MAIDEN PROSPECT

Evening Post, Issue 66, 15 September 1936, Page 13

MAIDEN PROSPECT

STRATHIRE AT AVONDALE

(Special from "Early Bird.")

AUCKLAND, September 14. Strathire is being seized upon as the logical winner of the Maiden Plate at Avondale next Saturday on account of his forward running among the good hacks at Ellerslie recently. He must possess an undoubted chance, but races confined to non-winners are not easy to win, with so many improved three-year-olds participating. For very many years it has generally been necessary for the maiden races at Avondale to be divided, but next Saturday this should not be essential. Not that there are not hosts of maiden candidates available, the position being rather that this even* is usually won by a good horse, and owners of eligible country maidens will be content to wait for the fixture at Paeroa early next month. THE 'CHASERS. Although the jumping season proper is finished, there are still half a dozen cross-country events to be decided in the province within the next eight weeks. At Paeroa on October 3 and 5 there is one event each day over country, and this will be followed by two at Ellerslie at the Auckland spring fixture a week later. Then there is the Waikato Hunt Cup on Labour Day, and a similar contest at Rotorua in the middle of November. That will be the last steeplechase until Paeroa again in March. There will be two brackets, if not more, in the Avondale Stakes next Saturday, the first classic of the new season for two-year-olds. Harlech and Bowyang comprise Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Potter's combination, and the new owner, Mr. Max Steinberg, will unfurl his colours for the first time in the Dominion with his two colts Elanage and Love Parade. Con Fuoco will have a further chance to make amends if he contests the Avondale Cup on Saturday. He finished third in the last Cornwall Handicap on May 30, and he was again third in the Jellicoe Handicap at Ellerslie last month. It is probable that the easy turf at Avondale will be more suitable for this, big strider than the mud he met with'last month, and so, even after making allowance for the improvement in the opposition, Con Fuoco must still be given a firstrate chance. The long straight at the suburban . track does not make it essential for a horse to be unduly hurried in the early part, for Avondale is one track where a horse often comes from last at the home turn to win, both in sprints and handicaps. ■ SERGIA DUE. / A useful hack to be kept in mind for minor events at Avondale is Sergia, who claims engagements in both hack and the special Plate contest the second day. Her last two outings at Ellerslie were rather disappointing, but in the first she was hopelessly drawn, and in the second she did not appreciate the mud. Sergia is nicely placed in the handicaps, and with her dash and courage she should be a horse to be kept on side, for she will probably end up the season by taking on open company, unless she disappoints considerably. Merial was not started at New Plymouth, where the ground conditions were doubtless responsible, as was the case at the Pakuranga Meeting. She is a smart filly, however, and if she is not too backward she should be able to make a showing in her Avondale engagements. She is in the Guineas on the second day, and while on her two-year-old form she was a "long remove from the class of Gallio, she should be all right when dropped a shade in grade.

A filly that may be capable of a surprise in "open: sprints during the spring meetings is the Gisborne three-year-old Golden Blonde. . Outside of the cracks she was one of the best of last year's two-year-olds, for she wound up her- autumn racing wj^th a victory, under 9,l>;over-Karl and- Anion at Avondale. . A'few .weeks ago she was produced at Gisborne, and. was defeated by the more seasoned Pennycomequick (also a prospect at Avondale), to whom she was conceding 151b so that it was quite a good performance. Golden Blonde has been in work longer than most of the Aucklland three-year-olds, and she may be j able to pick up an • early stake.