CUDDLE ON LOOSE REIN

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

CUDDLE ON LOOSE REIN

Cuddle's collections were very confident prior to the race that she would win the Rere Nekitini Memorial Stakes, and •fheir optimism was completely justified in the result. The mare carried her big weight of 10.10 with all her old ease, and after taking charge at the half-mile she facilely held her only serious challenger at bay. She was on a loose rein from the top of the straight, and, without having been touched, she passed the post hall a

length in* front of Hunting Queen. The performance was .typical of the Cuddle who won the two big Cups last year. The main difference in execution, outside of the weight carried, was that L. J. Ellis kept hef"in check till much later than usual in not asking her to go to the front till between the five and four furlongs. The pace up till then had not been solid. Once sent on a sprint, she accelerated very quickly from fourth behind Hunting Mars, Hunting Queen, and Mar-tara; and there is nothing among the handicappers in the Dominion who could outsprint this mare when she is really well and on her day.

As an Auckland Cup trial,: it was a completely satisfying effort, for Cuddle I did everything just as she was required. There is an understanding between Ellis and this mare that is evidently a very helpful aid to success, and Ellis usually seems able to judge the right moment at which to strike on her. On this form and with 111b less to carry next Saturday she is sure to be very hard to beat at Ellerslie if, as her trainer firmly believes, she is (Still as good as ever she was as a stayer. On looks alone she has never been better.

Hunting Queen, well handled by S. Wilson, was in the fight all the way, and oh her latest showings she has more than an outside chance in a race like the Manawatu Gup next Saturday. It was no disgrace to be. outsprinted home by a mare of Cuddle's class..

Terry, in gaining third place after being left many lengths at the start, put up a surprisingly good performance. The pace was slow early, enabling her to recover much of the lost ground, but even allowing for that she did much better than could generally have been anticipated. She looks in line for an open handicap before long. Her ; third gave all three placings to mares on Saturday.

Martara was raced differently from usual in being held under a check all the way, so perhaps it would be difficult to judge the merit or otherwise of his effort. At least he did make a short drive forward on the home turn when asked to go after Cuddle, but he was out on the track,'so was reefed in again. Finally Terry just cut him out of thjrd. His failure to trouble Cuddle with 121b in his favour on the w.f.a. scale does not necessarily rule him out as a Derby prospect, for he may be a better horse on New Year's Day.

Sunee ran only iairly, but the style in which the race was contested hardly suited him. Hazoor, on the big side, ran usefully for one in his condition. Hunting Mars again' stopped at the end to finish last, but he went further than at Woodville.

The time was given as 2min 5 4-ssec, but it was privately clocked as slower than that. The first two furlongs, while Hunting Mars was displacing the hardheld Martara in the van, were run at little better than a canter, but the field then came home the last mile in just under lmin 40sec, and Cuddle did her last half-mile in 49 l-ssec.