Avondale Guineas To Be Run On Monday

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1082, 20 September 1930, Page 12

Avondale Guineas To Be Run On Monday

Cylinder and Royal Ruler Best ?

By

“EARLY BIRD .”

Given a reasonably dry track on Monday, backers will literally be falling over themselves to back Cylinder against a good field in the Avondale Guineas; that is those content to accept short odds about what appears to be a good thing. On the other hand, if the course is affected a good deal by rain, there may easily be an .upset, for the Limond gelding is not exactly at. home in bad ground. For instance, when he was galloped with Lineage on Thursday morning the course was a bit wet and soft after heavy rain overnight, and Cylinder did not appear to be at all at home,

although he would have done better in the gallop if he had been pushed. His companion goes fast for a few furlongs, but her stamina is open to question. Today’s Form It is unlikely that the results of today’s racing will be such as to cause Cylinder to be deposed from his position of favourite for the Guineas. Guineas candidates engaged t lis afternoon are Great Emblem, Rosshire, Chrysology, Sub-Kditor, and Protomint, in the Maiden; Imam in t and Royal Ruler in the Flying Handicap; Biddy’s Boy and Waimuri in the Champion Hack Plate; Commandant in the Swanson Handicap; and Lady Court in the Henderson Handicap Five classic candidates are not to be given a run today. They are Cylinder. Lineage, Grand Talk, Grand Spirit and. the Hunting Song-Crisis gelding. Until seme of the three-year-olds have been seen in action this afternoon, it is asking a big thing to even sort out the best half dozen in the field for Monday’s race.

Pick of the Basket At this stage it would seem that the pick of the basket are Cylinder and Royal Ruler. In the Wanganui Guineas last Saturday, Cylinder was asked to cover a lot of ground, but he still won with considerable ease. On the top of the ground on Monday he is still going to be the big fancy, for on this roomy course the gelding will not be asked to keep so far out from the rails. Arisus got to within a length of Cylinder in the Wanganui classic, and the latter beat some pretty fair three-year-olds over seven and a quarter furlongs two days later, Vandyke, Paratoo and Imamint chasing him home in that order. Rules Out Imamint Taking the 'Wanganui form at its ' full face vdlue, one would be inclined to immediately wash out Imamint as a Guineas possibility. On the other ’ hand the Catmint filly must have been below form to be beaten so decisively by Arisus and company, and perhaps it may be as well to overlook that form so far os she is concerned. Imamint is not yet tuned right up, so there is still room for a considerable improvement. She is thought a lot of by those who should know her capabilities and promise. Today Imamint is to be given a run in the open sprint, and some better idea of her ability may be gauged by that outing. Must Improve Greatly Despite the fact that she defeated Cylinder in a five-furlong gallop at Avondale on Thursday morning, too much store should not be placed in that. In the "Wanganui Guineas, Lineage was over three lengths away from Cylindcd, and she had had the advantage of a race in public, whereas ! Cylinder had not. Indeed Lineage’s form in the sprint at Dannevirko a( fortnight earlier had suggested that she was very forward. On the strength of that. Lineage j will have to have made a vast improve- • ment if she is to overcome that three i lengths deficit in a matter of eleven days. On a soft track, however, she might do it, although there enters into it a doubt as to her staying ability. Royal Ruler’s Chance The more one looks at the Guineas possibilities, the more it looks as if the danger, or what there is of it, will come from the Auckland representatives. Best of these may be Royal Ruler, who is expected to make a great show-

ing in the sprint this afternoon. On i Thursday, Koyal Ruler gave a very j impressive, display in his gallop, and i as he has shaped like a stayer over a middle journey, lie may be the hope j of the northerners. Hopelessly beaten at the barrier in j in the Avondale Stakes twelve months j ago, Royal Ruler was always in the I ruck. On the second day he was well i back at the home turn, but he finished ! in most determined fashion to win. j It was the same in the A.R.C. Welcome, i Stakes at Ellerslie a fortnight later. | for the Chief Ruler gelding was brought ! along from the rear to get the stake, j It was in these two races only that j Royal Ruler was seen at his best, and j it is obvious that the long straight ! at Avondale will suit him. About Rosshire When Rosshire’s prospects are under j consideration, there is found at least ! one excellent guide to his chances. That was in. his second race at Trentham in July. He was left badly at the start and gave the leaders a long start. Yet at the end of the six furlongs he had got to within half a head of the winner, Gowan Lea. That was a phenomenal performance, worthy j of a classic aspirant. Rosshire is engaged in the Maiden j today, and if not hampered by the large j field he should be a prominent candi- j date. That race at Trentham speaks for itself. | Chrysology last term was only just good enough to get beaten, and if he ! has developed at all, he should carry I the Lowry livery with distinction, i The same owner also has another one \ in the Australian bred Commandant, and this bracket if started will be 1 entitled to big support. However, j they will run today, and then a better line can be obtained. An Ellerslie Filly Grand Spirit won her two races last ] season when she conceded a. start and ! came from well back on the turning'

Rotorua course. On that form it looks as if a mile course will be something in her favour, but she will not want to give away a start in this company. Her appearance in this field will be of interest. Lady Court is another Ellerslie filly that looks like developing stamina, but just at present she ranks a bit below the best of the last season’s two-year-olds on form. There are others whose chances

could be more or less fancied, but the pair that impress most are CYLINDER and ROYAL RULER. After today’s racing there are sure to be a few withdrawals from the classic on Monday, so that all told there may not be more than ten runners. And that will be any amount at the mile barrier at Avondale.