A FINE RECORD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 269, 12 November 1937, Page 14

A FINE RECORD.

OVER ALL INSTANCES.

EARNINGS EXCEED £10,000.

OOOD WHIMS* 111 A'

Though nine years old, Cuddle retains i her vitality to a remarkable degree, and \ the manner in which she disposed of Royal Chief at Weight-for-age over a mile and a half at Riccarton on Wednesday will ensure her support if she makes an attempt to win her third successive Auckland Cup on Boxing Day. and thus emulate the feat of Nelson, the only time it has ever been performed, though Ariel won it in 1870 and again in 1(478 and 1879. Cuddle was not raced till she was three years old, and in her five starts won two small races at Hastings, her owner at that time, Mi\ C. Stowe, receiving the modest return of £00. Few who saw her at that meeting thought that they were looking at a potential champion, but such was the ca«e. A* a four-year-old she won only £10, the result of two minor placing* at Hawke's Bay, The following year Cuddle commenced to show her real ability, for she accounted for the Summer Handicap at Trentham, after running second in the Wellington Cup to Vintage. Her, other victories included the Midsummer Handicap at Riccarton and the Marton and Pah latu* Cups, her total stake money for the season being £1382. RmM Her Bast. In the 1935-3 A season Cuddle reached her best. She wm then racing in the colours of Mr. R. J. Murphy, who bought her for 800gs, and still owns her. She accounted for the Vivian Riddiford Handicap at Maaterton in ,the spring, and, going on to Trentham, Kinnoull beat her in the Harcourt Stakes, but the next month she won the New Zealand Cup. Klafloull beat her in the Canterbury Gup and Silver Ring in the Metropolitan Handicap at ,the sfme fixture, but she came on to Ellerslie to lead all the way in the Auckland Cup and on later days take the King's Plate and the Clifford 'Plate, two weight-for-age races. She netted £2985 in the Dominion. . Mr. Murphy then planned a trip for Cuddla to Australia in the autumn, and '■he waa most successful, winning the St. George Stakes and futurity' Stakes at Caulfleld and the Doncaater Handicap and the All-Aged Stakes at Rand wick, while she was second in the Eesendon Stakes at Flemington. „ She won about 13000 on the trip, and her total earnings for the scaeon were approximately £0000. .......

An«tlMr AMtraltan Trip. Cuddle returned to Sydney the following spring and fan thirdintltt'Warwick Htrtken to Talking and Lough Neagh and was bonten in the Canterbury Stake* by a neck by A i ncline. Thb, waa* the bent she could do on that vlsli. She raced at the Now, Zealand Cup meeting on her return home, and after Jlafelilng second to Wild Chase In tile Canterbury lit ot*ui w ?r °z? r ? ini,e * c i u * rter at Otaki. was her next start, Drov!i« re r at * d i th " P? rforn, *nc<> of the Eu .». ? ear ln w 'nnlng the Cup, Kings Plate and Clifford Plate, a feat b«™ Cuddle wiiH sent to Austrnliii again iwt •ntiimii, but she failed to win there, Uold Hod baiting her in the Esuandon Stakes nt Hemliigton and Golden Prowl** In the King 7 * Plate at the same meeting. Her earnings during the term amounted to Jt'irtlO Hlie wild not r need again till the recent Miistcrton meeting, where »he run uiipliiccd, but at Tt'entham she #a« narrowly beaten by Shy in the Wellington Handicap and Koyal Chief In the Marcourt Htakes. She then went to Ricrarton, to annex the Canterbury Cup on Wednesday, her winnings this season totalling £tMO. Cuddle s total earnings are therefore over £ 10,000, and she is no doubt the grea.teut mare that has ever Meed in Now Zealand.