WELLINGTON CUP

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 4, 6 January 1944, Page 8

WELLINGTON CUP

FINE ARRAY OF WINNERS

Although it will not be known till tomorrow night what the Wellington Cup field will be, it is meantime rich in holiday winners. At the head of the handicap is Kindergarten, winner of the Clifford Plate at Ellerslie, who has been awarded 10.9; or lib below what he was allocated for the Auckland Cup. He did not go through with that engagement. Attending the champion is Lord Chancellor, who has 9.9, the poundage being 71b more than he won the Auckland Cup with. A meeting between these two great horses*would be sufficient in itself to attract a great crowd to Trentham on Saturday week. On Same Mark.—Macedoine, winner of. the Invercargill Cup under 9.1, and Alethea, who followed up her second in the Manawatu Cup by winning the Wairarapa Cup with 9.0 on her back, have both been dropped to 8.2 for the Wellington Cup. Each is a four-year-old and, with a 31b allowance for mares, come in at 91b below weight-for-age scale. Poundages Vary.—Responsible in large measure for the pace in the Auckland Cup, Foxola was beaten into fourth place. On the second day she won the A.R.C. Handicap under 7.9, and the Foxbridge mare comes in at the same weight in the Wellington Cup. On the other hand, Merry May (7.0), runner-up to* Lord Chancellor, has been advanced to 7.4. Based on her Cup performance at Ellerslie, Merry May looks a likely lightweight here, despite the increase. Better Terms.—Twelve months ago Foxola filled third berth to The Joker and Royal Lancer1 in the Wellington Cup when weighted'at 7.11, and fourth place was filled by Lou Rosa, who had 9.0. The latter then- ran third to Rakanui and Royal Lancer in the Racing Club Handicap on the second day when lifted 31b. These two Aucklanders come in on 21b and 111b better terms respectively, and with the racing he had during the holidays Lou Rosa should be on the up grade. Unfortunately, both Royal Lancer and Rakanui are compulsorily inactive at the present time. ' Both Well In.—ln view "of their records, both Don Quex and Palfrey are nicely weighted at 7.8 in the Wellington Cup. The pair ran third and fourth respectively in the New Zealand Cup when on the minimum, and were fifth and second respectively in the Metropolitan Handicap on the second day, Don Quex having 7.5 and Palfrey 7.4. Since then Don Quex has won both the Manawatu and Marton Cups, while Palfrey took the Dunedin Cup. Their consistency makes them bright prospects. Lost Friends.—The defeat of Tara King in the Great Northern Derby has cost this good colt friends for the Wellington Cup, but it would only require the tracks at Trentham to benefit by rain to bring him back into favour. The Beau . • Pere colt was weighted at 7.4 for the-Auckland Cup, but he contested the Christmas Handicap instead, winning with 8.6. The Wellington hahdicapper has awarded him 7.12, and he has only t6 be himself on the day to play a jpart. Five years ago another grand three-year-old, Defaulter, won the Wellington Cup with 111b over weight-for-age, but the race was a'mile and a half then. Absentees. —Holiday winners who were not entered for the Wellington Cup include Air Port (Ashhurst Cup), Cor day (Taranaki Christmas Handicap and Stratford Cup), and Ringlight (Malone Memorial at Stratford.). The unlucky Good Scout, runner-up in the Manawatu Cup, in which he deadheated for the placing with Alethea, and second place-getter in both the Marton and Ashhurst Cups, is also an absentee. However, he claims ah engagement in the Anniversary Handicap dm), and is down to return to the lower grade on the second day in the Douro Hack Handicap., Opportunity.—Should Kindergarten go to the post and win the Wellington Cup he will set a weight-carrying record fqr the race. The present record j stands to, the credit of Advance, who carried 10.4 to victory at Hutt Park in 1903. The highest weight carried successfully in the Cup race since the Wellington Club ; entered into possession of the Trentham course was Vintage's 9.9 of 1935. .'■;■.■ Strong Hand.—The Takanini trainer F. Smith holds a strong hand in the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham, for meantime he has Beau Vaals, Cambria, Route March, and Sweet Biscuit engaged. However, he may be content to reduce the string before the day. It is ; rather surprising that Kentish, winner of the Bowen Handicap at Ellerslie, was not also included. Advanced. —Both Sweet Biscuit and j Kol Ragi, who fought out" the finish of the Auckland Railway Handicap at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, have been advanced in the weights for the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham. The former carried 7.12 at Ellerslie, and Kol Ragi had 9.0 when he won the Newmarket Handicap on the second day, having been advanced 61b for his second on the opening day. Now they have 8.9 and 9.6 respectively, which means that Sweet Biscuit will meet Kol Ragi on lib better terms than when she beat him in the Railway Handicap. Failed Later. —Two Boxing Day winners who failed to repeat their efforts at their later outings were Killeymoon, winner of,the Fitzherbert Handicap at Manawatu, and Powys, winner of the Flying Handicap at Taranaki. However, w ( hereas the former goes up lib for the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham, the latter retreats to the minimum and thus' enjoys a drop of 151b to what he won with at New Plymouth. Strangely enough. Whackie, who ran second to Powys, benefits to the extent of il3lb only. Different Class. —Illustrative of the .more formidable opposition they will meet in the open sprint at Trentham is reflected in the poundages given. Hearth and Sham Boy. The former won at Waikouaiti with 9.0, but retreats to 7.10 here, and Sham Boy, who won over seven furlongs at Greymouth with 9.0 and over a mile with 8.7, comes in on the minimum. Was Inactive.—Sir Bradbury did not figure under silk during the holidays, his last 1 outings having been at the New Zealand Cup Meeting. On the opening day at Riccarton the Leighon gelding failed in the Stewards' Handicap under 8.6, but ran third in the Members' Handicap on the'second day with 8.4, the latter event being over seven furlongs. He comes in at 8.2 for the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham, and now meets the Stewards' Handicap winner, Theolateral, on equal terms, whereas they met at a difference of 101b at Riccarton. Sir Bradbury usually <races well when fresh. - Not Impressive.:—With the exception of Master Dash, who took the sprint honours on the first day at Tauhereriikau in good style, the prospects of others who did their New Year racing at the Wairarapa Meeting are far from inviting for a race such as the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham. As the Gyne'rium gelding comes in on 111b better terms at his home meeting he is certainly favourably treated. He was credited with running the six furlongs at Tauherenikau in 1.12 4-5.