FROM STUD AND STABLE Cicada May Not Have Ear For Music

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30264, 17 October 1963, Page 4

FROM STUD AND STABLE Cicada May Not Have Ear For Music

Cicada’s connexions will be hoping there is no-one with a blaring portable radio near the mile barrier before the Wellington Guineas on Saturday. The Wellington Guineas favourite had an unsettling experience the last time she was at Trentham. Just before the Wakefield Challenge Stakes, on the second day of the Wellington autumn meeting, she took fright when someone switched on a transistor radio. She reared and fell, disorganising the field and delaying the start.

Mateland, a hot favourite after a brilliant win on the first day of the meeting, was more unsettled than any of the others, and defied all efforts to get him into line. Cicada had taken no obvious hurt from her fall and was led into the starting gate, but Mateland had to be sent to the outside, and started behind the field, losing at least 30 yards.

That was the biggest sensa-

tion. of the race. But there was another when Johnny Riordan decided to chase the field on the swift Syntax colt. He caught the stragglers going to the half-mile and brilliantly looped the best part of the field between there and the home turn.

It could not last, of course. Mateland weakened and dropped out of the picture in the last furlong and a half, and finished ninth. But the merit of his run was not lost on everyone who saw the race. It wag certainly one of the moot brilliant unplaced rung in the writer’s experience, and deserved a better fate.

A few weeks later Mateland was dead. New Zealand had lost its fastest two-year-old and a magnificent prospect for the shorter three-year-old spring races such as Saturday's Wellington Guineas. Elusive Prize With the Wellington Guineas there has been a wellestablished pattern. The South Island has sent some telenked three-year-olds north nr the classic, but the north has almost invariably produced one better. Beaumaris had to bow to Gold Script, Cadiz to Lord Sasanof. Yet Beaumaris and Cadiz were right out of the top drawer, certainly two of the greatest gallopers—Dalray was another*—produced at Riocarton in the last 30 years Greenville Hughes had ee *he best jockeys’ record in the Wellington Guineas. He has won the race on (1950), Seven Bells G 953), Somerset Fair (1954), Tawtnao (1957), and Up and Coming (1968). And, of course, he will ride Cicada tomorrow, so a Cicada victory would be popular in more ways than one. A Long Tail "Rie Wellington Handicap wiU be contested by a field with a tong tail, and with a thin band of veterans at the top.

The top weight, Picaroon,'is nine, and closest to him in the weights are three eight-yeer-cMs, Fair Filou, Beauaami, and Count Filou.

The absence in Australia at houses of the ability of Summer Regent, My Contact Straight Irish, Tatua, and Lei leaves a hole in our spring handicaps. But toe picture will change and brighten when they return to be engaged by other horses not quite ready yet to go after the big prizes in tong races. Riccarton’s Gay Filou will be back in full-scale competition against toe stayers within a few weeks. So will Zinder, which was operated on to clear his wind within a few weeks of his New Zeeland St. Leger victory last season. Both Gey Fitou and Zinder look ready to run for anything tods season, and they could be two big winners.

Picaroon has been a rather remarkable campaigner and has filled sideboairds with cups won at North Island provincial centres.

But he has been a nearmiss against the handicap stars at Trentham. and his record there is largely one distinguished by marks for good attendance. Comeback If Fair Filou is anything better than a pale shadow of toe horse that won this race two years ago under 9-6 he will give it a big shake with 8-7. He was right out of toe top drawer but, alas, he was dogged by unsoundness and went wrong in the New Zealand Cup soon after his Wellington Handicap victory in 1961.

Four acceptors for toe Shorts Handicap, the second leg of the Trentham T.A-B. double, are last-start winners, and the former Oarnaru jockey. W. D. Skelton, was associated with three of them in their victories.

“Battling Bill” won on Acis at Wanganui on September 7, on Sonare at Otafci on September 28, and on Arbelle at Masterton last Saturday.

Doubtless he had a tantalising choice of mounts for the Shorts Handicap, and he has settled for Sonare, an impressive winner over six furlongs at Trentham on Wellington Cup day last January.