TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 54

TALK OF THE DAY.

THE NEW ZEALAND CUP HANDICAP.

Whilst Ihe concluding events of the past season- ore still frceh in the minds of sports- ! men the shadows of the next already looms ( largely upon vm, and it may be aaid that the king <of eporto and the sport of- king 9 , (and other folk} takes » very brief siesta ; in the colonies. The appearance of the • nominations for the Grand Naticnal meet- j ing -end- the handicaps for the next New' Zealand Cup have been the means of arous- s ing considerable interest in the season of 1 1803-4, and at present the question of the hour is— "Wlia-t -do you think of the weights?" "In endeavouring to satisfy the owners of next year's Now Zealand Cup candidates the weiglii adjuster has allowed himself a margin of 511b, and in starting off at 9.6 opposite the name of Achilles few ■would maintain that Mr Henrys has started his handicap at too high a scate. On the , other hand owners of the second-rate division possibly view with alarm the fact . that the deeds of AchiHea, Orloff, Wairiki, 1 Lady Lillian, and Halberdier during the post season have only earned them burdena whioh have proved to be incapable of stopping them -over courses which many assert are as severe a test to a horse's staying powers as • a two-mile journey. In starting off with AohiiHes at 9.6 the handieappcr has not been unduly eevere on the son of Medallion, as although the colt has been raced over short ■ courses only his career laet season was an unbroken scries of victories, and he is probably one of the best three-year-olds ever eeen in the colony. The longest journey Achilles was aakea to go wa* the 10 furlongs, of .the. A. R.O. Century Stakes, and ho negotiated the trip with 9.2 in 2min 15seo without conveying the idea that he was extended at any part of the race. His defeat of Cruciform over a mile in the C.J.C. Jubilee Cup -was- perhaps the only time that his run of succegßes- was thought to be seriously menaced, 1 but even then he won with his rider 'looking round at Mr Stead's sterling more." Anything that could defeat such a mare an Cruciform over a mile in the manner which Achillas did when in receipt of 61b require* taking care of., and had the handicapper placed another Sib against the Medallion colt's namo he would not have been too harshly dealt with. Bui past experience perhaps juetifies thj handicap'per in keeping to a low scale of weights, as *moe 1891 out of 26 hoTses asked to oarry 9.0 or over only nine have gone to the post, and not on* of the nine has succeeded in getting his head in front as the field raced past the judge's box. Out of the 26 horses fliandicapped ioi past Cups at 9.0 and over Bovc-ral of that number include horses who have been handicapped in more than one Chip. For instance, Advance was asked to carry "9.13 one jrear Mid 9.9 in another. Euroolydon, Seahorse, Morganeer, St. Hippo, were others who a!«o were asked twice to carry over 9.0 Four-year-olds who have figured high up in New Zealand Cup handicaps are Nonette 9.9, Cruciform 9.5. Renown 9.0, Advance 9.9. Seaborse 9.5, Euroelydon 9.5. St. Hippo 9.8, and Stepni-ak, who was aHottpd 9.1. There is not much doubt that Achilla's three-year-old form was probably as brilliant as anything displayed by cny of the' above-mentioned four-year-olds, but few of them eportcd silk in the race at that ago a-nd fewer still ran prominently. Euroclydon carried his four-year-old burden second to Lady Zetland, but Nonette last year wa3 not at liis best whe-n racing »mongst tb^se who chased Halberdier home. When Ao'-iIIPR won the C.J.C. Middle Park Plate with 9.10 in lmin 14 l-ssec. he registered another high-class performance, and In" accessing him nt a stone better horse than k'.-t year's winner, and oommencinff at 9.6, suoh an adjmtnwnt pushes in Halberdiipr at 8.0, which is likely to cauee some uneasiness amongst some of the owners whose horses are lo\vf>r down in the handicap than the Cuira^i^r arelding. Wairiki •with 9.2, for a lolt who performed co creditably as tbe «on of Roult did Inst seaeon, cannot complain on tho scoro of treatment. Hi* handicap form >* very eood, ami his w.f.a. form through the dofeet of Orloff in t.'<c Aurllund Dwby r^acte very high on paper. Wairiki w?n the A. R.O. Autumn, one mi?e and a-lmlf, with 9.5 in 2min 37 3-sp°c. but there wes not a very powerful fie^d behind ]>im. and he was sent out a decided favourite for the race and justified the- confide-new. Golden Rose, to whom he wa= conceding 15lb, ran him to a length, and up to tlu»t the- n>a** had shown no form over a- imirncy. Wairiki also won the A.R.C. Birthday Faudiooo. one mile and a-holf. in 2nun ftiniin with 7.12; the A.R.C. Siimmw Fflndio»p. on* mile and aquarter. in 2rain 11£ see with 8.5. and t-hcoi downed Orloff in tlie Auckland Derby, but it has been assert"! by vod iudges that Orloff was not at hii lvst wn^m tlie pair met in the Auckland claewie ev*>nt. Howevor, the fact remain* that Wairiki gave Orloff a handsome beatantr. rind thoueh tJ*e Rtepniak ge-ldinot is not har*4ilv tinted in beintr 86ked to eivo thY latter 31b, narHcularlv as Mr Stead's geldina has jrif^n h*m'! < »oim« hi»atinrs *n many of those who figure lower in the Hit. With 8.13. Orloff. in the li"M of bi« C.J.C. Derby. Dunwlin Cup, ?nd Woraranui Cup form, is another wlio has nothing to comp'ain of when his chance is e=t imat^l with those whom lw» hm beafen durinp thr» past season. In the Dun«*fl»a Cup Orloff romped home witfc 8.13, and the places were

filled by Cannie Chiel 8.5 and Lady Lillian 8.5. Orloff, on that, should hold Cannie Chiel and the Phaetdion mare safe. In tho Great Easter be ran Lady Lillian to a head when giving away 211b. The Phaethon mare has displayed excellent form since then by annexing the Great Autumn with 8.12, and the D.J.C. Provincial Handicap, one mile and a-quarter, with 9.13, and also ran a great mare in the D.J.C. Birthday Handicap, one mile and a-half, with 9.9; but, owin tgto her fighting way of racing, I would much prefer to take OrlofTs Chance in preference to the marc's. If, however, Lady Lillian may be said to be held £afe on paper by Orloff, she in her turn .should be able to account for .several of those under her, notably Kelburn with 7.13. At the last Wingatui meeting Lady Lillian gave 19£lb (including 3£lb overweight carried by Kelburn) to the Hotchkks colt and finished alongside him, and now the mare is giving him 131b. The bad going at Wingatui probably told more against the colt than anything else in the race, as he slipped about a lot, but was travelling well at tfee finish. Outside his St. Leger form Keltrarn has, however, nothing much to his credit, and although he galops like a stayer, and may justify the handicapper's opinion of him, still I consider him* "harshly treated on his past (form.

Halberdier, with 61J> more than he scored with last ysar, looks ishe pick of the handicaps, and if he is boded at the fbst as fit and well as he was last year, it will take a good f un to knsir his colours. With 8.0 last year, he bad the race won' cosily at the foot of the straight. He afterwards Tan third with 9.2 to Siege Gun 7.9 and Canteen 8.2 in the Metropolitan, and then ran a fruitless one and a-quarter-mile journey in the Fendalton Handicap with 9.7 in 2min 9 3-ssec. His subsequent form I am inclined to place on one side, as, from what I can glean concerning him, he was afterwards raced when he should have been in his box, or, rather, running in bis paddock.

Shrapnel, with 7.13, showed attractive form at Wellington 'by bolting with the Thompson Handicap, but although uo to that he «od carried fairish weights to victory, that was the first time he met and defeated a field of good -horses. He appears to be highly rated in being on the same mark as Pallaa, and giving weight to a •wellperformed horse like Pampero, Pallas with 7.13 has brilliant form to his credit up to 10 furlongs, but then he failed badly in the last Great Autumn over 12 furlong*. He, however, has been dropped a good deal in weight, and I think he is capable of being turned out in better order than he was for the Great Autumn Handicap. In that race he hopped off and made play for a mile and a-quarter at a pace which suggested a six-furlong mission instead of a mile and a-half journey. Koilburn has been alluded to above, and both Canteen and Cannie Chiel should be held safe by Pampero with 7.10, who has been pulled' down half a stone on his laet year's burden. Had Pampero aeen the post last year he would have probably given the Halberdier partisans a. bit of a fright, even if he did not win outright, but although the St. Clair horse has been unlucky of late, I consider that b*. is leniently treated.

Want of space and lack of inclination [ does not make me undesirous of wading ' through the form of the majority of those > who follow Pampero in the handicap, mainly j because, on referring to my notes as to the form of a large munfoer of the oandidates, I find that on analysing it it amounts ' to practically nil. Syclla was supposed to possess a great chance in the lost Thompson Handicap, and on that form Shrapnel and Cannie Chiel should account for her in the New Zealand Cup on paper. Hiaetaura was not idle last season, and her 6eoond to Advance in the Wellington Cup, besides her win in the Monawatau Cup, and and a-half miles, with 7.10, in 2min 37 3-ssec, her fourth in the Wanjranui Cup, and other performances during the scoeon. -entitle hereto a certain amount of respect. Mans, with 7.7, follows next in the Hat, and 'lie is a consistent old plugffer whom age does not appear to wither. His Wanganui Cup win was considered lucky by some who witnessed the race, as Orloff, they contend, lost the race through shepherding Advance. The time, however, which the. Ingomar geldiug made is a record for the colony over the journey, but it is probab'y more to Orloff's credit than the actual winner, as tlie Stepniak geldingr hod a very brief period in ' which he had to win the Dunedin Cup, and then set out to compete at Wanganui. Both fit and well, I would take Orloff to master Maw over the two miles of the next New Zealand Cup at their allotted burdens. Stretnavon has mms useful performances to hn credit, and Ira Takapirna Ouo and Taranaki Cup wins read fairly well. Golden Rose ran .second lo Wairiki over a mile and a-balf when in receipt of 1511>: now she ia receiving 241b. Melwood has 3lb more tlian he ran second with to Torrulla, but I am not enamoured with his- chanoe at present. If "Benroin has not had hi? speed impaired during his retirement, he would be entitled to a chance, but he is another that may be pasted over at present. In 1901 his form earned him- 3lb more in the race than he is now aeked to carry. Quarryman is a fine cut of a ?oU. and just the sort to furnish into a good! ihree-year-old, and the same remark apnlies to Sea Lion and Gold Crown. Glenaladale wa* light and jadedlookine when lie went for lust year's race, but still roanoped to run fifth — a much better perform a nee than I expected to see • him do under tbe circumstances. Two horses who started in last year's rare, who bore the ampeerance of being overdone were Nonetto and Glenaladal«, a-nd whilst tho former was coming through on the outside as the field sw«»pt into the straight. I also -noticed the latter was era dually Jm- ' provinc his position amon?st tfie inside division. ' Gf-neral Srmon« has failed to ttay up tt t'-e present, and those who have got .in with feather weights h?ye only received ( what they »re entit'ed to on nast form. Syehwn ran well in the early etiring, and nw always handy to those whom he efcoed homo in his races. Lavalette might furnish into aCup horse, and I have a oertnin amount of re»r*r«ct for S'rkis with 6.7. Bombardo i« a raking big cot who should improve with age, a-nd pood flecourrU re-'eh me of Pro- ' voi* Marshal. Heroism. nft*r the Wnnaanui Cup meetiiMr. was reirarded as a onmine; horse, hut he failed to justify that ooinion ; I but Rinspnan, who is jwt above in tno handicap. show.->d d»oent fnrm dnr'mv the seawn. I took a fancy to Count of Kolmar last sprui ». but he went amies. and may h, pags^d ov"-r a«- present. To sum up t4w> handicap. H»«^ V«»«»-» rented hnrs«< wwat to mo to be Orioff. Wairiki, Holb^rdir-r, Achillos, and Pampero, and, to take seven

others to make a dozen, from whom the winner may come, I would select Lady Lillian, Kelburn, Canteen, Glenaladale, Sea Lion, -Sinus, and Shrapnel.