New Zealand Cup Next Saturday

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 190, 1 November 1927, Page 10

New Zealand Cup Next Saturday

NORTH VERSUS SOUTH KAPIER THE RELINK FAVOURITE (Special to THU SUX.J WELLINGTON, Saturday. A.c *be Itf*w Ktiiiand <Jup tifld stands tion an«j the Soutri Island representatiwi are fairly evenly bal«n<ed and it rb* day of the race. I mean evenly balanced a* regajds numerical strength. O'tie field is stronger and mure evenly for some lime* p *J# and the Bouth IwUnd tv have » wry formidabl*- r epresefiration. 1 om mincing with the top veight. Count favour, it cannot be denied that lie is a good again. He more weight this time and a better field to beat, and that is why lie its not one of the first fancies for the big handh ap, but, make no mistake, he lias a chance. Until a few days ago Footfall was ihe favourite but he has receded in public estimation, notwithstanding that he has been galloping well, Probably he would h*v. held ins pla.ee at the head of the list had he had a little more racing, and lie might yet reinstate himself m favour. A NEW FAVOURITE ha pier moved into the position of favourite during the week, and probably tf at is ofi account of his good showing in the Champion l > iat< at the recent Wellington spring meeting, together with the fact tl at he was reported to have beaten Dim ©rick in a gallop on the day bet ore the Champion Plate was run. Rapier runs good races on big course#, so liicearton should suit him well lie has staying blood in his veins and has displayed fin*, courage on occasions. Not always seen at his best, he now appear* to be doing better work than ever before and he looks to be the great hope of the South. lie will be ridden in the New Zealand Cup by C. Finer son, than whom no one knows the Ki< carton course better. The 7 1 which Kapur has been allotted i* a luxurious weight for him. He should be very hard to beat. Battlement, being a son of Martian, whose stock lias had such a wonderful run in the New Zealand Cup. will attract a certain amount of attention and support, but he wij; not be in favour on ac * ount of any recent public form, as Ins displays under silk have not been at all encouraging to his connections. Ho much have they been the reverse of encouraging that efforts were made to dispose of him in Australia, but he had shown nothing there which would induce anyone to buy him. He might induce a few to support him by doing good track work, as he is a fine worker in private. Thus* sort wdn races eventually, as a rule, but it seems too much to expert Battlement to take his wanning turn in such a difficult race as this year's New Zealand Cup. The remainder of the South islanders are on the minimum mark—-7.0. Pink Note does not shape like a stayer, and ihe others are Equerry, Ark Royal and Vavard. The best of them should he Ark Royal, if he has any claim at all to real Derby honours. GOOD NORTHERNERS Now', who will do battle for the North? .Star Btranger leads off and with 9.4 lie is within 2lb. of Count Favour in the weights. The Count will find him a tough opponent and so will anything elm* in Urn field He has gradually been coining to his best and after the two good races he had at Trentham last week he should be right up to concert pitch by next Saturday

J when vup is contested. lie finished »ry so .diy from last position in the : Weiimorion >.ip and he ran a good race for a mile in the Champion ¥i< Another from the North is the New PJymou'i idol T-e Monanui, who has dm*ten Star Stranger every time the l>.. .r hav>. met. Notwithstanding that fa.' t Te MLonanui has three pounds the i better of the weights. ! .Piutli.ii i r has freshened up. so re- ! ports from the track state, since her I return from her unsuccessful trip to New .South Wales, and both she and I her stable mate, Clarinda, are ex> | petted to show something like a return to turni during the Canterbury Jockey Club meeting, and when they are a.t • • • best they can hold their own at Ki* .carton as both have proved in the past. Nevertheless they do not look bk - winning the New Zealand Cup this | year. ABOUT BEACON LIGHT A better chance appears to be possessed by Beacon Bight, [who in addition to being a good horse is just working up to the apex of condition. He was not quite i at his best when lie was seen at Trentham i-i the Wellington Handicap and the Champion Plate, but he will be more forward at Bicearton. There is always one reservation regarding the Boniform gelding and that is concern - mg his soundness. He lias stood up to his work so far, but his trainer might have been a bit careful with him,'and he huts yet to get through his final gallops. He won several good races last season and a few lines about these give an idea of lbs quality. On the second day of the Wanganui spring meeting he won the principal handicap, and from there lie went on and won the Avondale Cup. Jn the latter race he led from end to end and was going as strongly at the finish a* at any other part of the race. He defeated that day Tana dees, winner of the Auckland Cup a few months later. His next success was in the Champion Plate at Trentham, which he won in slashing style, after having failed in a handica p a day or two previously. Beacon Bight will only need to be sent to the post in his best condition to be a very hard horse for the others to head off in the final run along that long straight, as he can stay as well as sprint. YOMA'S PROSPECTS The form of Yoma at the Wellington meeting which was held last week was very good, but h- • 0 not race over extreme distances. Good as his form was lie was lucky to defeat Star Stranger on the first day, when the pair met in a race run over a distance of eleven furlong*, on the second day he was unfortunate not to win the Pearce Handicap, which is run over a mile course. For what he did at Wellington he had his weight increased from 7.2 to 7.55, but that should not be a deciding factor in bringing about his defeat. If he can stay he will have a great chance. H« is not a proved stayer and had better be left out of the list of first-class charfces. It cannot be suggested, however, that he Is not a possibility. I-ady Desmond is a good mare and is on the minimum. She did not run in the W a verify (.'up on Labour Bay, but the stable from which she hails had another representative in the race, Kuphonium, who won. If Bady Besomed starts she is entitled to consider a tion as one of the best of the lightweights. Hhe is a really good mare and she showed by her form at the Manawatu Hunt meeting a few weeks ago that she is in something like form. iloyal Game is a plucky little fellow and is very well, but the chances are that he will not stay the full two-mile journey. Bennanee is sure to find the distance beyond him. Boy has nothing to recommend him, but David Garrick has an outside chance. The South Island representatives' really good chances look to be Rapier < ount Favour and Footfall, and the best of the three might be Rapier. In fact, he appears to be the real hope of the South. Among the Northerners Star Htrang< r. Beacon Bight and Bady Desmond it -.i'i best, particularly the first-men-tioned two. Whether Rapier can win for the Koiitli remains to be seen, but on Wellington form I think he will at least go mighty close to doing so, and that if Ije j w beaten it will be by Beacon Bight or Star Stranger,