AUCKLAND ENTRANTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 7, 10 January 1938, Page 13

AUCKLAND ENTRANTS

WELLINGTON CUP MEETING

(Special from "EarW Bird.")

AUCKLAND; January 7,

| Quite a number of Auckland; owners have entered horses for the Wellington Meeting, opening on Tuesday week. In addition to those figuring on the first, day. it is 'probable, that Play' Oh will be produced on ..the second and third days. /'

A feature Of the Wellington Cup entry'from the northern viewpoint is that seven of the candidates contested the Auckland Cup. They were The Buzzer (the winner), Argentic (third), Kelly (fourth), Padishah (fifth), .Cerne Abbas (sixth), Wotan (ninth), and Wild Chase (thirteenth). Looking over the Wellington Cup field it certainly looks as if Ellerslie running will furnish the best guide. ; ' -~ "Much interest will centre in the handicaps .for the Wellington Cup, in view of Auckland form and the weights carried' and allotted there. = For > instance, The Buzzer,, handicapped _at 7.0 in the Auckland Cup, won under 7.6' and was handicapped at .9.0 in the Summer Cup. ; . What may be .termed notable absentees from the Wellington Cup are Willie Win, Friesland, 'Fersen;.; Knight of Australia, and' Shy. TAKAPUNA PROSPECTS. The fact that Knight of Australia is not-in at Trentham points to his being reserved for the Takapuna Cup, at Ellerslie on Jaijual'y'.29, and if he is none the worse for his three hard races at headquarters' he .should be; difficult to beat in the £800, mile and a quarter handicap event. Inc this contest it is vi.ore -than : likely that a; few -outside horses will make up for the loss of those engaged at the Wellington fixture, which concludes, just a week prior to 'the; Takapuna 'opening. • Privy Seal was one of the. unlucky hacks seen out at Auckland, She had two outings only, the first-being in'the mile and a quarter handicap, on'the second day,*.when-enpugh.,was thought of her chances" to'make her favourite. However, she.^got into a- lot;of-trouble during the running of the first ,six furlongs* and :she Was-'closer at the finish than at-any stage,,. On" the .third day. she , ram" in. the".- apprentices' race and after being kept too far out in the early part she finished strongly to be third, which was "a splendid effort under the circumstances: She may race next week: at Trentham. - •:• \. .

'r.The.'.Hawke's'BSy sprinter. Joviality was never in the picture, in the Railway Haridicap;on Boxing pay, put then he was only,one of,.several, in this plight, for Railway Handicaps are very difficult to win and a horse requires.' a good run throughout. Produced again in the sprint on thfe. final day, the horse was prominent in the lead with Black Thread over the first half-mile, but then he began, to tire and-finished a long way back. He- has not :been entered for Trentham this month, but figures in the Ashhurst sprint. .'...- ---.. DOIJIIO CUP CHANCE.; Quadroon, produced among the handicap horses on the final: day at Ellerslie, was'in the middle of the field for most of the trip and he finished a bit further back. He had gone, quite a good race in the mile and a quarter hack event oh the second day, running a very-good fourth under, top weight, 9.0, so his promotion to open handicap ranks was followed with interest.' He may do better ,at Trentham and' he looks: a Douro: Cup' possibility...:

Now; that the provincial circuit is due,:'to.'cbmm'ehce:*'.at 'this monthi' a : chance of winning faces will tie".'' afforded the second-rate gallopers in the open class. Coming within that category is Day Wind, who.went two solid, races at Ellerslie,- finishing fourth on the second c^ay at-.amile and being tip"sixth-Irr ther'Gratiastand -Handicap. On these two fine .efforts Hhe^'shOuld be well suited |by the ;twp contests ar- Thames l:a. fortiiight 1-i'e'nce, an.d ,eVen.::if -.he- fails .-.thef*'- other' opportunities will soon,be afforded him.• .\

■ ■ The 'appearance of- Trench Fight among .the. - Wellington..- Cup■•;- entrants suggests that "'he; may be a possibility: if he is started in that race, for last ] season -} he: shaped 'weir over this, distance . when- he beat1 all except Essex in'Vthe Great Northern Derby. At the recent' Auckland Meeting he won the Christmas Handicap, conceding weight to several others that raced prominently on the later days, notably Royal Ap-pellant,-Valamito, Round Up, and Star Artist. In the King's Plate the Riccartdri four-year-old shaped . very well indeed,,for he was the only horse in the race to make Courtcraft gallop. On this showing, he should do well at Trentham if handicapped wifhin. reasonable limits. . ■ . ■■ * ..'.-: