LIKELY HORSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22988, 16 March 1938, Page 11

LIKELY HORSES

CATALOGUE AS MILEII

PROSPECTS IN OPEN SRI NT

LAUGHING LASS IN DEMAND [HY TKLECIt.VI'U OWN COl (11KS[• <DF.NT WELLINGTON, Tuesday Catalogue's best performances this season have been at a mile, at which distance he has won both the Winter Cup and the Jockey Club Handicap at Uieearton. In the Winter Clip he beat Dictate 011 the same terms as they will meet in the Thompson Handicap, and in the Jockey Club Handicap he beat Oratory and Dictate very comfortably. He now meets Oratory on 21b. worse terms and Dictato on Gib. better terms. The recent winning form of Dictate lias to be taken into account, but Catalogue has also shown form with his second 111 the Wellington Cup and his third at Egmont. On paper he should bo capable of beating both Oratory and Dictate again. Siegmund might bring off a surprise in the Thompson Handicap. His record this season includes six wins and five minor placings in 16 starts. At the last Wellington meeting 110 finished close tip iri . the Wellington Cup, after a bad passage, and he won the Summer Handicap with 7-13 in 2.5, swamping the opposition at the finish. The unplaced lot included Catalogue, 8.11, Oratory, 8.6, and Dictate, 8.3, who aro well in the discussions fop the big mile race. Improving Two-yeai-old The To Rapa trainer A. Julian has the two-year-old Olympus at Trentham with Whirling and Royal Bachelor. 01 vinpus is an improving and wellbred colt who has shown a lot of pace in his three races. A patient policy has been adopted with him, as after one early start this season ho was put away until he ran at Te Rapa and Te Aroha last month. He is a bay by the Tracery horse Pantheon from Etoru, by The Welkin from Teppo, by Ladas —Dum Dum, by Carbine. He is a half-brother to Confab, and closely related to Hall Mark and Trivalve, and from the same family as Ajax. Olympus cost Mr. It. T. Reid 250gns. at the ast Sydney sales

The Trial Plate, the second event 011 Thursday's card, is for horses that have never won a race of the caltie of £SO to the winner. Naturally the talent attracted is i!,ot of the best, but it is doubtful if a more moderate lot has been carded on a metropolitan programme for a considerable time.

There will be 110 bracket through joint.interest or ownership 011 the card for the first day of the Wellington meeting, but on account of the 28 acceptors in the Thompson Handicap exceeding the number of to:alisator dials by four, the following horses will be coupled: Airam and Clessamor, Gaily and Old Surrey, Roaming and Silver River, Slippery and Stud ley Royal. Golden Ridge Ineligible

Golden Ridge, who is ail acceptor for the Trial Plate, is ineligible under tho conditions of the race, as when he won the Puhi Maiden Plate at Otaki last season the stake to the winner was £55.

While the field in the Railway Handicap is less than half the size of that; in the Thompson Handicap, the issue appears very open, and it is also complicated from the fact that three of the candidates. Paper Slipper, Top Row arid Tray Bit, are also engaged in the mile race. No announcement has been made regarding the plans for them, but it will not be surprising to find Top Row and Tray Bit starting in the sprint. Paper Slipper ran in the Thompson Handicap last year and his owner may be desirous of giving him another opportunity this time. Lady Ina and Top Row have good previous form at Trenthmn and so has Grey Honour. It is the opinion of many good judges in the South Island that Grey Honour will be a little bit better this lime at Wellington than on any previous trip. He was a recent winner at Motukarara. Lady Ina has not run since the last Wellington meeting, but she is at her be*t on the track and will be well fancied. Comparison of Figures

On actual figures the favourite may be Laughing Lass, who went right off her form here _in January, but returned to the winning list at Wanganui under 9.0. Laughing Lass now meets Top Row and Lady Ira on considerably better terms than she did in the summer, l&Ib. in fact, which is a considerable pull for a horse in winning form. On Auckland form there is little to choose between Royal Bachelor, Triune and Tray Bit. Whenever they have met they have all been bunched, but the likeliest to improve is the younger horse, Royal Bachelor, who gives the impression of being particularly fit. However, Triune is partial to tracks like Trentham.

Brunhild presents something of a problem. She has not regained the form she showed in the spring, but she was second at Trentham in January to Ben Braggie. Her form at Taranaki was not good, hut this is the season that sees inares come to their best and Brunhild cannot fie left out of calculations. Of the light-weights Dehham, in form, would be the likeliest. If P. Atkins is to ride him, it will mean several pounds overweight, but that may not prevent him from making a good showing. There is every prospect of even betting on the race and three with form prospects aie Grey Honour, Laughing Lass and Royal Bachelor.

MILE BY BALINAVAR

ARAWA ROSE SPRINTS WELL

[by TELEGRAPH —OWN COKItKSPONDENT] TE AWAMUTU. Tuesday

The outside course proper at To Awamiitu was available for Paeroa candidates this morning. Owing to n heavy fog, the work was delayed until late. The only horse to work next the rails was Balinavar.

Orate was worked at three-quarter pace on the plough. Superior Guard was sent four furlongs on the outside in 545.

Arawa Pose, with Sweet Pose as companion, ran four furlongs in 50s. Barricade and Clooneen were worked on the plough. Lady Meath was sent along at threequarter pace on the plough. She worked nicoly and is in capital older. Hutana went pleasingly over six furlongs on the plough in 1.16. Loombinatiou was rot timed. He also worked evenly. . Musk on covered five furlongs nicely U1 Cape Marita and Goldation, on the inside grass, wont very well for four furlongs in 49 l-ss. The two-year-olds are in splendid condition. Celtic Lad went a mile on the outside of the course projier in 2.0. British Nation, who moved nicely, sprinted two furlongs in 2£>s. His Paeroa piospects appear bright, as he ran a good race at Pukekohe. Balinavar worked pleasingly over a mile in 1.40, running the last sis furlongs in 1.16. It was a gooc. effort and he should go well in the Hikutaia Hack Cup. Ngakani ran four furlongs in 51s. 1) Monowai sprinted five furlongs in 1.4, the last four in 50s. Among those to work usefully were Choral de Volee. Flour d'Or, Tonnerre, To Hero, Maxown, the Bambury— r I e Waitai fill V, Nugget, and Galileo. _ A. Cook left for Wellington with Suleiman on Monday.