Yesterday's Running Closely Studied

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 973, 16 May 1930, Page 12

Yesterday's Running Closely Studied

COMMENT ON THE FROM MANY LIKELY IMPROVERS Special to THE SUN WANGANUI, Thursday. A very unlucky runner at Wanganui today was the Masterton hack. Werata. With ordinary luck in the running he would have won the Tiist Purua Hack. He finished very fast, but right to the end he was unable to secure a good run. He looks almost certain to win at any time now. Tahoma was fancied today among the hacks, but one more failure has to be written against his name. He went better than he did at Hawera, but his chance was militated against through his getting away badly from the barrier. No horse had a better chance to win than Latakia did. He was well placed all the way, but could not overhaul Blue Paper. His backers not only got a great run for their money but showed a profit on their investment. She Stuck On Blue Paper stuck to her task much better than she did at Hawera and just scrambled home. Again she was very tired before the winning post was reached. Six furlongs is a bit far for her. and she would have been beaten on most courses. Portray has improved. ITe is speedy and though he failed today he should soon win. He faded only in the last half furlong. Coon Song displayed his usual speed and put up a great fight. Any time now he will be back to the dividend list.

Failed Badly Hunting Boy was not as good as the machine alleged. He could not got the pace set by Valstreet and Treasury and never looked like getting to them. Treasury is a poor stayer. He might have won today had Valstreet not gone with him in the run to straight. He cut up badly in the last furlong and finished fifth. Statuary shaped again like an early improver. He was running on fourth place at the finish. Valstreet thoroughly earned his victory. He was unruly at the starting barrier, but got away well and was not headed. He is good enough to win better races and probably will go farther than six furlongs. Auctioneer and Ben Hur both went very fast from the home turn to the winning post and on this run Ben Hur must be marked down as an early winner. Not At His Best

The failure of Waitaunalia in the Hack Steeplechase was very costly to bettors. He was done with, several furlongs from home, but might come on again shortly. Red Bank is an acquisition to the ranks of steeplechasers. He is a good jumper and has more speed than most cross-country horses. Bendower was freely tipped from Hawke’s Bay, but he had not the speed to win. He jumps well. In the two previous years Brigadier Bill had won the Wanganui Steeplechase, and though not favourite, he was well backed for today’s contest. He did not run a bad race, but he was never going like a winner and will now come into favour for future events as a result of his showing. Matu was going well till he hit a fence along the back the last time, but in any case he wotild not have won. He had to be ridden right out to ger second money. Maunga ran a furlong or more in the rear of the field all the way, but jumped better than usual.

Ponjola’s Brilliant Fencing Ponjola gave a great exhibition of fencing. He did not make a single mistake and was running on so strongly at the finish that it seemed another round would not have troubled him. He is among those engaged in the Great Northern Steeplechase, and his two performances at Egmont and Wanganui have caused him to increase in favour for the big Auckland contest. Airtight went his usual good race. His condition stuck to him and enabled him to battle on, but he will now have to be well placed to win for a while. Kowhatu went out very fast, but at the end of a couple of miles was very tired and apparently trying to shirk his fences. Backers of Ro3'al Acre were early out of their anxiety. The Acre gelding fell at the first hurdle. He came to grief in the middle of a crowded field, but his rider, H. Dulieu, escaped injury and won the next race. Unlucky Airforce

The unlucky horse was Airforce, who looked to have the race won when Vivo took it from him. Airforce is promising. Another promising sore is Wyeford, who did not settle down well in the early part of the race, but taking bis performance on the whole he did well. Prince Lu did his fireworks in the Century Hurdles, but did not last. Pie was done with entering on the last half-mile and finally drifted out of the picture to finish fifth. His inability to stay was most noticeable today. Does Not Stay

Elicit is another poor stayer. He had Prince Lu beaten and appeared to have the race won, but crumpled whew tackled. He stopped so quickly that Perle de Leon came along at the death and took second place from him. Glenstar was never in the hunt, and Whisogne got very tired trying to go with Prince Lu. Perle de Leon was staying on better than most of the opposition and one of the longer hurdle races will go his way if he keeps sound. The most pleasing performance witnessed in the Century Plurdles was that of the winner, Aurora Borealis. She was a long way from the leaders six furlongs from home, but finished in great style and won clearing out at the finish. If she goes to Auckland she will be a Great Northern possibility. If Bright Glow had not been really well ridden she would not have filled a place in the Connolly Handicap. As it was, she won very narrowly and was ridden right out to stave off the good finishing run of High Falutin’. Bright Glow, however, is better now than she was at Easter. She should win again before being put aside. The Swell was always in the picture, but could not come on when required to. Mendip and Cashier will be better for the race. Admiral Brake must be looked to to win at any time now. Pie ran a great race and at a furlong shorter should be very hard to beat on Saturday. Austerity was fancied by followers of the Burgess stable and gave her supporters a good run. The small course, however, was against her. Flying Juliet began well, but five furlongs from home began to lose her position and drifted back to last. Hers was a good chance lost. Laughing Prince was above himself in condition, but ran a fair race in the open sprint. He will not disgrace himself next time he steps out. Royal Parade was always on the premises among the sprinters and must be one of the hardest to beat on Saturday. Ridgemount lost his chance at the barrier, where he misbehaved and missed the jump-out. Paleta could not run the journey out, but showed speed. Moa Bird will do better soon, and so will Just An Idea and Potoaform, The conditions suited Equitant, and she might not get them so much to her liking again for a while,

PHAR LAP’S NEXT

TOPWEIGHT IN TOMORROW’S KING’S CUP MERE WEIGHT WILL NOT STOP HIM Pliar Lap has had many easy tasks since he set foot on the Turf, but none easier than that which he faces in Adelaide on Saturday—the Elder Stakes, wrote a Melbourne critic a few days before the Adelaide race. At Flemington and Randwick the champion met horses of the highest class, and was unbeaten. He made hacks of Amounis and Nightmarch, either of whom would have won the Elder Stakes without being extended. It seems almost incredible that there could be another horse much more brilliant than Amounis at eight or ten furlongs, but there he is. PHar Lap and Carbine Pliar Lap represents a class of thoroughbred that is met with only on rare occasions. Men who lived in the long-ago past, while acclaiming his greatness, will not yet acknowledge him greatest of all, because of their loyalty to Carbine. But perhaps before the three-year-old has finished bis Turf career, they may be forced to. One of Carbine’s greatest admirers already has removed that champion from his pedestal in favour of Phar Yap. Others, more cautious, prefer to wait and see how Phar Lap fares in his next Melbourne Cup engagement. At all events. South Australian people may be assured on one point—that in this New Zealand-bred son of Niglif' Raid —Entreaty, they will see the greatest horse that has ever been seen in their State.

The Best Yet \ ictorian stables have sent over some smart gallopers to contest the Elder Stakes. Probably the best in recent years was The Night Patrol, and he won golden opinions from the people who witnessed his Morphettville triumphs. It would be impossible to say how much better is Phar Lap, who has the most beautiful action of any horse I have seen. He never appears to be galloping at top speed, and yet covers ground so much faster than other horses. All opponents are alike to him. The best of them are just so much inferior. One can easily let his admiration of Phar Lap run away with him after the three-year-old’s triumph over the Melbourne Cup winner, Nightmarch. Randwick. AN hat class of horse

is racing in England at present is not known, but if there is better than Phar Lap, scientific breeding ha* achieved its greatest triumph in th~ history of the Turf. Tomorrow’s King’s Cup If Phar Lap’s racing at Morphettville does not move South Australians to feelings of admiration, they are much less emotional than are the people of Melbourne and Sydney. Unless something unforeseen happens, the Elder Stakes will be but an exercise gallop for the champion. If Elliott allows him to stride along as in weight-for-age engagements, at Flemington and Randwick, he should get a long way in front of the mediocre South Australian horse*-. The King’s Cup on May 17 will he a more difficult task, because he will be carrying a much heavier weight (9.5 > than he has been accustomed to, but it will be a great surprise if mere weight prevents this amazing thoroughbred from winning the Royal trophy.

JOCKEY RECOVERS

J. SHARKEY OUT OF HOSPITAL The hurdle jockey J. Sharkey, who has been an inmate of the hospital since the Avondale meeting, was dipcharged from that institution earlv in the week. It was while riding Quincoma in the hurdle race on the first day that this capable horseman received his injuries, but he has mad® pleasing progress lately and although still under treatment, it is only a matter of time now before he is back in the saddle. Sharkey was at Ellerslie yesterday and inquiries elicited the information that a compound fracture of the right shoulder was principally the drawback to a speedy recovery. Thus it is unfortunate that SbarkeT needs be an onlooker at the Great Northern carnival, and that, too, when he was assured of some success.