AUTUMN RACES

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 74, 29 March 1922, Page 8

AUTUMN RACES

NOTES AND ANTICIPATIONS.

(«T "SIR LANCEIOI.")

The course and enclosures at Trentham •have dried lip quickly after the. recent rains, and the going to-morrow promises to be good. The liberal stakes offered, to owners have attracted most of the best competitors at present in commission. The club's patrons that travel by rail are advised to make an early start to avoid gettine; inconvenienced at tho Lavnbton Station.

Alteration, who heads the list in the High Weight Handicap, has not raced since he broke down when competing in a. hurdle race at Trentham in the spring. Coalition is another competitor that may not be quite ready, but will be improved with racing. Of the top weights engaged, the writer prefers the chances of Sir Rosebery. He won on the concluding day of the Summer Meeting with 81b less on his back, and has since won the Nelson Cup.

There a.re eight horses left in the New Zealand St. Leger, and probably about four of them will run. Songbird, Martial Dawn, and Radiant Light are engaged in other events. Pluto is the best performer over a distance. He ran third in the St. Andrew's Handicap at Feilding to, Paoanui and Egmont Park, to whom he was conceding a lot of weight. Probably the most difficult opponent he will have to dispose of will be Kick Off, who has been successful in his last three starts.

The withdrawal of Epitaph from th» Plunket Nursery leaves Mountain Lion at the head of the list. He has raced consistently under big. weights. Uncle Alex's best performance was on the concluding day of the Auckland Summer Meeting, when he ran second in the Sylvia Handicap with 9.2. He is not badly treated with lib more over a furlong shorter distance. , King's Trumpeter recently won a double at Napier Park. The best tveatoo of t\«> other performers appears to be Gold Light, who has two wins to her credit.

The Thompson Handicap looks like bringing together a record field. The withdrawal of Winning Hit and Silver Link leaves Marqueteur at the head of the list. The writer doubts whether lie is brilliant enough to win a race of the kind. Gasbag' has only recently reappeared, and he may not be quite at his best. The writer has a liking for InsuiTection, who defeated Songbird and Sycorax in the try-outs at headquarters. Songbird would be seen to better advantage on top of the ground. Quest, who won twice at Wanganui, is a. big local fancy, and it would not be surprising if he goes out favourite. When he won at Wanganui he beat Kinsem, who also ran second to Songbird at Trentham. Both are three-year-olds., and Quest, who is in receipt of a stone, is likely to show most improvement. Another local representative with a chance is Printemps, who meets Songbird on 181b,better terms than when he ran third in the Summer Handicap. .. .Askari, who ran second in the race a year ago, recently showed winning form at Opaki.

The probable starters and riders are f— Marqueteur, 8.10,' R. S. Bagby. Gasbag, 8.9, R. Reed. Radiant Light, 8.7, J. O'Shea. Anomaly. 8.7, A. J. M'Flynn. Insurrection, 8.7, A. Oliver. Trespass, 8.7, L. Morris. . Songbird, 8.5, J. M'Chesney. Silver Peak, 8.3, F. E. Jones. Mustard Pot, 8.1. H. Griffiths. Sycorax, 8.0, C. Reed. Aureate, 7.8, C. Smerson. Sunny Corner,,7.6. Quest, 7.6, A: Reed. Printemps, 7.'5, L. E. Butler. Martial Dawn, 7.3, A. Dixon. Blackmail, 7.0, H. Wheeler. Princess Pat, 6.11, H. Glover. Askari, 6.9, J. Barry.

Cold Steel, 6.7, H. Wiggins.

• Winning Hit was not engaged in the New Zealand St. Leger, and his withdrawal from the Thompson Handicap to meet Gloaming in the North Island Challenge Stakes was unexpected. On his last appearance, in the Middle Park Plate, Pluto defeated Winning Hit at a difference of 51b'. Gloaming, Winning Hit, Thespian, Vespucci, Truthtul, and Rational have each incurred t the full penalty of a stone. The' latter was beaten by a head a year ago in brilliant style by Silver Link, who carried 9.13 and was credited with running the distance in lmin 25sec. The only two-year-olds engaged are Ares (winner of the Dunedin Champagne Stakes) and Valeric, who has won in her last three starts. The race is one of the few on the Dominion calendar that Gloaming has not'placed to the credit of his owner. The 'writer cannot select any of his opponents as likely to finish in front of him.

The Silverstream Handicap is for ap : prentice riders. The writer would select Prince Hal to run well if he had had a race or two. The top weight, Spook, carries weight well, and can run out a mile. Island and Petunia have recent winning form to recommend them. Liqueur, one of the Southland representatives, may be the best of those below Petunia. At the C.J.C. Summer Meeting he ran second with 71b less to Vasilkov in the Halswell Handicap, a mile race, run in Imin 41sec.

Surveyor lias been off the scene so, long that he may require a race to sharpen him up. Absurdum will probably carry the colours. He is one of the successful Absurd tribe^ also represented in the race by Grotesque, Still Sea (who has done well in the hack class), and Mireusonta. The South Island representatives are Bon Spec and Roseday. Local representatives among the light weights are Backsheesb, Astinome, Triboulet. and Capping Day. It is not a good field, and Absurdum would only have to reproduce his Stewards' Handicap form to 6how up prominently. Several of the hacks engaged in the Tinakori Handicap have smart sprint performances to their credit. Danger Zone's second in the Juvenile Handicap at Taranaki places him at the head oi the list. Dissertation and Warpath have recently been showing good form. The South Island representative is Red Hind (who won at Akarba). Moonstruck: and Merry Day,' both of whom have won in open company, are the best of the beiow 7st division.

R. J. Mason arrived from South this morning with Gloaming and Pluto. Vespucci, who was left in the North Island Challenge Stakes was.not brought up.

F. D. Jones, arrived from South this morninc with Araythae and Mustard Pot. B. Longley brought up . Grim Joke and V. Scoiillar, Moorland

Mr. William Stone, the Southland owner arrived from Auckland yesterday. He informs me tliat the injuries Roseday received while being unloaded at Lyttelton are not serious, but will prevent him starting at the meeting. Jazz is to race at Amberley, and will not fulfil Trentham engagements. Sungleam did not pull up too well at Riccarton on Saturday and was not brought up.

Eoseday has been withdrawn from tbe Railway Handicap.

The club's totalisator patrons are specially warned that all winning tickets must be presented on the day qf the meeting as they will not be paid at the club's office in town afterwards.