THE NEW ZEALAND CUP.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9444, 16 June 1896, Page 2

THE NEW ZEALAND CUP.

[By Hotspuk.] An exceedingly gratifying entity has been taken for the big handicap of the year. As was remarked la3t week, many names that one would little expect are oftentimes engaged in races like the New Zealand Cup, but making due allowance for these the number of nominations received on Friday must be said to have been greater than could reasonably have been looked for, inasmuch as the season's racing has not disclosed that there is an abundance of what may be termed Cup horses in the land. A comparative table of the nominations for the race show the figures for the last ten years to read:— •37 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '95 70 X 54 60 76 71 71 70 56 M It will thus be seen that the entry—eight more than last year—if in every respect most satisfactory, is no more than an average one. Of two-year-olds there are twenty nominated ; this is a stronger representation than was the case a year ago, but in most seasons the youngest division generally make up a third of the list. Although a proportion of the twenty can be called untried, the lot include all the best performers. The hero of last year, Euroclydon, and with him Gipsy Grand and Fabulist make a strong contingent to run as four-year-olds. There are not so many in the six and aged division as usual; the familiar name of Prime Warden no longer appears and contrary to expectation, Impulse, the winner of '94, is among the missing. Veterans there are, however, in Lady Zetland, Saracen, Mahaki and a few others.

Thirty-eight of the sixty-four are nominated by North Island owners, and of these the Hon. J. D. Ormond and Mr W. Douglas have four each, those of the first-mentioned being all youngsters ; and Mr S. H. Gollan, with three, these being tried performers, and Mr Morrin with a like number, are the other nominators who have named more thana couple. Of the South Island subscribers Mr Hobbs has no fewer than half a dozen in his charge, one of these being Chaos, with whom the stable made such a bold bid last time. Then he has three "Zetlands," and with two others to choose from the Ashburfcon trainer may be able to find something as good to represent him as he did last November, and, having found such a one, it would, indeed be bad luck to come across another Euroclydon. Mr Stead, with his three rising three-year olds and the Great Autumn Handicap, winner, is another with a strong hand in Canterbury. I had looked for Mr O'Brien figuring as a nominator, and am rather disappointed he is not represented. When he was last in New Zealand he expressed his intention of entering Bob Ray and probably one or two others.

Seeing that the pretensions of many who afterwards made a good showing in bigraces were held in light esteem—a case in point oeing Chaos in the last Cup—it might be contended that it does not do to too hastily condemn any aspirant for the highest handicap honours. For all this it appears as if there were in the present Cup list some few that it would be more in keeping to engage in selling plates, for they will have to improve stones to have the slightest show.