Patadawn’s Best Form to Date

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 896, 13 February 1930, Page 14

Patadawn’s Best Form to Date

WON UNDER DIFFICULTIES

A SENSATIONAL FINISH

There were many spectators in the official stand at Rosehill recently, who were prepared to doubt the judge’s verdict in the Rosehill Handicap comments a Sydney writer. They believed that Octember had won the race, and when they found that he was placed only third, they wondered how Prime Don could have split two, who, from their angle, finished on such close terms. The race had other sensational elements. Octember was on the rails. Prime Don on the outside. and Patadawn I between. The Tricky Angle ! Spectators were sure of PataI dawn's defeat of Prime Don. but doubted that he had beaten Octember. However, it was the angle that favoured Octember. and occupants of the Press stand did not hesitate to proclaim Patadawn the winner. The race had its sensational elements right through, beginning with Promara’s striking lead, and culminating in interference near the post, and the disputed verdict. Promara gained such a lead that defeat seemed impossible. Sh# was five lengths in front approaching the home turn, but her failure to gain even a place provided another instance of the fallacy of trying to win races at both ends. She led by a narrow margin early and was hard ridden to shake off Lipari at the seven furlongs. She gained her big break at that stage. But it proved her undoing, for although she entered the straight with threelengths’ advantage, she was caught and beaten before the last furlong. Came Again It was Octember who pioneered the overtaking of the runaway, and then Patadawn and Prime Don joined in to i grab the fruits of his efforts. | Patadawn was just gaining the wini ning advantage half a furlong from home, when Octember, in swerving, I jostled him, and he lost half a length, j But he came again with rare de- | termination and gameness, and though j in the awkward position between two rivals, outstayed them, and won by a long head. Considering that he came from nearly last of the field, and at the six | furlongs conceded Promara quite 15 lengths, Patadawn put up a remarkable performance in overcoming the further disadvantage in the straight, and it was a fine effort to win. He also put up record time for Rose- | hill, bis li.s£ beating the previous best j by half a second. Expected Protest I Some of the occupants of the official stand, who, deceived by the angle, had picked Octember as the winner, were quite prepared to see the protest, flag hoisted if Octember got the verdict. { One of them, as a matter of fact, rushed downstairs to get on Patai dawn in the protest betting, and not ; until he had heard somebody say j Patadawn had actually got the race did he realise that his angle of vision had deceived him. But there was no doubt about the interference to Patadawn, and if he had been beaten a protest would have been entered.

IN THE BEST SUITE

ROSEN’S RETURN The Hast lias been kind to Ben Rosen, an Australian lightweight jockey who returned on the P. and O. liner Comorin the other day. He headed the winning list in Ceylon for two successive years, and came out to Australia in the best suite on the liner. Rosen, who was born in Queensland, owns an hotel, bought out of his winnings, at Bathurst (N.S.W.). He AvilJ not stay long In Australia, as he is still under contract to Captain F. Fenwick, a leading owner-trainer in India. Rosen is of the opinion that English horses are better performers in India than, horses from Australia.