POVERTY BAY CLUB

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 110, 11 May 1943, Page 5

POVERTY BAY CLUB

SEA-LAW HAS FOLLOWING

In preliminary discussions 'on the Makaraka and Electric Handicaps, the two main events on the Poverty Bay Turf Club's programme at Te Aroha on Saturday, Sea-law and Orakau comprise the favourite combination, but Foxola r Foxlore, Volifox and Regal Fox have many admirers for the Maharaka, while supporters are not wanting for Kentish, Betterman, Babrow and Water Vixen in the Electric.

Sea-law, 8.12, has all the weight he is entitled to in the Maharaka Handicap, as he only carried 7.8 when he won the Storey Memorial at Te Hapa on February 20. He has had three runs since then for two seconds, the last one in the Foley Memorial, in which he had 8.8 and finished behind British Mint. The Foxbridge horse ran on very solidly over the concluding stages of that race, and would have won in another few strides. Foxola; a close fifth in the Foley, is meeting Sea-law on 51b better terms, and the changed conditions may bring them together. Form- of Volifox Volifox, which ran unplaced, with 7.9 in the Storey Memorial, has since taken the second division of the Ohinemuri Cup and the first division of the Tauranga Cup, with the result that she is now handicapped 8.6, and meeting Sealaw on 71b better terms. She is very fit at the present time, and should not be left out of calculations. Foxlore was at his best in the autumn of last season, and after many disappointing runs earlier this term, he is again reproducing the form which led many followers of the sport to hold a good opinion of him. At Ellerslie on Easter Mondav he was only beaten a nose by Rakanui in the H. O. Nolan Handicap, and a repetition of that run would make him hard to beat. Regal Fox, 9.4, is a good horse when he gets a track to suit him, and he will need the conditions right on Saturday to defeat this field. Sea-law and Foxola are preferred among the topweights, and Justina, a useful mare under a lightweight, and Foxlore among the others. Position of Orakau Orakau, the Electric favourite, was a good fifth in the A.R.C. Easter Handicap and fourth in the Huia Handicap, two runs, which indicate that he is returning to form, but there does not appear to be any justification for making him a "hot-pot"—except, perhaps, that his connections have thought fit to engage H. N. Wiggins to ride him. The topweight Babrow, 8.3, is not badly treated, and he can run such a solid seven furlongs that he might well hold Kentish (8.2) safe, but Merry Vaals has only to regain his form of last season to lead the field home. Betterman and Water Vixen, both recent graduates from the hack class, are useful gallopers, and they should perform creditably, but Orakau is likely to retain Ms position as favourite. His task does not appear to be an easy one.