Day of Stirring Finishes and Sensations

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 917, 10 March 1930, Page 12

Day of Stirring Finishes and Sensations

Dead-Heats and Jazzing Horses

There were thrills and sensations enough and to spare at Pukekohe on Saturday afternoon, on the occasion of the annual race meeting of the Franklin Racing Club. A dead-heat between two horses, a bad smash in another race, and a dead-heat between three horses in the last event, not to mention the destruction of one horse, Arihana, on the course when working earlier in the day. The sequence of mishaps and misadventures was truly remarkable, and furnished a large crowd with many titbits. The big event was sternly contested, Hyde Park reproducing his brilliant track display of Thursday. to defeat Royal Boulton, who made a game attempt to concede the winner! 161 b. But this event was practically devoid of incident, although as a contest it could hardly have been improved upon. Did His Best It was when the second half of the programme had been entered upon that the spectators had a taste of the incidents that were written, Kismet fashion, so that they should come to pass. In the Onewhero Hack, Spring Abbey, an even-money chance, had shot away at the distance to obtain a clear lead at the half-distance, and the early birds began to dive to the back of the totalisator for their dividend. Then Motere put in a claim, and getting over the ground with gigantic strides—his diminutive rider was doing

his very best—he began to eat up the gap that separated him from the hot favourite. And with Spring Abbey weakening in the last 50yds Motere’s chance of getting up was an even money one, and he managed to make the grade right on the post, and make a deadheat of it. It was a thrilling finish, but good and all as it was, the last race fairly shaded it, and tickled the crowd immensely. The previous Saturday Spring Abbey had dead-heated with Te Hoia in the Hack Cup at Te Aroha. Crowd On Its Feet Perhaps it would not be quite correct to say that the Pukekohe Handicap finale brought the crowd to its feet, for at the standless Pukekohe course the spectators are willy-nilly always on their feet. This time it was on tiptoes, for there was provided the thrill of the season. In this race there was big money for Vali, £1,342, and Gemlight £9Bl, the former being the biggest favourite of the day, but despite this his backers came out of the triple dead-heat without loss. On the other hand, Gemlight’s supporters showed a slight profit, while Respirator, at 'double figures for if. straight-out win, paid more than twice as much as the other two horses together. Turning into the home stretch there was a bunch comprising Sea Cob (like Vali, a member, neglected this time, of the J. T. Jamieson team), Respirator. Gemlight, Tanagra and Vali the last named being tucked in on the rails. Outsider Forges Ahead Half-way up the running Respirator forged to the front, and it looked as if he would eventually win. Then Vali came at him, and Gemlight followed on the outside. The whips were out with a vengeance, and ten yards from the post the outsider had apparently been collared, the trio already being in rough line.

But Respirator refused to give in. and he took up the challenge. Over the line the three horses went, locked together, in such a finish that the judge’s position was not to be envied. A few thought that Vali might have pushed his nose in front, but it was too close to express an opinion, and the official verdict, a dead-heat between the three, was well received. The judge, Mr. R. B. Lusk, has been I officiating in that | capacity for very ] many years throughout the Dominion, and in all his extensive experience is it probable that he was never before called upon to adjudicate such a desperat.e finish as on Saturday. Imperial Prince was fourth, but that honour was officially credited to King Willonyx, who actually finished well back in seventh place—a little slip quite pardonable under the circumstances. Previous Triple Dead-Heats Saturday’s triple dead-heat was the third the writer has witnessed. The other two were both at Trentham. On January 20, ID2O, Nursing Sister, Hepta and Borealis went over the line together in the Ruapehu Handicap, the respective riders being A. Reed 'now riding in Victoria), R. S. Bagby

and G. Young (now training in Australia). Strangely enough Bagby was on Vali on Saturday, so after an interval of over ten years he again figured in a triple dead-heat. Kepta and Nursing Sister were two big outsiders, being 11th and I.4th favourites, respectively, while Borealis was third fancy. The last-named was raced by the same sportsman who is these days winning hurdle races with Aurora Borealis. First Prize Winner In connection with Nursing Sister, this was the horse that was' donated by a well-known sportsman as first prize in an art union for patriotic funds just after the Great War. and this was the first race she won for the man who won her. Earlier in the' day there was a deadlieat in the Wellington Cup between Kilmoon and Oratress. The latter is best known these days as the dam of Concentrate and Oratrix. The last progeny of Oratress sold was the HuntingSong colt put under the hammer at Trentham last January, and he changed hands at 2,400gn5. In the Same Race Strangely enough, the second deadheat was recorded in the same' race as that just referred to —the Ruapehu Handicap. This was on January 21, 1925. and the horses and riders, with their order in the betting, were* —1 Board Acre (A. E. Ellis), 3 Polydectes VF. Waddell), 13 Ganymede (W. Brown). In this event R. McTavish rode The Raider, so like R. S. Bagby, he has the distinction (for what it is worth!) of participating in two triple dead-heats. The really tragic part of this affair was for Ganymede’s owner, Mr. J. S. McLeod. He had turned down a big four-figure offer from an Australian sportsman for this promising three-* year-old, only to see him injured in his next race a few days later, the injuries being of such a nature as to necessitate the destruction of the horse.