CLASSIS SPRUIT FIELD

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1931, Page 10

CLASSIS SPRUIT FIELD

FLYING HANDICAP REVIEW’ CEREMONY IS ON THE UP-GRADE. FOURTH IN TARANAKI STAKES EAGLET & MELISSA IN STEWARDS’ Like the Taranaki meeting, the sprints at Wanganui to-day are unusually interesting because of the fact that several of the aspirants for the classic on the second day—the Jackson Stakes-—will be seen in action. The meeting of good class weight-for-age performers under handicap conditions generally results in fine racing, and the clash between Laughing Prince and Ceremony in the Flying Handicap and the form of Eaglet and Arisus in their engagements, will interest turf students. The second race on the programme is the STEWARDS’ HANDICAP. Of £2OO. SJ furlongs. Llandudno 9 2 Arisus 7 8 Eaglet 8 13 Statuary 7 7 Melissa 7 1.? Green Linnet < 7 Paiko 7 8 Skyrider 7 0 On a heavy track Llandudno is still a force to be reckoned with, but while he dead-heated with Cashier at Hawera, he does not appeal as a sound proposition against good class horses on a firm track. It is apparent that Eaglet has loct some of her initial brilliancy and she was very slow to get going in the open sprint at New Plymouth. However, the extra distance to-day will give het time to find "her feet. 1 She won over seven furlongs at Takapuna and last season won a mile and a half race and three mile events. , Melissa raced disappointingly at New Plymouth, but her trainer informs me that she was not made enough use of and, being a lazy galloper, required a fair amount of pushing in the straight. Ridden more vigorously to-day, she is expected to show improved form, and the fact that she is in receipt of 171 b. from Eaglet must not be lost sight of. Melissa is a good beginner and has proved herself up to good class. Paiko’s form has been too bad to warrant much consideration for the Chief Ruler gelding, and it seems as if he would be all the better for . a good spell. Arisus will find it difficult to go the distance and looks better suited by the hack sprint. Statuary would not be disgraced if started here, but it seems certain that he will accept the hack race, which should, be a present for him. Green Linnet is too squibby for her New Plymouth form to cut much ice, and Skyrider appears to be outclassed. ' . On form, the race seems to lie between Eaglet and Melissa, though Llandudno would be more than an outsideproposition in the heavy going.. At time of writing, it looks as if EAGLET will be fully extended by Melissa. The first day’s programme concludes with the FLYING HANDICAP,

Laughing Prince never runs a bad race at Wanganui and, though .he has been off the scene since winning, the Jockey Club Handicap at the New Zea- . land Cup meeting, the Fordell speed merchant, can be relied on to finish in the picture at the death. He is a great weight-carrier and 9.13 will not worry him over six furlongs. Bayacre’s bad barrier tactics make him a difficult horse to back and, in a . race of this description only a champion can win from behind the field. At the weights, nothing makes more appeal ’than Ceremony. He was having his first race for nearly six months when he started in the Taranaki Stakes and showed all his old brilliancy to make the pace for more than half a mile. Then his condition gave out and he was beaten into fourth place. A pleasin" feature of the performance was the fact that there was no recurrence of bleeding, which has interrupted his brilliant career, and he is sure to be a much better horse for the race. On a email, turning course like Wanganm, his smartness out from the tapes will be a big asset. White Fang does not make much appeal, though he is liable to do anything. Just An Idea would have a chance if he has recovered from his holiday racing, but Blue Paper, Cuticle and Malayan all read like being better. propositions, Blue Paper' being the pick of the trio. . The draw • for positions- will mean a lot in a race like this, but there is little doubt that CEREMONY will be backed down to 'a short price. Those looking for a second dividend will probably pin most faith in Laughing Prince and Bayacre.

' ■ Of BOO. Six furlongs. Lauging ' Portray 7 8 Prince 9 13 Blue Paper 7 8 Lady Quex 9 13 Cuticle 7 6 Bayacre 8 6 Melissa 7 2 Ceremony 8 4 Malayan 7 0 White Fang 7 12 Limosin 7 ' 0 Just an Idea 7 8