Fine Art May Qualify For Trotting Cup

Southland Times, Issue 23888, 5 August 1939, Page 10

Fine Art May Qualify For Trotting Cup

The August meeting at Addington usually finds several young pacers with marks just outside the New Zealand Cup limit, qualifying for the Cup race, to be run in November. Last year’s New Zealand Cup was a 4.26 limit and, although no announcement has been made concerning this year’s race, judging by the number of horses given concessions in the handicaps, a 4.26 limit is again almost certain to be in force. Two young pacers who will be seen at Addington next week, in Colonel Grattan and Fine Art, are likely to qualify for the November race. Others with claims are Gallant Knight and Renown’s Best, while War Buoy and Rocks Ahead will require to qualify again. Among the younger division Colonel Grattan and Fine Art have been the stars of the past season. Both have won their way from loose marks to 4.27 for two miles. Another success over this journey will see each take a 4.26 line. An idea of Fine Art’s brilliance was given at the last Cup meeting when he won over two miles like a champion, and it was then predicted that he would only require to retain this form to be one of the favourites for this year’s race. This he has done and there is no horse with better prospects of winning a race next week. A FINE STAYER Probably his best effort during the last 12 months was his winning performance at Addington when he won in 3min 12 l-ssec, after going lound a big field. Over two miles he has shown himself to be a genuine stayer, and although he failed badly when taken to Auckland last Christmas, he has rarely gone a bad race at Addington and the clay track appears to suit him. The Jack Potts pacer is still assessed on a loose sprint mark and if he wins over two miles today he may be seen to advantage as a .sprinter later at the meeting.

A high opinion has always been held of Colonel Grattan but it was not until late in the season that he justified the private reputation he boasted. Colonel Grattan is also assessed on 4.27 for two miles, and like Fine Art, has run a mile and a-half in 3min 12 l-ssec in a race. A clash between this pair would be one of the highlights of the week, but they are not down to meet today. By his time performances over two miles Colonel Grattan has shown that he is a stayer above the average, while he has run all his best races in front.

It would not be surprising to see Gallant Knight qualifying for the Cup race as the imported horse has shown flashes of brilliance at times. He may not be as sound a stayer as Fine Art, but he has only to be produced at the top of his form to show up in the leading events. Rocks Ahead may find it difficult qualifying for the Cup again and it is a long time since War Buoy has shown anything like his true form. On his present mark he reads well if he was able to race up to some of his efforts of a couple of seasons back, when there was no better stayer in the country than the Man o’ War gelding.