Open field for Waikato Cup

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32459, 20 November 1970, Page 8 (Supplement)

Open field for Waikato Cup

‘•The Press" Special Service AUCKLAND. The $lO,OOO Waikato Gold Cup with its fine collection of distance runners and another round in the Guineas contest for three-year old honours will bring wide-spread attention to the Waikato Racing Club’s meeting tomorrow.

One of half a dozen runners could take the Gold Cup without causing much surprise. The Guineas is almost as open.

A win in the Foxbridge Plate last Saturday has made Skint Dip one of the foremost Gold Cup candidates. Pell Mell is in the right form to attract a big following and Pep, from Hawera, Taraleah. Sir Cullus, and E Timi are others well able to run the mile and a half in a winning way.

Skint Dip’s Bst 61b represents 81b less than weight-for-age and a very handy handicap for a four-year-old of his quality. He looks all over a stayer. The only doubt about him is whether he will continue to run well as the tracks harden for the summer.

Skint Dip showed no sign of soreness on last Saturday’s firm ground but he might be different if he gets two or three hard races on such footing. Any easing of the ground between now and Saturday afternoon would add greatly to the appeal of Skint Dip’s chance. Pep, a five-year-old visitor, would also come more into favour if the going softened.

Pell Mell on the other hand seems to like the tracks as hard as they can be. Pell Mell won the 11-fur-long Arc Alison Cup last time out with a fine late run. It was not the first time he had been an impressive middledistance winner. Even in his days as a successful miler he looked likely to become a cup horse and this summer might give him his chance. Good form

Pep ran away with a mile and a half handicap at Trentham on the Saturday of Labour Day Week-end then went well again although out of the money over 10 and 11 furlongs, the shorter course in the weight-for-age Harcourt Stakes.

Pep won the New Zealand Derby but did not come up as well as expected last season. His resurgence was one of the most interesting features of the Wellington spring meeting.

Sir Cullus, the top-weight with Bst 91b, looks better placed under these conditions than he was at weight-for-age in the Foxbridge Plate. Taraleah is in great form with an Avondale Cup win two starts back and E Timi, as well as being the good miler, showed last Saturday he can run at least 10 fur-1 longs successfully.

The Waikato Gold Cup has been a good race for lightweights these last few years but it is hard to visualise one of the bottom-weighted runners being successful this time.