NEVER IN BETTER HEART.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 10, 10 December 1936, Page 14

NEVER IN BETTER HEART.

DUNGARVAN FIT AND WELL. FLOODTIDE SET A TASK. (By “Moturoa.”) Hard racing under hugo imposts in the twelve months in which he has been sporting silk have left no ill-effects on Dungarvan, tho massive son of Colossus and Tikima. To-day Dungarvun is possibly better than at any other stage of bis career, and much interest is being taken in the appearance of the Manawatu weights next Monday to find what the lniiidieappcr has apportioned him in tho Cup, which is to be bis first essay at a mile and a-half. There is a disposition in some quarters to doubt Dungarvan’s ability to run out a solid mile and a-half, but one has only to remember bis great performance in the Champion Hack Cup (lm. 3fur.) at Trentham last March when ho was far from well handled and was then beaten by only a bead, the victor being tho unreliable, but brilliant finisher, Maine. Since then Dungarvaii has never., raced past a milo and a-quartur, but bo finishes so solidly and is such a genuine customer that there can bo littlo fear of twelve furlongs being beyond his capabilities. Dungarvan is usually a poor track worker, but ho galloped more attractively than ever before in bis mile effort on Tuesday morning, and ono could not be other than impressed by the effort. One thing is certain, and that is Dungarvan will bo as lit as bands can make him on Boxing Day, great credit for 'bis condition being reflected on his astute mentor. W. Pine. Racing On Saturday.

Tlie Night Raid —Par Money filly MoneyRaid is to contest the two-year-old event at Woodvillc on Saturday. In her last start Money Raid won the Nursery Handicap at llatsings by three lengths from Gascon Chief and Felicitation. G. R. Tattersall will again ride her. Record Needed. If Martara does not run up to expectations at Woodvillc this week ho will be kept for the Manawatu summer fixture, and it is not improbable he will contest tho Manawatu Cup. To win this race he will bo required to create a precedent, however, for since the first Manawatu Cup in 1892 no thrce-year-old lias yet been successful. Paid Up

Although the Chief Ruler filly Greenwich has been allowed to remain in the juvenile classics at Ellerslie, it is unlikely she will make tho trip unloss Francis

Drake or Smoke Screen go amiss in the interim. The Christmas racing will probably find Greenwich in action at Awnpuni, even though she will have her full measure of avoirdupois. Wotan’s Programme. The Melbourne Cup winner Wotan lias been executing some good work at Hawera, and it is the intention of his connections to start him in the Woffington Cup next month. He will do his autumn racing in Australia, when the Australian and Sydney Cups may bo included in liis itinerary. Waipa Riders. i Riding engagements at the Waipa meeting on Saturday include: —L. IJuliou : Little Artist, King's Archer, and Trouvaille. N. Vaughan; Gascync. F. Fergus: Lueidus. H. Goldfinch: King Neptune, Round Up, Master Briorly. The lastnamed horso is to be ridden in the Auckland Cup by B. 11. Morris. Silk Sox Resumes.

In from . a short spell which followed his attractive winter campaign at Trentham and Riccarton, tho Royal Divox'ce gelding Silk Sox is working well at New Iffy-montll. lie does not take long to bring to band and may bo among the winners soon.

Cup Ride Refused. The successful Taranaki apprentic R. W. Savage lias declined the mount on i’onty in the Auckland Cup, despite tho fact thero is a disposition in some quarters to favour the southerner for (lie two-miles. Savage will do his Christmas riding in tho two days at. New Plymouth and ono day at Awnpuni. L. 11. Clifford will follow a similar programme. On Saturday ho will lie riding Johnny Walls, Royal Nation, and Bonnie Song at the Waipa meeting. Plenty of Weight.

Flic connections of Floodtide consider the tidal gelding ono of tho host handicap horses in Now Zealand, even though the Mltclie.soii Cup is Iffs oiffy noteworthy success in that class. And the liandicapper, Mr F. J. McManemin, certainly subscribes to the idea. To show what bo thinks of Floodtide, the handicapper has placed the four-year-old not far irom Silver Ring, acknowledged tho best all-round horse in Australia and New Zealand today. Cuddle, who won the Now Zealand and Auckland Cups last year, concedes 41m only bib, . while be has been set to give 81b to Ibis year’s New Zealand Cup winner Fersen.

Floodtide certainly won tho Mitchelson Cup m brilliant fashion, tiffs being his liist race of the season, bis first, in fact, smeo Easter, lie lias not rocod since but many of those horses be met in tbe’Miteliolson Cup have, and several have performed well. They will have the ndvuntage of more soiid racing condition to help them over two miles.

In tho Mitchelson Cup, Floodtide had 8.8 (151 b übovo the minimum), while in tho Auckland Cup his 8.11 represents a riso of lOib, being 251 b above the minimum. On that basis it is interesting to compare the pull that a number of horses who finished behind him in October now possess in the Auckland Cup. Master Briorly comes in on 101 b better terms, while the weights distinctly favour Red Manfred (171 b, hotter terms), Spiral (181 b), Mazir (14), Mungatoon (201 b), Fersen (lilb), Scotland (81bs) and Dark Shadow (91b). It is reported that Floodtide is to later undergo a special preparation ior the 1937 Melbourne Cup, so sanguine are his connections of his capabilities; but in the meantime Floodtide lias to win the Auckland Cup and tho liandicuppor has not erred on the side of leniency with this good staying son of Tidal.