Fine field for Cup

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 8

Fine field for Cup

f 'The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. Except for the International Stakes, about this time last year, it is doubtful whether a better field has been attracted to Te Rapa than the on® in the Centennial Gold Cup today. If the race turns out as good, it will have been worth going miles to see. At least two of the runners. Apollo Eleven and Rustler, are already considered Sydney Cup prospects—quite properly, too, as respective winners of the last Auckland Cup and Wellington Cup. Black Rod, one of the best i ithree-year-olds, is notable at the! I middle of the handicap and i ‘Storming and Neat are two ofj [the good light-weights. Duty Free, Fort Hagen, Spa, [ Wiremu, Johnny Cash and an- , other good three-year-old. Peg's [Pride, add further to the i strength of the field. Each is a thoroughly capable stayer, altogether the right type for 11 furlongs run at a fast clip. Apollo Eleven, a five-year-old from Takanini and Rustler, an Ellerslie four-year-old, distinguished themselves in both big two-mile races of last month, Apollo Eleven being sixth, without any luck in the Wellington Cup and Rustler third at Ellerslie. Apollo Eleven and Rustler have thrived meanwhile. With 8-10 Apollo Eleven has exactly the weight he carried in the Wellington Cup and Rustler, with 8-5, is asked to carry 81b more than his Trentham handicap. Duty Free, Fort Hagen, Johnny Cash, Spa and Wiremu have all raced well in one big handicap or another this summer. Duty Free won over a mile and a half at Riccarton and 11 furlongs at Trentham in his last two starts. Fort Hagen took the Waikato Cup in November, Spa won- over 11 furlongs during the WeHingtdn Cup meeting and

Johnny Cash took the A.R.C. Alison Cup just a little earlier in the season. Wiremu last won late in September, over 11 furlongs at Te Aroha. He had to be let up soon afterwards, but came back to finish a good fourth in the Wellington Cup. Black Rod has done just about everything asked of him this season. He already has two good middle-distance wins to his credit this year, at Woodville and at Rotorua and reports from Te Rapa, where he has been in training lately, suggest he is ready for further good form. Kiwi Can has Timon to beat again and a well-formed newcomer, Egmont Park, but he looks the winner nevertheless in the second leg of the T.A.B. concession double, the J. C. Pollock Handicap. His 7-13 is 71b more than he carried successfully over a furlong further on Saturday, but he seemed to win that race with ease. Egmont Park, a Hawera five-j’ear-old which won the George Adams Handicap at Trentham last year, only a month ago returned to racing after a spell and with a third and a fourth he has given the impression he might already be very close to peak form again. Selections:— 12.20 p.m.—Vercoe Handicap: Hush-a-Bay, Dionysus, Harleigh Princess. 1 p.m.—Seddon High-weight: Arnim, Soarmed, Brasarm. 1.40 p.m.—Miller Handicap: Shy Ways, Proud Hagen, Kon Krete. 2.20 p.m.—Christie Handicap: Strike Again, Ida Marie, Somerset Shah. 3.5 p.m. — Centennial Cup: Apollo Eleven, Storming, Black Rod. 3.50 p.m.—Peach Handicap: KinofiF, Great Foam, Crackatuka. 4.35 p.m.—Pollock Handicap: Kiwi Can, Egmont Park, Timon.

1.1 5.15 p.m.—Johnstone Handin cap: Sahrano, Battle Air, True Crest. 5.55 p.m.—President's Handie cap: Gold Ducat, Cuylsr, Veran cious. i° Fields, with form, for the T.A.B. double:— t 3.5 p.m.—

3 WAIKATO CENTENNIAL GOLD 0 s 1 CUP $20,500; Ilf. st lb e 5416 Apollo Eleven (7) . 8 10 • 0711 Duty Free (6) . 8 10 y 5460 Fort Hagen (4) 8 5 1231 Rustler (10) 8 5 t 7432 Johnny Cash (21) . 8 4 1103 Spa 120) . 8 2 7221 Second Choice (17) . 8 1 i 4474 VViremu (14) 8 1 - 5421 Black Rod (1) . . . 8 0 < 1302 Almoss (18) . 7 12 0164 Peg’s Pride (3) . 7 12 ■ 3936 Irish Whip (13) . 7 11 2286 Master Sobig <2i . 7 10 2253 Storming (9) . . 7 10 0800 Dyak (15) . 7 9 9845 Neat (12) . 7 9 e 0479 Fencourt Lass (5) . 7 8 i 6056 King Amber (8) . 7 8 8710 Captain Peri (16) . 7 7 1 0074 Sizzle (19) . 7 7 8060 Lord Syntax (11) . 7 7 e Balloted out with righl of re0 entry: Captain Peri, Sizzle, Lord Syntax. Scratched: Even Wren (23), Mac’s Honey (22). 4.35 p.m.— J. C. POLLOCK HANDICAP $4100; 7f. '■ st lb 4112 Timon (141 Turbino (7) . 8 8 . 8 3 0223 Egmont Park (16) . 8 2 1612 Denagh’s Planet (2) . 8 1 1211 Kiwi Can (9) . 7 13 0535 Gay Prince (6) . 7 12 5245 Bonnie Honey (13) . 7 11 129 Mighty Pal (11) . 7 9 8826 Polperro (15) . . . 7 7 0097 Charon (8) . 7 6 0840 Pinotage (5) . 7 6 2504 Red Dav (19) . . 7 5 0007 Bright Notes < 18) . 7 4 0000 Corranduila (10) . 7 4 026 11 Lotto (12) . . . 7 4 0530 Laurelville (4) 7. 4 Scratched: Blue Nile Sovereign (14). Vaporetto 3). Mr (4).