AUCKLAND TROTTING CUP

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 532, 8 December 1928, Page 11

AUCKLAND TROTTING CUP

High Class Field Brought Together by Adjuster

EARLY FANCIED CANDIDATES

WHATEVER discrepancies may be found in the handicapping for some of the events on the Auckland Trotting Club's Christmas card, the adjustment for the principal event on the programme, the Auckland Cup, has a lot to recommend ti, and when the compilation is carefully checked it will be found there can only result a good field and a stirring contest.

Sun readers, having been well acquainted with the times, performances and last handicap mark of the various nominees for the December big ttvo-mile test, were given an opportunity of trying their skill at the handicapping problem, and while none of the numerous amateur adjusters succeeded in arranging the Held in the same order as the Auckland handicapper, ii few were not far astray in their solutions. In one Instance, that of "Student,” the figures almost coincided, but the amateur assessor had kept Imprint and Kohara on their Mew Zealand Cup allotment (4.24), while Mr. Paul has placed them on 4.25. "Theory" also assessed the pair mentioned on 4.24, and split the seconds with Jack Potts and Ahuriri, which made them 4.231 and 4.221 respectively as against 4.23 and 4.22, the handtcapper's decision. J 928 NEW ZEALAND CUP Of the 16 starters in the great race at Addington last month, Black Admiral, Dalnahine and Waitaki Girl are missing from the Auckland list, but the number at present remains the same, through the inclusion of Gold Jacket,* Jewel Pointer and Cardinal Logan. As a memory refresher, “Abaydos” appends the field as it started and finished at Addington last month, and th* facts and figures will serve as an interesting comparison of the situation, as described by the Auckland handicapper, for the big race at Alexandra Park this month. The New Zealand Cup, with its 4.26 limit (a second tighter than Auckland), saw the following contestants face the starter, the order of favouritism, handicap and position at the finish also recorded: 12— Black Admiral, limit (4.26) .. 0 14—Machine Gun, limit (4.26) .... 0 B—Talaro, 12yds (4.25) 8 6 Peterwah, 12yds (4.25) .. .... 0 10— Peter Bingen, 12yds (4.25) .... 1 o —Queen’s Own, 12yds (4.25) .... 6 3—Terence Dillon, 12yds (4.25) .. 0 3 Dalnahine, 12yds (4.25) 0 1— Padlock, t2vds (4.25) .... .. .. 0 11— Kohara, 24yds (4.24) 7 13— Waitaki Girl, 24yds (4.24) .... 0 2 Imprint, 24yds (4.24) .. .... 0 s—Prince Pointer, 24yds (4.24) .. 4 7 Jack Potts, 30yds (4.23 A) .... 5 2—Ahuriri, 36yds (4.23) 3 4 Great Bingen, 48yds (4.22) .... 2 Terence Dillon and Dalnahine, and Imprint and Ahuriri were bracketed on the machine. Peter Bingen was given the decision by half a length from Great Bingen, with Ahuriri a head away third, and Prince Pointer a length back fourth. The official times were 4.22 1-5, 4.19 2-5, 4.20 3-5, 4.22. In comparing the New Zealand Cup handicap with that just compiled for the Auckland Cup it is noticeable that a few of the contestants have been let up a second, and a survey of the position discloses that the adjuster has had good grounds for making the alterations. The Let-up Division Machine Gun, who failed to show up at any stage of the Addington heat, was put on 4.27 in the Courtenay Handicap at the same fixture, but was never in the picture and it was only to be expected the Auckland-owned pacer would be figuring on the front of the big Epsom handicap. Imprint could not hold his position in the field at Christchurch off 4.24 and considering his best effort over two miles is 4.25 3-5 for a second position, the Nelson-owned gelding has been Setting the worst end of the stick and no one can take exception to his present let-up. Kohara, who won the 1937 New Zealand Cup off 4.26, had a ?« V * OUS wo “ m H© winning record of 4 -5 4-5, put up at Alexandra Park on one of its “lightning” days. After his Lup success Kohara went to pieces, and he put up three poor displays at the last Auckland summer carnival from 4.25. When the handicaps appeared for the New Zealand Cup Kohara was on the same peg, but for winning a two-mile heat at Epsom in the spring off 4.26, running 4.33 2-5, tne black pacer was penalised 12 yards, making his mark 4.24, from which he nad no chance on the day. Kohara’s Lpsom performance hardly warranted any penalty, considering he won from a . point longer mark (and in slower hmo in a race run to suit him) than ms cup handicap, and it is evident ir L Paul took up this view and placed kohara back on his original New Zealand Cup mark, 4.25. Mad he started *r° m this mark in the Addington race, he writer is of the opinion the fiawera- trained horse would still have missed a place, as he was well beaten J® the Christchurch Handicap on the nnal day off 4.24, by Talaro. Jack Potts * nd Waitaki Girl. Cardinal Logan was another handicapped originally for Christchurch on 4.-6, but after winning a double at over shorter courses, he was penalised 12 yards for the three thousand pounder, and his owner showed his objection to such procedure Uy letting the pacer forfeit his engagement. Consequently the Auck-

land adjuster has returned the Cardinal to his former mark, 4.26. Had the Kohara party acted similarly there would probably have been no argument raised over his present handicap. In letting the disappointing cup idol, Padlock up to 4.26, Mr. Paul is only placing the Palmerston North gelding where he was entitled to be in the Addington contest, as the writer previously pointed out on several occasions, and it has been left to the local handicapper to remedy the error made by the “committee” which assessed the respective marks for last month’s big race. New Zealand Cup Place-Getters Taking the four pacers that filled the places last month, the handicapper is evidently of the opinion that the performance of the third horse, Ahuriri, was on a par with that of Great Bingen, who secured second money, as both have been penalised equally for their share in the great contest. The winner, Peter Bingen, has gone back two seconds for his victory, and is placed on 4.23, and from this it is evident no notice was taken of his record-breaking effort in the ten-fur-long free-for-all. Through this, Prince Pointer, who finished a good fourth in the cup, and put up a phenomenal finish in the “all off the mark”’ event to get within a head of Peter Bingen, remains “as you were” in the Auckland 1- ndicap, and even allowing for the let-up of the candidates mentioned, it points to Prince Pointer again finishing in front of them, while the penalty on those who finished in front of W. J. Tomkinson’s charge should make it possible for Prince Pointer to turn the tables on his November victors. Of these, however, there is one horse, despite the 12 yards additional handicap, that will again make a bold bid for supremacy, and that is Ahuriri, winner of two New Zealand Cups and one Auckland Cup, and it cannot be denied after seeing his wonderful dash at the finish of the Addington handicap, in which the element of luck was against him, that the Bryce representative has a fine chance of again inscribing his name on the Auckland Cqp roll of honour. Two Others Go Back Although Talaro was not handy to the placed division at the conclusion of the contest last month, he ran a sound race. On the final day Free Holmes’s charge was again placed on 4.25, from which peg he duly landed the thousand pound heat, tramping 4.26 I*s, and fpr this success Talaro has gone back to a 4234 mark. . Jack Potts, who was on 4.23£ in the New Zealand Cup, finished just behind the placed brigade, having made up a lot of ground over the last circuit, and placed on the same mark in the Clm'istchurch Handicap, C. Donald’s pacer came again “from the clouds” over the last half mile to secure second berth, registering 4.25 1-5 for the journey. This effort has caused Jack .Potts to lose the benefit of the six yards and in the big race at Christmas he will start from a 4.23 mark. Terence Dillon, who failed to go away right in the recent contest, Queen’s Own, who went a good race, and the trotter Peterwah, who was never at home during the struggle, are again on the same marks —4.25, for Auckland. Auckland’s Hopes Auckland is represented in the richly endowed event by two popular and well performed candidates. Jewel Pointer and Gold Jacket, and while.the former is down to bedrock on 4.23, his fastest essay being 4.22 1-5, for second money, those behind Gold Jacket cannot lodge any complaints about the treatment meted out to Ted Parkes’s gelding. Gold Jacket has raced most consistently, and at times brilliantly, during the last nine months, and he has captured several big contests among classy fields, without doing much damage to his time records. At Hawera in April, after winning the cup on Easter Saturday, the Aucklander put up a great performance in getting second to Taipare on the Monday, winding up the watch to 4.29 2-5. Although he won thousand pound events at the Auckland winter fixture and Addington August carnival, the Gold Bell gelding was fortunate in not being called upon to make fast time, and it was n~t till the Auckland spring function that he again got down to his Hawera record of 4.29 2-5, which he recorded from the 4.28 peg in the Alexandra Handicap.' This saw L. McMahon’s candidate on 4.27 in the Jellicoe Handicap at the Otahuhu meeting last month, which gave him an eligible ticket for the Auckland Cup. The bold, black pacer ran a sound race, to suffer defeat by a head, tramping 4.28 2-5, his best record to that date. On the final day Gold Jacket was put on 4.26 in the Fergusson Handicap and here he fractured his previous best, reducing it to 4.24 2-5 for the third portion of the purse. After such a successful campaign, the local favourite is well placed in being on 4.26 and it looks at present as if Gold Jacket will be the Auckland hope when the convincing day arrives. AUCKLAND CUP FIELD

The position of the cup candidates as

arranged by the Auckland adjuster is as under: AUCKLAND TROTTING CUP Of £2,200 and Gold Cup lOOgns; 4.27 class; 2 miles.

After looking carefully at the summary, it must be admitted that the South has a powerful hand compared with the North, and it will also be generally agreed that there is every likelihood of the cream of the prizemoney crossing Cook Strait after the Christmas carnival. "With Great Bingen, who is making a most appreciable return to form, Ahuriri, undoubtedly the greatest two-miler of his day, Peter Bingen, with his recent records, Prince Pointer, who is striking his best gait again, Jack Potts, a most dangerous customer at any time over the distance, and Terence Dillon, probably the finest young pacer in the land, to represent the other island, they will present formidable opposition to Jewel Pointer, Gold Jacket, Kohara, Padlock and the square-gaiter Peterwah, but from the last three may arise one or so that will assist Gold Jacket to stem the tide of the strong Southern invasion. Padlock was far from being at his best at Addington, and if he lands at Epsom dressed in his complete regalia, he will have a good chance of making amends for his Addington failure, which proved so costly to backers throughout the Dominion. Kohara may be an improved horse since the New Zealand Cup meeting, so it may not be amiss to couple Kohara and Padlock with the Aucklander, Gold Jacket, as being a trio that will at least give a lot of cheek to the sturdy Southerners, of whom perhaps the best will prove to be Prince Pointer, Ahuriri and Terence Dillon. The latter has put up some splendid performances at AJexandra Park.

The ruling favourites, however, are Prince Pointer and Ahuriri in the South, and Gold Jacket in the North, and there is no doubt, taking a line through recent happenings, the public have summed up the situation in a manner that discloses a keen scrutiny of the trotting business.

POSITION AT A GLANCE

The appended summary gives a position of each horse in the cup handicap, together with its best placed time and handicap and placement at last start. This will, at a glance, show readers the respective positions and may assist them in making an earty selection: Machine Gun, Auckland Cup, limit (4.27); best placed time, 4.25 2-5 (2nd); last mark and place, 4.27 unplaced. Gold Jacket, 12yds (4.26); 4.24 2-5 (3rd); 4.26 third. Padlock, 12yds (4.26); 4.26 3-5 (1st); 4.25 unplaced? Cardinal Logan, 12yds (4.26); 4.27 4-5 (3rd); 4.26 unplaced. Terence Dillon, 24yds (4.25); 4.25 (1st); 4.25 unplaced. Queen’s Own, 24yds (4.25); 4.22 4-5 (3rd); 4.25 unplaced. Peterwah, 24yds (4.25); 4.23 4-5 (1st); 4.25 unplaced. Imprint, 24yds (4.25); 4.25 3-5 (2nd); 4.24 unplaced. Kohara, 24yds (4.25); 4.25 4-5 (Ist)* 4.24 unplaced. Talaro, 36yds (4.24); 4.24 2-5 (3rd); 4.25 first. Prince Pointer, 36yds (4.24): 422 (2nd); 4.24 fourth. Jewel Pointer, 48yds <4.23); 4.22 1-5 (2nd); 4.23 unplaced. Jack Potts, 48yds (4.23); 4.23 4-5 (1st); 4.23 h second. Peter Bingen, 48yds (4.23); 4.22 1-5 (1st); 4.25 first. Ahuriri, 60yds (4.22); 4.20 3-5 (3rd); 4.23 third. ✓ Bin sen„ 72yds (4.21); 4.19 2-5 (2nd); 4.22 second.

Machine Gun Lt Kohara . • . • Gold Jacket 12 Talaro .... 36 Padlock • • • 12 Prince Pointer • • 36 12 Jewel Pointer • • • 24 Jack Potts 4S Queen's Own 24 Peter Bingen . 4S 24 Ahuriri . . . Imprint • • 24 Great Bingen <2