NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 151, 24 December 1930, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS

BY " BANOATIRA."

MANAWATU MEETING STRONG FIELDS- CARDED HORSES WHO MAY GO WELL Although Ellerslie is the venue of the .Dominion's most important racing fixture on Boxing Day, interest in the southern end of the North Island will be focused almost as much on doings at Awapuni, ■where the Manawatu Racing Club's Summer Meeting is due to open. Good fields have accepted throughout the programme, the Cup particularly having drawn an unusually strong lot, and the task of locating the winner in practically every case is extremely difficult. The day's racing opens with the - 12.0—TOKOMARU HURDLES, of 175 soys; one and three-quarter miles. st lb st lb Mister Gamp .. 11 9 Easterly 9 13 Democratic ..10 13 Novar 9 8 Avro 10 8 Discourse .... 9 0 Disrank 9 13 Lady Mid 9 0 Recent performance points strongly to the chance of Easterly in the Tokomaru Hurdles. This mare has won her last three Traces, two being over the fences, and at 9.13, 101b less than she carried at Woodville, where the field was poor, she is not badly treated. She put up a remarkable performance in catching her Woodville opponents, and she looks the part for a better effort. Her most dangerous rivals appear to be Avro and Disrank, but Novar ran like an improver at Feilding, and it would not surprise to find him coming in for a share of the stake. Recent performance points to Easterly and Avro. 12. 40— MAIDEN PLATE, of 150 soys; six fur- » longs; all S.O. Burnt Note Lone Raider Bon Acre Myola Blacksmith , Pimple Catherine of Sharp Thorn Aragon Saltpot Danny Boy Spearful Decree Nisi Valueless Double Red Valrewa Hinewai Wallaruh Half Acre Zephyrus Jadarino Those among the big list of acceptors for the Maiden Plate who have shown most promise in recent races are Blacksmith, Double Red, Hinewai, Sharp Thorn, and Saltpot, but another in Wallaruh, who ran second to Imamint at Marton early in the season, must also enter calculations. Sharp Thorn comes front the stable that won the race last year, and, as he has had enough experience to record a better effort than his second to Giggleswick at the Banks Peninsula Meeting last month, bettors will probably select liim as one of the hardest to beat. A good pair are Sharp Thorn and Wallaruh. I.2S—TABARUA HANDICAP, of 200 soys; one mile and one furlong. st lb st lb Lordlike Sl3 Nightmare ..SI Aurora Borealis 811 Ephiaftes .... 8 1 Tunbridge .. 810 Beverage 8 0 Straightcourse . 8 9 Arrowhead .. SO Adveatus : 8 8 Kilordl S 0 Spearform .. S 8 Calamart 7 11 Merry Melody 8 7 Auckland Gas 711 Grand Jury .. 8 5 Spearopa .... 7 11 Goldlike S 3 Fallow 7 11 An even lot is down to contest the Tararua Hack Handicap, and several of those engaged have credentials for the distance. Lordlike should be improved by his Woodville efforts, and he wiD. have plenty of friends, but Straightcourse and Spearform (if raced at Awapuni in preference to New Plymouth) are likely to worry him, and so is Goldlike, who has been dropping in the weights lately. Lower down the hat are other possibilities in Nightmare, Ephialtes, and Beverage, partieuiarly Ephialtes, who, with the exception of his gallop yesterday morning, has been working recently like one on the way to tackle much better Company shortly. The Aurora Borealis-Arrowhead bracket may also carry some support. Perhaps the best efforts will be coming from Straightcourse and Ephialtes. 2.IO—MANAWATU CUP, of 700 soys; one and a-hiilf miie3. st lb st lb Historic .... 9 9 Spearmiss ... 7 2 Seatown .... 8 9 High Falutin' 7 0 Merry Damon 8 8 Paiko 7 0 Pahu 7 9 Black Mint .. 7 0 Don Jose ... 7 7 Balloon 7 0 Shrewd 7 3 Duellona 7 0 Bold Front .. 7 2 Mount Shannon 7 0 On the weights two horses stand out in the Manawatu Cup. They are Merry Damon and. Don Jose, and these two are tho likely favourites. Merry Damon, who will be ridden by A. G. Murray, recently returned from Sydney, has the handiest impost he has been allotted for some time, and if he, can be placed closer to the leaders at the straight entrance than he has been lately he should go near registering his first winning bracket this season. The short straight will not altogether suit Don Jose, but he has been working very brilliantly' since the New Zealand Cup Meeting, and it cannot be forgotten that he __s not been out of a place this season, tihree times being a winner. Most opposition for the pair will probably come from Shrewd, Bold Front, and High Falutin 1; bnt, should the going be at all yielding, Historic, in spite of his •weight, may also take a part in the Snish. __. Mne through recent racing points •very decidedly, however, to Don Jose and Merry Damon. $.30— NOBSERT. HANDICAP, of 200 s_toj five fnrlon_s. st lb st lb s King Colosens . 8 11 Teller 7 3 Korokio _, 811 Black Sdngster 7 3 Hampden ..... 8 5 Porlock 7 2 Furlong .... 7 9 Top Flyer ..7 2 Interlocutor .. 7 8 Acorn 7 2 Salt Spray .. 7 7 All Humbug ..7 0 St. Roger ... 1 5 Flower 7 0 Winners remaining in the field for the Nursery Handicap, now that Type is not to make the trip, are Korokio, King Colossus, and Hampden, and of these the pair last named will probably do the best. Among those who have not yet succeeded are the well-bred Furlong, who ran a good second to Hampden at her only start, and St. Roger and Acorn, two youngsters who have done exceptionally fast trials at Trentham, and it would not in the least surprise if one of this trio provided the judge with the top number. Flower is another who needs more than passing notice in view of her good showing with Acorn in a gallop yesterday morning. Two who should run prominently are King Colossus and Furlong. S.35—G-ILHES HANDICAP, of 175 soys; six furlongs. st lb st lb Cadland ~,... !) 3 Tea Queen ... 7 7 Blue Paper .. 8 11 Leisure 7 5 Rasouli 8 9 Pythia 7 5 Adelpbi 8 6 Winloch 7.. 2 Trojan Melody 8 6 Acco 7 1 Lady Rene 8 3 Abbey Queen . 7 0 Portray 8 2 Royal King ..7 0 Pixie Gold ... 7 12 Owlsfllght. ..7 0 Tripping ...... 7 11 Gold Sand ... 7 0 Projection .... 7 7 A few of those in the Gillies Hack Handicap have been off the scene for a time, and those who have raced more recently will probably show out to more advantage. Cadland's Inst race produced a second to Havaspot at Riccarton, and in the race was the Woodville winner, Adelphi, at somewhat better terms. He should again account for him, but Lady Rene, Pixie Gold, and Tripping will offer him __re trouble, and if he is beaten his victor may be one of the three. Portray and the stable pair, Trojan Melody and Pythia are also poossibilities, particularly Trojan Melody were he back to the form in which he was earlier in the season. Racing over the past couple of months indicates good showings from Cadland and Tripping. *.20—FTTZHERBERT HANDICAP, pf 300 soys; six furlongs. * st lb stlh Havering .... 9 0 Royal Parade , 7 9 Consent 8 11 Rational 11. .. 7 8 Arrow Lad ..88 Just an Idea ..77 Fernden 8 1 Silver Coot •• 7 7 Mandy 7 11 Head Serang . 7 7 Malayan 7 11 Volimond 7 5 Cuticle 7 9 Limosin 7 0 A good average field of sprinters is set down to contest the Fitzherbert Handicap, and H is Kkeb/ thai many -will have foltowrngs. Just an Idea showed so

definitely at Feilding that he is on his way back to his last autumn form that it is probable he will be the elect of bettors, but he is not going to have things all his own way, for Havering, Consent, Arrow Lad, Royal Parade, Silver Coot, and Volimond, all of whom have been racing conspicuously recontly,_are included among his opponents. Havering may not have a track to suit, but Consent's Stewards' effort was too good to pass, and Volimond beat a good field at Tnkapuna three weeks ago, though she subsequently dis-. appointed at Te Awamutu. Arrow Lud has not yet shown up in a race burdened much above Bst, but there is no doubt he is in fine form, and in spite o£ his B.S he, too, must be accorded serious consideration. Two who may prove the hardest to beat are Just an Idea and Consent. S.S—GRANDSTAND HANDICAP, of 250 soys; one mile and one furlong. stlb st lb Full Feather .'9 0 Full Mark ..7 4 Fernden 8 11 Make Up .... 7 3 Ruanui 811 Rory Mor .... 7 3 Kahlkatoa 8 10 Royal Game ..7 0 Otalrl 8 3 Dolomite 7 0 Desert Song ..8 1 Jayson 7 0 Tourist 7 9 Moutoa Ravine 7 7 Treasury 7 0 Billion 7 G Wanderlust ... 7 0 There are numerous possibilities in the Grandstand Handicap, a race that is usually won by a good horse. Among the topweights, in the probable absence of Knhikatoa, who is stated to be goiug to Waipnkurau for Boxing Day and will not be at Awapuni till Saturday, the one with the most appeal is Ruanui, winner of the race last year, and also of the Feilding Cup at the end of last month. Below him on the list, however, are a pair in Ravine and Rory Mor who may well beat him at the difference in poundage. Ravine promises to be a particularly serviceable performer, and he may be the bigger danger. Desert Song, Tourist, and Full Mark are possibilities among the remainder. Recent form would point most strongly to the chances of Ruanui and Ravine.