PROGRAMME FOR TOPOROA

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27824, 24 November 1955, Page 4

PROGRAMME FOR TOPOROA

AUTUMN RACING IN SYDNEY (From, the Australian Correspondent ot “The Press' Special Service SYDNEY, November 21. The Melbourne Cup winner, Toparoa, will be home at the week-end for more racing. But his trainer in Australia, T. J. Smith, wants Toparoa back in Sydney in February for the autumn racing here. Smith is doubly keen about getting Toparoa back, since he has seen the treatment of Toparoa in the Summer Cup at Randwick on December 26. Toparoa is handicapped at 8-9 for the race of one mile and a half, or 161 b more than the gelding carried when he won the Melbourne Cup from Rising Fast and Sir William. The rise in weight is not nearly as sharp as it looks, because the Summer Cup is a race much lower m class than the Melbourne Cup. A guide to this is given by the treatment of one of Australia’s best distance horses, Advocate. In spite of comparatively poor form in the spring, Advocate is handicapped at 9-2 for the Summer Cup. This is 61b more than he had in the Melbourne Cup.

Thus Smith is inclined to believe that Toparoa would not be handicapped in excess of 8-2 for the Sydney Cup, and unless there is a strong contingent of New Zealand stayers in the field, Toparoa would have a top-class chance with that weight. Toparoa will race in January. A final decision about his return to Australia will be made after his form has been disclosed.

The Riccarton-trained Sir William was second in the Eclipse Stakes at Caulfield, the last of the big races of the spring, last Saturday. Only in the last few strides was Sir William beaten by Kosciusko at the end of the 10 furlongs. Half-way down the straight, where Sir William was in front, it appeared certain that he would complete the remarkable sequence of New Zealand successes in the major events. Mr M. J. Mpodabe has another prospective top-class runner to carry his colours in Australia. Last time, he was in Sydney, he asked T. J. Smith whether he could take a horse to train for him.

Moodabe’s trainer in Australia has always previously been Maurice McCarten, but McCarten could not make room for another htfrse. And so Crimson Pirate, a three-year-old by Contact from Entree, was sent to Smith.

At Warwick Farm on Saturday, Crimson Pirate won the Encourage Handicap. 11 furlongs, for which a field of 12 fairly good restricted-class horses were stripped. One of them was the promising American-bred Resound, son of Bull Lea and Hyperion Comet, and, therefore, bred very similarly to the great Citation. Resound was second in a very close finish, but Crimson Pirate was the more impressive. He looks as though he will develop into a good stayer.