FROM STUD AND STABLE Class Stayers Not Available In Spring

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30294, 21 November 1963, Page 6

FROM STUD AND STABLE Class Stayers Not Available In Spring

The New Zealand Cup this year was a lack-lustre race, contested by a very ordinary field of stayers. But to suggest this was because of some lack of enterprise by the Canterbury Jockey Club—and that has been suggested—is to argue that a racing club has unlimited resources to deal with many and various situations. In fact, most and perhaps all those situations are beyond any club’s control.

While racing clubs in Melbourne are able to stage £25,000 and £20,000 handicap races for stayers, and rich weight-for-age events as well, owners of many up-and-coming horses are going to pass New Zealand spring races by.

The pattern for spring racing this season was well established at Trentham in October when the veterans, Fair Filou and Beauzami, were in firm command, and there were precious few younger horses of any class in evidence in handicap races. The over-all class was stronger in the staying handicaps and other races at Riccarton. But all those class horses were not seen in action in the New Zealand Cup. Riccarton patrons saw the remarkable Great Sensation in action, but not in the twomile event. They had cause to marvel at his greatness when the 11-year-old flashed home for an unlucky third in the Caltex Stakes last Saturday. Great Sensation's programme, year in and year out. has called for one or two of the shorter races on later days of the Cup meeting to start him on the road to race fitness for the Wellington Cup. Too Early Great Sensation’s ownertrainer, Mr D. W. Brown, feels the New Zealand Cup is too early in the season to coincide with his plans to go after Wellington Cup honours. And the same situation is also met by owners of other stayers. There will be years when stronger bands of stayers come to Riccarton for the New Zealand Cup, but the Riccarton race’s position so early on the calendar and the attractions of Australian races at the same time, set problems that would daunt all clubs. There is good reason to believe that a switch in the programme to bring in the New Zealand Cup on either the second or third days of the meeting would help to strengthen cup fields. But that would not correct any drift to Australia, where stakes are soaring—even £50,000 stakes might be offering in the not-so-distant future. Northern Interest Off-course betting on this year’s New Zealand Cup meeting rose by £91,496 15s on last year, showing, once again, that the results are good when northern horses are here in good numbers. Northerners had one criticism of the club’s second-day programme. That was the club’s choice of the Fendalton Handicap instead of the Canterbury Gold Cup as the first leg of the T.A.B. double. The North Island had one runner in the Fendalton Handicap, and that was the moderate performer. Capless. But six of the 13 runners in the Canterbury Gold Cup were from the north and they would have attracted a great volume of backing from the many thousands who find doubles betting more attractive than win-and-place betting through the TA.B.

Tire heavy backing for Capless in the Fendalton Handicap proved the point. All against form, this Levin horse was made favourite. The club could also consider a change on Grand National Steeples day to reap a rich northern harvest by making the big 'chase one leg of the double. Twelve of the 13 runners in the Grand National Steeples last August were from the North Island.

But there was not one northerner in the field for the Papanua Handicap, the club’s choice for the first leg of the double. Northerners felt they would be betting on the blind, and many of them just did not bother. A Problem The Canterbury Jockey Club and other clubs might do well to go into the question of races for apprentice riders. Do these races, in their present form, give apprentices the best possible

chances to learn their craft? Recent experience would give a flrm no to the question. The Apprentices' Handicap, run over seven furlongs mi the second day of the New Zealand Cdp meeting, had 26 starters, the biggest field of the day. Over such a short distance a field as large as this one with so many inexperienced lads riding becomes a scramble, and any preconceived ideas of riding to a plan are lost. “It’s hopeless to expect a boy to learn anything about race riding in a field of that