KING’S CUP-RUN ON SATURDAY

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1929, Page 5

KING’S CUP-RUN ON SATURDAY

NEW ZEALAND’S REPRESENTATIVES. ORATRIX AND SEATOWN SEEK PRIZE CAN EITHER EMULATE LIMERICK? Twelve months ago Owner H. A. Knight essayed to win the King’s Cup, run at Randwick, and his champion, Limerick, emerged triumphant in an exciting finish—now that coveted trophy adorns the sideboard of the Canterbury sportsman. Limerick has shown the way, and now Oratrix and Seatown have ventured to Brisbane burdened with the hopes of their respective owners and the sporting community of New Zealand that the King’s prize will again find a home in the Dominion. From a monetary point of view, the King’s Cup—and the £2090 added -money —is not the most valuable race on the Australian Racing calendar, but the event holds a special place because it carries a £lOO Gold Cup, the gift of His Majesty, and that prize is almost equally the desiratum of owners as the time-honoured Melbourne , Cup. The first contest for the King’s Cup took place at Flemington on April 23, 1927, on the occasion of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York, and the initial trophy went to the proud owner of Spear Maiden —incidentally- the favourite. Last year the contest took place at Randwick, -and this year it is set down to be decided in Queensland, and will take place on Saturday.

Shabby in their winter coats, the New Zealand representatives have not yet impressed the sporting public on the other side, but the hairy, much-despised Oratrix registered a rattling good performance to win at the Canterbury Park meeting, and no doubt she shakes her affected “goatee” in glee at the surprise she gave the Australians. Even in the rough she is a great little mare. Taranaki sportsmen are equally confident. Seatown (“looking rough in his winter coat,” as an Australian scribe

writes), is capable of holding his own with the middle-distance cracks across the Tasman.

Her success in the Canterbury Handicap last month at once rushed Oratrix into the position of prime fancy for the race. Valparaiso was next in demand and his win last Saturday will probably hoist him to a position equally exalted in the eyes of the punters, but withal the New Zealand Cup winner ran a great race and she will be more at home with an extra quarter of a mile to cover. Until he made his debut in his race last Saturday, Seatown had not carried colours in Australia, but his fine effort enhances his prospects for the Australian trip. Concentrate, who races in the same nomination as Oratrix, was also to have made the trip to Brisbane, but he developed a slight cough and was left behind at Randwick. Oratrix, in company with Valparaiso and Spearman, was entrained to Brisbane on Tuesday, July 30. In the King’s Cup Maurice McCarten has been given the ride on Oratrix and Tommy Green will have the mount on Seatown. J. Munro and W. Cook have been retained for Valparaiso and Canning Queen respectively.. It has been officially given out by the Queensland Turf Club that no apprentice will be allowed to ride in the King’s Cup under seven stone, which is set out as j

the lowest handicap weight in the conditions of the race, says the Referee. This declaration was rendered necessary owing to the fact that apprentices' in Queensland are entitled to claim allowances in races, irrespective of their value. It was thought that southern owners with horses in the King’s Cup might be placed at a disadvantage compared with local owners, owing to the A.J.C. restriction of apprentices’ allowances to races of a certain value. The Q.T.C., by a special meeting, decided to reciprocate with the southern clubs in regard to the rule relating to apprentices’ allowances. This, it is claimed, will now enable southern apprentices to claim the same allowances as the Queensland apprentices in the King’s Cup, but in no. case will any starter be allowed to carry less than seven stone. In Brisbane the most favoured pair last week were Vain Bachelor and Charlie B, while Oratrix and Valparaiso were most discussed of the visiting horses. Seatown had created a favourable impression on arrival and was at - once coupled. with St. Lucia for an amount in the vicinity of £OOOO. The game little mare Paddi Eve was popularly ticked off to be one of the hard ones to beat, but there is a rumour that all is not well with her, and she may be an absentee. With Paddi Eve out of the way, the Bananaland horses are given a much harder task to hold the trophy, which looks certain to be taken away from the State. Valparaiso is probably one of the hardest horses the New Zealand-

ers will have to beat and, while one must «-ive Seatown some hope of annexing tTie King’s prize, Oratrix might prove the more solid of the Maoriland pair over the final bit. At all events, New Zealand has two wood representatives, and one may confidently'expect Oratrix and Seatown to beat more than beat them.