NEW ZEALAND CUP

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24982, 17 September 1946, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND CUP

TROTTING

STAKE OF £7500 AGAIN Horses assessed on 4min 20sec or better will be eligible to compete for the rich stake of £7500 which will be given by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club for the New Zealand Trotting Cup, the main event at the four-day November meeting of the dub. The winner will receive £4975 (induding the £lOO gold cup), the second horse £l5OO, third horse £750, and fourth £375. The stake is the same as was given last year, but the limit is a second tighter. The proposed conditions are subject to the approval of the New Zealand Trotting Association.

With the limit set at 4min 20sec, young horses will be in the minority, and the field will be comprised mostly of hardened veterans. Of the 17 horses eligible at present, the seven-year-old Volo Senwod is the baby of the field, and next to him is the eight-year-old Integrity. Shadow Maid and Knave of Diamonds are nine years old; and the 10-year-olds indude Bronze Eagle, Burt Scott, Gold Bar, Countless, Sea Born, Clockwork, and Bulldozer. Haughty (the most tightlyassessed mare in commission) is 11, and others of the same age are Happy Man, Josedale Grattan, and Double Peter. Loyal Friend is 12, while the distinction of being the oldest contestant goes to Dusky Sound, which, at 13, appears to be getting past his best. The horses eligible at present are assessed as follows:—Haughty, 4min 17sec; Gold Bar, Bronze Eagle, 4min 18sec; Burt Scott, Integrity. Countless, Dusky Sound, Sea Bom, Clockwork, 4min 19sec; Josedale Grattan, Volo Senwod, Loyal Friend, Bulldozer, Happy Man, Knave of Diamonds, Shadow Maid, Double Peter, 4min 20sec.

Set to concede starts of 36 yards to a field of 16 horses, Haughty, to have any chance, would need to be right back to the form which enabled her to win the cup in 1942 and 1943, and as it is not unreasonable to expect that age has dimmed her brilliance, her prospects do not appear bright. Bronze Eagle, the 1944 cup winner, recorded only one second placing in seven stars last season; but C. 'C. Devine has him in excellent order at this stage of his preparation, and, on his running at the National meeting, he must be conceded a chance.

Gold Bar, the winner of the premier event last year, is not set an Impossible task from the 24 yards mark, and, as he showed by dead-heating with Countless in the August Pacing Free-for-All on the first day of the National meeting, he has retained his speed in a surprising manner. The most spectacular pacer of the last decade, Gold Bar will carry a left of support in the big event. Burt Scott won the Easter Handicap from Happy Man. Shadow Maid, and Clockwork; but this quartet makes little appeal. Bulldozer, which will be bracketed with Burt Scott, appears to have made a good recovery from the injuries he received last season, and he may be back to his best form in November. It is doubtful whether the best has been seen of Integrity, which has finished in second place in both his attempts at the cup. If he moves off smoothly at the start, be must be hard to beat this year. Countless showed a return to his best form when he dead-heated with Gold Bar at the National meeting, and at this stage his cup prospects must be highly rated.

The Takanini trainer, F. J. Smith, has a strong bracket in Josedale Grattan and Volo Senwod. The first-named won the rac • in 1941, and it is reported that he is in excellent condition at present. Volo Senwod, which recorded three wins and five minor placings last season, has the advantage of having youth on his side and, a consistent pacer, he must be conceded a good chance. Dusky Sound gave his best display last season to win the Mason Handicap from Clockwork at the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting on January 1; but he would need to have everything in his favour to be a possibility. Sea Born’s chance depends to a large extent on the state of the track; and the same applies to Double Peter, which made the grade to cup company when he won the WinSandiMp on a heavy track on the Hrs *,A ay O 1 * he Notional meeting. With conditions to suit him, he would probably be sent out one of the favourites, as he is a real mud-lark.

Shadow Maid has paid her way handsomely with minor placings and a consistent pacer, she must always be given a chance. Loyal Friend is in a similar position to Shadow Maid—he is honest, he has a fair turn of speed, and, in the circumstances, he may finish close up. Knave of Diamonds, the remaining wj'Jhiber of the field, will probably be one t V e 2 n the da y- owned o„ n .? d bs ’ J °- Hooper, this son of otts Nanette has some fine Er=.„2rj l , 'l ces !° *l*’ “«>“■ Hooper drove S?? Bbty ? wln her f ups; bu * » *•» he . s "S* been successful with one of hia own horses. A win for the Lauriston cetved ramer wouW be Popularly reJottings o B n2?l!. n * on .’* now fi aek ln work In C. c - » ‘cam at Prebbleton. ,s ;»- wl^ ch . wll , 1 r ’°' 1» the luGold S Trail° ld b * from | bate» s’SS. but he was never likely after having 15 horses in front of him with half a mile covered. Alcazar showed good form over sprint d £?£ ce S Auckland last season, and he should finish in a place in the Takanini week iCMP at Auckla «d meeting this

Real Nugget gave an encouraging display at the New Brighton -Trotting Club’s meeting, and he should pay hia way for G Cameron at the Nelson Trotting. Club’s meeting this week. Mr H. Appleton, Papatoetoe, has registered his four-year-old trotter by Swordsman from Abyssinia as Cuchillo.

Lucky Escape R. H. Butterick had a lucky escape from injury when his horse. Economist, was involved in an accident in the Selma Trot at the Ashburton Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday. The Incident occurred when Rural Lady broke and caused Hal Derby to break. In the mix-up which followed, Economist fell and Bay Jack crashed Into her. Fortunately the horses and drivers were not injured, the only damage being done to Butterick’s sulky, which was wrecked. Malden Trotter

Loyal Wrack, a trotter by Grattan Loyal from a Wrack mare, is the latest addition to J. Behrns’s team at Ashburton. Glen Devon, which is also trained by Behrns, gave a fair display to lead in the early part of the Selma Handicap on Saturday, and the Logan Fraser gelding may pay his way over shorter distances this season.

Now at West Melton Tolan, which is now owned and trained by S. A. Edwards, West Melton, showed some speed in the Selma Trot at Ashburton when, after being in twelfth place with half a mile covered, he moved up to take the lead approaching the entrance to the straight; but he could not sustain his run and was seventh to cross the line at the finish. Bred by Mr J. J. Cosgrove, Winton, Tolan is by Sandydale from a winner in Edith Grattan, which is by Grattan Loyal from Fortune Chimes, by Four Chimes from Miss Fortune, by Stirling Lad from Edith,' by Startle from an Ajax mare. Likely Type Although he was never a possibility after losing ground at the start of the Selma Trot at Ashburton on Saturday, Lyceum attracted attention as a likely type and he should pay his way for V. Leeming, who trains him at Prebbleton. A five-year-old gelding, he Is by Dillon Hall from Gratitude, which left other winners in Stanza to Four Chimes and Gratuity to Rey de Oro. Bred by Mr A. Jopp, Arrowtown, Gratitude is by Harold Direct from Jane Wilkes, by Harold Wilkes from Little Jane, by Spot from a Morris Dancer mare. New Brighton T.C.

Nominations for all events at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s meeting, to be held on the Addington course on Saturday, September 28, will close at 5 pan. To-day (Tuesday). —Advt.