alter her course Tourist moved up rapidly and also changed his ground a little, with the result that Tourist got on the filly’s

heels and brought her down. SylvanDell galloped back to the birdcage uninjured, and was raced (unsuecesfully) on the following day. Apparently she is all right, so there is no reason why she should not give a good account of herself during this week’s racing at Hastings. The only thing that might bo against her is that she might be nervous for a while yet. On the showing that he made at Napier last week Tourist is not as good as they thought he was, and never will be as good as his brother, First Sight. He was substantially backed on the first day, but money did not make him win. Mr. C. F. Vallance has a useful hack in Glyn Dhu. The three-year-old is a half-brother to Kalos, who was destroyed a while back, and looks like turning out quite as good as his relative. On the first day at Napier Park ho was hopelessly left, through being barrier shy and moving back when the tapes were skied. He did well to make up as much of his leeway as he did, however, and on the following day, with A. McDonald in the saddle, he got up in the last stride to win narrowly. As Tie is comparatively new to racing, better things yet can be expected of him. Will Win Soon A good many were disappointed with Tresham because he was beaten among the hurdlers at Napier Park, but all they need to do is employ a little patience. The black fellow looks better and more solid now than he has done for a long time, and it is apparent that tho schooling he lias had at Trentliam.has don© him good. I think he will win a hurdle race or two in due course if he is kept to that branch of the game. . . . It is doubtful whether Kaiti is yet to be relegated permanently to the ranks of the hurdlers. Tie raced over the battens at Napier Park last week, but might be seen out on the flat at Hastings. It is hoped the schooling

and hurdling will make him a little more solid, and that he will run on better than he has done in the past. Perhaps his owner has another attempt on the Winter Cup in mind. It will be remembered that he was beaten only a head for first place in the last Winter Cup. Grand National is generally expected to be considerably improved by, the racing he had at Napier Park, and many are marking down a near-at-hand hurdle race for him. They might be right, but he was not as impressive as some credit him with being. An Easy Ride A promising new hurdler is Fine Acre, trained at Foxton by A. M. Wright, the trainer of Nukumai. Fine Acre is on the small side but is a nippy sort and a natural jumper. ' One who has ridden him says he is the easiest

horse he has ever piloted over obstacles, so well does he jump. He was rather out of luck when he ws beaten on the lirst day of the Napier meeting, but he won on the second day, and in mile and a-half races in minor company is likely to more than pay. his way. However, he does not look the sort that will relish a bit of weight. Crislina was easily the pick of the hack steeplechasers seen at the Napier Park meeting. He gave a very nice display of fencing each day. marred by the one mistake which prevented him from winning the double. He was winning as easily on the second day as he had won on the opening day, when he bungled the final fence by trying to jump the wing. He managed to keep his feet but he lost a lot of ground and Royal Him headed him off, and scraped homo a winner by a small margin. Crishna finished on fast again despite 'the mishap. A Real Stayer Ballyfarnon stays better than most of the competitors in minor steeplechase events and to that his Napier Park success can be ascribed, he must also be credited with having jumped well and smoothlj’, and as he looks to have improved quite a lot of late he might do a little better among the higher class than is generally expected. Woden was as big as a house when he raced at Napier the first day, and as he should be a lot better for the outings he can be expected to run much better in his coming engagements.

Royal Damon had the ground against him at Napier. He is being condemned, but more than likely his turn will come, and when it does he may be out of the boom.

The best performance of the Napier meeting was that of Merry Damon, who

gave the leaders a tremendous startwhen turning for home after being interrupted in the straight. The distance on the first day at Hastings might not be far enough for him, but as he is well now he should not be overlooked when he appears in races that suit him. Vesperus is coming on. His running on the second day at Napier Park was a surprise to those who saw him tailing the field on the opening day. The first day’s race made a remarkable improvement in him. Shrewd was rather unlucky at Napier Park. He might win a medium class open handicap any time now. Balloon is back to form, and should not be overlooked in races of slightly more than sprint journeys. He won easily on the first day at Napier Park and but for being unlucky might have won on the second day. ROYAL HUNT CUP SUCCESS OF SONGE ROYAL ASCOT FIXTURE CONTINUED (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) LONDON, Wednesday. The Royal Ascot meeting was continued today. The big sprint event i resulted as follow: THE ROYAL HUNT CUP A piece of plate valued at £IOO, added to a sweepstake of £2O each, with £2,500 added; seven furlongs and 166 yards. SONGE (Lord Michelham), b li, by Sundari —Salamanca, oyrs .... 1 CABALLERO (H. Steele, b h, by Ybro—Queen of Spain, 4yrs . . 2 GUARDS’ PARADE (Sir Abe Bailey), blk h, by Grand Parade —La Gorgue, 4yrs 3 There were 29 starters. Won by half a head. RACING FIXTURES JUNE 21, 22—South Canterbury J.C. 29—Ashburton R.C. 29—Waverley R.C. 21. 22—Hawke's Bay J.C. JULY 10, 11, 23—Wellington R.C. 25—Waimate Hunt 25, 27—Gisborne R.C. 27 South Canterbury Hunt. AUGUST 3—Christchurch Hunt 3—Poverty Bay Hunt 13, 15, 17—Canterbury J.C. 24—Papakura Hunt (at Ellerslie) 24 Hawke's Bay Hunt 28— Dannevirke R.C. 29 Dannevirke Hunt 31—Taranaki Hunt SEPTEMBER 4, s—Alai’ton J.C. 7—Otago Hunt 12, 14—Wanganui J.C. 21—Ashburton R.C. 21—Napier Park R.C. 21, 23—Avondale J.C. 2G, 27—Geraldine R.C. 28—Hawke’s Bay J.C. OCTOBER 2—Manawatu Hunt s—Kurow J.C. 5, 7—Auckland R.C. 10, 12—Dunedin J.C. 19—Masterton R.C. 24, 26—Poverty Bay J.C. 26, 2S —Wellington R.C. 26, 28—Waikato R.C. 28—Waverley R.C. 25 Waikato Hunt