Transport By Air To Auckland For Cadiz

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 4

Transport By Air To Auckland For Cadiz

Transport arrangements for Cadiz, which will do his holiday racing in the North Island, are almost complete.

Unless there is a change of plans in the meantime the Riccarton-trained three-year-old will be flown from Harewood to Whenuapai, in company with the Otago horses, Sparkler and Desert Chief, next Saturday week. Only confirmation that a Bristol Freighter will be available for that day is awaited. The speciallychartered flight will cost £350.

Cadiz will be quartered at Ellerslie during his stay in the North Island. His campaign will begin at the Ohinemuri Jockey Club’s meeting at Paeroa on December 19. There he will be tested over six furlongs at weight-for-age in the Shaw Stakes. The next Saturday Cadiz will contest the Newmarket Handicap, the open sprint on the first day of the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting. He has no engagement on the second day, but has been entered for the weight-for-age King’s Plate and the Railway Handicap on the third day. Although the weight he is allotted will probably be a determining factor, it is expected that the Railway Handicap will be Cadiz’s mission.

Although Cadiz’s trainer, J. C. Tomkinson, does not often venture as far north as Auckland, horses from his stable have represented him successfully on two or three previous visits to Ellerslie. The .only time that a horse trained by him has failed to earn a stake on a campaign there was on his first visit in 1947.

That year Revolte's stylish win in the Fendalton Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting encouraged his owners, the late Sir Arthur Donnelly and the late Mr D. E. Wanklyn, who were patrons of Tomkinson's stable, to try the gelding in the Auckland Cup. Revolte was taken to Ellerslie but failed in the cup and also in the Nathans’ Memorial Handicap. A year later Tomkinson returned to Auckland with Revolte and Coral Arc. The latter was runner-up to Francis in the Auckland Cup and Revolte won the £ 1000 Plunket Handicap. Tomkinson’s third trip to Ellerslie was with the brilliant Hush Money in 1955. Hush Money was narrowly beaten by Lucrative in the Railway Handicap then concluded a notable race career by winning the Electric and Newmarket Handicaps on the later days of the meeting. Like Cadiz, Coral Arc and Hush Money were both owned by Mr A. N. Smith, president of the Dunedin Jockey Club.

Cadiz has thrived since his runaway win in the Stewards’ Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting. In preparation for racing on right-hand tracks in the north he was tried for speed the reverse way round on the plough at Riccarton yesterday. In his usual effortless manner Cadiz sprinted from the three furlongs around the top bend and down the back straight to the six furlong peg ip 36 l-ssec.

The Riccarton jockey, A. J. Stokes, who is first horseman to the Tomkinson stable, will ride Cadiz in all his engagements in the north.

Sparkler and Desert Chief The Ohinemuri meeting will also be the starting point for the North Island campaigns of Sparkler and Desert Chief. They will be rival candidates at Paeroa in

| the weight-for-age Queen Elizabeth II Plate which is run over 10 furlongs. A week later Desert Chief will contest the Great Northern Derby at Ellerslie. If he shapes well in that race a start for him in the Auckland Cup on the third day is probable. Although his latest showing in the Southland Guineas, in which he was beaten decisively by McGregor and Subtrist, was well below his best, Desert Chief had already earned himself a trip to Ellerslie because of his deeds at the New Zealand Cup meeting. At Riccarton he finished third to Sol d’Or and Grasher in the New Zealand Derby, then beat older rivals at weight-for-age over 12 furlongs in the truely run Canterbury Cup. For the Wingatui trainer, D. G. O’Neill, who prepares Desert Chief for Mr G. J. Barton, of Dunedin, this will be his first campaign at an Auckland meeting. Sparkler’s main mission at Ellerslie will be the £ll,OOO Auckland Cup. His programme after the Queen Elizabeth II Plate has not yet been decided, but it is almost certain that he will race in either the Queen Elizabeth Handicap or the Summer Cup on one of the earlier days at the meeting.

Sparkler was one of the top stayers at the New Zealand Cup .meeting last month. He won the Fendalton Handicap convincingly at his first start at the meeting and was very unlucky not to have added the Metropolitan Handicap, in which he finished third, to his record.

Sparkler, which races for Messrs R. S. Glendining and D. M. Reid, of Dunedin, is trained by D. P. Wilson at Mosgiel. Wilson has already been credited with a training success in the Auckland Cup. He prepared Frances, which raced in his colours, to win the race in 1948. Cup Campaign Abandoned The Riccarton trainer, F. A. Roberts, has abandoned plans for an Auckland Cup campaign with Sarcelle. This decision has been brought about because of the hard state of the tracks at Riccarton at present. The Oman mare’s fast work has been fairly restricted jSince the New Zealand Cup meeting and it is considered that she has not had enough to fit her for a test at two miles. Yesterday she was let off with an easy half-mile between the seven and three furlongs on the plough in 51sec. Sarcelle will still do her holiday racing in the North Island. She is booked to leave on December 16 for Otaki where she will complete her preparation for racing on the later days of the Manawatu Racing Club’s three-day summer meeting at Awapuni and the Wairarapa Racing Club’s summer meeting at Tauherenikau. Sarcelle was successful in the President’s Handicap at Tauherenikau when she competed on this circuit last year.