AUCKLAND CUP

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 74, 21 December 1937, Page 17

AUCKLAND CUP

Prospects Of Wild Chase FIELD IN REVIEW Two Likely Lightweights

(By

The Watches.)

The decks are now cleared for the holiday racing, and with the acceptances declared for most of the important meetings, punters have ample time to study the fields and make their choice.

Good Class Fields. ... , ,f The principal centre of interest, or course, will be Auckland, so far as class racing is concerned, with its big and the best horses. Apart from the handicaps, the highlight of the first d y at Ellerslie is undoubtedly going to be the Foal Stakes, and for the New Year titbit there will be the clash of thiee year-old form again, with the additional interest of the presence of Courtcraft.

Good Prospects. . . Prospects for all meetings this Christmas and New Year are particularly bright for clubs. There seems to be ample spending power in the public pmsj , splendid recent rains have put tracks in excellent order, and the fields are of suf ficient size and quality everywhere to en sure keen racing. Substantial increases in totalisator turnover appear ceitain, while large attendances should assist clubs in making a successful start tor 1938. ■

Auckland Cup Field. ~ It was anticipated that there would be a good weeding out in the Auckland Cup at acceptance, and no fewer than 3b of the original 54 were missing. This leaves 6 a field of 16, and while there is a final payment of £9 at the post, it can be taken for granted that the.plans of 1 the majority are clear. The only real surprise was the absence of SilverStra , who is to race nearer home, and the field of 16 contains everything that was considered to have a chance.

Home Horses’ Poor Record-. „ A win for an Auckland horse in the Cup is well overdue for it ie ten years since Corinax won. Moterc scored m 1930 after Gay Crest had had places reversed, but while Motere was. trained at Te Awamutu, he was owned in Hawke s Bay. A perusal of the list of winners will disclose that for many years an Auckland winner is rare, and this year the representatives of the home province .arc up against stiff opposition.

The Top-weights. , Wild Chase and Argentic are now equal topweights, and while Argentic ran into a place last year, ne does not appeal eo much as Wild Chase. Argentic has been handicapped well up to his best form, but at the same time it must be recorded that fewer hopeful men have gone north in search of the honours than C. U. McCarthy, the trainer of Argentic.

Good Class. „ , , Wild Chase appeals as a class horse, and the one likeliest to have made the' most improvement since the New Zealand Cup meeting. He ran a great race in the Cup to finish second to Cerne Abbas, after being left in front much too far from home to give him the best .chance. In addition, he had not the seasoning that his victress had. At Auckland he should Strip a much fitter horse, and the Ellerslie track should also be in his favour,, if, as may.be-the case, he is a little lacKin© in true stamina.

Can She Do the Two Cups?. So far as Cerne Abbas is concerned, the general opinion seems to be that she is, leniently treated in the cup, after her Riccarton performances, but one always has to bear in mind that handicappers aie shrewd judges, and that Mr. McMaueium, after'seeing Cerne Abbas in all her races at Auckland, and with a full knowledge of her southern form, shows a slight preference for the other Riccarton pair. Alter all it would be expecting too much for Cerne Abbas to improve as much as H ml Chase. The seasonal allowance under the weight-for-age scale does not provide for any more than a 21b. improvement ni her She commenced racing in August, and did a full spring racing preparation with plenty of travelling, and was at her best for the New Zealand Cup meeting. I here is one thing that can be relied upon with Cerne Abbas, and that is she will stay.

Melbourne Form. . Wotan is an interesting horse m the field. He has never come up to the form which won him the sensational Melbourne Cup of 1936, but having done it once he may do it again some day. That Motan is a natural stayer there is no doubt, hut the catch with him is that he has never been produced again in the same lorm.

Doubtful. , , .. Friesland failed to run better than fourth in the New Zealand Cup, but he was a better horse the second day over a mile and a quarter. He had a race at Waipa last Saturday, and according to all accounts he did not shape very pleasingly, and he may not run in the cup.

Local Prospects. Jonathan appeals as one ot the likeliest of the Aucklanders. At his best he was first class up to' a mile and a quarter, and he recently returned to good form. He has to be taken on trust to a certain extent over two miles, and the fact that he is by a non-staying sire may prejudice some against him, but Thespian was first class up to 10 furlongs, and there seems no reason why Jonathan should not run the extra distance, especially on the Ellerslie course. Mazir and Knight of Australia are a couple of fairly well-performed handicappers representing Auckland also, and either might be good enough, though the average handicap form in the north us not exceptional.

Likely Visitors. Three visiting horses on the minimum appear to have prospects, and they are Padishah, Shy and The Buzzer. Shy has only occasional dashes of form, but when he does show up it is generally in big money.

Should Go Well. Padishah has no form since last May, but lately he has been shaping up again, and he ran what could be termed a very satisfactory cup trial on the first day at Woodville. Nothing in the race was finishing stronger, and although he will have to carry overweight to secure Atkins, he will have a relief of nearly a stone and a half, and the overweight on the handicap will be more than compensated by the stronger horseman. Padishah appeals ns likely to make a bold bid. There is also this in favour of those who fancy the Hastings horse. His astute owner-train-er makes few errors of judgment, and does not travel far with a forlorn hope.

The Buzzer. The Buzzer shapes like, a stayer and is bred to be one of the best. He has shown fairly consistent form since he started racing again some six' or seven weeks ago and his win at Feilding looked a good effort Hie race at Woodville was disappointing to the extent that he failed to come on as strongly as some of the. others, Padishah, for instance, but there is little doubt that he was eased over the Inst bit in a fruitless chase. The Buzzer will also have to carry some half-stone overweight, but again it will be better to have that and a good horseman than the minimum and trust to inexperience. Kelly, Fersen, Gay Rose, Racpata and Sinking Fund have only remote prospects on form.

What Will Be Favourite? Publie fancies are not likely to take a very wide range, and at the moment the preference is for Wild nse > w 'f Padishah and The Buzzer likely to bn

troublesome, and the best Aucklander, Jonathan.

Not Promising. Friesland, ridden by B. H. Morris, was expected to run well in the Te Awamutu Cup at Waipa on- Saturday, but he moved seratchily in his preliminary and never at any stage of the race appeared k possibility. Later Friesland was very sore. He was sent back to Hawcra; and he may not take his place in the Auckland Cup field.

At Ellerslie. At Ellerslie on Saturday morning Cerne Abbas and Royal Chief were not extended while covering three furlongs in 42 3-5. They are in excellent condition, Cerne Abbas having gone on well since racing at the New Zealand Cup meeting last month. Royal Chief has fined down a little with the racing he has had and moves very seratchily when going slow.

Ben Braggic. No rider has yet been engaged for Ben Braegie in the Railway Handicap. According to Auckland reports he ’ looks a picture.” Ben Braggie. for some reason, has always been a better horse at Trentham than anywhere else. He is paying his first visit to Auckland and may go better at Ellerslie than he did at Riccarton.

Cim Riders. , ~ ~ , Following are the probable riders engagements for the Auckland Cup .—J. W. Jennings, Wild Chase; A. E. Ellis, Argentic; C. G. Goulsbro. Cerne Abbas; B. H. Morris, Friesland; R. W. McTavish, Jonathan'; H. N. Wiggins, Mazir; J. McInallv, Kntaht of Australia; G. Gilchrist. Kelln'S. Wilson, The Buzzer; P. Atkins, Padishah; R. E. Horne, Shy.

Dictate. ', . ‘Holiday plans for Dictate have not yet been ’settled. The choice of aestmation will depend upon the rider available. With such a wide distribution of meetings, the shortage of efficient horsemen will be keenly felt by owners.

New Year Racing. Acceptances for the New. Year meetings close as follows: —Wairarapa, tomorrow at 8 p.m.; Marton, Thursday at 9 p.m.; Hawke’s Bay, to-morrow at 8 p.m.: Stratford, December 28, at 9 p.m.

Answer to Correspondent. “Sport,” Otaki Railway: £3/15/b; £1 13/-.

Hawke’s Bay Acceptances. Acceptances in all events at tne Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s summer meeting, to be held at Hastings on January; ! and 3, close at 8 p.m. on Wednesday with the secretary, Mr. A. E. Wifihart, 1~7 Queen Street, Hastings. Telephone 2591.