RACING

NZ Truth, Issue 946, 12 January 1924, Page 8

RACING

THE WELLINGTON DOUBLE.

/ Handicaps Declared.

With the Wellington handicaps declared the punters who have had little to .amuse them since the beginning of the New Year will find added interest m life. Mr. Coyle has set the Dun-, edin-owned gelding, Roßeday, a task m theCjup with, 9.7. This Is seven pounds more than he won the Auckland Racing Club Handicap with and three pounds abovethe weight he carried'in the Auckland Plate. That is enough wipe him out. Highland lias two pounds less than he won the Mltchelson Cup at Ellerslle with, but the company is a little, richer this time and Fred, Davis may prefer to stay' at home and do the Shore meeting. Ngata is a.&ood.horse, but he is hardly likely to win over a mile and a, half with that weight. He had 9.5 and won the Marton Cup comfortably, but there and, Trentham are two , totally different places. Mark Time is m his right place. He won here m the sprlns with 8.6, at Palmerston with 9, and was third at the Ellerslle spring meeting afrd at Marton With 9.8 and 9.8 respectively. He Is such a good horse that he looks tho best of those at the top of the handicap. Pilllewinkle won 1 over a ten furlong course at Auckland with 9.3 and a ;) drop of five pounds for two furlongs more makes him well treated. Given firm going, h. Will be the hardest to beat on the day. Enthusiasm Is dropped two ppunds for her failure m the Club Handicap at Ellerslie, which, by the way. her party could not understand. Marqiieteur Is nicely placed, but he is getting ntf younger and he, will most likely have to give way to youth. Many Kittle is not at home over the distance. It is two furlongs too far for him and he also likes a soft track. On present appearances he will not get It. Sunart and Scion have no form to say that they will win. Loughrea, when expected to win over the holidays, was beaten into second money on three occasions. If tho stable were to put up a .more experienced jockey than Bert Ellis the public would take that us an v lndicatlon of confidence on tho part of the stable. But with Ellis m the saddle punters have very much reason to> remember the. year he was on Amythas and fired the- race m the air. ' Bonnetter does not like that last furlong and the big race the second day will be more to her liking. Palestrlna; beat Loughrea at Invercargill over nine •furlongs and for this Bhe has to meet him on six pounds worse terms. She won with that much m hand and if she could be persuaded to show hor best would bo very hard. But she has let her party down too many times to date and who will cay she will not do so again? Gold Light is just starting to show her best form and . looks to be the hardest to beat. Mura^hl is a stayer and would go better If the race waa another half-mile. He Is -slow over Hho first bit and to get behind m a race- like this Is most often fatal. Limelight has no pretensions to winning form over a mile and a half. ' Her size is also all against her. A return <to his three-year-old form would make Winning Hit a formidable one,- but he will most likely pull himself to pieces over tho first bit. Last year's runner-up, Merry Day, is well m, but she was galloped on at Tauhorenlßau and had to be let up. Her trainer will find it hard to get her tb'thoflipost with like decent condltlori to Bee o\?t such a strenuous journey. Royal Box does not strike ono as a possibility. Trespass is very much more solid at the present, time and ran a falrf race In the Manawatu. Cup, with six pounds more up.. r He won a Dunodln Cup m sterling.'manner three years ago, but since then he has beon only a moderate performer. » Cold Steel is a Martian, but his dam does not make him out a stayer. Being by Balboa, Baldowa must be given' a cliancc. ■ He is said to possess all the bull dog tenacity of his Blre and If ho will gallop with a field inHtead of tearing out m the lead ho should have a great chance. There i« just this possibility: that he has beon overdone with spring racing. Tarloton rnn well In the Derby and Is looked on as an early winner. He has a great chance here with only 7.4 to carry. Mantua has the hardest part to do. Very pdrtlul to tho distance 1r Boomcrday, but ho is not a worldbeater by a long chalk and will need the bjroezo with him. Of the rc»t Dame. Straltlace Ik the best recommended, but she ban shown no form at all over tho holidays. On tho handicaps tho pick of tho field would appear to bo Mark Time, Pilllewlnkle, Loughrea (with a change of hoiVomnn), Gold Light and Baldowa. Tho Telegraph Handicap promises to bo a* beauty to pick. CUehtruln linn tho samo weight she was awarded at Gllerslle and may not be anked to stop out; Auckland running »m» brought Royal Blood up to 0, and he should hold Rational, who Is on the same mark. ... Tho latter seems to bo on the down grade. Many Kittle— here the weather will have a say. Murihaupo will mbit likely be Fred Jones's rep. and he win be In the money. Solfanello is a licht of other days. Mlreu•onta should nevor have been beaten la tho Stewards' and with thrt»

pounds more will take some collaring. Razzle Dazzle is more or less sore. On Auckland running Parody should win. She has two pounds more than she won with the third day, though the handicap means- about seven pounds more as it has to- be borne m mind that the field In the Newmarket was not extra strong. Gold Light and Queen March will not bo wanted by ante-post backers. Halgina won two out of three starts over the holidays and with 7.13 Is nicely placed. He should • give Parody a lot of trouble. .Listening Post has been tried over t«n furlongs of late, and this may take away some of his brilliancy. Of the others Loveslgn, Lady Fingers (with the sting out of the ground), a. d Civility take the fancy most. To sum up. Parody, Halgina, Murihaupo and Mireuaonta make the best appeal.

1 G. Jones passed through Auckland on Thursday on his way to Dargtwllle with Mr. Gerald Stead's horse.B. After competing at the northern meeting the horses are to be sent down to Trentham to fulfil their engagements at the Wellington meeting.

Starland, Royal Box and Tarloton have declined their engagements for tho first day at Takapuna. which suggests that their owner Intends racing at Wellington for tho first two days and then returning north to compete at the Shore meeting. , Up till Thursday P. Davis had not decided whether he would take his team to Wellington, but the week-end should se'o Highland's trainer come to a decision as f to whether it will bo Takapuna or/ Trentham. A. J. McFlinn will be: rldlr.g at Wellington on tho two oponlng days, but will return to Auckland m time to rido at i Takapuna.