A SOUTHERN VIEWPOINT

NZ Truth, Issue 1151, 22 December 1927, Page 8

A SOUTHERN VIEWPOINT

Looking Over Cup Candidates (By "The Toff.") The latest for the Auckland Trotting Cup is Coneliff. The Australian pacer is coining right and New Zealanders may yet realize that the gelding is a top-notcher.

T"HE Auckland Trotting Cup is worth 225050v5., of which the winner will be credited with 1500sovs. and a gold cup. The journey is two miles and the limit is 4.28. Acceptance day thinned, the field \down to 12, and if they go to the post visitors to the great carnival attraction will have the pleasure of witnessing the moat select field of pacers m action that has ever assembled m New Zealand. Of the party, only four carried silk m the New Zealand Trotting Cup, and among them are the winner, Kohara, and the runner-up, Cardinal Logan. i Kohara won the premier event of the year from a 4.26 mark, and at Auckland he is on 4.25; thus it would seem that he has been favorably treated. He has done well since his big victory, but at every place where turfmen congregate Ahuriri is handed out as ,the most likely. Ahuriri performed at Wellington, where his display was sufficiently bad to annul his prospects at Auckland, but no sane follower of the pastime will accept his Wellington efforts as a true sample of his ability. His exhibition was so far below his known capabilities that the majoi*ity have formed regarding 1 his chance m the exclusive event at Alexandra. Park on December 27. When one reviews the prospects of Cardinal Logan and Great Bingen, the two horses' efforts m the New Zealand Trotting Cup impress followers of real form. As has been told several times, Great Bingen and Cardinal Logan, suffered serious interference five and a-half furlongs from home, and lost several lengths. Even after suffering such a disadvantage, Cardinal Logan finished second and Great Bingen was m fourth place when the judge was reached:. At Auckland, Cardinal Logan is get-

ting through a nice preparation and he is expected to be right at his best for the great race next week. Great Bingen, too, is m good order, and it would be only necessary for the champion to win for every enthusiast to go crazy with joy over his victory. Auckland's sole representative, Jewel Pointer, is one of the most' genuine pacers that has ever carried a number- cloth. And on that account he must be accorded a chance of adding the rich prize to his splendid record. < The reappearance of Sheik will add interest to the contest. Several' experts maintain that a horse that has raced m New Zealand and had a change m the Commonwealth improves as a result of the trip. Even if Sheik has acquired the elixir of youth, few wifi pick him to stay m front of Great Blngen all the way. No doubt Jack Potts' several failures on the Auckland circuit will cause him to be nearly the outsider of the field. It is thought that he will give a better account of himself on this occasion. He would need to show a tremendous improvement on his former essays at Auckland to have any chance. Sea Pearl is an adept at Auckland, but her connections prefer her stablemate, Machine Gun, who has pro- / gressed a lot since he joined R. B. Berry's establishment. As for Peterwah, he, like Jack Pott 6, has so far failed to race as well as he does at Add.ington, consequently his prospects of winning the Auckland Cup are not too rosy. The twelfth candidate is that good pacer Tom Thumb, who will make his first appearance m cup company. While it is recognized that he is a high-class horse, he may be up against it to defeat his several more seasoned colleagues. Thus it seems that Bryce's representatives, Machine Gun, Cardinal Logan and Concliff may decide the issue.