NEWMARKET HANDICAP

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 52, 2 March 1934, Page 4

NEWMARKET HANDICAP

CAN GOLDEN- WINGS , WIN ?

New Zealand has more than usual mtciest'in the opening day of the Victoria Racing Club's Autumn Meeting at Flem--ington tomorrow, for two of the acceptois for the puncipal event o£ the day, the Newmarket Handicap, are owned in the Dominion and two otheis were laced here as two-year-olds. The former pair aie Golden Wings and Ruling Light, and the latter pair are. Closing Time and Dole. < Golden Wings and Closing Time share with the brilliant maie Waltzing Lily pride of place at the top ot the acceptance. Golden Wrags's peiformance will especially attract notice, as he is undoubted champion sprinter of the Dominion, and he will be, making his first appearance on Australian §oil. The 9.7 allotted him, with the 31b gelding allowance, lepresents 101b over weight-for-age, but lie is a proved weight-carrier, and, all being well with him on the day, he can be depended upon to play his part with full credit. A perusal of the records of the race shows that it is one in which the heavilyweighted division has a creditable record. Greenline won with 10.2, Soultline (New Zealand-bred) with 0.11, Gothic with 9.10, Heroic -with 9.8, Pendant with 9.7, Bungebah with 9.3, and Fortunatus with 9.2. When Wakeful won in 1901, as a four-year-old, she carried 7.6, including a 101b penalty for her Oakleigb. Plate success. She was then starting on a great career, so that Fulminate 9.10 and Advance (New Zealand-bred and owned) 9.11 registered brilliant performances to finish in the places, with a neck between them. The Newmarket is decided over a perfectly straight course, and with, the large fields usually contesting it it is an exceedingly ' difficult race to follow in detail. The record-sized field is 38 in 1925,. but 30 has often been exceeded. Twenty-nine remain in for tomorrow's race. The time record for the rate is Iniiu 10% sec, which, was established by St. Ardent n 1929. Last year's winner, Waltzing" Lily, took Imin 13U&ec. It was a tight finish. last, Maxell, Waltzing Lily, jacko, and Ibrani heing separated only by heads. Wmooka, topweight with 9.9 and the favourite, finished fourth, and Closing Time (8.10), Now Zealand's only runner, was sixth. New Zealand early had' an interest in the lace. Calumny, the winner of the second Newmarket in -* 1875, was one >of three mares taken over ito Australia iv 1874 bjr the late Edward Cutts, 'founder of the Chokebore 1 Lodge fetable, aridL she and her companions were* sold tliere. In her Newmarket she carried the colours of Mi". Ward, * ' ' In 1887 the late. Mr. G. G. Stead -won the race with Lochiel, who the following spring added, the New. Zealand: Cup to hisrecord. AnothW -notable N/ew- Zealand success was that of -Soultlino, owned by the late Mr. S. P. Mackay, in 1909, whose 9.11 was the weight record till Greenline bettered'it in 1930. 'To* a New Zealander also, goes the honour of having carried the heaviest weight in the Newmarket. The horse was the great Machine Gun, who had no less than 11.3 iv the saddle when, he paraded in, 1906, but it beat him and he finished ninth. Gladsome, New Zealand-bred, was seventh in ' that same contest with, 9.11. It was- the year that Pendant (9.7) won.