TROTTING Aucklanders Confident Of Win In £5000 Event

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30631, 23 December 1964, Page 5

TROTTING Aucklanders Confident Of Win In £5000 Event

Aucklanders are confident that the North Island will produce the fifth winner from the last six contests when the Auckland Cup is decided at Alexandra Park Raceway next Monday.

Seven of the 14 acceptors for the £5OOO race are trained in the North Island, with northern hopes centring on the Captain Adios five-year-old, Great Adios, an impressive winner in the M. G. Pezaro Memorial Handicap last Saturday.

Great Adios’s win was his second for the season and his tenth from 20 starts in a career now in its third season. He has also been placed in seven of his other 10 starts, and has won £6665 in stakes. Great Adios is trained and driven by R. P. Norton at Albany for his mother, Mrs P. M. Norton. His best form has been shown over sprint and middle distances, but there is no reason to doubt his ability to master two miles.

Great Adios is a splendid racehorse. He usually begins brilliantly and races kindly anywhere in a field. He is back on 12 yards as a result of his win last Saturday and is now in New Zealand Cup class. Although he won by only half a length last week, he was not seriously tested and looked to have his rivals well covered at the finish.

The majority of the leading Canterbury pacers in commission will contest next Monday’s race, with Lordship the backmarker on 36 yards. Lordship was a shade disappointing when he finished third in the last New Zealand Cup, but two subsequent wins under free-for-all conditions later at the meeting showed him at his best. Lordship will be set a stiff assignment, but his brilliance could result in him gaining a popular win. He has not raced since November 21 when he finished sixth at Addington, but he has not been idle in the meantime. A win for him would not surprise, but his chances will be even better under free-for-all conditions on the final night. Jay Ar, Orbiter, Vanderford and Van Rebeck are southern horses on 12 yards with Great Adios and Gay Reel.

Jay Ar will be making his third attempt to win the Auckland Cup. He has been

a shade disappointing at times this season, but recorded a fine trial for next Monday’s race when he finished strongly from an awkward position for a close fourth in the Pezaro Memorial Handicap last week.

In Demand Orbiter will probably be one of the three favourites for the race after his second in the New Zealand Cup and two seconds behind Lordship under free-for-all conditions later at the cup meeting. He went a sound if not spectacular race on the first night of the meeting, but there was merit in his effort as it had been reported that he did not settle well on his arrival in Auckland. It was intended to take him to a farm after his race last week in an effort to freshen him for next Monday’s test. Vanderford, fourth in the New Zealand Cup and probably the most consistent performer in the top classes, went a splendid race to beat all but Great Adios at a difference of 24 yards in the handicaps last Saturday. They meet on level marks next Monday, which could be a telling advantage in favour of Vanderford. The Auck-land-owned five-year-old has fallen from favour in twomile races, but he should improve sufficiently as a result of his race last week to give a good account of himself on Monday. Vanderford will as usual be driven by M. Holmes, whose only win in the Auckland race was behind Talaro in 1926. Van Rebeck has been off the scene since November 21 when he finished boldly from mid-field for second to Junior Royal in the Ollivier Handicap at Addington. Two starts earlier he beat Idaho in the Canterbury Handicap on New Zealand Cup day after pacing the 13 furlongs in 3min 26sec. Van Rebeck, a good performer over all distances, seems to be better now than at any stage of his career. If he is favoured with the run of the race, he could easily upset calculations. On Limit

Flying Blue and Idaho are the only southern horses on the limit. Flying Blue was a fairly close seventh on the first night of the meeting after being left in the open for most of the race. He does best when covered up and at times has been responsible for outstanding efforts. His form this season hardly suggests that he will be a serious threat.

Idaho looks a great prospect. He has recorded 4min 14sec for two miles and recorded a splendid trial when he finished sixth last Saturday. He was never in the clear and finished under a hold.

Idaho is by U. Scott and he is well-endowed with stamina. This was most evident when he won the Smithson Handicap in a battling finish with Avante and Gay Robin at Addington on November 13. He made all of a strong pace and was headed with two furlongs left. He fought on most doggedly and wore down his rivals after a gruelling last furlong. Idaho can race anywhere in a field and he could be one of the best prospects in a strong field. The other Auckland horses have yet to prove themselves in such strong company, but the stablemates, Golcourt and Maisie Direct, won impressively last Saturday and they might be prominent.