Ilumquh Favoured For Auckland Cup

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29401, 31 December 1960, Page 7

Ilumquh Favoured For Auckland Cup

“The Press" Special Service AUCKLAND, December 30. A collection of the country’s best stayers will compete for the Dominion’s richest racing prize in the Auckland Cup at Ellerslie on Monday. There have been stronger fields for the big event but hardly any in which the issue has appeared more open.

Consequently, the horses being discussed in connexion with the race take the widest range. Foremost is the Woodville gelding Ilumquh. Lampada, which is another at the top tf the handicap, also has a big following, and the betters reckoning on a light-weight being successful, are legion.

Lampada is a seven-year-old gelding and the top-weight with 9-4, which is lib less than weight-for-age in January. Ilumquh, a five-year-old gelding, has 9-2 and that is 31b less than he would be asked to carry under the standard scale of weights.

Both horses are gallopers of real class and victory for either one would be popular. Ilumquh made a great name for himself while racing in Melbourne during the spring. With luck he might have won the Melbourne Cup. As it was he took the Caulfield Cup and the Williamstown Cup, over a mile and a-half.

The question now being asked is whether Ilumquh, after racing only once during the last six weeks and with a fair weight increase, will be able to cover two miles on Monday as well .as he did at Flemington on November 1 One answer is that horses of Ilumquh’s undoubted quality have the habit of rising to an occasion, no matter what the circumstances.

Victory for either Ilumquh or Lampada would be notable because since 1950, when Beaumaris was successful with 9-3, none of the cup winners has carried as much as 9-0. The last five-year-old to score with as much weight as Ilumquh will carry was Kindergarten, which won in 1942 with 10-2. The most recent seven-year-old winner of the race was Cuddle, a mare which carried 9-3 successfully in 1936. Lampada and Ilumquh have been cup favourites since the declaration of weights for the big race about three weeks’ago. Red Eagle, Joytime and Ruato, on the other hand, came into calculations through their solid performances on the first two days of the Auckland meeting, last Monday and Wednesday. Now, apart from Ilumquh and Lampada. they seem to be the three most popular fancies. Ilumquh is being prepared for the big race by E. Ropiha, and Lampada’s trainer is A. Cook, of Te Awamutu. The riders engaged for the two horses are J. T. Anderson (Ilumquh) and G. F. Hughes. Both Anderson and Hughes have a cup win to their credit. Anderson with Froth in 1959 and Hughes with Arawa, in 1954. The horse which wins next Monday’s race will reward his owner with £7550 and a gold cup valued at £l5O. The trainer of the winner can expect to receive £755 or more and the jockty, for the three and a-third minutes which the cup should take to run. will collect a minimum of £302 as his fee. Besides the cup, important items on the third day of the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting will be the Railway Handicap, of £2500. six furlongs, the King’s Plate and the Great Northern Foal Stakes, of £2OOO. six furlongs, far two-year-olds. In both the Foal Stakes and the Railway Handicap the fields are of good size. Shamrock Queen, with the advantage of number one at the start, seems best placed for success in the Railway Handicap, and Huka Falls, a visitor from Otaki, is another with a good chance. The other speedsters in the Railway field include Fountainhead. Gold Raider. Perilad and Dusky Oman. With the scratching of Fountainhead for the King’s Plate, the Riccarton gelding Cadiz has become a warm favourite. It seems likely there will be seven others in the £l5OO. weignt-for-age mile race—Nuffield, Lion.

Dalveen, Royal Crescent, Santa Maria. Karina and Bargoed. During a hot, dry spell, the ground at Ellerslie has become m<sre parched than for many a day. A continuance of the present weather over the week-end is forecast so the going, for cup day will very likely be hard.

Selections: — 11.30 am.—Grafton High-weight: County, Atlas, Great Ven. 12.10 p.m.—Midsummer Handicap: Cavalier, Servitor. Our Charm. 1.5 p.m.—Auckland Cup: Ilumquh. Lampada, Red Eagle.

1.50 p.m.—Great Northern Foal Stakes: Lucky Bob. Almaza, Fair Time.

2.35 p.m.—Railway Handicap: Shamrock Queen. Fountainhead. Gold Raider.

3.20 p.m.—Resolution Handicap: Blue Beard. Fangio, Rock of Alarm. 4.5 p.m.—King's Plate: Cadiz, Bargoed.

4.50 p.m.—Queen’s Plate: Gauntlet. Stipulate, Woo.

FIELDS FOR THAMES (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 30. The double will be on the Goldfields Cup and the Flying Handicap at the Thames Jockey Club’s meeting on Saturday, January 7. Acceptances:— 11 KOPu" HIGH-WEIGHT, of £270; one mile and a quarter.—Portobello (4; 10-8; Rangi’s View (2) 9-10; Gold Acre (5) 9-8; Negro (12) 9-3; Mandy (10) 9-2; Hamurana (7) 9-1; Dazzler (61. Gav Dolphin (3), Jake (13). John Ridd (9), Marvo (-1). Te Mawhai (8). Pinelands (11) 9-0. 11.45 a'.m.— „„„„ COUNTY HANDICAP, of £300; two-year-olds; six furlongs.—Donfair (5) 8-11; Margen (11). Royal Dragoon (10) 7-12; Tasty Dish (3) 7-10; Free Line (9) 7-9; Ahishar (13) Jumping Joe (12) 7-8: East and West (2), Fontmara (8), Polo Queen (7). Proud Cry (1), Stella Suma (6), Sugar Moon (4) 7-7.

12.35 p.m.— THAMES HACK CUP, of £450; one mile and a quarter.—Pescador (3) 9-0- Paho (10) 8-11; Jananni (4) 8-8; Express Time (20), Rugby (21) 8-6; Davett (8), Selwyn (17) 8-5; Simca (11) 8-3; Taumari (13) 8-1; Silver Glow (19) Tense (15) 7-12; Horoscope (14), Primorka (24), Summer Sea (18) 7-11; Solar Flower (6) 7-10; Cherylene (1), Friendly Trio (2). Hesitate (22) Jack James (23), Stylish Cadet (16) 7-9. Balloted out with right of reentry in the following order: Smart Move (9), Chiming (12). Wyebank (7). Chasm (5) 7-9.

1.15 p.m.— TAPU STAKES, of £190; six furlongs.—First Division: Amigo (1). Dangerous Moonlight (4). larco (3), Lettington (10), Manulla (12). Maskour (6). Pinex (8). Supreme General (2) True Flight (17) 8-2; Annrae (5). Bridal Gown (14). Flierwings (9), Interval (13). Kadelka (11). Lady Sea (7). Red Robin (16), Seretse (15) 7-13. Second Division: Alpenbell (1), Eisteddfod (13). Koraha (5), Lincoln (16). Mark (8). Otematata (3), Red Forest (6), Super Luck (15), Selalah (9) 8-2; Bella Monte (4), Fairest of All (12) Gay Moss (14), Lady Rosemary (7) Mvrrh (11). Ruling Rose (2). Julie Ann (10) 7-13. Brackets: Super Luck and Supreme General, Selalah and Annrae, Bella Monte and Bridal Gown, Fairest of All and Flierwings. Gay Moss and Interval. Julie Ann and Kadelka; Lady Rosemary and Lady Sea. Myrrh and Red Robin. Ruling Rose and Seretse.

2 p.m GOLDFIELDS CUP, of £1000; one mile and a quarter.—Pin Money (18) 8-7; Otara (15 Uplands Lad (21) 8-4; Relight (20) 8-2; Biltong. (10), Court Gold (2), Royal Frolic (13). Seafarer (11) 7-11: Charmian (4) 7-8: Spring Pin (23) 7-7: Bemuse (22). Nukuatu (12) 7-6: Ely Home (14) 7-5: Captain Lancaster (15). Gold Ann (9), Hauparu Bay (19), Hot Punch (7), Mussetu (8), Song of Norway (17), Valiant Rose (1) 7-4. , Balloted out with right of re-entry in the following order: Saratoga (3). Covert (6). Sabaios.(l6) 7-4.

2.45 p.m.— PURIRI HACK' HANDICAP, of £250: six furlongs.—Glenfar (6) 8-8; Speedwell (3) 8-5; Athenree One (9) 8-4; Kamikaze (22) 8-3; La Vitesse (4) Reen (24). Saturn (16) 8-2; Piece’s Pride (23) 8-1; Before (2). Dark Spray (20). Dark Venus (14), Divine Lady (15), Flyone (1). Forest Burn (7), Janhill (17), Lord Louis (10). Revaals (13). Saltbush (12). Tantivy (21). Uncle Joe (19) 8-0. Balloted out with right of re-entry in the following order: Souville (8). Taurau Pa (11). Gershwin (5), Left Hook (18) 8-0.

3.35 p.m FLYING HANDICAP, of £600; six furlongs.— Beech Park (3) 8-11; Relight (6) 8-7; Firenze (7), Lord Oman (9) 8-5; Sir Gabador (2) 7-8: Astounding (4), Fair Blow (8). Main Affair (1), Perseus (5). Romanac (10) 7-5. 4.15 p.m.—

FAREWELL HACK HANDICAP, of £350; six furlongs.—Crown and Anchor (9) 9-0; Descabella (4) 8-6; ,Hi Swanee (13), Lannuzel (10), Sea Gold (8) 8-1; Hillford (7) 7-10; Lammetta (2). Young Ray (5) 7-9; Bang On (I). Querist (11) 7-8; Blue Sprite (12), Caromills (3), Hot Scone (6). My Meme (14). Vae Victis (15). Veyor's Glory (16) 7-7.

Appeal By Lane Upheld (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) ADELAIDE, December 30. The appeal of the Victorian jockey, G. Lane, against a suspension by the South Australian Jockey Club stewards at Cheltenham yesterday was upheld by the club committee yesterday. Lane had been suspended until January 20 for careless riding ‘in the Oaklands Plate. The committee reported that, after viewing the race film, it thought that Lane could have made an error of judgment, but entertained a doubt whether it amounted to careless riding. It, therefore, decided to give Lane the benefit of the doubt. Additional Riders Additional riding engagements for the second day of the South Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting today include:— . G .L° w: Awatere, Regal Order. Rohm Adair. R. w. Gould: Thumper W. Hanlta: BaUochburn, J. R. Dowling: Abou Ben Adem. N. T. Cowles:Sal(ash. w Beck: Benbow B. E Kennedy: Birthday. G. W. Mem: Race Card, Kent, Vitamise. , J J ° nes: Mary Tee. Cantelo. P J Kempton: Questa Rose. C. L. Hemmingsen: Also. A. H. Eastwood: H an t d , 5? ver Hopeful, Corduroy. D N. Hadfield: Flagon. C. McDonald: Studio.