SPORTING.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 35, 12 November 1920, Page 7

SPORTING.

THE N.Z. CUP CARNIVAL. FIRST DAY'S RACING. Gamecock was as quite as game as his name implies in the opening hurdle race at the N.Z. Cup Meeting and won nicely from two hot favourites in General Petain and Lord Nagar. The General put in a couple of bad jumps which spoiled his chance, but Lord Nagar is one of the . finest jumpers I have ever seen. He'd win a lot of money show jumping. At the finish of the Spring Plat,e after everything else was done with Cashmere, who was second favourite, and Isobel the favourite, and who had a light kid on her back, drew out hy themselves. When Gray drew his whip on Cashmere the latter swerved away from it, and canie over right on top of Isofcel and fixed her chance of winning. I think Isobel was beaten at the time, and really had no chance of winning, but the crowd who generally yell through their pockets gave tune to it well and the stipendiary steward ori duty lieard t-hem. The stewards after hearing the pros and cone of the affair reversed the placing of the two and gave the race to Isobel. Truthful was made the subject of a good punt in the Linwood Handicap and with Hector Gray in. the saddle it looked good at the distance post, but even Hector can't carry a horse home if it isn't good enough to beat off faster horses. Burley, corn, a son of Sarto from Brisa, came along with a fine run from the distance post and returned his backers nearly a forty quid dividend. The success of Truthful who runs in tne same coloui's as Imaribbon, gave the followers of J. J. Corry's stahle some cash to back tliat handsome mare with in the hig two mile run. There was liltle to chose between Imaribbon and Oratress, the latter just liaving the call at the close of the betting with the bracketed pair Tenterfield and Rebuff next in demand, all carrying over £2000 on their chances, and then come Vagabond antfRoyal Star with well over £1500 each. Johnny Walker was the extreme outsider and ran like it, for he finished last with Tenterfield who had led for over a mile and ahalf. Gray on Oratress rode a very confident race and was content, on the rails, at the tail of the field until less than half. a mile from home. Then he moved up and through the big field getting a good passage and at the distance post there was only Imaribbon to beat. In the final run he cut her down nicely, and won by a length. Bengeroop ran a great race in the N.Z. Cup. He allowed Tenterfield, a plain looking chestnut, to lead hfm for over a mile and a-half and then the pride of Rorke's Drift Lodge took charge and led into the straight. He was in charge to the distance post where Imaribbon cut him down, but only the pair of mares beat him, and he gathered in a couple of hundred quid for Harry Woodley. Had he won he was paying nearly a score. He was well handled by Metcalf, who got the best out of him. Songbird started fourth favourite in the Welcome Stakes, but was never amongst the leading division. A Martian geiding named The Hawk got a break at the start and the 4 to 1 on favourite, Memin getUng nearly knocked off his feet at the start and again in the running it looked odds on his winning, but Gray by a splendid effort and with great judgment straightened up the favourite, and catclfTng The Hawk half a furlong from home won nicely by a length. The winner is some colt, and the meeting between him aud Arrowsmith in the Electric Plate will be worth watching. Malaga, with the Wairio head apprentice, young EJlis, aboard, was made a hot favourite in the Apprentice's Plate, and well ridden duly landed the odds. Algidus, who was paying a hatful was well out in front till halfway down the straight, but he petered out over the last bit. Weight doesn't stop a good one, and Arrowsmith showed this in the big sprint, for without the best luok in th® running he humped his 9st 131bs along in rare

style and tbeat the well treated Chimera by a length in lmin 12sec — a really champion performance. Silverpeak was solidly supported hy her conneetions but she was wide out most of the way and never j looked dangerous. Killowen was ridden |„by Archy Wilson and not seen in the race. Radial was always about the : front, and should win when asked to go over seven furlongs. He was paying j nearly ' thirty quid had he won, and was j well' up fourth. i j Sta;rland was made a hot chance in the | Riccarton Welter, but he wasn't able to I see out the last hit, Dainty Step winning | in a grand finish from Bonnetter, and the ! judge said, Kilkee, but I was sure Tom Deegan's horse was further back and that | it was Demand who was third. They , had similar colours. | SECOND DAY. Gamecock was in not too generous a mood when he raced on Monday, but even so had Humphries made his run with him a little sooner he would have heaten Jack Symons, who finished all out to win by a length. Clean Sweep, whom Bill Stone declined to take fter the Dunedin meeting, started the extreme outsider in the Criterion Hau. dicap and ran home a good winner in lmin 25£sec., equal to Arrowsmith' s. .. Australasian record made last Easter on the same track. Silverpeak was well backed but she was never near the frontr, but Michaela was there for a while. Radial was made a good favourite in this race but the pace settled him over the last furlong. The good thing of the meeting was The Hawk in the Irwell Handicap, and it duly materialised paying hetter than even money. The public made Songbird second favourite, but third was the nearest he could get, and it was some distance away. The Derby field was a fine one and they made a fine race. No less than £11,303 was pooled on the nine chances, the bracketed pair, Gasbag and Humbug, being the public fancy. Duo, a well "shaped geiding by Amythas' sire from Gold Bound, won after an interesting race. The pace was very slow in the early stages, but it was cracked on over the last six furlongs. Duo was ridden by Jimmy Campbell who also rode Arrowsmith to victory in the Steward's on Saturday. Rational, who is reputed to be the smartest two-year-old in the Dominion to-day, was sent out a red hot favourite in the Juvenile Plate, and his. rider had some difficulty in getting him to go slow enough not to lose the others. They say he will be very hard in the Electric j- late on Saturday. The Metropolitan Handicap provided a fine race. Imaribbon, Vagabond with Hector Gray up, and Bonnie Heather, all being heavily backed. Va.gabond ran very erratically, sometimes in front. and sometiqies behind the field and at the finish he was nowhere. Tenterhook was galloping all over everything else at the finish and beat the erratic Nightraider by a length, each paying a good price. Bengeroop started fourth favourite and ran well, but" apparently the race was not long enough for him. Ben Bolt, a very useful North Island hack, won the Ashley Handicap very iiice. ly from Foo Chou. Twinkle was ridden all over the course by Emerson and never looked like causing trouble. Bonetter, one of the handsomest mares racing'in N.Z. to-day was the best backed neddy in the Epsom Welter, and after a fine finish with Cashmere won by a head. Eleus with George Young up was never in the hunt, but Kilkee again ran a good horse, finishing well up fifth. Eleus' run was not good enough to think he has any chance at Winton over a mile and aquarter. The winner carried 9.13 and ran the distance in lmin 42sec.