RACING IN ENGLAND

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1933, Page 4

RACING IN ENGLAND

THE SPRING HANDICAPS. NO SECOND-SEASON HORSES. ; (From Our Own Correspondent.) No sooner is one season over than we think of the next. Already entries for some of the Spring handicaps are announced .(writes our racing specialist); The names of 50 horses have been.sent in for the Lincolnshire Handicap, and of, these only four took' part in'the last race —Knight Error, who was third after, having finished first in 1931, Amoya, who was fifth, and Alluvial and Eyes Front.'. Perhaps the most notable feature about the entry is.that it does not include a single second-seasori horse. Th&re need be little surprise in- this, for the records have proved that it is not a suitable race for three-year-olds. The list is made up eff 31 four-year-olds, 10 five-year-olds,* six six-year-olds and three aged. The records of the race also indicate that fillies seldom win, but one has now been entered who appears to have every qualification to succeed. This is Dori-' gen, whose second season showed-her to. be possessed of brilliant speed as well as stamina to last a mile, and, if- she is allotted a reasonable weight, the opportunity may be a favourable one for her. ■Dorigen is bound to be near the top of the handicap, although the North. Country horse, Inverman, on the book, should give her 41b. In ah apprentice race at Liverpool last season, Inverman gave her 31b., and won by a neck. Dorigen was well backed in the Cambridgeshire, but the heavy going was all against her, and on firm turf I think she would have finished nearer to the winner than fifth. Another which is likely to be placed near to Inverman and Dorigen is Totaig, who is at his best on a sharp course such as that at Lincoln. These three will be close to the top, together with Solenoid, Link Boy, Beneficial, and perhaps the French pair, Le Becau and La Becassine. Top-weight may, in fact, be carried by Solenoid, who won the Stewards’ Cup in heavy going, and finished so strongly as to suggest that ne could have covered a longer distance without weakening.

One of the first and also most valuable of the cup races is that for the Coronation Cup. It is run over the Derby course at Epsom, and it usually attracts a fine field. The. entries now number 19, and, according to the conditions, the top-weights will be Orpen, Disarmament and Abbots' Worthy, who, being five-year-olds, will carry 9st. 61b. The King may' be represented by Limelight, who has excellent form, and an-,' other possible runner is. Mannamead. This is Lord Astor’s unlucky horse, one, of the Manton cracks who at the start: of last season were so greatly fancied for the classics. But the colt injured; himself, and he did not appear until the end of the season, when he won at: Manchester in great style, giving Pal o’ Mine 71b., and finishing in a canter six lengths ahead. ■ , Provided he keeps sound, I believe Mannamead will prove one of the best of the four-year-olds, but if he runs in the Coronation Cup he is likely to have stout challengers; The Aga Khan, for instance, can play a strong hand with Firdaussi, the hero of the St. Leger, and Dastur, who was second at Doncaster as well as in the Derby. Another champion who may compete is Brulette, the French-bred mare, who seems able to run forever. She now belongs to Lord Woolavington, who has already won the Cup with Coronach and Parenthesis.

Mr. Tom Walls is convinced that April the Fifth will prove a worthy Derby winner, and he has been entered for the Ascot Gold Cup, which is run over 2J miles. 'The nominations for this race are always interesting, because they indicate which of the three-year-olds are believed to have developed the stamina required to win over the distance. We find most of the Coronation Cup entries here, as well as Black Fox, Yellowst6ne, Taj Kasra, Silvermere and Will o’ the Wisp.