AUCKLAND’S BIG RACES

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1929, Page 5

AUCKLAND’S BIG RACES

MITCHELSON CUP IS OPEN GOOD NEW ZEALAND CUP TRIAL. GUINEAS FIELD IS INTERESTING. PINK COAT MAY- TROUBLE EAGLET. With an average of over 20 in ’each race, the fields for the Auckland Racing Club’s spring -gathering have filled as largely as usual, inclining almost to cumbersomeness. But without exception each race has drawn a collection of first class horses and excellent racino- seems-assured. The decrease in totalizator receipts last season caused a curtailment of the prize money but that has not frightened away many-of the patrons of the gathering at Ellerslie and the usual large contingent of visi tors seeking the .big stakes offered is present. . -..-. . Not one of the. baker’s dozen in the Mitchelson Cup can be absolutely disregarded as a possible. winner and this nice-sized field promises to provide a great race. .Star Stranger is top weight with 9.11, but in his recent, efforts, he. lias shown evidences of a speedy return to his best form and with all his weight he must be considered a dangerous candidate. By yirute of his wins in the Winter and Avondale Cups, Historic is next on the list 'and it is safe to. say that the best has not yet. been seen of the Nassau gelding although he has yet to go the distance. Prince Humphrey .won over a mile and a half in the A.J.C. Derby this time last year, and a repetition of that form would make him a .tough proposition. Without a doubt Prodice was the best three-year-old of her sex last season ami she did well to run Red Heckle to three-parts of a length in the Grand National Derby. With another year on her she should have no difficulty in finding the extra distance. In her only outing this season she came from the back to run second to Historic in the Avondale Cup.

The distance might trouble the smart Waikato galloper, Paddon, and Barometer is getting up in years. Piuthair staged a come-back when she won the Plumpton Handicap at Avondale and if she strikes the form that enabled her to take the Egmont, Taranaki and Wanganui Cups in succession, she will find. 7.13 ' a luxurious weight. Transformer won some good races last season and won the Alison Cup at Takapuna as well as running Pegaway to half a length in the A.R.C. Handicap at Christmas time. The journey might be too far for High Pitch and though Desert Glow has lot of his punch with the increasing years, he would make more appeal on the same mark. Of Singleton, Talisker and Amor, the performances bf the Lord Qucx gelding entitle him. to mdst respect. Summed up, the public will find that their choice may require to be taken from Star Stranger, Historic, Prince Humphrey, Prodice and Piuthair, * but Prodice, " Star Stranger and Prince Humphrey may be the . order in which they'are most fancied. Everyone, seems..to be alive to the fact that Lady Qucx. was very unlucky to have to lower her colours to Eaglet at Avondale and-,tlie' discussions on prospects for - the Shorts Handicap are strongly for her. That Eaglet is a cracker-jack everyone is now aware and the form shown by the New Plymouth mare at Avondale certainly makes her prospects look • bright. B.enzora canhardly be ready for racing just yet, but Gold Money .should .be benefited by her racing on the other side of the city. .Vallar is billed to make his reappearance this season, but the brilliant Valkyrian galloper mpy not be ready to display his choicest wares. High Finance is an “iffy” sort, but Havering showed them at Wanganui that he was a cut above the ordinary and the halfbrother of Bon Reve promises to be a .good performer thi; season. Awarerc gave an indication at Avondale that he is not yet a spent light and remembering his good win in the Railway Handicap two years ago, one must consider him seriously. Lady’s Boy is a consistent galloper to say the least of him and Kingfield has won- some • good races, at Ellerslie. ’ Oration, Billikins and Poly-, xena may be the best of the others. There seems to be little chance of Lady Quex starting other than as favourite, but Gold Money and Awarere will carry a ton of Auckland money. Nineteen in the Great. Northern Guineas must be nearly a record, but fully half of those engaged can be classed as having little or no chance. The most fancied candidates will be discussed here. Eaglet, Pink Coat, Hunting Cry, Supremacy, Leader and False Scent* promise at this stage to give the backers most concern.- For consistency Eaglet takes a lot of beating. She started a dozen times last year for four wins and was only once unplaced. This season her four efforts have been productive of as many wins and two of her victories have been m Guineas. But she has to establish a record to win the Wanganui, Avondale and Great Northern Guineas and the nearest approach to that record since the Avondale Guineas was inaugurated in 1900 was the performance of Lysander in 1926, the Absurd gelding having to be content with a dead-heat for first in the Avondale Guineas with Commendation. Eaglet is, however, at the top of her form, and with the sex allowance of fne pounds she may again prove a tough proposition to head off. . .. 1 Fresh from a “first-up” victory in the south, Pink Coat (probably the most brilliant two-year-old last season] Will be on the scene to oppose Eaglet and the dashing manner in which he accounted for the sprint field at Ashburton indicated that he should have no dif ficulty in going a mile or e n ra oie. (His connections even think that he w see out the New Zealand Cup distance in November.) Hunting Cry, who won the Hawke’s Bay Guineas so well last Saturday, is obviously improving and there was a great deal of merit in his win across the other side of the island. Supremacy has not had the benefit of a race and will be a disadvantage against his more seasoned rivals, but he

comes to hand very quickly and bearing in mind that he accounted for the Avondale, Welcome and Great Northern Foal Stakes, he must necessarily warrant consideration. False Scent is improving, as his second to Eaglet showed, and Leader brilliantly accounted for a treble at the National meeting. The Auckland punters will support their brilliant filly, Eaglet, but the “outsiders” confidently expect Pink Coat and Hunting Cry to give her a good-go, • •■ .• ni.r :; / '