THE FOXTON MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 22, 26 July 1933, Page 6

THE FOXTON MEETING

EXCELLENT ACCEPTANCES

The two excellent acceptance lists that have been received for the Fox toft Racing Club's two Winter Meetings, replacing the abandoned meeting in January, must have been a most -welcome surprise and discovery for the club's officials, and now there should remain no doubt at all about what is the best time of the season for the club to choose for its racing. The days of the old "picnic meetings" have gone,; but it was necessary for an accident of. chance to happen before the club's officials would bring themselves to realise this. For next season the club has left its former January dates well alone, and it is improbable now that it will ever attempt :to revert to them, even though good weather can be expected at that time. It made its original application for December 13 and 14, but, after the success of its last June Meeting, it changed its application to December 1G and June 9, two Saturdays, and these dates were granted it Both are satisfactory dates, but it will probably be found that the winter date proves the better draw, even though it follows hard on the heels of the King's Birthday meetings. The club is lucky to have two Saturdays on which to race, and itshould certainly now strive to retain Saturday dates, for they are undoubtedly the best drawing days. THE MAIN HANDICAP. One race that promised to provide a poor field on Saturday was the main event, the Foxton Handicap, but, with only Chopin and Redtop dropping out at the acceptance, the card of seven remaining is likely to make for an excellent betting item. There were only six acceptors (and Btarters) in the Foxton Cup last month, but it was a good race for the totalisator. Saturday's lot, though • not containing a Takakua. or All Humbug, offers a more even issue, and it is one in.which ■it will probably be found that all candidates are .well'supported.- Indeed, at present it" is very hard to say what will eventually go out favourite. The topweight, Juggle, is a mare who showed solid form in the autumn after several months of racing over hurdles. She won the Waterlea Cup at the Marlborough Meeting in May at her last start, and as she then carried 9.0 (7-stone mini-, mum) and finished two lengths in front of Miladi (9.9), she is 'notvbadly treated with -9.4 on Saturday. A week earlier she had also won the Nelson Cup. She should go well again, but perhaps she will find one or two of those below her just too much for her with their concession in weight. '' . \ ■ Playground (8.11) and Copper King (8.7) ! are two who are likely to offer serious menace to the topweight. Playground's win on the last day of the recent Wellington Meeting will not be forgotten, but the mile that day was far enough for: him, nnd it was the first success that he had had over such a distance. Still, even then, the only one that -was ...troubling him at the end was the well-performed All Humbug, for the best of the others was five lengths away,l and; on a' course like the Foxton he is likely to get a mile and a quarter, as All Humbug did last month in winning the Foxton .Cup. He is also engaged in the open seven, so it is not certain that he will start in the longer race. . Copper King was somewhat of a disappointment at Wellington, but he is a horse of varied showings and invariably at his best when he can strike a forward position early in his races. At his start previous to his Wellington races he was very narrowly beaten by Retract at Otaki. with a little-known apprentice in the saddle, and any repetition of that form, or the form he displayed in winning the main handicap by lengths at Marton in May, would find him a very hard- one indeed to settle on Saturday." BEST ON WEIGHTS. Chief Marionette, on 8.10, is very well handicapped on her Hawke's Bay form, especially when it is taken into account that her successe/on that trip earned her 8.13 in the Whyte Handicap at Trentham, so she also must enter serious calculations. She was kicked at the'post in the Whyte Handicap, but evidently {he injury was not serious, as she was produced on the final day again at Trentham, though, in the bad going, she finished a long way back. In the Foxton Cup last month ehe came home very, solidly into fourth place right alongside Tnkakua, and she was not then at her peak., . Joie de Val, like juggle, is another mare in the field who has had a course of hurdle racing, though much shorter, and it has done her no harm. . Whether it has had the desired result may be known after Saturday. She is very well at present, end she is in at a handy, weight, even though one wonders -/.why she has been «et 31b above the minimum, unless it be to distinguish her-from? the"pair at the bottom.' ■. • ~ , , | Thrasher and Lorecourt, on the bottom rung, complete the field. . The former is b hack who has shown himself capable of going beyond :a mile, and he should appreciate the drop on the weights he has lately been carrying among the hacks. He won the hack, mile at Foxton last month under 9.10, and the services of K. Voitro will attract additional support for him. Lovccourt is the maiden three-year-old filly who was unlucky not to bring off a sensational surprise in the. high•'eight on the middle day'at Trentham. She is not bijr.but she is compact, and now that she has shown she can stay she is also entitled to full respect on Saturday. The field is thus very openly comprised, and the winner'is well concealed. Copper King and. Playground will prob-ably-bo among the favourites, but Chief Alai-innette is in at a great weight and tvcnild need only to bo herself to have tn"e rest in trouble before the race is over.