IF NEAR BEST FORM

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 85, 11 April 1933, Page 6

IF NEAR BEST FORM

LIKELY AUCKLAND TRIO

In a group below the two top-weights (Golden Wings and Paganelli) in the A.R.C. Easter Handicap, are three horses who have not lately been producing ull their old form, but who have only to reach something like their best uk.hu to land on tc a patch of next-io-unbeatabk. form at the point in the handicip ut which they HO.v arc. They ire Lady Quui aud Sunny Sky on 8.5 and JManawheaua on 5.3. Lady Quex has admittedly not weed this stason like the mare she was, though, she has won two small sprints at Takapuna and jßawera respectively, and it is possible that she is slipping. At her latest; start, at Stratford ten days ago, she was again disappointing, and Refresher (on' 8.3 in the A.R.C. faster) has since been too good for her in gallops. Still, "it is hardly likely that her connections would persevere with her if they thought that she was already a past number, and- it is possible she will do something of account before heavy tiacks come along again, in last year's A.R.O. Easter she. was allowed to co out twelfth tavourite in a field-01, a score, and Great Star was the only one able to beat her home, hanging on to keep her out by a head. , Sunny Sky has not won a rare since her triumphant innings at the Auckland Winter Meeting last June, where she won the Cornwall Handicap {Vk mile?) and the Kin" George Handicap (7 iurlongs), and ran "second to Manawhenua (to whom-sue was conceding 161b) in the York Handicap (1 mile). Afterwards she was sent to Sydney, but did not do well on the trip. Following a short let-up on her return, Sunny Sky resumed racing in January to run second to Paganelli over seven furlongs at Takapuna when in receipt of only 71b from her victor. Since then she has been twice second, once third, and once fourth in four starts. It will thus be seen that-she has not yet been just qmte good enough, but the racing she has had must have benefited her, and she is handily placed on 8.5 next Saturday. La&t year she was the third horse home in the raca under 7.1, finishing on strongly half a length behind Lady Quex—and that after she had been ill-served in the running. Manawhenua is another horse who should have benefited with recent racing after a spell following a trip to Australia in the spring. He could do no better than a couple of thirds in moderate company at Whangarci last week when backed down to favouritism,. but. undoubtedly his owner-trainer knew he was in need of more racing, and' undertook the trip to the far north as necessary steps towards, running him in more important events. ■ In Australia,- Manawhenua, made fame for himself by running; twice on the one day at a Tattersall's Meeting at Kandwick last' September, and following up a third first start with a win second start. ' At the A.J.C: Spring Meeting he was twice narrowly beaten, then, taken down to Flemington'ior the Melbourne Cup, he surprised by holding a prominent position (never further back than fifth) all tlft; -way, and finally'finishing fourth just behind the placed horses. In Australia he proved himself a master of all distances, but in the Dominion, he has shown himself best at a mile nnd under. As he i? now impioving he looks to hold a decidedly bright chance of succeeding in Saturday's■ Easter. 'At the, last Auckland Winter Meeting-he won the York Handicap, run over a mile, beating Sunny Sky and Historic; and although he was then weighted only lib above the minimum, he had still to prove himself beyond sprint journeys. .