THE WELLINGTON CUP

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25088, 21 January 1947, Page 4

THE WELLINGTON CUP

RACING

BRUCE’S FINE WIN “Bruce is one of the gamest little horses I have ever had anything to do with,” said L. J. Ellis, his trainer, after the Wellington Cup race. He would not say which of his two horses he favoured. He thought Bruce was a little close m the weights to such a good stayer as Golden Souvenir, but, being a nippy horse in the field, he had an advantage over Golden Souvenir, which must of necessity go round the field. On the other hand, the distance was known to be to Golden Souvenir’s advantage, and in a smaller field, Ellis said, he would have definitely favoured Golden Souvenir’s chances.

How accurate Ellis’s assessment was borne out by the result. The race was not run at a true pace throughout. The first mile was privately timed to be run in Imin 45 2-ssec, and the official time for the full distance was 3min 254 sec, so the last mile was done in approximately Imin 40sec. Bruce ahd Golden Souvenir were well bacff at the mile post, and their time would be a little better thsm imin 4^sec - The lack of pace over the first mile resulted in the field bunchln j U R. w * th about four furlongs to run, and that very nearly cost Bruce his chance of success, as he was then in a dangerous position. Broughton was successful in securing an opening on the inside, however, and he gradually threaded his way through the field. He was well into the straight before he was in a position to make his run. When Bruce d!d challenge he was full of running, and finished like a champion. For Golden Souvenir it was a different ” Or Y- When the field bunched his rider, c - T- Wilson, had to take him further out than he liked doing. Four times he went to move up, and each time another horse came out and forced him further out, and by the time the straight entrance was reached he was seven or eight horses out from the rails.

Bruce now ranks as one of the great bargains of the Trentham yearling sales, being sold to Mr Scott Ramsay for 170 guineas. Throughout his career he has been n^ ained b y EUis - and he has now won £9OOO in stakes, including a gold cup valued at £lO5. As a two-year-old, Bruce’s lack of size was evident. He had his first race at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s non-totalisator mid-summer meeting, and nis next at the Banks Peninsula meetMarch. At the Canterbury Jockey Club s Easter meeting he had three starts for two thirds and a fourth, which yielded m i° J de ? t total of £ l°°- As a three-year-old he won his first race at the Grand National meeting, when he was successful in a division of the Cashmere Plate. His next win was in the Seymour Handicap on the second day of the New Zealand Cup meeting, and from then on from strength to strength, and t « e s ®. ason b y winning the Great Autumn Handicap, and being the leading three-year-old stake .winner in the Dominion, with £4245 to his credit. He was not entered for any of the three-year-old classics in the early spring. He may not have been up to classic class, out as the season iprogressed his form was much superior to that of any other three-year-old. Bruce has now reached a " awkward position in the handicaps, ? . , h ’ s future opportunities will be reL he Wellin gton Racing Club Handicap to be run to-morrow, he wws handicapped at 9-13, only 11b below Golston ?he ? iS SUCh wei S hts that IhiE of . horses, and it is improbwl ? Wlll b ® taken to Australia. A e be in the Tasman ton keS at the Easter meeting at RiccarIndian Dawn’s Winnings er? he Q + auccess in the DesT S S kes Trentham on Saturday, Indian Dawn had won in hack company, addition of Saturday’s stake ot ±.975 she enters open company with the very respectable total of £2450 to her credit. Even her total of £1475 is not often exceeded by three-year-olds entering open company, and with her latest success Indian Dawn will be handicapped at several pounds more than the minimum in open compnay. In her few races as a two-year-old late last season Indian Da wn was invariably finishing on at the' end of her races. Her first success was in the Cashmere Plate at the Grand National meeting. On the third day of the meeting she finished strongly into third place in the Longbeach Hack Handicap. Her next start was in the John Grigg Stakes, in which she wag pever dangerous. After that race she lost all form and did not race again until the New Zealand Cup meeting, when she ran three fair races without being placed. She gave her first glimpse of form when she ran second to Air Lord over seven furlongs at the Kurow meeting at Oamaru in the fast time of Imin 25 4-ssec. At the Dunedin meeting at Christmas she won two hack races of 11 furlongs in good style, followed by an zimpresfi|ve performance in the Apprentices' Handicap on the first day at Trentham, being and covering a good deal of extra ground. In her three successes, Indian Dawn had taken time to find her feet, and there was a doubt whether she would beat a good beginner like • Privilege over a . mile on Saturday. Privilege lacked the hard racing condition of Indian Dawn, and the latter’s win was most decisive.

Indian Dawn now ranks as a sale ring bargain. She was bred at the Trelawney Stud, and sold as a yearling for 600gns to Mr H. N. Barlow, but she races in Mrs Barlow’s interests. She has always been trained by C. C. McCarthy, and apart from her success on the racecourse Indian Dawn will also have considerable stud value when she retires.

Performance by Da Vinci When he was successful in the Telegraph Handicap on Saturday with 9-9, Da Vinci beat Tamatete’s weight-carry-ing record of 1923. As a four-year-old, Tamatete won with 9-8 in the smart time of Imin 12 l-ssec. He was ridden by McCarten, who was present at Trentham on Saturday. Since then, only two other horses have been successful with more than 9-0. They were Autopay, which won in 1933 with 9-4, and Master Dash, which won last year with 9-2. Da Vinci has previously proved his ability to carry big weights successfully. As a late three-year-pld he was successful in a seven furlong hack race at Hastings with 10-1. Race for Three-year-old Fillies The advocates of more races for three-year-old fillies will be gratified by the success of the Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham on Saturday. A field of 13 paraded and that number is larger than the number of acceptors for the Gloaming Stakes. It was also appropriate that the race was won by a filly coming from the same family as Desert Gold. Races such as the Desert Gold Stakes are to the good of racing, and of great assistance to breeders because they greatly enhance the value of fillies. There should now be no doubt about the race’s future. Rapid Improvement In her two starts at Trentham, Renowned has made up a tremendous amount of ground in the straight. At present she does not seem to be able to go with the field early, but this is often a fault with staying horses. The style of race Renowned is running suggests that she will be a good prospect for the fillies’ classics as a three-year-old making rapid improvement. Belated Appearance No hack at Trentham hAs shown more improvement with racing than the Ric-carton-trained three-year-old Diameter. The long-striding, Defoe gelding has made a belated appearance to secure a minor placing in each of his races, and on each occasion has come from a long way back. Over the final stretch on Saturday he passed quite useful hacks as if they were standing. He was unfortunate in running up against a good class horse like Brown Derby, but his turn is not far off.

Had Every Chance Sea Flower was kept in a very handy position all the way in the Fitzherbert Handicap at Trentham on Saturday, but did not finish on over the final furlong. Another fancied runner in Blithe Spirit, which won twice during the holidays, also had every chance after looking a possibility with a furlong and a half to run. Just too Far

Signal Officer had to cover a little extra ground in the Wellington Cup, but he was in a good enough position with a furlong and a half to run to have been in the money. It is probable that two miles is just too far for him, and he may do better in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap to-morrow. Class Tells

Lady Christine was a class above the other fillies in the Fitzherbert Handicap, and the race demonstrated the big gap between classic and handicap two-year-olds. Last year Blue Trout won the Hopeful Stakes at the same meeting with 9-5. A good two-year-old can generally win under big weights for the first half of the season. For that reason alone it was surprising that Lady Christine should have been only fourth favourite in the betting. Made the Pace Rhodesia made the pace to the distance in the Pencarrow Hack Handicap, and was then only just beaten for third money. He is a three-year-old gelding by Rhodes Scholar from Polly Peachum, the dam of several useful horses, and the granddam of John Gay. Rhodesia has won three races this season and looks as if he may be more than useful.