RACING

Evening Star, Issue 25673, 22 December 1945, Page 8

RACING

fßy The Critic]

The Dunedin Cup. An acceptance of 18 for this year's Dunedin Cup is quite satisfactory from the strength point of view, but for a £1,500 stalke one would expect a bet-ter-class held, and it is many years since the horse carrying No. 1 saddle cloth has had only B.f>. Lance Wing, though not at all' judiciously handled in the New Zealand Cup, was well in the limelight for a mile and a-half, and his winning performances up to a mile and a-quarter have been good. He is entitled to all the weight given him, and provided he gets a good run in the race should prove the hardest to beat. Amorlad has been racing so poorly that he would have to show very marked improvement to have any chance. Benbecula beat a good field over nine furlongs on the first day of the New Zealand Cup meeting, and should not be discarded on account of his poor showing over a mile and a-quarter on the third day. That was not his right form. Vafort won this race from a good field under 7.0, beating Lance Wing 8.2 by a short length. Next Wednesday Lance Wing meets Vafort on 81b better terms, and should beat him. (Royal Rae, by winning at the Hororata meeting last Saturday, showed that the racing he had at the New Zealand Oup meeting did him good, and with 7.9 he must he respected. Pride of Mosshurn will be better suited against this field than he was in his races at (Riccarton, and would be dangerous should the going be soft. Authentic was fancied by his connections for the New Zealand Cup, in which he finished a good fourth under 7.0, and he meets Lance Wing on 21b better terms in the Dunedin Cup. Joygiver has yet to prove himself possessed of the stamina required for a mile and a-half race, and Martial Note's only recommendation is the beating of Irish Note at the Banks Peninsula meeting over seven furlongs last month. Two seasons ago the Dunedin Cup would look a gift for Aurora Austrahs, but she did not retain the good form shown at this 'fixture two years ago. Her recent form has been better, and she may be coming right again. Silver Sal and Night Robe both raced badly at Riccarton. Good Cast showed he is well by winning a double at Tapanui last Saturday, and he reads the best of those on the minimum. On their form in public, Boolamskee, Gunga Din, Competitor, and Lord Dundonald have been flattered by their owners by being nominated for such a race.

The field is a fairly even one, and with no outstanding favourite the wagering on the totalisator should provide for any to return a good price. Knowing that he did not show his true form on the concluding day at Riccarton, Benbecula should be in strong demand, and the strongest opposition is likely to come from Authentic, Lance Wing, and 'Royal Rae. The Publicans' Handicap. Thirteen will make a nice field for the principal sprint, the Publicans' Handicap. This is one of the old established races, and gained its name through the hotelkeepcrs subscribing the stake when it was first included in the programme. Though John Gay has not even finished in a place in any of his races this season he is entitled to the. 8.12 awarded him. but may find the improving Grand Forest and Lyndall difficult to concede 91b and 121 b respectively. The last-named is now showing a return to the good form she showed as a two-year-old. It was not the field he beat at Tapanui that has brought Lisheen into favour with antepost .bettors, but the brilliancy he showed. At this time last season Lisheen gave promise of developing into a high-class performer, then went off. His recent showing indicates his return to form, and should he run well this afternoon is almost sure to be the first fancy on the machines next Wednesday. Derene and Gold Spur are two lightweights that have good form to recommend them, but Lisheen, Grand Forest, and Lyndall are the likely favourites. Answer to Correspondent. "Punter,. Waikouaiti."—Only four horses. Golden Souvenir, Chung Chong, Langue d'Or. and Authentic were officially placed in the New Zealand Cup. After them followed in order Singing Hills, Lance Wing, Longsword, Broiefield, Bridge Acre. Piccolo, Honest Sal, Miss Medley, Pride of Mossburn, and Fortune's Smile, with Sir Bian and Sphere last. A Popular Fixture.

Owners and trainers are reminded that nominations for the two-day fixture to be held by the Vincent Jockey Club on-11 and 12 of next month close next Friday at 6 p.m. The stakes are good for a country fixture, and owners will appreciate the club's action in reducing acceptance fee* this season. Blue Trout Amiss. There will be several owners of two. year-olds who failed to keep their youngsters in the Champagne Stakes regretting the saving of that pound or so now that Blue Trout is reported to be amiss. Should the Welcome Stakes winner not go to the post, this classic looks like being a match between Naughty Lady and Palm Bearer. The Late Mr C. J. Payne. A true sportsman in every sense of the term in the person of Mr Charlie Payne passed away early on Thursday morning. A keen student of racing, both in Australia and the Dominion, ami well versed in the rules governing sport, he will be sadly missed by many who sought his opinions and advice. Many years ago he took an active part' in racing, and trained and rode a horse he owned named The Baker at an Otago Hunt meeting on the Forbury course. He also took a prominent part in coursing in his younger days. Mr C. Gieseler 111. Many will join with me in condoling with Mr Charlie Gieseler on the illness which laid him low so suddenly la.it week, and in wishes that he may have a speedy recovery. When 1 knew Charlie first he was filling the position of first whip to the Lagmhor Hounds, with the late Frank Claridge as huntsman. Under the latter, a first-class amateur horseman over big country before he became a professional trainer, Gieseler became an apt pupil, and quickly earned the reputation of being a fearless horseman. In fact, one had. to be in the position he held, as this naek hunted over the stiffest country in the South Island.

Class Disappointing. Good racing is not always dependent on good classes of horses, and it is an old saying among racing folk that "it is just as difficult to pick the least bad of a poor lot as it is to pick the best of the good ones." And that remark applies to next Saturday's £1,500 Dunedin Cup. There is no gainsaying that the class of horse engaged is most disappointing for such a valuable stake, and it is not often that the top weight in such a race is less than a stone and a-half above the minimum. But this lack of.class is not going to make this year's contest any less interesting to punters, for, after all, fully 90 per cent, of those at Wingatui next Saturday will be much more interested in the wagering on the race than in the horses engaged. The Dunedin Cup has been won by many good horses in the past, and maybe this year's winner will in years to come be included among the good ones, but if so will have to do more than win this year's Cup. Established 82 Years. Round about 60 years ago the Dunedin Cup was one of the most im.portaut races in the colony, and real bookmakers from Auckland to Invercargill opened big books on the race. Under its present title the race was first run in the 1873-74 season, Mr Henry Redwood's fine mare, Lurline, then a four-year-old, carrying 9.9 and ridden by the late R. Mason, winning over two and a-quarter miles in 4.3. The next 10 winners, Templeton, 8.12, Bungawerewere, 6.13, Fishook, 7.12 (who gave the late Bob Derrett his first winning ride in the race), Templeton again, under 9.3, Mata, who won both as a four and five-year-old, under 7.8 and 8.9 respectively, Sir Modred, 7.10, Lady Emma, who carried 7.6 when she won as a four-year-old, and 8.5 two years later, and Adamant, 6.7, all left their marks in the annals of New Zealand thoroughbred history. For nearly 70 years the cup was run at the Autumn meeting, and the change to the Summer meeting has proved popular with owners, and profitable to the club. Of the many outstanding horses that have won this race, probably Amythas, who carried 9.1 as a three-year-old, can be classed as the best. At that time Amythas had many admirers from Auckland to Invercargill who claimed him to be Carbine's equal or superior, and they may have been right. Races over two miles, and called Dunedin Cup, were run in 1867 and 1868, but when the race was permanently established in 1874 the distance was made two and a-quarter miles. In 1895, the year Casket, carrying 7.4 beat Lady Zetland and Prime Warden, the distance was one and three-quarter miles and 123yds. The next season the 123yds was knocked off, and since three years later, 1899, the distance has always been a mile and a-half. The Auckland Cup. Of the 21 acceptors in the Auckland Cup, to be run over two miles ue.v l Wednesday, six of tl em took part in the New Zealand Cup last month, Golden Souvenir won under 8.2, and will have 81b more to carry at Ellerslie. He will meet Chung Chong, who was a good second on 51b. worse terms, and will be at a further disadvantage of racing on a right-hand course, which Chung Chong is used to. Against this, Golden Souvenir will have the advantage of L. J. Ellis in the saddle as against a light-weight horseman on Chung Chong, and experienced riders, a 7.5 over two miles are as hard to find as sovereigns. Golden Souvenir will meet Longsword, Palfrey, and Sir Bian on 121 b, and Miss Medley on 10lb worstterms. When Miss Medley beat Golden Souvenir in the Canterbury Cup, run over a mile and a-half, there was only olb between them, and in next Wednesday's race the difference is 241 b. If there is anything in handicapping Miss Medley should beat the New Zealand Cup winner again, but again the light-weight rider must be taken into consideration. There was 321 b between Longsword and Miss Medley when the former beat her for second money in the Metropolitan Handicap, and he meets her on 21b better terms, but Longsword is a better performer over a mile and a-half than two miies Palfrey and Sir Bian will have to improve stones on their 'Riccarton performances to have any chance at Ellerslie. > Mr Rosa's performance in the Te Awamutu Cup. when he bi'ii' Sir Stanfast, Landveyor, and Swift Quarry bv heads in 2.5|, was ii. m\ Cup ti-ialj and on a 101 b lower scale hi meets Landveyor on the same terms. The field is a high-class one, and provided a good horseman is obtained for him, Chung Chong appears to hold the best chance, with Miss Medley, Foxwyn, and Landveyor his most dangerous opponents.