FORM AT TE AROHA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 51, 2 March 1939, Page 4

FORM AT TE AROHA

POINTERS FOR PUKEKOHE TWO DEAD-HEATS IN ONE DAY (Special to “Chronicle.”) AUCKLAND, March 1. Esteem raced very generously at Te Aroha and it is possible that the spell he had last year has made him more solid. If he maintains his present form he should have a very good autumn for owner-trainer L. Knapp, and it would not be surprising if he picked up one of the big winter jumping eveijts. Esteem is now 10 years old. It is most unusual for two deadheats for first place to be recorded in the one day at a meeting, and the dual decision at Ruatoria last Saturday was the first for some years, in the Dominion at least. The outstanding instance of two dead-heats in the one day was witnessed at Ellerslie on October 3, 1931, and they occurred in consecutive races, and these the main flat handicaps of the meeting. The first was in the sprint, the Shorts Handicap, between Cadland (L. G. Morris) and Kozan (H. Wiggins), and in the next event, the Mitchelson Cup, Historic (L. G. Morris) and Prince Vai (F. Ludlow) could not be separated. British Nation ran a very solid race at Te Aroha on opening day, his final dash under 9.3 being a smart performance, for he was conceding the pair that finished in front of him, Veritable and Mintlaw, 171 b and 111 b respectively. British Nation is not engaged at the Franklin fixture at Pukekohe next Saturday, but he should not be long in winning a hack race and he may get his turn at Paeroa a fortnight hence. A brilliant hack and one that failed rather unaccountably when lightly weighted in open company, Pirate King made no race of the hack sprin; on the first day at Te Aroha, but his win dividend of over a quarter of a

century was certainly surprising. This one effort under 9.2 was probably good enough to win the majority of open sprints and perhaps he will get his turn in this better class in his next engagement, which is the open St. Patrick's Handicap at Paeroa on the first day of the Ohinemuri meeting. That turning track should suit him. De Friend went quite a fair race in the Herries Memorial Cup at Te Aroha and it would appear as if his winning turn is not far off again, for the manner in which he won the Takapuna Cup a month ago at Ellerslie suggested that he would be able to hold his own in this class at any time. He was a bit slow away in his one outing at Te Aroha and then he was kept a bit too far back, despite the fact that he was pulling hard and as a result he had to make up many lengths' leeway in the straight. He finished sixth, not very far away from the winner, and this was a good effort seeing that he received a check at the half-mile. He may be harder to beat in Saturday’s Franklin Cup. The very smooth display of galloping that Suleiman gave when he won the open sprint so very easily at Te Aroha indicated that this gelding is going to be better than ever in future. He carried his 9.0 like a great horse and his winning margin of three lengths on Saturday spoke for itself, for he was opposed to some smart sprinters. Suleiman may he a difficult proposition for any of his opponents if he takes on the Auckland Easter Handicap, for he will go farther than a mile when the occasion arises, and of course it is possible that he may make one of A. Cook’s team for Trentham this month, for he is not in the first day at Paeroa. After his very disappointing effort in the Storey Memorial Handicap at Te Rapa a week earlier, in which he started favourite, it was expected that Malagigi would be one of the hardest to beat in the big event at Te Aroha. yet this proved to be not the case. He went a good race, however, for after being in the ruck in the early stages he went round his field and was up handy at the home turn, but apparently this effort and the extra ground covered took a lot out of him. for he failed to finish with the expected dash, although he was well up and close to the placed division at the post. Malagigi may not race again until the Auckland Easter fixture, for he claim.' no immediate engagements.