NEW ZEALAND CUP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 16

NEW ZEALAND CUP.

REVIEW OF THE WEIGHTS, BY PHAETON. As usual, the C.J.C. handicapper, Mr. J. E. Henrys, was prompt to time in the declaration of weights for tho New Zealand Cup, and it is hardly necessary to state that they met with a. warm welcome, for the adjustment of imposts in connection with an important event furnishes material for a doal of interesting discussion. With Rapine engaged no uncertainty existed as ■ to the particular horse that would be placed at tho head of the list, for the son of Martian is the best-tested stayer and weight-carrisr of which the Dominion can boast at the present stago, but. from the fact that no horee haa won the cup under a greater impost than 8.9. not a little curiosity was evinced as to tho weight Mr. Henrys would select in setting the standard for this year's raco. The 9.6 placed opposite Rapine's name represents an impost in conformity with weight-for-age. and. bearing in mind that tho bav gelding won the Auckland Cup under 9.8. he cannot, of course, be regarded as harshly treated. Count Cavour (8.13), who very appropriately follows Rapino in tho handicap, has earned his impost, for in the decision of the Auckland Cup he ran the Martian gelding to a short head. Certainly tho Solferino gelding was in receipt of 9lb from tho top-weight that day, but there has always been an impression that the head advantage—if not a little more—might havo boen on tho sido of Count Cavour had tho luck of tho race been on hia side. Count Cavour's subaeauent victory over Rapine in the Auckland Plate, run over a milo and a-half at weight-for-age. was undoubtedly meritorious, and his doughty feat in the decision of tho Dunedin Cup under 9.S must net be overlooked, for he was timed to run tho mile and a-half attached to the big race at Wingatui in tho fast time of 2m 31 4-ss. " The Count" is well entitled to have a tick placed opposite hia name for the New Zealand Cup. Star Stranser (8.10) is selected as the beat of tho four-year-olds. The son of Martian is a horso of good physique, and maybe he will develop the Martian trait of improving with age. The racing to be exacted from Star Stranger in Australia may be expected to throw some light ort hia prospects of capturing the New Zealand Cup. Loughrea (8.9) is not harshly treated, and, though he has no recent form to recommend him to notice, it may be as well to keep him In mind. In dropping Roscday to 8.1 Mr. Henrys would appear to be quite convinced that the Solforirio gelding is a back number. Seatoun (7.3) is given prido of place among tho three-year-olds, and he may havo something to sav in tho settlement of matters when the big race comes to bo decided at Riccarton on tho first Saturday in November. Tho son of Archiestown displayed the racing quality at two years old, and, summed up on breeding lines, there is a great deal to support the view that he should develop the staying quality. Clarinda was responsible for a good mile and a-half when she won the Manawatu Cup at Awapuni last Do cembor under 7.12. and she may be regarded as daintily handled with 7.2, Indian Sago (7.2) haa to bo taken quito on trust for a journay extending to 16 furlongs, but, being got by Catmint (a grandson of Carbine) from a mare who is a grand-daughter of St. Simon, a great deal may bo forthcoming from Indian Sage. As no loss than 27 horses are put in at tho minimum, it will bo recognised that Mr. Henrys did not seek to differentiate in dealing with class with little to recom-' mend them for a race of the standard of a New Zealand Cup. and it must be left for time to reveal whether any bold prospects of leading tho field home. In the meantime chief attention will probably be accorded to the two horses figuring at the head of tho list by those who set themselves the task of endeavouring to solve the problem.

STUD NOTES. HIG. H»PR!CED STALLIONS. It was recently cabled from London that the Asa Khan offered £IOO.OOO for Solario. It now appears that Mr. J. B. Joel was the first to startle the English racing world by making a definite offer of £75,000 for that horse, but it was refused. " Hotspur," of the London Daily Telecffvph, writing of the offer, said:—"The average person is. 1 3uppose. left gasping and incredulous, but •to the big private breeder—ho must also be ft very rich man. even for these times—the Burn is not so suggestive of fairyland. Obviously Solario must, have tremendous potential value as a commercial proposition. Sir John Rutherford, to be sure, is not unaware of the fact, and, if he were a poor man. one would not expect him to hesitate in the face of such dazzling offers. After all, however, a horse is no more than flesh and blood. The higher his value the more he must be insured for. Solario. with his breeding, his individuality, and his racecourse performances, should, as far as one Humanly can see, be a striking stud bucccss, but it does not necessarily follow. These things cannot be guaranteed. We are dealing -with flesh and blood, and with the highest, as with the lowest, breeding is still, and always will be, something of a lottery and past human understanding. It was Mr. J. B. Joel who really started the fashion of' giving" immense sums for outstanding racehorses w:oi a view to the stud. I well remember, when he gave £40.000 for Prince Palatino in 1913, how people thought he had gone mad. declaring that he would never get the money back. As a matter of fact, the horse instantly filled at "a high fee for three years, he proved a bad foal-getter, and was sold to France foj something like £20.000. Mr.. Joel made a big profit on the deal, and over a horse, too, that was a great failure, all things considered, as a sire. After that we had Tracery sold to the Argentine for £53,000, and I recall with some amazement to this day the occasion when Mr. A. R. Cox refused Mr. J. B. Joel's offer of £IOO,OOO for Gay Crusader. Mr, Cox conld have had a very big sum for Picaroon .last vear, but apparently it. is the hardest thing in the worla to-day to buy the really top-class horse of his day. The second-class horse that has missed classic honours fetches £20,000 to £30.00(1 Perhaps one of the cheapest horses bought in modern times was the 1923 Derby winner. Papyrus, for whoiri' Mr. Hornung gave £30,000. I am satisfied a highly-successful , stud career i 3 assured for him, as time will prove." SIRES- OP THE SEASON. The imported sire Snow King will again this season be at the service of breeders at Messrs. Deebie Bros,' esiate, Thames. Snow King traces to the St, Simon line on the eiro'n side, his sire Wiilonyx being a descendant. of William the' Third. On the dam's side Snow King traces to Bend Or. his dam Snowfiight" being a daughter of the celebrated C-yllene, A SERIOUS LOSS. VALUABLE MARE DIES, Messrs. J. C. and P. S. Glee3ou received earned advice from Sydney yesterday that taeir mare Maria of Hereford died on Thursday. Two years .igo Maria of Hereford was sent to Sydney to be mated with that great imported sire Valais. She missed in i i • season, but was believed to be in foal this year, and her death is a great loss to her owners, Maria of Hereford was bred in England in 1921, and was a brown mare by Harry, of Hereford from Black Maria. She was imported to New Zealand by Dr W C. Ring when a yearling, and sold prito Messrs.; J. C. and P. S. Gleeson As a three-year-old she showed marked promise, winning twice and notching two minor plscinss 111 six slurts, Her ciirpor however, was cut short for she was badly injured while racing and retired to the stud. Ihe enterprise shown by her owners in a ? o • to .Sidney to visit Valais. whose stud fee is higher than any of his contemporaries on account of his wonderful success, was deserving of better fortune, the loss is indeed a very severe one.

THE WEIGHTS. st. lb. st. lb. Rapine .... 9 6 Desert, Glow . 7 0 Count Cavour 8 13 Overdrawn . . 7 0 btar Stranger, 8 10 Novar . . . . , 7 0 Loughrea . . 8 9 Vaward 7 0 Degage ..... 8 5 Diogenes .... 7 0 Roseday ... 8 1 Shin. Armour 7 0 Ngata .... 8 0 Waetea ... . 7 0 Deucalion ... 7 9 Full Swing , . 7 0 Tanadees ... 7 9 Beaumont . . . 7 0 Tresham « 7 C Perle do Leon 7 0 Ravenna . t 7 5 Gooaestep . . . 7 0 Rapier ...» 7 5 G.auntlet . . . 7 0 Beacon Light 7 5 Bentmce . . . 7 0 , t 7 4 Kalakaua . . 7 0 Seatoun .... 7 3 Heather Lad . 7 0 Tarleton '7 2 Mah Jong . . 7 0 Glarinda . . . . 7 2 Jubilant . , . 7 0 Indian Sage . . 7 2 Lucinda .... 7 0 Haze 7 1 Alyson Boy . 7 0 Yoma . . 7 1 Divinal .... 7 0 Kilbronsyth . . 7 1 . Panart .... 7 0 Rouex .... 7 1 Kilperon .... 7 0 Pink Note' . . 7 0 Kilbox 7 0 Agitate ..... 7 0 High Gear 7 0 Opa 7 0