MANAWATU CUP

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25679, 16 December 1948, Page 4

MANAWATU CUP

RACING

MISS BAIRNSFATHER’S CHANCE

Miss Bairnsfather, which will not continue her engagement in the Auckland Cup, Is an interesting acceptor for the Manawatu Cup, of one mile and five furlongs, at Awapuni on Saturday. The Old Bill—Praise mare has shown her best form over distances from seven to 10 furlongs, but the manner in which she has been finishing on in her races may be an indication of ability to master longer distances. Miss Balrnsfather was handicapped to carry 8-2 in the Auckland Cup, which placed her higher in the weights than good performers over longer distances in Welcome Guest (7-12) and Coral Arc (7-9). In the Manawatu Cup she will carry 8-10, meeting Welcome Guest (8-6) on the same terms as in the Auckland two-mile event. As _a three-year-old Miss Bairnsfather was not altogether a success over dis-, tances further than a mile and a quarter. She was third in the New Zealand Oaks to Sweet Nymph and Renowned, but was seven lengths from the winner at the finish. Favourite for the Great Northern Oaks, she registered one of her rare unplaced performances, but later in the season she returned to the winning list over a shorter distance. This season she has won twice over a mile and a quarter, and there was considerable merit in both performances. On the first day of the Feilding meeting on November 13, she beat Torrent, Night Charm, and 11 others with consummate ease in 2min 6 l-ssec. At Woodville a fortnight later she won brilliantly after losing her position with about three furlongs to run. That effort called for courage of a high order, and Miss Bairnsfather was not lacking in that quality. Miss Bairnsfather is a likely candidate for the Wellington Cup in January, and a line on her prospects for that event may be provided on Saturday. Imperial and Barrage, winners of the divisions of the Raukawa Handicap at Otakl last Saturday, are engaged in the Manawatu Cup on Saturday. Imperial Won his division by a handy margin, but he had more luck in the running than Yasda, which finished second. Yasda will receive half a stone from Imperial on Saturday, and with that advantage, and over a longer journey, he may turn the tables. Imperial has shown his best form over a mile and a quarter, as also has Barrage.

Embrolita ran a fair race for third in one of the divisions at Otaki, and the Australian-bred gelding may show further improvement over a longer journey. Nearco Leading Sire

Nearco was the leading sire of winners in Great Britain and Ireland for the flat racing season, which ended last month. Tweniy-three of his sons and daughters won 40 races and £41,541 15s in stakes. Three sons of Nearco in Cimbrone, Lord Bobs (dead), and Pictavia will be represented at the national yearling sales at Trentham in January. Hyperion was the leading brood mare Sire, and Big Game was the leading sire of two-year-olds. The leading owner for Great Britain only was the Aga Khan. Nearco was placed at the top of the list of sires of winners for Great Britain and Ireland by the success of Masaka in the Irish Oaks; but the order for England only was Big Game, Nearco, Bois Roussel, Djebel, Fair Trial, ponatello 11, Owen Tudor, Rhodes Scholar, Hyperion, Panorama. Scottish Union, and Gold Bridge. "Taking these horses collectively,” writes "Audax,” in "Horse and Hound,” "the amount of stamina is not greatly different from last year. The disturbing factor is that it should be possible for a sire of rather short runners, such as Big Game, to head the list, though I doubt if this position will continue for long. Moreover, there is nothing new in this, as is evidenced by the high positions held by Tetratema before the war.”

Sires of winners for Great Britain and Ireland follow, with the number of winners and the races won. respectively, in parenthesis:— Nearco (imp., 1935), by Pharos (number of winners 23, races won 40), value £41,5413; Big Game (1939), by Bahram (26, 43), £40,8913; Fair Trial (1932), by Fairway (34 . 55), £38,0323; Bois Roussel (imp. 1935), by Vatout (27, 46), £37,613J; Djebel (imp., 1937), by Toi»billon (6, 8), £36,767; Donatello II (imp., 1934), by Blenheim (12, 24), £28,677i; Owen Tudor (1938),\ by Hyperion (15, 24), £27,010; Nahsrullah (1940), By Nearco (14, 25), £24,208; Rhodes Scholar (exp., 1933), by PharoS (4, 9), ’£23,7284; Hyperion (1930), by Gainsborough (27, 48), £23,678; Stardust (1937), by Hyperion (26, 45), £23.2534; Panorama (1936), by Sir Cosmo (26, 48), £22,915; The Phoenix (1940), by Chateau Bouscant (1 7, 34), £22,539; Blue Peter (1936), by Fairway (25 , 44), £22,5003; Scottish Union (1935), by Cameronian (26, 48), £22,3234; Gold Bridge (dead, 1929), by Swynford or Golden Boss (24, 48), £21,4614; VatellGT (imp., 1933), by Vatput (6, 13), £18,4003; Coup de Lyon (1930), by Winalot (31, 47), £17,9803; * Precipitation (1933), by Hurry On (23, 34), £16,6013: His Highness (1936), by Hyperion (15, 31J), £16,4283. Sires of Dams

Leading brood mare sires were:—Hyperion (26, 521), £49,811};- Solario (46, 77), £41,131; Gainsborough (22. 371), £29,6803; Mahmoud (12. 18), £27,7683; Fairway (39. 52), £26,894; Sir Gallahad 111 (7, 91), £25,1751; Cameronian (27, 421), £21,2524; Rustom Pasha (5, 9), £19,9783; Bahram (12, 231), £19,2691; King Salmon (19, 32), £18,3034; Sir Cosmo (19, 30), £17,0774; DastUr (18, 31), £17,0024; The Recorder (2,5), £16,680; Concerto (12, 241), £16,637; Badruddin (1, 3), £16,5521; Apelle (10, 18), £16,1372; Winalot (22, 41), £15,4241; Asteurs (8, 11), £15,2441; Blandford (21, 301), £15,4441; Gold Bridge (16, 23), £14.0094. Sires of Two-year-olds Big Game (winners, 18; won, 30), £21,548; Owen Tudor (6, 10), £17,8274', Bois Roussel (imp.) (10, 17), £ 17,9164\ f Stardust (15, 25), £14,9904; The Phoenix (10, 22), £14,4401; Nearco (imp.) (7, 12), £16,2261 Hyperion (13, 20), £9067; Coup de Lyon (10, 16), £80914; Fair Trial (12, 19), £7661; Watling Street (7, 15), £74263; Panorama (8, 15), £69891; Admiral’s Walk (5, 10), £68481; Fairford (6, 9), £64621; Nasrullah (9, 13), £6354 1 / 2 , Gold Bridge (dead) (7, 13), £58561: Ballyogan (9, 15), £55264; Denturius (7, 15), £50854; Orthodox (7, 12), £5072; Emir d’lrari (9, 151), £50294; Dastur (7, 12), £49851. The Aga Khan and Prince Aly Khan were the leading breeders, with 30 winners of 52 races and £54,915 ss. Next on the list was Miss Dorothy Padget, with 35 winners of 69 races and £32,625 ss. The Aga Khan was also leading owner, his horses wining 28 races and £46,393. Australian-bred Piefair, an acceptor for the Trial Handicap at the Tapanui meeting on Saturday, was purchased in Australia last season by Mr J. L. Hazlett, younger brother of the Invercargill owner-trainer, Mr W. E. Hazlett. He is a seven-year-old chestnut gelding by Epic from Delfair and has shown placed form at minor meetings in Australia. Epic was got by Heroic, sire of Ajax, and other good winners in Australia. A jumping career is planned for Piefair, which has the necessary physique for that department. For Auckland

The Riccarton trainer, J. S. Shaw, will leave for Auckland to-night with Idle Jest and Eulogize, which will contest the Queen’s Plate on the first day of the meeting. Eulogize is in the first division with 8-0 and Idle Jest is in the second with 7-9. Idle Jest was a costly proposition for the many investors who made her favourite at Geraldipe last Saturday, as she was out of the race from barrier rise through swinging round at the start. She has often given trouble on the training tracks, but the barrier stalls at Ellerslie may check her waywardness. C. Davey’s Team

Whitley, a member of C. Davey's Halswell team, in the North Island at present, showed his usual early speed in the Huia Handicap at Otaki last Saturday but was done with before the straight was reached. Clyde Bridge, Hormond. Autoshine, and Mtize are other members of Davey’s team on the trip. Autoshine claims an engagement in the first division of the Gillies Hack Handicap at Awapuni on Saturday, and Hormond will start in the first division of the Maiden Plate.