W.R.C. HANDICAP AND METROP.

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 97, 20 January 1944, Page 7

W.R.C. HANDICAP AND METROP.

Difference Of Opinion On Royal Merit

(By St. Simon.)

Though rain fell steadily for a few hours early yesterday morning, the prospects are for aaiother fine day for the concluding day of the Wellington Racing Club’s summer meeting at Trcubhum ou Saturday :— , ~ The fields, though not so large as on the opening day, are again of good size and class, and they should stimulate spirited wagering. ■ ■ Principal events ou Saturday will be the Wellington Racing Club Ha.ndica.p, one and a half miles, and the Metropolitan Handicap, seven furlongs. These races have drawn line fields that should ensure interesting contests and the issue in both appears very open. There appears to be a disposition to favour Jeff and Corday for the Wellington Racing Club Handicap and Beau Vaals and Join Gay for the Metropolitan Handicap. Why Jeff should be preferred to his stablemate, Royal Merit, in the M ellington Racing Cluh Handicap is .intriguing. Up to the present Royal Merit has been the better performer and it may be interesting to point out that in the Takapuna Cup, one and a half miles, which is to be run at Ellerslie on January 29, he is set to meet Jeff much worse than on Saturday. In the Takapuna Cup Royal Merit has. been asked to give Jeff 131 b. and in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap 31b. Royal Merit Is a consistent performer and at the summer meeting at Ellerslie he was ■fourth iu the Christmas Handicap, one mile, second in the Auckland Racing Club Handicap, one and a halt miles, and won the Nathans’ Memorial Handicap, one and a quarter miles. At Trentham last Saturday he led the field fo the greater part of the way in the Wellington Cup and he should be much better suited by a mile and a half than two miles. Royal Merit should have good prospects on Saturday if he runs up to his best. Jeff is a four-year-old'full-brother to G’ladynev. He took a long time to reach the winning list; but at his last two starts, a mile and a quarter hack event and a mile open race, he scored in the style of a good horse. That Jeff lias improved greatly, there is no doulbt and success in an important handicap is likely to come his way at any time. Jeff and Royal Merit race in different ownership and will not be bracketed on Saturday, but they are both trained by the Dominion’s leading trainer F* Smith, whose powerful team has been enjoying a great run of success. A sequence of four wins has brought Corday right into the limelight and the manner in which he won the Anniversary Handicap, one mile, last Saturday with 9.4 in 1.381 was Impressive. It was the performance of a good horse and, though with 8.4 he wil Ibe giving weight to some very capable performers in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap, hopes are entertained that he will win again. Corday has to prove himself at a mile and a half, but he has won well at a mile and a quarter. He is a son of Man’s Pal, whose beet staying sons have been Taramoa and Palfrey. Though she failed to finish closer than eleventh, I'oxola was responsible for a good showing in the Wellington Cup, in which she was prominent for the first mile and three-quarters. In spite of the fact that she has been placed/in an Auckland Cup and a Wellington Cup, Foxola probably is much better at a mile and a half than at two miles. She is a consistent and courageous mare who stands up to racing wonderfully well and with 8.0 she should make a forward showing in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap. The third of Rink in the Wellington Cup was a sound performance and after being prominent all the way ho was outstayed tn the straight by two better stayers. Like Royal Merit and Foxola, Rink should go better over a- mile and a half In the Wellington Racing Club Handicap than he did at two miles In the Wellington Cup, and he may be, ope of the hardest to beat. It may be to the advantage of Rink that he looked one of the fittest horses at Trentham last Saturday, when he was very free, and the chane.es are that he may come better after his raea in the Wellington Cup than some of the others. He has not had a heavy season, being raced sparingly, and inay be.fresher than many of his opponents. Some racing men who are most familiar with Glenfalloch entertain hopes that he will go better in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap than he did in the Wellington Cup, in which he did not have altogether the best of the running. Glentfalloch did well over a mile and a half at Trentham when he won in October, and his form this season has been good, even though he has failed in his last few starts. He Is one whose prospects might be enhanced if rain came to ease tlta ground. As was the case with the Telegraph Handicap on the first day, the bulk of the acceptors for the Metropolitan Handicap have such good form that the race bears a most open appearance. Beau Vaals has won previously at Trentham this season. That was when ho scored with 8.8 in the Shorts Handicap, six furlongs, in 1.114 in October. In the meantime he has had two starts, running unplaced in the Railway Handicap at Ellerslie with 9.2 and dead-heating for .second with Kentish in the Newmarket Handicap. The manner in which Beau Vaals has been galloping and thriving indicates that he is at a very high peak of form and he can bo expected to give a good performance on Saturday. Some South Island followers of form are Inclined to the belief that John Gayle iPot as solid as he might be, yet it was impossible not to be impressed with his victory in the Telegraph Handicap on tho first day. John Gay is a grand type of sprinter, and lie seems to run his best races at Trentham. It is probable that he will take a lot of beating in the Metropolitan Handicap. One factor iu his favour will be liis fitness.