Hard to oppose Serendiper in Centennial Cup

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 26

Hard to oppose Serendiper in Centennial Cup

Special correspondent Wellington Viewed from every angle it is hard to look beyond Serendiper as first choice in the first leg at Awapuni, the $30,000 Manawatu Centennial Cup, on Saturday.

The winner of the 1978 Air New Zealand Stakes. Serendiper caused a major boil-over last Saturday when he won the Awapuni Gold Cup. He narrowly beat Mellseur and also finished ahead of Orchidra and Drum. He showed gameness to stick on so well despite the intense pressure from the southern mare. Serendioer carried 58 kilos to win last Saturday. He was not eligible for a rehandicap under the weight-for-age scale with the result that he is in with 52.5 on Saturday. Mellseur was as gallant as she could be in running second in the Awapuni Gold Cup and in another stride or so may well have caught Serendiper. She won the Penfolds at Trentham the time ! before and was an unlucky [fifth in the Thompson. Mun Lee must also have a good chance of winning the

Centennial Cup. The mare has been a little disappointing in some of her races, but she was third last time out in the Penfolds on ground that really did not suit her. She will be a much better chance on firm going.

i Firpo is the joint top(weight. He failed badly in (the Awapuni Gold Cup but his previous form had been sound. It would be hard to imagine a more popular winner than Fraxy. Five times in his last seven races he has finished second, his most recent effort being in the Centennial Mile at Awapuni only last week. He looks way overdue for success. Miles Better will be a real threat. He was fifth in the mile, hardly his pet distance, and with a clear run on the inner may have finished even closer. The time before he took out the Boulcott Handicao on Wellington’s middle day. Magistrate will add northern interest to the race, though his form has been disappointing. He failed at Te Aroha last week, but was sxith at New Plymouth in his previous outing.

Regal Band tried the Awapuni Gold Cup last week and made ground fairly for seventh. She has not peaked] but her record on the track is good and she must be get- ] ting close to some worthwhile form. Zamalou, second in the Wellington Cup two starts back, needed his run over 1600 m at Awapuni last week and he will be all the better for the outing. The unbeaten record of Fix went by the boards at Awapuni last Saturday, but this week the filly could get back on the winning trail when she tackles the Pakistan II Stakes, the second leg of the T.A.B. double.

Away from racing for the best part of a year, Fix tried the Fashion Stakes at Awapuni and after getting back in the running she made ground to finish fifth. As a two-year-old she had won all her three races.

That fifth though was a lot better than it appeared on paper. At no time in the straight did Fix ever have a clear passage and there seems little doubt that had

the breaks come her way, she must have pressed Anderil and Fairy Lap much closer. With 48 kilos to carry, Fix is just one kilo above the minimum in the Pakistan II Stakes. She has drawn three and she seems certain to turn in a sound run. The biggest threat seems

likely to come from an inform Anderil. He carried 53 kilos to win the Fashion Stakes on Saturday and has gone up two kilos and a half, even in the restricted handicap. Before his win on Saturday he had won at Hastings and in his favour is the fact that he will handle most types of going. Though her form, on paper, may not suggest it, Sylvaner will also be a leading chance. She failed last time when 16th on a bad track in the Penfolds. That was under weight-for-age i conditions and so were her' two previous runs, fifth in] the North Island Challenge! Stakes and third in Shi-! varee’s Jackson Stakes at] Wanganui. ! Sylvaner on Saturday will! carry 53.5 kilos and back to! the "“lesser” company of a] restricted handicap, her win-] ning prospects do improve. ( Rock N’ Rye is a well-per-! formed Cambridge mare' which last week made a] good fist when running • fourth in the N.Z. Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Tei Aroha. Her most recent win! was at Auckland last Janu-; ary- !; Gold Dust looks on the]; way back to good form. Shed was third in the Centennial i| Mile last week, fourth in the J Poole Stakes at Opunake: and also ran third at the Air]' N.Z. meeting at Ellerslie. ; Fairy Lap showed better; form last week, getting to! within three-quarters of a length of Anderil. Her pros-L □ects have to be rated very] good again. I I