RACING CUP HORSES IN METROPOLITAN

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26265, 9 November 1950, Page 5

RACING CUP HORSES IN METROPOLITAN

EARLDALE AND ST. BRUNO HAVE BEST FORM Eleven horses which contested the New Zealand Cup are acceptors for the Metropolitan Handicap, about one ™ lle and a half; on the final day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting at Riccarton on Saturday though one of them, Valley Gold, will not be able to run unless there fire <six scratchings before 10 a.m. on the day of the races. Calibrate, the winner of the cup, is missing from this field, but Earldale and Brun ?« which were second and third respectively, are again engaged. Earldale’s brilliant finishing run intp second place in the cup after being last into the straight was a feature of the cup, His challenge came too late to carry him up to Calibrate in time, but hj§ effort was none the less remarkable. The Ninth Duke gelding usually drifts to the tail of the field in the early stages of his races, but he can maintain a long finishing run, as he did last Saturday. If he gets a clear run when he makes his challenge in the Metropolitan he may play a prominent role in the finish. On the. strength of his third in the c yo. the Wingatui-trained five-year-old. St. Bruno, will be well supported. St. Bruno finished a length and a half behind the winner after being prominent throughout. He appeared to hold a second-to-none chance near the furlong but brilliant challenges from Calibrate and Earldale were more than he could cope with. The cup partly loses its value as a guide to the Metropolitan Handicap because it was run at. a false pace, and some of the true stayers m the field were at a disadvantage when the pace was clapped on for the fast half mile. Beaumaris, for one. was handicapped in that respect and there are probably others, with engagements in the Met nopoli tan Handicap, whose chances were similarly affected. The possibility exists, then, of cup form proving of little value if the Metropolitan Handicap is solidly run throughout. Robin’s Reward, the Metropolitan, top weight with 9-1, finished well back in both the cup and the Fendalton Handicap, and he has altogether failed to confirm the promising nature of his form at the Wellington spring meeting at which he improved with each race, finishing second on the final day Xo Beaumaris in the Harcourt Stakes.

Royal Tan’s Prospects Royal Tan was one cup candidate placed at a disadvantage by the slow pace in the cup, in which he well back. It is possible that this good performer is now at seven years, on the decline, but earlier this season he showed promise of a return to winniftg form in the strongest company. He dead-heated with Coral Arc in this race two years ago, and his chances cannot be altogether disregarded. Super Snipe made her first appearance at the meeting in the Canterbury Cup on Monday, finishing a moderate fifth. She was towards the middle of the field for the first mile and could not reduce the gap to the leaders in the straight. After h i e J good torm in hef autumn three-year-old racing last season a better showing was expected of her. Renowned finished sixth in the Aip, but she failed to produce a performance of the same merit in the Fendalton Handicap. However, having won over one mile and a half in strong company at Trentham last month, Mr R. J. Murphy’s good mare will be well supported on Saturday Signify became one of the early favounles for the New Zealand Cup after she had shown good form at Trentham. where sne won the Pearce Handicap. She was not impressive in her final training tasks at Riccarton, and her performance suggested that she was not at peak form. She was not raced on the second day of the meeting, but the fact that she has been paid up for in the Metropolitan suggests perhaps. that her owner-trainer regarded her form in the cup as only a temporary lapse. w,s to finish in th« cun and d'd not race on the second dav He has winning form up to one mile and a SW!F, ter ; “ nd . ht V.” shown promise of ability to master slightly longer journeys, appealed likely to play a prominent role in the finish of the cup about two furlongs from home, but he failed h ? challenge and finished eignth. The shorter journey will be to the Toper 1 ’ 88 * Ot thiS smal1 ’ but good B*lNight Owl finished tenth in the cup and u’u nut race on the second day. The t? r i?r ,d T has shown consistent f° r f?\L or hut he may just in C thls C field SS ° f beSt hls opponents

It has been a case of so near but yet ?? f th in several of the l big handicaps he has contested at Riccarton and Trentham since he last showed Z on J? * in anuar y of last year. He finished third to Renowned and Coral Arc 5 a 2 dlcap at 'Trentham I2°?u h ’ and last , Saturday he finished n C u p ? , a httle over two and a half lengths behind the winner. Langba™ to . b * tbe outstanding prosUn Ct H O a nd. e c.p e "'- Wel< - htS ‘ n M‘tropo)lArctntis will have supporters on the strength of his third to Pierre and The day m the Fenda,ton Handicap on Monls °J the horees balloted ™ «ra?cMng, r ‘ gh ' °* r '' tn,ry ln the „,? n bis ; New Zealand Derby second, the Wingatui trained Admiral’s Luck colt ?»ni rk we,'g n h?of“ IS 7“ 6 rUn W '" Und " hi ‘ s i gn.^ ,s .^ M L^X7?; d S °rL s .l: Bruno -

NOMINATIONS FOR

GREYMOUTH "The Press" Special Service CREYMOUTH. November 7. - - 1 9, re M"outh Jockey ClCib has received the following nominations for its meeting on November 18 at Ornoto ‘ NOVICE (STAKES, of £l2.""X°e fur . longs and a half.—Sally Gold. King's Honour. Buccleugh, Skilly, Essential Bacardi, Erratic, Platinum Bionde. Persian lli!H en n < iS! de e vic,o ‘> . vitalogy, Keeneland, Bobby Sox, Ainnlne, Little Gem. Sunda, Tweed II filly, Sunnv Arrow Cardross Royal Hosetie. Escalado, Spinning Lady, Decapitate. BARRYTOWN HACK HANDICAP. of £ld7; one mile and a quarter.—Song Giri Royal Saleve, Iron Trail, Golden Air, v .r' J 2 h , n ; Master Grey, Swing Bridge. Nallas Pride. Opalescent Hyflier, Lord Lansdowne. Bill Hill, New Ruler Hat«.c,’ Dawn Mist ’ R °yal Saga. New Shoes, Philmarch.

GRANDSTAND HANDICAP, of £225one mile.—Flying Orders, Shenandoah. Aqueho, Coxswain. Goldstrike, Open Sky Saieda, Graeme. Gleneagles. KAIMATA HACK HANDICAP, of £150; six furlongs and a half.—Sally Gold. Cinereous, Flying Agnes, Ladv Montrose. Saturate. Keeneland. Valid. Aegina. Bobby Sox, Count de Gama, Ulster Queen, Sunda. Vainly, Judith Ann. Royal Chat, High Spirits, Radar.

GLADSTONE HANDICAP, of £175; seven furlongs—Faultrosa. Flying Orders, Shenandoah, Eulogize, Aquelio, Coxswain Vitamin, Exchange, Saieda, Gleneagles. FAREWELL HANDICAP. of £150; seven furlongs.—Song Girl, Royal Saleve, Sally Gold. Iron Trail, Cinereous. Golden Air. Flying Agnes, Albert John. Lady Montrose, Master Grey, Essential, Bacardi, Nalla’s Pride, Opalescent. Cloudy Range. Lord Lansdowne, Bill Hill. Airshaft, Count de Gama, Ulster Queen, New Ruler, Vainly, Hatrack, Royal Chat. King’s Honour, Decapitate, Royal Saga, Radar, New Shoes.

MAWHERA HANDICAP TROT. of £157; 3min 56sec class; one mile and five furlongs.—Authie, Radiant Night. Red Chase. Little Slam, Graticulate. Three Cheers, Esperanto, Doughboy, Errol’s Pal. Sure Pip, Wentworth, Molly Grattan, White Angel, Scotty’s Double, Rajah, Olga Dale, Eden Chimes, Tiki Napu, Chalice. Stately Lady, Gamble Cross, Dealer’s Choice, Triple Play, May’s Surprise, Billet Doux, Fickle, Jack’s Mistake.

COBDEN HANDICAP TROT, of £157; 3min 56sec class; one mile and five furlongs.— Authte,’ Radiant Night, Red Chase, Little Slam, Graticulate, Three Cheers, Phoebe’s Pride. Esperanto, Doughboy, Erro s Pal. Sure Pip. Wentworth, Molly Grflttan. White Angel. Scotty’s Double. Rajah, Olga Dale, Eden Chimes. Tiki Napu, Chalice. Stately Lady, Gamble Cross. Dealer’s Choice, Triple Play, May’s Surprise, Billet Doux, Fickle, Jack’s Mistake. , .

BRACKETS FOR THIRD DAY AT RICCARTON

Following are the brackets for the third day of the New Zealand Cup meeting at Riccarton on Saturday:— Pioneer Handicap: Scorned and True Blend, Montana and Sea Hawk. Metropolitan Handicap: Royal Tan and Robin Dayes, Saxonia and Valley Gold. Members' Handicap: Ned Kelly, Robinfay e. and Trident. Seymour Handicap: Bill Hill and Declare, Decameron and Royal Saga, Excellent Flight and Laloma Rua. Royal Rosette and Spectral, Tallahassee and Travesty.

Newsboy Destroyed The racehorse, ’Newsboy, owned by Mr J. A. Betts (Masterton) was destroyed at Hastings on Tuesday. Newsboy fell during the running of the Flying Handicap at Hastings in September, and did not recover from the injuries he received (P.A.) ’