AUCKLAND'S EASTER

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 72, 26 March 1931, Page 10

AUCKLAND'S EASTER

LAUGHING PRINCE'S TASK

The Auckland Easter Handicap is a race in which highly-weighted candidates have had some measure of success, but sinfte (he distance was shortened from a mile and three-quarters to one mile in IS9R for, for all that, since the race was first contested as a two-mile event in 1874) no horse has swecrrdrd under 0.12, the weight that Laughing IVinee has been awarded. The record is held jointly by the then three-year-old Xoncttc (fullbrother to Bonheur, the urnuddam of Cadland, a stablcmate of Laughing Prince) and Reremoiina, who won in 1002 and 1926 respectively under 9.11. : Laughing Prince has. therefore.a big task ahead of.-him to win, and. it is by.no

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means certain that his connections will .defy the handicapper's ukase and appear on the scene. The weight is a pound more than that under which he was beaten in the Thompson Handicap, and he is asked to meet the Trentham winner, Silvermine, on only 21b better terms. The handicapper has apparently weighted hini on the assumption that he was . unlucky to lose the Trentham mile race, and that had the finish been staged with only';the slightest rearrangement of the scene he would probably have won. Arrow Lad, the third horse in the Thompson, comes in at 41b better terms contrasted with Laughing Prince. It is obvious that no true invitation has been offered Laughing Prince to attend, but he is a really first-class racehorse, and, as he has not been engaged elsewhere, ho may be found compulsorily at Ellerslio on Easter Saturday. His trainer-rider, L. G. Morris, won the race on Reremoana when that horse, carried 0.11, and he considers Laughing Prince to be the equal of, if not better than, Reremoana. This is a point that admits of argument, for Reremoana, at his peak, was undoubtedly one of the finest milers the Dominion has ever had, as is shown by the fact that when he won the Easter under 9.11 (he had also succeeded under 8.6 in the previous year) he established a time record of lmin 37 3-ssec for the race, figures that still stand. Laughing Prince's contesting the Easter would possibly settle differences of opinion as to the respective merits of the two champions. • The acceptance for the Easier Handicap is due to-morrow, and better indication as to probable starters will then be available. Those who make most appeal at this stage, in the order of the handicap, ire Laughing Prince, Pegaway (0.5), who won last year, Karapoti (9.5), Silvermiuo (8.0), Havering (8.3), Arrow Lad (7-11), and Gold Day (7.1).