NEARING ITS CLIMAX

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 77, 28 September 1938, Page 17

NEARING ITS CLIMAX

SPRING CAMPAIGN

OPENING DAY AT RANDWICK

The spring campaign in Australia reaches its climax so far as New South Wales is concerned with the Australian Jockey Club's Spring Meeting, which opens on Saturday, will be continued on Monday and Wednesday, and will be concluded on Saturday week. The preludes have now all been disposed of, and eyes are focused on the first of the big spring doubles, the Epsom Handicap and the Metropolitan. Following the gathering at Handwick will be the V.A.T.C. Meeting, with the Caulfield Cup on Saturday fortnight; and then the stage will be set for the V.R.C. Meeting, with the Melbourne Cup. New Zealand representation in Australia this year is again light as compared with former years, with only a very few horses in the Sydney area. But one of these, Royal Chief, is expected to go very near winning the Metropolitan once again for the Dominion next Monday. DERBY AND EPSOM. For the opening day at Randwick on Saturday the two races of particular importance will be the A.J.C. Derby, with its, £5000 stake, and the Epsom Handicap, one mile, with its £2600 stake. The w.f.a. horses will be catered for by the Colin Stephens Stakes (formerly the Spring Stakes), £1500, 1£ miles; and the three other items are the First Hurdles, £300, about 2 miles; the Trial Stakes, £500, \\ miles; and the Kensington Handicap, £650, 7 furlongs. On Monday the Metropolitan Handicap, £5000, 1 mile and 5 furlongs, figuring with the Epsom as the Sydney spring double, will be the feature item. New Zealand this year has no direct interest in the A.J.C. Derby. However, a Dominion-bred horse in the field who is in some favour is the Limond —Anklet colt Limulet, who is owned by Dr. C. Nigel Smith and is trained by B. R. Payten. Another with a New Zealand interest is Strathroy, a colt by the Limond —Veil horse Veilmond owned by "Miss Lorna Doone." Last year, Courtcraft represented New Zealand in the classic and was disappointing. Though one has to trace the record back to Mr. C. G. Mclndoe's Austra-lian-bred Prince Humphrey (1928) for the last success by a New Zealand owner, and to the late Mr. H. A. Knight's Ballymena for the last Do-minion-bred winner owned in New Zealand, there have been numerous successes in the classic since 1928 for New Zealand stock, their list comprising Phar Lap (1929), Ammon Ra (1931), Theo (1934), and Homer (dead heat with Allunga in 1935). Two years ago Talking was followed home by three New Zealand horses, Mala, Gold Rod; and Custos. The Dominion's banner in the Epsom Handicap on Saturday will be carried by that brilliant mare Stretto, who has joint second top weight, 9.4. On her best form this mare is good enough to win any race in the Commonwealth up to a mile. She began her campaign in Sydney with a flourish by beating Gold Rod in the Warwick Stakes, 7 furlongs, a month ago, and, though the Chief Ruler horse has proved himself her master since, she will not have him among . her opponents orf Saturday. At latest advice she was still among the more favoured group for the race. | A NOTABLE SEQUENCE. ' New Zealand horses have had a notable run in the Epsom in recent years. When Gold Rod scored twelve months ago he was registering the fourth successive win for horses bred in the Dominion in the race. The previous year Capris won at long odds [ after a protest against Gay Lover, who I had passed the post a neck in front. Three years ago Synagogue also succeeded but in the colours of an Australian owner; and four years ago Silver Ring carried 9.6 to surprise victory for his New Zealand lessee. With Autopay (1931) and Nightmarch (1929) as other recent winners, New Zealand horses have taken no less than six out of the last nine Epsoms, three of the number for New Zealand owners as well.

Gold Rod is not in the race this year, but, besides Stretto, others engaged with a Dominion interest, because they were bred here, are Sir Regent, Rival Hit, Kai Tere, and Red Rosebud. Although not bred in the Dominion, Highborn, another acceptor, was owned and did some racing here as a juvenile.

Last year the Dominion was not at all strongly represented at the A.J.C. Spring Meeting, and no New Zealandowned horses were winners or in the money. However, the Dominion had some success as source of origin of several horses who raced prominently. Gold Rod won the Epsom and Hands Up the First Hurdles; and in other events Country Party and Mala were in the minor places. Two years ago Silver Ring won the Spring Stakes for the Dominion and Capris took the Epsom. If Cerne Abbas starts on the opening day this year the race in which she will run will be the w.f.a Colin Stephens Stakes. Her stablemate Royal Chief is also engaged in the Stephens Stakes, but he may. now be reserved for the Metropolitan Handicap on Monday. Silver Ring is another who is an entrant for the w.f.a. prize, this being the event he won two years ago under its former title, but on anything he has done in the last six months he is a back-number. If the track conditions promise to be satisfactory for the Metropolitan on Monday it is unlikely tbat Gold Rod will be raced on the first day, though meanwhile he remains in Saturday's w.f.a. event, j