SPLENDID CONTEST

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 99, 23 October 1936, Page 13

SPLENDID CONTEST

ARGENTIC WINS HANDICAP

The Wellington Handicap, the last of the important middle-distance, handicaps before the New Zealand Cup in a fortnight's time, provided patrons : with a splendid contest, easily the best that has been staged in this race in recent years. Every horse was a possibility from the start, and in an exciting finish the hot favourite Hunting " Cat just failed to reach Argentic by the rrarro west of "possible margins. Ar..j;entic ran one of his best races and deserved his success, but Hunting Cat was undoubtedly unlucky, his rider IL. J. Ellis) leaving his claim till a few moments too late. _ . Argentic ..wasnot prominent in the early-runnings but the field was in ... close array and he was therefore never far from- the front Going into ■_ the :■ back he was eighth of the dozen starters, and half a mile on he had improved'a place, through Bona Bays dropping back. Then he began an effort" that had taken him up to fifth on reaching-the straight,-and he continued bis bid over the last two lurloncs, catching Davolo a hundred yards from the post and then withstanding ■ ' a determined late claim on his inner " from the "favourite by half a. head. liONOiOVERDUE SUCCESS. It was a very long-overdue success for Argentic in an important handicap r . When he began racing as a three-year-old he promised to rise to the top flights,' but in his subsequent, seasons, after proving a difficult horse to keep sound for a fairly long period, he was always so good but not quite good enough; After being off the winners' list,for over eighteen months a win ' came his way in the South Canterbury - Handicap last May, but it was not till yesterday that he scored again. Asa • three-year-old he, won three races in three' starts at the New Zealand Cup Meeting and two others later in that -. seasons Twelve- months ago he was - fourth' in" the Wellington Handicap and --■■■then finishedthird to Cuddle and ■ Vanestep iri'the New Zealand Cup. In ■•■ * all he-has now started on 64 occasions for 11 wins and 19 minor placings, and in stakes he has earned £2397, to "which this season's contribution has so far been £445. Argentic is now seven years old and he again figures. in the corning New ' - '■Zealarid i.Cup .field, ;in which he has ".V. been, weighted.'on; a., higher relative : " level '.than, he was yesterday.. He as *'■' a bay gelding by Silverado (sire also -• . of Silver.Ring and Silver Scorn), and .-- his dam, Spotlight, is by Nassau from. 'Stardancer, by Martian from. :: Stepv'"''•dancer; by Stepniakl'-'so he-is' r,eally '; .exceptionally Well bred on both"sides "'- -of his pedigree, particularly for stainv- ma. • Spotlight.herself -was not. a rac- " ,ing proposition, but she was'ariull- . -sister-to' Starland,■ who-won the Auck--1 'land arid" Takapuna Cups, -and ■a' half-- •" ■ sister :to :Limelight, winner . of:-'..the CvJ.C. '.Great Autumrt," .Metropolitan, and Jockey Club Handicaps, arid'-to , - Starmist,- winner of the New ■ Zealand ■■ Oaks. ..Stardaiicer, Arfientic's grandam, : was a good winner, sher successes- in- • eluding the C.J.C. Stewards', and she was a full-sister to. Warstep, winner "' of the New Zealand' and Auckland Cups and one' of the greatest mares that ever raced in New Zealand; Argentic has done all his racing in the .-. colours of the West Coast sportswoman- Miss M. C. Wilson, who purchased him privately from his breeder, Mr. S. Higgs, and he has always been trained by C. C. McCarthy, who has - been at Riccarton for several years. A younger half-brother of Argentic, by the way, ,is. Radiant Star, who bn •■' Wednesday was successful in winning a division of the Werribee Cup in Victoria. ;■;:... ■_.. ... ■ .■ . . ■■ ■ • ' ■ " '•' Vr'?Sßiwin^Gvc at: unlucky. Yesterday's second horse, Hunting Cat,'should without much question have been the winner, and this may be claimed without in the least dis- ■;'- pafaging the excellent performance of ■ "'-. the: yictor.i For two-thirds of the journey .he. was at the rear with Master ~ Brierly, but: after passing the halfr \ .mile" fie .began to move up along the ' i cjiirter.; of the bunched field. He was still well back in order of progression ■ enteringi; the straight, but'he finished " very" resolutely, finally going into the opening left by Davolo and just failing to measure' the gap he still had lo bridge. ■ . '■i iLike Argentic, Hunting Cat'is-in'the New Zealand Cup, with a 41b piill in weights as compared with what the pair carried ' respectively yesterday; "but, despite his splendid showing, he -might riot be quite so good a prospect . over two miles, for the Hunting Songs so far have failed to succeed at the 'longest journeys. His favouritism yesterday was so pronounced that he was decidedly more than twice as well backed straight-out as the second -favourite"'(Red Manfred), and the con- ' fidence'thus reposed in him, combined withhis performance, tells that he is i a better horse this spring than he has ever been previously. In handicaps up - to.li miles at least—he won the last ■' Manawatu Cup at that distance—he "- must "be very nard to beat during the ~.next, few months if he continues to ' train''on,""■■. • Davolo, always handier to the front . than the pair who beat him, ran to the lead past Epris and Shy at the false " rail, but though he then looked momentarily the likely winner he sue- • cumbed to his challengers over the final furlong. Just near the post he -began to stop and his third placing ■ was a length and a half back. Anything much above 1J miles is probably "' too far for him, so he will not appeal ■-■• greatly in a New Zealand Cup connection, '• •■• lii finishing fast: from the rear in the straight to be fourth, Master • Brierly ran his best race since his return to the Dominion from Sydney. It was a striking performance, indicating that he may be at long last returning to his old form. Korero was another finishing on, and ift: he should get a track to suit in the next month or two he will be worth keeping on side .with. Shy, set out to make all the running after a slow first furlong, but he was never clear and compounded in the straight, though • he seemed to be going on again over the final portion. Grand Jury ran a useful xace, but it1 was "over the closing stages that he failed after being fourth into the straight. The rest were well out of it. Red Manfred was never prominent after drifting from third along the back. Might went indifferently—at least he could not improve at any, stage. Rona Bay traversed a lot of \ ground early .. and then fell- back. Epris stopped after sharing the lead with Shy to the straight. Round Score and Spiral recorded the poorest efforts. . Though the mile and three furlongs took 2min 21Jsec to cover, the time was mainly lost in the first furlong. Shy,-, who drew the outer, swept up While the pace w-as -easy ana had

charge at the beginning of the second furlong, therefore speeding up the rate of going. The last mile and a quarter was run in 2min 6.} sec, the last mile ia lmin 40sec, and the last half-mile in 49 4-ssec. ; The mile in the Wainui Handicap took lmin 41-Jsec, and the last half-mile in that race 51sec, so the pace in the big handicap was a stiff one once it started.