RACING ITEMS

Southland Times, Issue 23377, 8 December 1937, Page 10

RACING ITEMS

WEIGHT OF CERNE ABBAS VALUE OF HANDICAPPER’S OPINION Nominations for the Wyndham Racing Club’s New Year’s Day meeting close at 5 p.m. this evening. M. B. Edwards nominated Ponty for the Auckland Cup, but neither Ponty nor Wino will be racing during the holidays. Edward’s other gallopers, Gold Label and Bun Hat, will be raced on the Coast. In most centres trainers are complaining of the hard tracks and a definite preference is being given the use of the plough.

Aspire appeared to move short when being worked yesterday morning and apparently she is feeling the effects of the firm tracks.

Some critics have a habit of disagreeing with handicappers and invariably when a horse is considered by some one to be “let in” in an important handicap, the result of the race confirms the handicapper’s opinion. There are always exceptions to the rule but in nine cases out of 10 the weight adjuster is the man whose opinion has to be given most consideration. The case of Cerne Abbas in the Auckland Cup will be of interest. Mr F. J. McManemin, for 21 years handicapper to the Auckland Racing Club, has not assessed her as highly as some New Zealand Cup winners of the past. That is the chief reason for so much criticism and the result of the race will give a line on whether Mr McManemin’s opinon was right or wrong. In the racing game opinions play a big (part. In this case it is Mr McManel min’s opinion which counts and which I the majority may finally accept as correct. Cerne Abbas may win the Auckland Cup but she will be thoroughly tested by a field much stronger than that which took part in the New Zealand Cup, and which includes Willie Win, whose narrow defeat in the Melbourne Cup places him on a high pedestal among our stayers. There may have been more than the Auckland handicapper not as greatly impressed with the performances of Cerne Abbas as those who consider the mare “fired in.”

Custodian, the first of Lord Warden’s stock to race is again in commission at J. W. Pankhurst’s stable at Orari. As a two-year-old this brother to Cerne Abbas won the Middlepark Plate, but since'that season he has done very little racing, and he has not started since the summer meeting at Riccarton nearly two years ago. Custodian is now only six years old, and should pay his way if he can be wound up.

Davolo was very sore after his race at Ashburton, and this no doubt accounted for his poor effort. He is still suffering, and unless the tracks during the holiday racing in the south are likely to be on the soft side, his prospects of doing any good are not bright. In the meantime, his programme will not be decided on until next week. His stablemate Colombo is in the same position, as he has been sore intermittently for some time, and is not considered likely to race until the tracks improve.

The general entries for the Auckland meeting total 623, as against 589 last year. South Island horses in Nightdress, Haerepo, Pelmet, Trench Fight and Paper Slipper appear in the list. Protector was taken out of the Great Northern Foal Stakes and will not make the trip.