THE DUNEDIN CUP HORSES.

Evening Star, Issue 7450, 20 February 1888, Page 2

THE DUNEDIN CUP HORSES.

As a preliminary to making, in to morrow’s paper, a final selection to do battle for mo in the Dunedin Cup, I submit some comments on the merits of the various horses engaged Mr CL SMeild’s b c GIPSY KING, by Lc Loup—Gltana, » yrs, Bst -lib.

Mr Stead’s formidable stable has but one representative, but that one is looked on with wholesome respect by the other owners and the public alike; nor is this without reason when his performances arc examined. As a two-year-old he proved himself inferior toonly Maxim and Sextant, while this year lie asserted his superiority to the latter uolt, and has not in our race to measure strides with Maxim, nor with the best of the Company that he finished iu front of in the N.Z. Cup. When the weights appeared for the Dunedin Cup I selected Gipsy King as one 6* the best in, attd as he has now arrived here, and is in good nick, I shall not change my opinion at this late hour.

Mr W. Itobbett’s br li TETFOItSI. by Musket— Pmiffawcrcwcre, O yrs, Bst.

This son of Musket and the Dunedin Cup winner of 1870 is a difficult subject to deal with. As a three-year-old he carried off three races at the Thames, but at the Auckland Racing Club’s gatherings he invariably proved inferior to such horses as Tigridia, Necklace, and Mitrailleuse, The following season he showed better paying form, displaying a good turn of speed in short races, while his victory in the Wanganui Cup was satisfactory evidence that he can stay two miles. .Shortly after that performance he went wrong, and, judging from his recent running at Wellington, he has not yet got back to his best form. He has, however, not been harshly used by the handicappcr, and as he is coming on well with his preparations he should run respectably,

Mr I*. Butler's br li ARTILLERY, by Musket-Onicla, 4 yrs, Bst.

This horse will be remembered principally on account of his sensational performances at the Canterbury spring meeting of 1886-87, whereat, after running unplaced in the New Zealand Cup, he made a bold bid for victory in the Derby, being only beaten by Disowned in the last few strides; and then, on the last day of the gathering, putting down Nelson at weight-for-age in the Canterbury Cup. His form during the remainder of that season was poor, while at the commencement of the present campaign he unfortunately went amiss and ran quite out of proper form at the last Canterbury spring gathering. On his early performances he is not at all badly treated in our Cup, but I doubt his being fit for the journey.

Mr M. Slicrwln’s b ff ((IJIBBLE, by St. Theresa, aged, 121b.

Mr Sherwin’s candidate is one of another stamp altogether. Although an aged horse, he never raced till two seasons back, but since he has been before the public he has shown steady and constant improvement. Commencing his career with a couple of wins at Duntroon, he ran with varying success at Oamaru, Dunedin, Waimate, Christchurch, and Ashburton ; but the net result of the season was that he scored seven victories out of seventeen tries, and the most meritorious of these was perhaps in the Christchurch Epsom Handicap. Last season his record was even better, for he started twenty-six times and scored eleven wins, besides running well up in several important races. He ran very forward to the home turn in the New Zealand Cup, but then died away. He, however, won races at Timaru, Oamaru, Ashburton, and Waimate. Next he came to Dunedin, where he failed to obtain winning brackets in Cup, J.C. Handicap, Forbury Handicap, or Consolation Stakes. Three successes followed these reverses, the last and most brilliant of them being his win in the Canterbury Great Autumn Handicap, in which he beat ten opponents and ran the mile and a half in 2min 3S.J sec. He is strongly fancied for our race, and must run forward ; still I fancy I have seen him looking better than he is just now, and shall hesitate before giving him my vote.

Mr A. Walker's b f? SNAPSHOT, by Musket-Venture, .1 yrs, Ist 101b.

One of the most sensational horses in the race, but one that I fear will not make a great sensation on this occasion. His early career was passed in the Hawke’s Bay and neighboring district, and he was tried at both hurdles and flat racing—not, however, with much success ; and it was not until the late Mr Snider brought him down this way, and he passed into the hands of Jimmy Cotton and his present owner, that he began to show his true qualities. The reason of his previous comparative failure seems to lie in the fact that he is an exceedingly wilful and wayward horse to ride ; but Cotton has gradually got the mastery over him, and, though he does occasionally run away with his boy at exercise, his manners arc lamblike in comparison with what they were before. He has shown us both here and at Geraldine that he has a rare turn of speed, and Mr Dowse has given him only a nice racing weight, but I fancy that the prolonged stoppage in his work since his spring successes has affected his chance fatally.

Mr w. C. Webb’s cb c IMiBV. by Albany —Wave. 4 yrs, 7st 71b.

This horse has always been a favorite of mine since he ran Artillery so close in our Champagne Stakes two years ago, and subsequently carried off the Canterbury race of the same name. His threc-year-old performances, however, did not carry out his early promise, and half-a-dozen hollow defeats, one second place, and one solitary victory was his disappointing record for the year. This season he has evinced signs of a return to good form, but it is possible that, he will not bo called on to take part in our Cup raec, for Mr Webb has in Springston a fullbrother to liuby who recently put his elder relation through in unexpectedly handsome style, and who is pleasing the touts better by the manner in which he takes his work. Ruby has, however, Slbs the best of the weights on the weight-for-age scale, and this may give him a greater advantage than is imagined. Any way, he must be looked on as one of the best in on paper.

Messrs M. and C. Hobbs’s b hj IIEHMI- - syrs, 7&t 51b.

I now come to a most disappointing horse, one who has always been going to do something brilliant for his party, but who has almost invariably done nothing but tantalise them by just failing to win. That was their experience of Hermitage as a two-year-old, when he did not win a race, but contented himself with running second or third to the cracks of his own age. Pretty nearly the same, though varied by a couple of decent wins at Wellington and by running a dead-heat with Talebearer in the Dunedin St. Andrew’s Handicap, was their experience of his three-year-old career. Last season the only alteration in his pretty consistent programme was to fail to score a single win out of nine attempts, but he fairly maintained his penchant for running into a place in big races—the Cantei bury Metropolitan Handicap, Midsummer Handicap, Great Autumn Handicap, and Easter Handicap, as well as the Dunedin Cup, being among the contests in which he took a prominent part in the finishes. With a record such as this I cannot stand him, although he is not overburdened with weight. Mr E. Eyons’s b ii nn»T lorv, by Albany-Fallacy, 4yrs, 7»t 41b. This is the only horse in the race that has been “spotted” by the knowing ones as being particularly well used by the handicapper, and on his two-year-old running he should certainly have a big say in the race, but since then he has not been able to stand training till of late, and I cannot fancy that he has a ghost of a show of winning, notwith standing that he has stood up under his preparation so far.

Hon. W. Robinson’s bi* Ii TORRENT, by Apreinont Watcrspritc, 4 yrs, 'jst 31b,

The solitary candidate from this once powerful stable is regarded with apprehension in many quarters solely on account of his connections; it certainly cannot be on account of his performances, for they have been of a most mediocre character, his best consisting of running second to Lady Norah in the Auckland Maiden Plate last season. He is doing fair work at the Forbury, and if his party back him substantially he should be worth supporting; otherwise he would have no credentials at all to warrant the belief that he would develop into a Cup winner.

Mr II- Goodman’s cb in APROPOS, by Apremont-Rupee, 4 yrs, Ist.

This mare is in the same stable as First

Lord and Silver Mark, and it is impossible to guess as yet which of the three, or if any, will take part in the Cup contest. Apropos we know well us a very speedy mare, but she has yet to slioW that she can stay the distance. Her half-sister, Spade Guinea, developed into a genuine stayer when she got into the hands of a capable trainer; but Apropos has always had this latter advantage, and has yet shown no capacity for getting home over a long course —that is to say, in public. Of course, her owner may have discovered that the mare possesses lasting powers, and if he rims her she must be worth watching, for Harry Goodman is not one to send a horse of his on a wild goose chase.

lion. «. It‘Dean’s b li 81*. CLIIH, by Musket— PiUchra, 4 yrs, Ist.

This beautifully bred horse Has, shewn excellent form when at his best, notably in the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap of last season ; but he is singularly unfortunate in meeting with accidents in his training, a,nd only recently met with one of his chronic mishaps. This necessitated his being thrown out of work for a timej, but he is coining on rapidly, and will, I think, run more than respectably. Mr W. C. Webb’s cli c SPRINGSTO*,by Alliany-Wave, 3 yrs, fist I3lb.

Mr Webb’s second string did not race as a two-year-old, but he lost little time in making his mark, for though during the early spring his performances were too insignificant to attract attention to nim he was ready by the time the Canterbury summer meeting came round to open people’s eyes to his real merits by winning the Midsummer Handicap in 2min oSisec for the mile and a-half. He certainly had but fist to carry, still the performance was a creditable one, more especially as he had just previously run in the Middle Park Stakes. Springston has trained on since his sensational victory, and as he is about a stone below weight-for-age he must be looked on as dangerous in the extreme. Mr H. Goodmans b li SILVER MARK, by Aiireinunt-Ruiice, 3 yrs, (Ist 101b. Here we have the third of Mr Goodman’s lot, and one of considerable merit—at all events, over distances up to a mile and a half. As a two-year-old he won the Welcome Stakes in a field of ten, and ran into a situation in every other race, bar one, that he started for. This season his career has been somewhat chequered, but he showed excellent form at the Canterbury spring meeting, running third in the Criterion Stakes out of twelve starters, and second in the Metropolitan Handicap, won by Beresford, in 2min 41|sec. At present 1 look upon Silver Mark as an unlikely starter for the Cup; even if he should be sent for the big event, instead of being reserved for shorter races, I do not expect to see him win it. Mr A. Cowlc’s br g THE BREWER, by Guy Fawkes-Zigzag, S yrs, (Ist 81b. A horse that has not hitherto been considered fit for Cup company, though useful enough in third-rate fields. His present weight is but a trifle ; but though he is fancied in some quarters for an outside show I cannot see him in it. Mr J. Stephenson'sbh CAPTAIN COOK, by Manuka-The West, 5 yrs, Ost Gib.

An erratic performer, whose deeds are piretty familiar, and need not therefore be recapitulated. He has won a very fair proEortion of the events he has taken part in, ut has an unfortunate knack of sometimes failing to run up to his private form. He is undoubtedly speedy, but taken all round I hold him to be not good enough for a race of this description.

Mr ti. C:«Minbc‘s l»r It Wildrakc, by Ai'kiis Scandal—Ouida, 5 yrs, list 4II».

This Australian-bred horse is an improbable starter, he having been "in queer streetfor some little time past. He showed us a glimpse of good form in the Free Handicap at our spring meeting, and on the strength of that and of his present light weight he would doubtless find a few supporters on the day. I should not, however, rank myself among them, much as one would like to sec Mr Coombc compensated at this late day for his three successive disappointments in the time of Right Bower’s Cup races. The views above given may, owing to market changes or other influences, be modified somewhat in the course of tomorrow, when I shall make a choice to stand or fall by. Pecasus.