The Eights Had a Great Innings

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 960, 1 May 1930, Page 12

The Eights Had a Great Innings

Grand Tea's Record Dividend

Those at Avondale yesterday who had the idea, and followed it out. to back horses carrying No 8 saddlecloth, would have had a most enjoyable time, for there were three big dividends paid by the "eights” during the day. One of them was Grand Tea. the horse which now holds the Auckland provincial record for the largest dividend of the season. When Eager Rose won at Ellc-rslie a few months back, she paid well over half a hundred. This time Grand Tea gave a return exceeding two-thirds of a century. When a horse pays as much for a £1 ticket as that, it stands to reason that only a few backed it. for ths totalisator represents a pool of money invesed on each particular race, and only the amount inves-ted. less the amount deducted for taxation and the club’s share (which goes to make up the stakes) is given back to holders of the first and second horses, when there are two dividends. Won Easily It is not a far call to just after the deluge of midsummer racing, to the Thames meeting early in January last. Then Grand Tea was made favourite in a hack race, but finished nearer last than anywhere near the placed horses. He raced later at Matamata, and ran second fto King's Guard in the Hack Cup) in his first start that day, and was later saddled up again, and won the last event on the one-day programme. Subsequently he had one or two starts without setting the Waitemata on fire. On Saturday he was given a race in the Oakley Handicap, which was won so easily by Honiton. Grand Tea finished sixth in a field of eleven, running quite a fair race. Then he was ninth favourite, and he was only I at a modest double-figure quotation. The favourite, the winner, carried £1.051, while Grand Tea was supported to the extent of £242. Yesterday Grand Tea was the out- j sider bar one in the Mount Roskill Handicap, and this time he was oniv backed to the extent of £47 Ids. against the favourite's (I’m Alone > £1.521. And yesterday's pool was but ' £3OO less than Saturdays. What had' happened to his backers of the first day, that they should let Grand Tea go out at such an extravagant price?

Was it beca use there were not so many Chinamen on the course yesterday as compared with several little coteries seen there on Saturday. More than likely! an -' the fact remains that there were very many who were not exactly patting themselves on the back for their desertion of Grand Tea on the second day. after having entrusted him with their good coin four days earlier. Made No Race of It add their chagrin. Grand Tea ,'impl\ made no race of it over the final pinch. Hanv the leaders ran very wide on the turn for home, but Lucky Alice was still in her position on the rails, and not far behind her were I*m Alone and Grand Tea. Lucky Alice was left well clear when the other horses ran off the course, and she looked a good thing. Backers of me ravounte were then looking to him to swoop down on tho leader, but he could not make much headway. It was Grand Tea that threw out the challenge to Lucky Alice. In a few strides they were on terms, and then very quickly the former drew away, and although he finally won by a length and a-half, it looked as if it could have been more. It was the easiest win of the day. Grand Tea was number eight in the race-book. His Only Ride The Ellerslie light-weight horseman, "VS-. H. Jones, had onlv one rid** ve«Urday, and that was Grand Tea. Grand Tea races in the colours of Mrs. E. A. Scott (there is a joint interest registered as between Mr« Scott and her husband), -nd is trained bv her at Turua. It was something of u coincidence that Grand Tea won his orst race at Avondale 18 months a—o and his success yesterdr.v was his second on that roomy tract He is a four-year-old colt (the book erronshowed him as e three-vear-old) by Tea Tray from Luculia. and in a.ll his races he has shown indications of being possessed of a fair amount of stamina.

tt was strange tkat Grand Tea started from 14th position at the barr*®r * tvhich at the mile post is a decided handicap. That makes the merit ?vL;r e Performance stand out more ooft - h .*f race too well to even suseest that it was a fluke, i* 0 s ’ there was one Chinaman who lined up m tha thin queues to collect tov ll at^ he back of the t-tal'sa-tnere tvere alpenty. too sn h oi^ there were one or two well-known smeii on hand doing likewise. Thej were all congratulated. albeit ?u Sl3 i’ b ,l a larse crowd waiting to riotrti 16 , “, Ckl ; OI ? es co!lect their dividends. Indeed the crowd of curious ones exceeded by about ten times the number collecting off Grand Tea 6 ‘

Start of the Eights There was a number eight in the opening race, the Hurdles. This was Snd°t and his showing did not as to t ?olfiw- ny °?S become enthusiastic 11 ns that numeral. Hannidav tb " f next eight,” repeated his first Ca Ti-»S« rf ' ° rmance b >* running fourth the two-year-olds, and ne. Lady Court, bore the magic figure fche won handsomely, too, afterS Course at the turn, and her ret along in for etent, the Autumn Handicap. He too Umt he haS ht ” and many remembered that he had won on this course in the -pring. That was a phenomenal performance, for he was tailed cfE in an

• pen sprint three furlonc- from 1 and then won with a brilliant an the straight. A Repetition White Fang's admirers wer . t :o% -anguine who r. ..: dro i »4? the barrier. He I.ad to do a lot to g£ within range over the first * r e furlongs, and crossing tie top -j, four or five horses out from the tail. Racine men know . ;st what t: a- rsl Presents. At the home nm \v: Far.,- iJ •-.cite . indy—ne ..ad fla.-hed at Uta point in his race the first da -an* once in line he buried the leader®, to : score by nearly a length and give hjg | supporters a return only a shilling It was a coincidence that bo: . GranjM

Tea and White Fang should draw 1 4th ■ I rider such a handicap. Valuation and Carla ris were *tr o other “eights” that failed, the : -;-* r having ample excu.-e. hov*ever. f : was badly left at the start. All told. ~ S*> 4s was the araout* ”e« turned by the eights So surely it was really a h'-mn of eight!”