ON AUCKLAND FORM

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 97, 21 October 1936, Page 15

ON AUCKLAND FORM

PROSPECTS AT TRENTHAM

(Special from "Early Bird.")

AUCKLAND, October 20. The Auckland contingent for the Wellington Meeting this week has fined down considerably, but while the representation is fairly small it still appears to be strong. Curlew's failure at Ellerslie recently was the cause of his fading out at acceptance time. ,

The veteran of the Auckland string is undoubtedly Lord Val, who should know the' steel road to Trentham as well as most sportsmen. He has always done well at Wellington Meetings, and so far as ground conditions are concerned he is versatile, having run his best races in mud fetlock-deep and also on firm ground.l Last July he had three starts at Trentham over the sticks, scoring a win, a second, and a third. He is not overweighted on Thursday, and he can confidently ,be expected to earn place-money at least. Merry Lap is handily placed in the Glen Hurdles on the first day, for he j should be susceptible to considerable improvement upon his Ellerslie form, where he defeated Lord Val very decisively. Merry Lap is still a fresh horse, and therefore he has it on his fellow northern galloper. The form the first day at Ellerslie was sound, for Lord Val scored convincingly on the second day, so whichever way it is viewed it must be conceded that Merry Lap is .going to take a lot of beating, while more than one win is possible before he gets high' in the weights. Last season Merry Lap looked like making a big name for himself when he was severely injured at Te Rapa. Sinking Fund rarely runs a bad race, and the Wainui Handicap mile should suit him. • He finished a close second in a handicap at Paeroa recently, and at Ellerslie he finished close up in the mile won by Kelly. The big Trentham track will help the Te.Rapa gelding. Master Brierly went his best race to date this season when he finished fifth in the Dargaville Cup, although his effort was not such as to cause his admirers to go into raptures of delight Howeyer, it was • encouraging, and as he is improving with rac-

Trotting news will be found on page 19.

ing his performance in the Wellington Handicap will be watched with interest. It is a long time since he won a race, his 15 runs last season resulting in that number of defeats. On his present rate of progress he ought to be at his best by the time the New Zealand Cup comes up for decision. Elanage is one that should make some definite improvement between the Auckland Welcome Stakes and the Wellesley Stakes this week, but his Ellerslie conqueror, Francis Drake, may come on even more. However, Elanage has only to repeat northern form to be in the money. Of the horses engaged the first day at Trentham who also competed at the last Auckland Meeting the best may be Francis Drake, Red Manfred, and Mandamus. The last-named raced very disappointingly at EUerslie, but he did not seem at home galloping, the reverse way, and he may run up to his trials at Trentham.