RACING Some Auckland Cup Campaigns In Doubt

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30939, 21 December 1965, Page 4

RACING Some Auckland Cup Campaigns In Doubt

Stayers from central North Island districts, which were being prepared for holiday campaigns at Auckland, are a fast-diminishing band. Already plans for at least three Auckland Cup hopes may be changed.

Two of the horses are Humber, which ran disappointingly in the President’s Handicap at Awapuni on Saturday, and Laramie, which was a weakening third in the same race. Dervish is another which probably will be scratched from the two-mile cup race.

It was obvtoua that Humber’s connexions were far from impreaaed with hi* performance on Saturday. Hte Hastings trainer. D. Jones, said after the race that Humber was now a very unlikely Auckland Cup starter and that be would have his next race tn the Summer Cup on the last day of the Awapuni meeting. It seems likely now that Laramie will also do Mb holiday racing in his hocne district His run on Saturday was certataly more promising than that of Humber, but It was not regarded as a strong Auckland Cup trial. Unsound Dervish was scratched f.xn Saturday’s Manawatu Challenge Stakes because of unsoundness. This has come at a bad time for E. Ropiha. who has been preparing Dervish for the Auckland Cup since he won the Pearce Handicap at Trentbam to October. But Ropiha may have an Auckland Cup runner. If Roman Consul performs with

distinction in the Great Northern Derby—as be did in the New Zealand Derby last month—there to every prospect he will be tried in the cup race on New Year’s Day. Trial Offer and Bandon are other notable candidates from the tower half of the North Island unlikely to run Jn the cup.

B. Hayter, the Hawera own-er-trainer of Trial Offer, conutters the mare lacks the necemry racing to fit her for a hard-run two mHes. Bandon—a fast finisher for fifth in the Manawatu Challenge Stakes on Saturday—seems on the brink of peak form. But as he will run nerl in the Manawatu Cup and his trainer, N. D. Eales, said some time ago that be thought the horse would be better suited by the conditions of the Wellington Cup, he, too, may be missing at Auckland. Busy Time The Riccarton horseman, D. N. Hadfield, will be a much-traveller rider in the next few weeks His holiday programme will include two trips to Auckland and be will also ride at Washdyke and Oamaru. At the week-end Hadfield accepted the mount on Fieldmaster in his Auckland engagements. This commitment means he will have to be kt Eltersiie next Mondi / to ride the Washdyke stayer in the Queen Elizabeth Handicap. Hadfield will go north on a special flight next Sunday and will return to Christchurch on Monday evening Next Tuesday and Thursday be will ride at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting.

Hadfield will be back la Auckland on New Year’s Day to ride Fieldmaster in the Auckland Cup. He will roturn home the next day and will ride at the Oamaru Jockey Club’s meeting on January 3. Derby Rivals Peterman and Fairfleet, winner and runner-up in the Queen Elizabeth II Plate at Pukekohe on Saturday, will clash again in the Great Northern Derby at Ellerslie next Monday.

After Fairfleet’s defeat in Saturday’s contest it was presumed she might bypass the Derby and wait for the Great Northern Oaks on the fourth day of the meeting. But her Matamata trainer, R. J. Campbell, has announced that she will definitely run in next Monday's classic. WESTLAND RACING CLUB. INC. HOKITIKA NEW YEAR MEETING MONDAY. JANUARY 10, ISM. Nominations for all events close with the Secretary on Wednesday, December 22. 1903, at « p.m. P.O. Box 118, Phone 724 Telegraphic address, "Races.” Programme In Calendars of Sth or 15th December. 1965. 5108