THE AWAPUNI DOUBLE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 147, 19 December 1933, Page 8

THE AWAPUNI DOUBLE

PLATEAU'S CHANCE IN CUP

A CLASSY SPRINT FIELD

'Although the focal point of attention among racegoers next Tuesday (Boxing Day) -will be the big double at EHerslie, quite an amount of subsidiary interest will be taken in the Maiuwatu double as well, and the races at Awapuni may not be much easier to win than those at Auckland. Particularly is this the case ' with the Awapuni sprint, for the two topweights in this event, Autopay and Cadland, would have been -first and third respectively on the Railway list had they been among the northern acceptors. The Manawatu Cup, which has a history now of over forty years, naturally does .not draw the very best horses in commission, because of its clashing with the Auckland Cup, but usually it is con- ■ tested by a very useful lot of handicap- ■ ■ tiers, and on occasions its winners have turned out better horses thau the Auckland Cup winners in the same year. Sir Solo,' for example, who was the winner in 1012, went on to score in the Wellington Cup a month later, while Bobrikoff, who had won the Auckland Cup, was only third. Still a year later Sir Solo won the Auckland Cup, but he was unplaced in the next Wellington Cup, which was ■ again won by the Manawatu Cup winner .. of the season, Kilrain. MANAWATU CUP FIELD. The eleven acceptors for this year's Manawatu Cup may not look peak class, but they arc quite a solid handful up to the best average of past years, and it is ■well within the bounds of possibility that .their number contains one or two horses who may shortly be winning the most important handicaps in the Dominion. Half the field at least w:ould -not be out 'of place in the Auckland Cup. (Fairway actually has the dual engagement), and with some it has been only the expense and bother of'long travelling that has de- •• ■ c-ided their connections against tilting at the big Ellerslie prize. One horse engaged who has demonstrated true worth this season is the Feilding Cup winner Plateau, and although lie only just snatched victory at Feildiug he would have been most unlucky to have lost, for the tactics adopted by .the other;] in that race set him a very difficult task by the time they reached the short straight, yet he; was still capable of winning out. -■ He heads the jManawatu Cup list with 8.5', or 31b more than he carried at Feild■ing, but the additional weight should not :be a serious burden to him, nor probably will the quarter-mile further, as he was finishing over everything at the end of the Feilding- Cup. He has now won four races on end, and he has improved every time out. . ■ ' ' Fairway (7.13) and Aga, Khan (7.13) were the minor place-fillers at Feilding, •^ and on weights carried they are' set to meet 'Plateau at. 6%1b and 71b better ' terms respectively for half-head and halfhead margins of defeat. Fairway was subsequently third behind Spiral and Gold Trail at Woodvijlo, but there his running .was a shade disappointing. Still he is bred along good staying lines, and if he strps out at Awapuni in preference to S'oins; north to Ellerslie he should be one of the hard ones to beat, especially should the track be at all easy. Aga Khan docs no^ ra.ee very often, but he can usually be relied on to make a bold showing. Ho ■ looked "well handicapped at Feilding, par- - Micularly through Carfex, his -being backed down to favouritism confirming the view, and so he must, be allowed to be also well in next Boxing Day. All things considered he may.be of moro trouble to the topweight than Fairway. VISITOR FROM NORTH.. Baroscope, with 8,3, is a northerner mak- • ing the trip to Awapuni-instead of remain--sug behind at Ellerslio, and his party undoubtedly has good reason for this decision. He was in great form in raid-spring, ! a sequence of four wins including the. Mitchelson Cup and King Edward Handicap at the Auckland Meeting, but since then he has failed under 9.0 weights' at Te Rapa and Takapuna. Lined through View Halloo (fourth second day at Auckland and fifth Feilding Cup) he is./jn about his right mark against Plateau, with a 51b concession in his' favour for " his three ■ subsequent defeats. One point that weighs slightly against him is that he is by Weathervane, whose progeny usually hold brilliant form only, for a short space at a time. • :. Among the lighter weights those who will probably make principal appeal are Tiger Gain, Grand Jury, and Palm Queen. Tiger Gain wou the second-day handicap at Feilding like a coming champion, and one waits anxiously for his next test. Grand Jury, a winner over seven at Feilding, is more at home over a middle distance, and he looks well in on the minimum. Twelve months ago ho had 7.13 in ~the race, but he admittedly had1 none the best of the argument then. Palm Queen . was third' and fourth in the main handicaps at-T/akapuna, carrying 7.5. and 7.6; and although she only recently won her first race she will not be outclassed by any means in this company. . Arrow Lad, Vertigern, Miladi, and Arikira complete the field. Arrow Lad was the winner two years agp with 51b more than he has now, but he looks to be on the down grade, in spite oE healthy appearance and several creditable recent efforts. Miladi is a solid finisher and she is always a possibility. The other pair can hardly appeal with any force. Perhaps when the final reduction has to be made Plateau will be found to 'be favourite over Aga Khan, with Tiger Gain, Fairway, and Baroscope all claiming good attention, and Grand Jury possibly also ■ in. confident demand. THE OPEN SPRINTERS. The Fitzherbert Handicap has attracted a field of nine, and they comprise a quality hand not inferior to the Auckland ■Railway. The contest should be a stirring /battle for supremacy i£ all go to the post. . . The main present interest centres in the outcome between the topweights, Autopay 9.9 and Cadland 0.5, who will un- . doubtedly be the favourites, all going well with them in the meantime. Just over twelve months ago the pair were.-the top two numbers' for the C.J.C. Stewards 1 Handicap,: and Cadland (9.5) then won from Autopay (9.2). - Autopay has not raced since he returned ■from his Australian spring trip, but he has,made a complete recovery from the soreness that came against him there, and he has done a lot of recent work at Trentham, capped off with a couple of sprint trials last week. On Saturday he (showed that he is well forward, and in .spite of his weight he will be a tough .proposition to bowl over next week. In ■ • three starts in Australia on his last trip ,he won the Campbelltown Handicap, G furlongs, first up.under 9.10 at the end of (August, and his subsequent two efforts could hardly be taken .any serious notico of, as he was then very sore. In general appearance ho has never beeu iv better order than he is at present. Twelve months ago he won this race under 9.5, but there was no Cadland in the field then. ; _ Cadland naturally looks very attractively lin on the weights, but he has missed in all fivo starts since his resumption following a lengthy spell, and this might lead to the possible conclusion that he is not co outstanding a galloper now as formerly. Still there have been flashes of his old brilliance about his later efforts, and one , : would hardly yet dare venture that ho might not recover his former ability. Anywhere near" his form of twelve months ago he would be a good thing in this race. Should he fail again he will probably be given a trial over longer distances. : Among the others arc very smart sprintpi's in Souchong, Porotiti, True Shaft, and ■ Slippery, all of whom can go a merry fix. Souchong has been a long time reaching back to his best last season's form, 1 but he has recently come down with a flop in the weights and this must assist him. Compared, with Feilding alone he ■ meets-Cadland.-cn ?)b4»etteg;>t«raisu.^eu-p-.

titi was'a good winner on the final day at Trentham, and although he has missed twice since he has a fine turn of speed and goes well when fresh. True Shaft was a recent winner at Ashburton and is v solid sprinter, but a slightly lougcr distance might see him at*better advantage. Slippery, on his day might extend any sprint field with S.O. The remaining three do not particularly appeal. Hunt the Slipper, who only/ recently returned, from Sydney, was racing over brush .hurdles on the other side. The Tiger's latest efforts would not point very encouragingly to his prospects, and Lady Nan, though possessed of Ample pace, may find the class here a little too rich for her.

Performances must point very definitely to the top pair, and perhaps Autopay will be given preference, but Cadland, at his present mai'lc, is very liable to prove the Paper Money horse's match once again. Porotiti and Slippery read' the likeliest of the others. " ■