THOMPSON HANDICAP PICTURE OF HEALTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 51, 2 March 1937, Page 13

THOMPSON HANDICAP PICTURE OF HEALTH

TOPWEXGHT'S TASK

ASSESSMENTS IN REVIEW

.Twelve months .ago the great interest in the weights for the Thompson Handicap, the principal item on the opening day of the Wellington Racing 'Club's Autumn Meeting, centred in the:,impost that- Silver Ring was to receive;-' There' may not . have been quitethe same interest in the obvious top weight's ;;mark for' this year, as'the brilliant .chestnut has been more or less out of; the limelight: lately, "but it is worthy of note that, with the • identical weight to -what he received last year, he has been assessed as relatively, very, little inferior to what he was, at his peak. : . It is right that no risk should have been taken with Silver Ring, for it was' only- a few months ago that he was still winning w.f.a. races in Sydney,* and his subsequent lapse was due to feet trouble. It may be assumed that if that trouble has been remedied he may still be very nearly as good as ever, for he is not an old horse y,et at seven years. Some handicap-pers.-might have been inclined to set him even a pound .'or two higher than the .weight which he carried to victory ■last' year, but Mr. Coyle has taken advantage of .the chance afforded by the, chestnut's period: of • indifferent form in Victoria last November to offer him- -the fullest' possible inducement ■to" ■ attend the Wellington Meeting, again. . - '

When Silver Ring;was weighted at 1f1.6 last year the minimum was 7.0. The minimum is now' 7.7, so that Silver Ring is half a stone closer to the bot-tom'mark-than he was twelve months ago, when he narrowly defeated Fries-, land, who had-7.0 and carried 7.1. In itself this, would appear some further concession to the topweight; but, as-has .been revealed in almost - every list of weights' that has - been issued •for important events this season, it is not actually so in fact, as thehahdicappers have not been penalising the better horses, and it has been rather the i horses down on or near the new minimum who- have been the sufferers Under the new order. '..-..-■

.- .As to Silver Bing's prospects of win*mag again with 10.6, there will not be many anxious for the present of being in his party. He is said to have been working along satisfactorily again on his home track near Greymouth, but he would have to, be very ; fit to beat his Thompson rivals for the -second successive year under an impost that had never been carried to victory ■in the race till he showed twelve months ago that it could be done. He is^ripw among the' aged division, and even allowing that he is not'too old •yet to come back to his.best he is unlikelyr to return immediately to' Winning form without a race or two in him. ' ■■■■ ..-',. ... ."■, - BIG STEP TO DUNGARVAN. .'lt is a big step from Silver Ring to Dungarvan, no less a range than 191b to 9.1. Dungarvan has a fine Trentham record, and he has shown-time and : again that he-is not troubled by •weights abbut.nine' stone or just over. For his; recent failures he has been allowed a pound or two in next week's Thompson. This, combined with the fact that he always comes up very hard to beat after brief respites, sets him as one of the likeliest among the early Thompson selections. ' 'A; mile may be near hls.best distance,;foir long trips in the top class lately have'proved ■just-a; shade too far. : ■■■.... ■' ;The placement of the three-year-olds -■is" v<jry similar to-last year's: <'• '-Twelve months' ago'Kihnoull was rated best Of. the age iri'*~the field at 8.11, and now Paper Slipper has been given exactly the same impost. , Kinnoull did not- figure in the acceptances; but Paper Slipper may, as in many ways he has a better three-year-old.record than Kinnoull shad, though a mile is abput- just as far-as-ever he will get, and nerhaps as yet too far in-the'best handicap company.. The record weight carried to success by a' horse of the' ■-sge in the Thompson is 8.7 by Golden Hair, who was:a filly, so that Paper Slipper would have to put up" an exceptional* performance to win. ■A better three-year-old prospect on

:. weights may be Paper Slipper's stable,,mate Trench Fight, with 8.4, but though he has a chance on paper lack of •recent racing wilj-- possibly tell against him.when up against seasoned horses. Laughing Lass is a very consistent" filly and-a good performer at 'Trentham who will have probably most early admirers among the three-year-olds; and Brazen- King and Mandamus are two ■ others of the age'who should be near their ■ bdst ■' form :at Trentham '" next week. ' , :, . '- ,-' .- . Recent racing has more or less disclosed how. most.of the pure handicappersin the field had to be. placed. ;Davolo's return-to form has been a feature of the season's racing, and, though He ha£ been winning up to a mile and a quarter! •a. mile is undoubtedly his pet journey.: In scoring recently at li •miles at Ricearton he carried 8,13,- and after-being unlucky in the Dunedin Cup, he won impressively over. 1. mile • and 2i furlongs on the second day of ■that meeting under 8.9. As he gave Wild Chase lib and a beating at Riccaf- • foil," he looks if anything rather'well treated in. being asked .to :concede only the same,weight to Paper Slipper, who *is definitely inferior to .Wild Chase as a.miler.' This might indicate Davolo-at 8.12 as a handicapper's tip; but many will prefer to view it- as rather hard on-the three-year-old. • ■ • ■ FRIESLAND IN SOLID FORJL

w . Friesland has recently performed the Nmusual feat of four successive wins in ' handicap class, "and though his opposition has not always been ..the best the ■mere.fact of-his continued wins discloses that he is in very solid form. Twelve months ago ■he was generally admitted to have been unlucky in not catching Silver Ring in the race,,after being' one' of the Jast to begin, and thereis rio ; queStion about his being a ' much,better horse this season." He, is now weighted as a good horse, it is true, but he is still capable of going . the point better: this year with 8.6 instead, of 7.1 on his back. In winning over 8 furlongs recently at Egmont at his latest start he was in receipt,of a ,stone from Diingarvan, who was'unplaced; now; the- difference,- at a dis-tance-equally- in', his'favour, is 91b. Friesland looks a rather likelier sort at-a mile than his stablemate Lowen- . berg, though.the latter, as-in the Wei-, lington Cup, isl not at all badly handicapped at, 8.4. ' :The stable has had several past triumphs in this event, notably with Reremoana and Golden -Hair,.. and- whatever horse is set for this year's race-will be among the favourites.' It may be noted meanwhile that Friesland. is also engaged in the sprint, but it would not surprise to find him. asked to run again'in the" Thompson' whether or not Lowenberg is started. ' . .- In the remaining group above the minimum some who may be in-early call at their weight are Travenna (\vho should appreciate the drop on the imijosts ne has lately been carrying), Concertpitch; Chief Ranger, Big Dook, Haut Monde, Taitoru, and Debham. These form horses are a formidable lot in themselves, and perhaps the .likeliest of them on general impression are Travenna Concertpitch, and Chief Ranger. Among those on the actual minimum •the pair whose recent observed showings have been most pleasing are Alby and Sir Nigel, winners at Woodvule; but another in this group who may be hear his peak next week ,is_P.ukeko, who has lately been doing the AuckI land provincial circuit, andracing like one who might early capture a good stake. - - #•■ >»■ .

■ .Catalogue is set 61b higher m the hack class at Trenthari thaft he was m hack 'class at Woodville, but he is still apparently well in for a horse who .won in open class as a three-year-old. His second at Woodville suggests that he is capable of coming back.