THE RAILWAY HANDICAP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18577, 8 December 1923, Page 15

THE RAILWAY HANDICAP.

THREE-YEARtOLD r RECORD.

BY PHAETON.

" Hew many times has a three-year-old won th® A.R.C. Railway Handicap, and which performance by a horse of the age named stands out as the most noteworthy?" was the nature of a query that came to me during the present week. " Well, making a commencement at 1890, I find that a three-year-old lias led the field home in the sixfurlong race on 12 occasions, while in one case a three-year-old divided honours with an aged horse (who he met at a difference of Clb), in the contest for, the leading position. The following is the list of three-year-old •winners, -with the respective imposts carried:—lß93, Loyalty "(8.11); 1895, Forma (8.3): 1897, Eton (7.5); 1899, Ro&ella' (8.0); 1900. Renown (8.11): 1901, Cruciform (9.0); 1902, Orloff (8.8); 1905, King Billy (8.8); 1907. Dawn (7.10); 1909. (7.7); 1513, King Lupin (7.0); 1914, Downham (7.9). In 1917 the three year-old Hymestra (8.6) ran a dead-heat with the five-year-old King Lupin (8.12). Well, that disposes of the first portion of the query. It is not a difficult matter to indicate the' most noteworthy periormance '.•egistered by a three-year-old m the Railway Handicap. The honours are clearly m :avour ot Cruciform, it was a really wonder* ful penormance that the daughter of St. Leger registered in the decision of the sixfurlong race at Ellerslie on Boxing Lay, 1901. _ She was unfortunate at the start, and with three furlongs o£ the journey gone her chance of claiming the attention of the judge did not 100 it at all promising. The final stage saw Cruciform come on the scene with a run of great brilliancy, and she simply romped home in front at the finish. Cruciform carried 15lb over weight-for-age, and she was meeting the doughty Hohoro (who was live years old) at a difference of lllb. ■ » A perusal of the list of entries for this years Railway Handicap reveals that the tnree-year-old division is , well represented, and it would be no surr.riaej should one hailing from that quarter Jaim the attention of the judge. As the winner of the C.J.C. Oaks and G. G. Stead Memorial Cup. Razzle Dazzle (8.6). can be regarded as a pretty sure contestant m the event of her training on properly. The daughter of Kilbrohey has ghown that she possesses a. fine dash ot brill.anoy, and Mr. T. Hazlett has certainly some encouragement to give thi» brow n filly an opportunity of distinguishing hersetf in the six-furlong race at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Murihaupo (8.2) has not yet succedeed in earning a winning. bracket this season, but it has to be admitted that the bunny Lake geldmg t has been a little unlucky. Murihaupo e best performance this season was registered at Randwick m the decision ? the Clibborn Stakes, when he ran Shrapnel to .half a, neck with 6lb the worst of the weights, and, .with the mile attached to that race cast behind in lm 38is, there was undoubted evidence •of merit. Queen March (8.2) demonstrated, by her victory in the Cheltenham Handicap at North Shore last week that she still retained the dash of brilliancy that characterised her form at two years old. and it would seem safe to tick her off as a contestant. Tarleton (7.5) is not overburdened, and if the son. of Nassau is really up to the standard that Borne of the enthusiasts ostim»ted prior to the colt contesting the A.J.C. Derby, well, he should, with an impost 13lb under weight-forage, be dangerous. A clever little filly that figures in the Railway Handicap with the handy impost of 7.(1 that it may, be profitable to keep in mind is Miss Egypt. . Tills daughter of Egypt appears to revel in- her racing. and she puts so .much vim into, her efforts ns to make her always dangerous in * «hfrp finish. The Railway Handicap on Boxing Day t»ay find Mii* Ei.ypt on hand to fulfil £er •nctCMPOV^