JUVENILE HONOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 98, 22 October 1940, Page 13

JUVENILE HONOURS

WELLESLEY STAKES FORM

One of the most interesting races on the opening day of the Wellington Meeting on Thursday promises to be the Wellesley Stakes, the classic event for the juveniles. In some years the form in this race appears comparatively easy to analyse, but three or four of the candidates this year will have strong followings. On classic racing to date the best of the form on paper is strictly that of the Croupier—Zarisee filly Pay Roll, who dead-heated with Nuna in the A.R.C. Welcome Stakes and then decisively won the Musket Stakes on the concluding day at Ellerslie. This filly, who will probably be ridden by L. J. Ellis on Thursday, is the fastest youngster T. R. George has had in his stable for many years and he is very confident about her giving him his first Wellesley winner. However, there is another classic winner of the current term engaged on Thursday who might prove just as speedy as Pay Roll. This is the Hastings Stakes victor, Saint Tor, a full-brother to Saxon Tor. Saint Tor was having his first start when he succeeded and he completely spreadeagled his opposition, which included the Wanganui Debutant Stakes winner Tetratina. The colt will have the services of B. H. Morris on Thursday, and one good judge at Masterton last week expressed the opinion that he is the fastest juvenile to have been seen out in the spring for many seasons. The remaining classic winners . of I the season to date are not making the Trentham trip. They are Nuna, Miss Baffles, and Silver Lily, so that the form to oppose Saint Tor and Pay Roll is that of the handicap winners and the improvers. Among the handicap winners is the Lackham—Foreign Queen gelding Foreign Coin, a fine big two-year-old whose size does not appear to trouble his brilliance. In his single start to date he was a decisive victor over Par Avion and Lord Plato at Marton, and that form has since had tribute paid it by Par Avion's win on thej final day at Hastings at his next start and by Lord Plato's third half a length j behind the dead-heaters, Pay Roll and Nuna. in the A.R.C. Welcome Stakes. He will be ridden by his trainer, P.] Burgess, who steered Beaulivre to victory in the race two years ago. Other handicap winners in the Wellesley Stakes include Par Avion, Cambria, Soutane, and Tetratina, but Par Avion and Tetratina are more likely to run in the Taita Handicap. Par Avion is a colt who promises to develop very solid form later on. Cambria surprised at his first appearance, but was soundly beaten in his next outing. Soutane, a full-sister to Black Robe, scored impressively at Masterton last week, and she has precedent in her favour, as Beaulivre opened his account at Masterton two years ago and last year Enrich, the Wellesley victor, was a good thing beaten by his stablemate. Absolve, at Masterton. Other prospects in this classic include Prince Plato, who has gone two good races to date, River Plate, second in the Avondale Stakes, and Varuna, who has a reputation in Hawke's Bay, each of whom is engaged only in the classic and not in the handicap event as well. In the finaL sum-up by investors the post of favouritism in the Wellesley on Thursday will probably be accorded Saint Tor and Pay Roll, but Foreign Coin and Soutane are a pair who should extend them, and Varuna and Prince Plato are a likely sort to upset the winning form.