SPLENDID FIELDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1937, Page 13

SPLENDID FIELDS.

THE OPENING DAY. CERNE ABBAS' CHANCES. ONE CLASSIC EVENT. I he attention of racing enthusiasts throughout the Dominion during the next eight days will be centred in Christchurch, where the Canterbury Jockey Club and the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club will hold their big spring fixtures. The former will inaugurate proceedings to-morrow with the first day of their New Zealand Cup meeting, and splendid fields have been attracted, both numerically and in point of quality, and some splendid racing should be provided. Betting will be on the win and place system. The Jumpers. Eleven have been paid up for in the Spring Brush Hurdles, Red Sun being at the top. He ran two good races at Wellington last month and will be much improved. He has previously won on this course. Travenna lias raced well over hurdles this season, winning at Geraldine and Dunedin, while he was placed on other occasions. John Charles proved himself a pood hurdler last season, winning, among other races, the Winter Hurdles at Trentliain. He did not impress at the recent Wellington fixture. Silver Sight scored at Ashburton and South Canterbury, the latter benig his last start. Redolent raced well at the Grand National meetin<r. winning the Spreydon Hurdles and running third in the Trial and Sydenham Hurdles. He lias failed since then. Solwit won the Trial Hurdles at that fixture, but was beaten by Last Link ill the Styx Hurdles. Chaste won at Geraldine and was placed at South Canterbury, while Superex was a winner at South Canterbury and has been in the money several times. Fiord would only need to jump properly to have a chance. The best backed may be RED SUN TRAVENNA SUPEREX. Special Weights. The Spring Plate is a mile event, run at special weights. Ardchoille won well over a mile at Dunedin and was beaten by half a head over one mile two furlongs and a half the next day. Dropped Catch was a winner over nine furlongs at Banks Peninsula last Saturday, while Rousseau won twice over a mile and 100 yards at Geraldine. Seigmund scored over a mile at Masterton and ran two igood races at Trentham recently. Stolen March wa« placed twice at the recent Gore meeting, while The Bigot won over a mile and dead-heated witn Lucullus Lad over seven furlongs at the Wellington meeting. Sovereign Lady was second to Willie Win over nine furlongs at Riccarton in August. Of the others, Natty, Top Row, Nightdress and Rockingham appeal most. The best hacked may be THE BIGOT SIEGMUNI) SOVEREIGN LADY. The Liuwood Handicap. Cardsharper. who is top-weight in the Linwood Handicap, won over six furlongs at Avondaie and was third at Trentham. and should again go well. Nolana scored over seven furlongs at Geraldine, while Lord Nuffield won over sit furlongs at Dunedin and Gore. Cocksure has shown good form this season and on Saturday won over seven furlongs at Banks Peninsula. He is also in the Apprentices' Handicap later in the day. Moonraker was successful over six furlongs at Geraldine and was second in the Rangiora Handicap, one mile and a quarter, on Labour Day. Great Pal, who won at the Grand National meeting, Lady Montana and Marolia seem the f>ick of the remainder. A trio that will have support are COCKSURE LORD NUFFIELD CARDSHARPER. The Big Event. The chief event of the meeting, the Xew Zealand Cup, has drawn a field of eighteen. Wild Chase has been galloping well at Riccarton since racing at the Wellington fixture. He was the best tliree-year-old last season and will have support. Argentic has previously been second in the New Zealand and Auckland Cups and was third at the Banks Peninsula meeting on Saturday. Queen of Song ran fourth in the Melbourne Cup of 1930, and has l>een successful in a high-weight handicap this season. Tauramai has little to his credit, but Friesland won over a mile and a quarter at Waverley, and if capable of running out the distance would have a good chance. Lowenberg and Hunting

Cat are possibilities, but Cerne Abbas, despite her failure at Banks Peninsula last Saturday, will appeal more, after her second in the Mitchelson Cup and her success over a mile and a quarter at Trentham. Rebel Lad was second to her on the latter occasion and Sunee third. Both the latter are also engaged, and Sunee previously won over a mile and a quarter at Masterton, while Rebel Lad ran second twice over a similar distance at South Canterbury. Hazoor has been successful over ten furlongs on several occasions, as also has Silver Streak. The latter has been galloping in great style over middle distances at Riccarton, and it is only a question of his staying on. Small Boy won the Mitchelson Cup iu good style and ran a good race in the Wellington Handicap. He is a likely sort. Boomerang, Might and Linguist are recent winners, Might having previously been placed in the NewZealand Cup. Cottingham won the Grand National Hurales last August and has been galloping well since then. The chief selections may be CERNE ABBAS SMALL BOY WILD CHASE. The Two-year-olds. The two-year-old classic, the Welcome Stakes, has drawn some smart juveniles. Eastern Heir raced consistently in Auckland, while Compensate won the McLean Stakes at Dunedin. Protector, after winning the Avondala Stakes and the Welcome Stakes at Kllerslie, failed in the Wellesley Stakes at Trentliain, which Gay Son won, and he will Ihj hard to beat again to-morrow. Taurangi scored at the latter meeting and is a most promising sort, while Peerless and Ortyx appeal most of the other entrants. The public may go for

GAY SON TAURANGI COMPENSATE. The Apprentices' Plate. Fifteen figure in the Apprentices' Plate. Ardchoille is engaged in the Spring Plate as well as this event. Heloise won over a. mile at the North Canterbury meeting on Labour Day. Parquet was second to Besiege over a mile at the recent Auckland meeting, while Lickem occupied a similar position over seven furlongs at NewPlymouth. Windward was successful over a mile at Masterton, while Cocksure is engaged in the Linwood Handicap earlier in the day. Happy Night won over seven furlongs ami a half at North Canterbury, with Drink Up, who is also engaged, second. Rabble may have most friends of the others engaged. The bulk of the money may go on

ARDCHOILLE PARQUET HAPPY NIGHT. The Open Sprint. Some smart sprinters are engaged in the Stewards' Handicap. Gold Boa has been second in both her starts this season and was unlucky not to win on the second occasion, which was at Dunedin recently. Paper Slipper won the Stewards' Handicap last year, but he has onlj' had a couple of races, both at 1 rentliam, this season. However, lie is galloping at Riccarton. Ben Braggie was fourth last year, and after his success at Trentham will bo well fancied. Oratory is a good sprinter and

was placed at the same fixture. Emissary dropped dead lliis morning. Alma won two events at the Grand National meeting including the August Handicap, seven furlongs. She was also successful at Gore, and will have plenty of friends. Laughing Lass was a winner at Trentham, and she is sure to go well in this event. Brunhild and Pelmet appear the best of the others. Some who may appeal most are

BEN BRAGG IE ALMA LAUGHING LASS. The Riccarton Handicap. The programme will conclude with the Riccarton Handicap, and recent form points to the favourites beinoSMOKE SCREEN PETERSHAM BIG DOOK. The acceptances are: — 12.32—SPRING BRT'SH lIT'RDLES of £300. Olio mile and three-quarters. Red Sun . . 11 3 Last Link . 0 1 Travenna . . 10 7 Chaste ... 9 1 •John Charles 10 5 Superex ..90 Silver Siffht 10 0 Fiord . . . !» O Redolent . . 9 10 Mount Val . 9 0 ■Solwit ... 9 9 I.7—SPRING PLATE of £350. Three-year-olds 7.7, four-year-olds and upwards 8.2 ; mares allowed 51b. One mile. Ardchoille . . 8 1 Note . 7 11 Dropped Catch S 2 Lickem ... 7 7 Rousseau ..82 Nightdress . 7 7 Siegniund . 8 2 Rockingham 7 7 Stolen-March 8 2 Sigurd ... 7 7 The liiiiot ..82 Stromholi ..77 Natty .... 7 11 Top Row ..77 Sovereign Latly Chat ..72 I.ady .... 7 11 1.52—L1N WOOD HANDICAP of £300. Seven furlongs. Cardsharper 813 Columbo. ... 7 9 Nolana . . . 8 C Norseman . 7 9 Rodeur ... 8 2 Lady Montana 7 7 Lord Nuffield 8 2 Lustral ... 7 4 Dollar Prince 8 1 Marolia ... 7 3 Miracle ... 7 13 Made Money 7 3 Great Pal . 7 11 Fog Peak ..70 Cocksure . . 7 11 Screamer ..70 Moonraker . 7 10 Janet Ua«iior 7 0 2.37— NKW ZEALAND CUP of £1925 and Gold Cup value £75. Two miles. Wild Chase 8 13 Silver Streak 7 9 Argentic . . 8 11 Small Boy .75 Queen of Song 8 8 Sunee ... 7 3 Tauramai . 8 4 Rebel Lad .72 Friesland ..83 Boomerang . 7 2 Lowenherg . 8 0 Might .... 7 1 Hunting Cat 7 12 Linguist ..70 ('erne Abbas 7 10 Treoleack ..70 Hazoor ... 7 9 Cottingham 7 0 3.22—WELCOME STAKES of £750. Two-year-olds; colts and geldings 8.5, lillies so. Five furlongs. Defaulter . . 8 5 Protector ..85 Eastern Ileir 8 5 Gay .Sou ..85 Compensate 8 5 Taurangi ..80 Passaform 8 5 Peerless ... 8 0 Neptune ... 8 5 Tea Song ..80 ltaeburn ..85 Ortyx .... 8 0 4.2—APPRENTICES' HANDICAP of £300. Apprentice riders. One mile. Ardchoille . . 8 13 Drink Up ..76 Heloise ... 810 Shirred Ribbon 7 1 Parquet ... 8 8 Rabble ... 7 0 LicKem ... 7 13 I.adv OwiHgleam . 7 11 Mlddleham 7 0 Windward . . 7 11 Ardmayle ..70 Cocksure . . 7 10 Mob Rule ..70 Happy Night 7 9 Clubman ..70 4.42—STEWARDS' HANDICAP of £800. Six furlongs. Gold Boa ..95 Laughing Lass 7 9 Paper Slipper 9 3 Brunbilde .70 Ben Braggle 9 0 Pelmet . . . 7 © Oratory ... 8 10 Stolen March 7 0 Alma .... 8 8 Waitaka ..70 Rebel Chief . 7 10 Bracket : Oratory and Laughing Lass.

S.27—RICCARTON HANDICAP of £350. Nine furlongs. Btg Dook ..92 Wild Career 7 9 Smoke Screen 9 2 Petersham . 7 7 Davolo ... 8 9 Lnz.vnones . . 7 7 I'ukeko ... s 8 Myriain ... 7 7 Last Refrain 8 8 Daring Deed 7 7 Milford ... 8 0