ONE "CERTAINTY"

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 149, 21 December 1936, Page 17

ONE "CERTAINTY"

WAI PA FOR HOLIDAY DATE

(Special from "Early Bird.")

AUCKLAND, December 18. While it is reported that a lew racing clubs in the lower part of the North Island are already submitting claims to the new King's Birthday date, the position in the n°v%Js*Z be much clearer. The Waipa ac + ln,? Club has raced on the second batuiday before Boxing Day ever since its inception over twenty years ago, antf there does not appear to be any opposition to this club's racing on the Birthday date. . ... Fleetwind was a long time getting on the winning list after being one of the best two-year-olds in the province and her success at the recent Takapuna Meeting after several unsuccessful runs during the preceding lo months indicated that she may now come right back to her best form, it she can do this then she should win again, even in the much stronger company she will be opposed to in the next week or two. She can handle any sort of going. KING REV AND MAZIK. Two horses that can be sorted put as likely to get on the winning list at the coming big meeting at Ellerslie are King Rey and Mazir. Whether they could see out two miles is immaterial, for they will have chances on the later days of the fixture, with a mile and a half and two ten-furlong events to suit them. Of the pair King Rey may be the better stayer, for the Martian strain in his pedigree may stand to him. • One of the best workers at Ellerslie is Kilonsoa, who won the Takapuna Plate last month and narrowly missed repeating the winning performance two days later. Her trainer holds a very high opinion of this galloper, and on her trials and recent public form there is a firm foundation for enthusiasm. However, it is a big gap between hack and open company, but Kilonsoa with reasonable improvement-since her last efforts will not be disgraced. The Summer Cup on the second day at headquarters is said to be her special mission. Early speculators are in rather a quandary when it comes to choosing the possible winner of the Railway Handicap on Boxing ' Day, and track work between this and race day will probably determine the order of the betting market. At present Oratory has been seized upon as the logical favourite, not only in view of her nice win at Feilding, but because that effort indicated that she must be nearly back to her best. On her last appearance at Ellerslie, last Easter, Oratory created a big impression, and it is believed that if the Marton galloper can only get back to that form she will win the Railway. GOOD THREE-YEAR-OLD. It was recently stated that Gay Talkie was to miss his Auckland Cup engagement and therefore it was expected that he would take on the open mile on Boxing Day. The Gay Shield gelding would have been capable of a really good effort in the Cup, but perhaps his owner was daunted by the fact that three-year-olds have little chance in this event, that is, going on the records. Nightly was fourth three years ago, and that was the best effort of a three-year-old for very many years. Gay Talkie is very nicely placed in the weights and he is . another horse that should do well at the coming meeting. Flood Tide looks a much better horse than when he won the Mitchelson Cup, and on the strength of his continued good work on the tracks he is going to retain his position as favourite for next week's Auckland Cup. His weight, 31b below weight-for-age, is not a light one, for, taking the scale at its face value, the fact that- Flood Tide was not good enough to win a classic or set-weight event indicates that he falls a bit below that class. As against this it is obvious he has improved, and in the absence of any other proved stayer in the north this may; justify the optimism of his supporters. He may be able to tackle the younger and older horses at weight-for-age on the final day,-for he is in the Clifford Plate. The two-year-old Huntingmore has gone on the right way since having his first outings in. public at Ellerslie three weeks ago and he ought to pick up. a stake at the. Auckland Meeting, especially if his owner waits for a weak field, which often presents itself on the second or fourth day's racing. The Hunting Song colt showed a lot of speed when he was raced and it is probable 'that he is much more solid now. Another ■ promising Ellerslie youngster who may make his debut at the coming meeting is Aero King, whose work-outs up to a week or so ago have been very attractive. He has not been putting the same dash into his tasks of late, but he should freshen up again and be ready for whatever races are chosen for him. He is a I colt by The Ace from Charis and is a j half-brother to the last A.J.C. Epsom Handicap winner Capris.