STRONG CONTINGENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 150, 22 December 1938, Page 13

STRONG CONTINGENT

VISITORS FOR TARANAKI

(Special from /'Early Bird.")

AUCKLAND, December 21. The Auckland contingent for _the Taranaki Meeting, opening at New Plymouth on Monday,, is bigger than ever previously. For the eight races there lire no fewer than forty .acceptances made on behalf of northern horses, some of them being in two events, so that they may do even better than twelve months ago,'when they captured half the. programme m firsts, seconds, arid thirds. , t^w,, In the opening race, . the Rahotu (Hurdles, Green Label may be as good as anything, for he led most of the way at Te Rapa last week, and he is rapidly improving. Bryce Street is a well-known jumper -. who a should do well later on the circuit, Airam is to make: her jumping debut here, and as she has schooled well much interest will be taken in her efforts. Of the half-dozen northern representatives in the Huatoki Plate Corato seems to be outstanding, for his display at Te Rapa a month ago was better than that of the average maiden. Place propositions may be Bronze Step (second to- Imperial Eagle last Saturday), Kaspian, Pleuron, and Jean Quex. The form of the last-mentioned trio should be'better as they improve on the circuit. .._. Of the six northerners in the Borough Juvenile Handicap Bronze Step is included again. . Noitaro, is a brilliant filly, but she may do better in the Tikorangi Stakes later in the day. ■ Brazilian is useful and is on the up-grade. Noble Fox finished fourth, five lengths behind the winner, the brilliant Foxmond, on the second -day at Te Rapa a month ago. White Mark, a two-year-old sister to Dutch Girl, is to make her debut here, arid she has worked promisingly. :■: In the Flying Handicap there are a dozen acceptors and nine are from Auckland, so that three placings are on the cards. Orate is now in the top flight of sprinters, but he may find it difficult to concede a lot of weight to Gay Seton, Tosh, Maori Song, Triune, and Hunting Blood. Tosh and Hunting Blood are both trained by M. J. Carroll, but they race in different ownership. Tosh is the more solid, but Hunting Blood is outstanding in brilliancy, and the turning track will play right into his hands. It is a pretty problem that stable followers have to solve, although Tosh reads best at the moment, with Hunting Blood perhaps having his turn on the second day. ;

Northern representation ■in the Atiawa Hack Handicap is comparatively weak, for Gay Sister and Philemup do not .seem to be in their best form. The latter, however, is improving, and might do well later on during the trip. Sergia is more than useful, and recent failures should not cause her stocks to fall too much. She has an excellent chance in the Christmas Handicap, in which Glen Abb and High Sea, other northerners, are also favoured, but not to the same extent. Incidentally, Silvanus, also engaged, ran a very fine race on the second day at the Waikato Meeting last month. Noitaro, if reserved for the Tikorangi Stakes, should go close to winning. In the final event, the Stewards' Hack Handicap, Friskland, Eastern Heir, and British Nation may be able to hold their own against the locals, with Eastern Heir the best if he is handled well.