AUCKLAND CUP TODAY

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28160, 26 December 1956, Page 4

AUCKLAND CUP TODAY

Llanisfair May Win £ll,OOO Race ROYAL CRESCENT FOR THE RAILWAY “The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND, December 25. A battle royal between the stayers is expected in the £ll.OOO Auckland Cup at Ellerslie tomorrow. The winner’s share of the prize is £7550. A popular opinion is that it will be won by the Te Rapa five-year-old. Llanisfair.

When acceptances closed there were 25 in the big event, but in the meantime Fox Myth, the top-weight, and Dynamite have been scratched. Llanisfair has 8-7, which is 121 b less than weight-for-age at this time of the year. The last five-year-old to be successful was Rev, which carried 8-6 in 1952. Cardigan, a four-year-old gelding raced by the GovernorGeneral, Sir Willoughby Norrie, is the runner most favoured to beat Llanisfair. Victory for Cardigan would be particularly notable, because there has not yet been a ViceRegal win in the race. Last year Llanisfair ran second to Tesla, and he also filled a similar position in the Autumn Handicap, two miles, at Trentham, and was fourth over the same distance in the Waikato Gold Cup last month. Success for him this time would be well deserved. Llanisfair is a big gelding by Count Rendered from Llandine (by Kincardine), and he is trained by R. T. Cotter for Messrs R. B. Seabrook and C. B. Wake.

The weight-for-age scale for a four-year-old is 9-0, and Cardigan appears to be favourably handicapped with 8-3, which is near the middle of the handicap. Marsden from Hastings. Sombrero from Woodville, and Column from Geraldine are also thereabouts with 8-3, 8-2, and 7-11 respectively. Weight of off-course money is bound to make them well-backed candidates. The Auckland Cup will be the first leg of the double.

Royal Crescent, from Te Rapa, and the Takanini colt. Yes Please, are the popular fancies for the second leg, the Railway Handicap. There seems to be no stopping Royal Crescent, which has won at four of her last five starts. The most recent was at Te Awamutu on December 8, her first in open company, and she scored brilliantly at the expense of Copernicus and 11 others.

Royal Crescent is a five-year-old, as was Lucrative, which won the race last year. Yes Please and Copernicus are both three-year-olds. Horses of that age have not enjoyed much success lately in the Railway Handicap, and since 1950 not one has prevailed Additional three-year-old candidates this time include Melanion, Lorica. Sambula, Sir Valley, and Royal Pepeta.

Other notable events will be the Christmas Handicap, which is dominated by Somerset Fair, and the Great Northern Foal Stakes, in which Ganymede promises to be a warm favourite. The track and course generally are a picture, having been freshened by the showers of rain during the last two or three days, and there is a good prospect of several very fast gallops. Horses unlikely to fulfil their engagements are Black Raven (Auckland Cup), Tamasua and Juventas (Queen’s Plate), Young Idealist (Great Northern Foal Stakes), Yoho and Rangipapa (Railway Handicap), and Tinagroo (Christmas Handicap).

Selections:— 11 a.m.—Robinson Handicap: Ghiberti, Gay Sailor, Rose Filou. 11.50 a.m.—Auckland Hurdles: Nupla, Levanto. Hickory Stick. 12.35 p.m:—Nursery Hack Handicap: Supertax, Somain, Gold Lane. 1.35 p.m.—Auckland Cup: Llanlsfair, Cardigan, Yeman. 2.25 p.m.—Queen's Plate: Great Rose, i Conker's King, Red Eagle. 3.15 p.m.—Great Northern Foal Stakes: Ganymede, Salaam, Attila. 4.10 p.m.—Railway Handicap: Royal Crescent, Yes Please, Copernicus. 5 p.m.—Christmas Handicap: Somerset Fair, Zariba. Highland Sandy. The fields are:— ROBINSON HACK HANDICAP, of £700; seven furlongs.—Golden ■ Cabana (20) 8-12; Starry Host (14) 8-9; Gay Sailor (1) 8-3; Paper Trail (17) 8-2; Fairy Mist (3), Moorwings (21), Rose Filou (19) 8-1; Bahrikoff (11), Blue Pool (4), Cloncarrig ( (22), Ghiberti (6), Super Fair (19) 8-0; Hunter's Ferry (23), Sister Belle (8) 7-13; , Babu (16) 7-12; Mock Battle (2), Pakiri (7), Qantas (12) 7-11; Bohemian (15), Distinctive (18), Dunray (5), Saltash (10) 7- Sassawon (24), Windermere (13) 7-9. Scratched: Golden Cabana, Babu. AUCKLAND HACK HURDLES, of £700; one mile and three-quarters and 60 yards, i —Tamatoa (2) 11-1; Ulsterman (11) 10-13; Hickory Stick (14) 10-12; Mountin Venture (12) 10-3; Dutch Flag (16), Nupla (5) 10-0; Double Crown (10) 9-11; Lucky Admiral (7) 9-9; Levanto (17). Morpheus (1) 9-3; Brent (9), Capstain (4), High Force (6), Monaro (8), Peter Lu (15), Recount (13), The Grebe (3) 9-0. Scratched: The Grebe. NURSERY HANDICAP, of £700; two-vear-olds; five furlongs.—Supertax (6) 8- Geta (10) 8-7; Carol Joy (8) 8-3; Somain (5) 8-2: Yoga (20) 8-1; Richmond (19) 8-0; Arbonne (16), Danny Oman (7), Gold Lane (11). Royal George (9) 7-13; Arc Flight (12). Awakeri (17), Claim (1), Dominion (3), Full Cup (13), How High (2) Namaka (4). Steel Rod (15), Terrore Rosso (18) 7-12; Glory Light (14) 7-11. AUCKLAND CUP,

QUEEN’S HACK PLATE, of £1200; one mile.—Black Lad (8), Esparto (22), Flying Meteor (21), Gay Student (1), Ho Choy (15), Prince Bayanut (16), Tarawa (5) 8-9; Tarry Town (13) 8-6; Free Ticket (4), Great Rose (6), Intimate (3), May Day (23), Valiant Star (24) 8-4; Black Opal (20), Conker’s King (11), Red Eagle (17), Sky Warrior (7), Straight March (12), Tamasua (14). Tarqi (10) 8-0; Dark Charm (19). Juventas (2), Marissa (18), Summer Glow (9) 7-9. Scratched: Black Opal, Summer Glow. GREAT NORTHERN FOAL STAKES, of £2000; two-year-olds; six furlongs.— Attila (15), Braemar (5), Count Oman (14), Distant Day (7), Nonda (3), Redimere (13), Peter Monarch (6), Red Robe (2), Royal Guy (9), Royal Jester (4), Salaam (11). Tawhiao (12), Young Idealist (17) 8-10; Dagarma (8), Ganymede (1), Hello Lady (10). Lady Debra (16) 8-5. Scratched: Count Oman. RAILWAY HANDICAP,

Bracket: Supreme Court and Belle Rosa. Scratched: Ten Grand, Yahabeebe, Supreme Court, Chevalier.

CHRISTMAS HANDICAP, of £1250; one mile.—Somerset Fair (11) 9-7; Peterford (12) 9-4; Zariba (3) 8-2; Hot Drop (4) 7-13; Bali Ha’i (13) 7-12; Highland Sandy (10) 7-10; Huatoki (6) 7-7; Tinagroo (5), Turkman (7) 7-5; Bernard (14), Cinna Maid (1), Kauri Heart (9), Prone (8), Sea Hornet (2) 7-0.

Of £11,000. Two miles. st. lb 2202 Coleridge (19) .. .. 8 13 010 Spring Fair (9) .. ..8 9 0410 Llanisfair (16) .. ..8 7 0200 Master Proven (23) .. ..8 6 1104 Clinker (5) .. ..8 5 0203 Big Blow (20) .. ..8 3 0314 Cardigan (25) .. ..8 3 2100 Marsden (10) .. ..83 0300 Sombrero (8) .. ..8 2 1230 Column (7) .. .. 1 11 0010 Zohov (6) .. .. .. 7 10 1200 New York (13) .. ..7 8 4200 Hollywood (4) .. ..7 7 0303 Black Amber (3) .. ..7 5 0000 Rosebelle (imp.) (11) .. 7 5 0041 Yeman (15) .. ..7 3 1424 Straight Lead (14) .. ..7 3 4300 Prety Chance (24) .. ..7 1 0000 Swift Gold (2) .. ..7 1 2001 Alonsun (21) .. .. ..7 0 0000 Black Raven (22) .. ..7 0 0000 Gillace (1) .. .. ..7 0 2000 Suvla Bay (12) .. ..7 0 Bracket: Gillace and Suvla Bay. Scratched: Fox Myth, Dynamite.

Of £2750. Six furlongs. st. lb 0311 Domitare (12) .. ..9 1 2000 Bunyarra (5) .. ..8 3 0114 Melanion (3) .. ..8 2 3431 Lorica (19) .. .. ..7 13. 0131 Belle Rosa (7) .. .. 7 12 0 Fatehpur Sikri (13) .. .. 7 11 0312 Yes Please (8) .. .. -7 11 2200 Yoho (14) .. .. .. 7 10 3 Japonica (4) .. ..7 9 1011 Royal Crescent (11) .. ..7 7 0304 Rangipapa (2) .. ..7 4 2322 Copernicus (1) .. ..7 1 2200 Sambula (16) .. ..7 1 0200 Sir Valley (17) .. ..7 1 0000 Royal Pepet* (10) .« •• T 0