BRISBANE CUP PROSPECTS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27675, 3 June 1955, Page 4

BRISBANE CUP PROSPECTS

M C CARTEN STABLE’S STRONG POSITION

(From the Australian Correspondent of "The Press”)

SYDNEY. May 31. Maurice McCarten is finding difficulty in choosing between his two Brisbane Cup candidates, Finito and Golden Galleon. Both are progressing remarkably well, and McCarten believes he has an excellent chance of winning the £12,000 race with one of them. As form is disclosed, the two New Zealand horses appear to have' sound prospects. Although the Victorian stayer. Hellion, remains favourite, keen form students begin to doubt whether he can be kept fresh enough for the Brisbane campaign. Hellion has been in training for four -months, and has raced fairly frequently. Golden Galleon gains supporters, and it is expected that he will threaten Hellion as favourite as the race approaches. The projected withdrawal of the early favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap, Cragsley, will cause further contraction of Golden Galleon’s price. The scratching of Cragsley will leave Firedust favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap. The double. Firedust and Golden Galleon, is one of the best-backed combinations. Races were' postponed in Sydney on Saturday because of the heavy rain on the' previous two days. Silver Kingdom’s Win Operators connected with the New Zealand sprinter. Silver Kingdom (Royal Chief —Silver Lily), took the opportunity to back the horse at starting price. Silver Kingdom won the second Tambo Welter Handicap from a compatriot. Off Hand (Booby Trap—Vane Love), starting at 4 to 1. With no Sydney meeting, the Sydney bookmakers did brisk business on Melbourne races. Those behind the move to back Silver Kingdom rightly assumed that, witn plenty of betting in Sydney, a starting price commission would escape notice. They entrusted the betting to a wellknown Sydney commissioner, who had no difficulty in getting his bets set. On the course, Silver Kingdom’s early price was 3 to 1, but when there was no heavy betting for him, it eased to 9 to 2, and firmed slightly just before the start. A New Zealand horse, Harry Lime (Pictavia —Day Spring), almost made a double success for Dominion horses. Harry Lime was backed from 12 to 1 to 8 to 1 for the first division of the Tambo Weltet. Up to the last 15 or 20 yards he seemed almost certain to win. Then Beau Cavalier, racing for the first time after a spell, snatched a photo-finish win in the last strides. Beau Cavalier is by Beau Cheval (Beau Pere—Cuddle), which has had singular success at the stud since he was brought from New Zealand to South Australia some years ago.