THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 35, 4 November 1922, Page 6

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS ‘ BY GLBNCOE. ( THE NEW ZEALAND CUP i MEETING. To-day is a great day for sportsmen , throughout the country, for the New Zealand Cup is to be decided this afternoon. We must allow that by no stretch of imagination can the horses racing to-dav be called fir class. When we find Trespass carrying the regulation top weight, then indeed is the field a second-class one. Ot course the Tressady horse has some form to recommend him. for he won a Dunedin Cup. and was twice successful in the Eclipse Stakes, but his form when viewed closely does no make him a good horse, and he can Se left out of calculation. Royal Star is a good horse over tne lengthy course, but he is not as well as lie was twelve months ago, and ms chances are not held in esteem. Marqueteur may find the last quarter against him, while Cupidon does not seem to have been doing the right work for a severe course. . Foo Chow is a great fancy m the south, consequent upon some goou track work, but he has always failed when he tried to get a long course, and he will probably act similarly toll oy al Box may be the favourite, as he is coupled 'with Scion, and a bracket, if at all possible, always appeals to backers. In his favour it must be said that he has won over one mile and three-quarters at Ellerslie, as a. three-year-old, but it was an’ unsatisfactory race, and too much reliance should not be placed on'that form. On the other hand, he is bred to stay, and his sire. Nassau, left a winner of the Auckland Cup in Starland. He is trained by a pap*master of the business and he carries his confidence, which will go far with his supporters. If it happens to be a slow-run race, the chestnut should win easily, as he is a great sprinter. His stable-mate Scion is a good stayer, but he is on the' small side and the slightest bump in a race is against hl Roseday has so • far shown form over short cotirses only, end he can be left out, and. so can Tenterfield, as he seems a thine of the past ana *has been a most disappointing horse to his owner. ■' - Festivity will have a whole lot ot followers, as he seems to be a natural stayer and lately has been showing winning form. Kil"our is a possibility, but the hard course will be against him, as he is usually very sore in his action. Equitable has show n no form to warrant the assumption that he would win over two miles, but he will have a following to-day on' account of the fact that ho comes from F°rdeU, where they know what is wanted to win a Cup. . e Almoner and Muraahi seem out or their class. When tbq judge is cal - ed upon to do his work he may pick out A. Reed to salute him, with L. Butler also there. Reed is a splendid rider over a long course, and has won every important race in the Dominion. i SPRING HURDLES. . The Spring Hurdles, which is the opening event, will have a field or a dozen horses. They are not e. good lot, and include several eligible for hack races. Passencer raced so badly at Trentiiam that it is hard to see him win, but ho seems a better horse at Riccarton than elsewhere, and A. McDonald la again to ride him. The black gelding may encounter most trouble frqm the well-seasoned Old Gold and Sir Rosebery. SPRING PLATE. Economist and Para will have a lot of supporters in the Snring Plate, and the former is certainly a good solid sort, but the nair of them will net a severe race from Bumptious The latter showed good form m the open sprints at Trentham. and he was running on at the right end. He is bred to go any distance, and he should see out the mile better than the others. TJNWObD HACK HANDICAP. Euchre, who won in such convincing stvle at Waverley, may be the best of the Linwood hack field, for no beat Snatcher pointless, and later in the dav the full brother to Anomaly beat the other hacks in the same fashion Danner Zone mav be the most likely to upset .the rood thing. WELCOME STAKES. If Bathos is not sound enough to start in the Welcome Stakes, the Fordell fillv Tukia will he at a short pnee. find Joy Ride will be similarly backed in the Anprentices’ Handicap. THE STEWARDS’ HANDICAP. This brings us to the Stewards’ Handicap, for which there will be several well-backed horses. It is difficult to distinguish between the chances of Rational, Epitaph, Bon Snec, and GIentrUin‘RIOCARTON HANDICAP For the Ricarton Welter Handicap, Bonnie Heather, Gold Light, and Cleasanta, are all sure to be well fancied. ELLERSLIE MEETING - Though the New Zealand Cup meet--ing will be engaging most attention, several items on the Ellerslie card will also have an interest for local followers of the sport. The presence of the Irenthamowned Insurrection in the Mitchelson Cup, will cause a stir here, as it is generally expected that he will make a very bold showing, and it looks as n he may go out favourite as he is rated as a better horse now than at any time in his career. The opposition is not strong and the best of them appears to bo the Avondale Cup winner, Royal Present. However, the Australian bred gelding is now meeting tho Wellington Cup winner on level terms, so he will require to be quite as good as z his friends claim, if he is to mako a showing under Bst. 111 b. Many WelHngtonians cannot see Insurrection beaten. , , , ■ Next to the Cup, local backers will mostly centre their interest on tho doings of the team controlled by F. Davis. These include the Wellesley Stakes winner, Queen March, who is engaged in the Welcome Stakes. Dans has another representative in the race, Orfino, but form points to the Trenthnm winner as the best, of the pair. The open sprint event is ithe Shorts Handicap. Fingoland had been doing such good work on tho Avondale course that he may go out favourite. The only thing against his .success is that ho is not a boy’s horse, and his 7st. rider may not get the best out of him. A very hard one to boat in this event will bo the sneedv Lady Ridicule, and local readers are aware of the Absurd mare’s' great speed. With only 7st. 31b. on her back, the chestnut will go verv fast, and will soon string out the field. . , I Other races on the card anc<ide. the Trial Hurdles, in which the National Steeplechase winner Onkleigh is engaged, and it must bo said that in allowing him in with only lOst. 121 b. on his , back the handicapper has token a ; risk. There is a big field engaged, j but Oakleigh may be favourite, ns he i has often shaped well in open hurdle I races. j