CUP CANDIDATES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16875, 27 October 1922, Page 2

CUP CANDIDATES

ARGUS

By

A REVIEW OF FORM

Mr E. KicMiford s nh g Royal Box, by Nassau Bray ton. 4yrs. Sst. • Royal Box has had a restricted racing career. He made his first two-year-old appearance in a maiden race at Waipa, starting favourite in a field of thirty, hut finishing out of a place. He foiled again in the Great. Northern Fool Stakes, in which Mermin heat The Hawk by a. neck. A few days later he won the Criterion Handicap, with Winning Hit and Kick Off ill the places, while on the last day of the meeting he carried top weight and ran third to Kick Off and Grotesque in the Sylvia Handicap. Tic did not appear again as a two-year-old. Some time later he met with an accident, which it was feared for a time would finish his racing career altogether, but with careful treatment he gradually recovered. It. was not until autumn, however, that he was able to run his first, race as a three-year-old. This was in a welter at Ohinemuri. where lie was unplaced. and he did no better among the sprinters the following day. He failed again in the Auckland Faster Handicap, but at the same meeting he won tho Great Northern St Leger, heating Thespian by a head, with Kick Off a length away. Tt was a. very slow- race, the fact that Thespian was second being strong evidence that the form was not of much value as a test of merit over a mile and three-quar-ters. Soon after this Mr G. L. Stead

Mr E. Riddiford’s b g Scion, by Boniform—Lady Jean 11.. 4yrs, 7st 101 b. Scion started ten times as a two-year-old. for one win and six lots of place money. Ho made his first appeara.nce at Trentham in the spring, being unplaced in what was subsequently shown to be a high-class field, as it included Winning Hit (second). The Hawk. Anomaly, Grotesque and Palestrina. At the Manawatu summer meeting he was second to Anomaly. A month later, at Trentham, he was third to Backsheesh and Pluto in the Fitzherbert Handicap, and third to j Tamatete and Winning Hit in the ; Hopeful Handicap. Going on to ’ Wanganui, he was second to Tamatete ; in the Juvenile Handicap, but won the Okora Handicap next day. He finish- j ! ed up at Hastings, where he was sec- } ond to Soldier’s Love in the Nursery J Handicap and third to Mermin and ! 1 Cleasanta in the Juvenile Handicap, i , Though successful only once in his first | j season, Scion registered, some useful j \ performances, as they were a pretty I good lot who beat him in his placed efforts. At three years Scion raced with j rather better luck, as he won four times, and was in minor places on j three other occasions out of seventeen ; starts. His form wa»s moderate in the 1 early part of the season and he had been beaten eight times prior to winning the Wiritoa. Hack Handicap, eight, furlongs and a half, at the Wanganui autumn meeting. There was nothing exceptional in this performance, as Equitable was conceding him 171 b, A ; few weeks later, at Trentham. he won I the Hutt Handicap, one mile, but he was in at the minimum, in a moderate

P J sold Royal Box to Mr E. Riddiford, in • whose colours the Nassau gelding was beaten out of n. place three times durI ing the winter, in the York Handicap e at Ellerslie and in the Charity Cup f j | and Parliamentary Handicap at Trent- , ham. ’’ Royal Box has started three times c this season. He was third in a six s furlong race at Mastert-on, and a winv ner over the same distance on the foln lowing day. At Trentham he ran in the Wainui Handicap, one mile, finishrj ing at the hea-cl of the unplaced divie sion. t Royal Box is by Nassau from Braye ton. an Australian-bred mare by Bandolph from Zaza, by The Admiral — d The Charmer. It is a great staying t pedigree. Nassau, in his brief stud v career, has already sired an Auckland Cup winner, and Bar dolph is an Eng-lish-bred horse by Hampton, while e Zaza is a sister to the Melbourne Cup a winner. The Victory. The form of i- Royal Box since he resumed racing g after his accident is not of a striking e character, and on his actual running •r there is nothing to show that he can *5 get. a. journey. He has been one of r, the favourites for sqme time past, and k though this will not make him win. it y seems probable that the horse has satisis lied his trainer, T. F. Quinlivan. a ie very experienced man in the prepara?t tion of horses for long races, as he r- has already turned out two New Zead land Clip winners.

mix! LUUmIiU IJlUlLLUitlLLUili.ul ulkLLlUlluu il 111 iiiililililJXllmjiiilluliliijlJ L field. At the Auckland Easter meeting he was third in a mile race. In May. at Wanganui, he was unplaced in the Connolly Handicap, hut next day he won the Empire Handicap, one mile and a- distance. This was his best effort to date. Going on to Auckland. he was unplaced in the Cornwall Handicap, but next day won the King George Handicap. He had a fair field behind him in this event, but it was run over only seven furlongs, while Scion was lightly weighted, at 121 b • above the minimum, receiving over two stone from Pavo, who ran him to a neck. This season Scion has started three times, without once running into a place, though ho was fourth last Saturday in the Wellington Handicap, in which event he was finishing on well j at the end of a mile and three furj longs. The three horses who finished J in front of him are not engaged in the | New Zealand Cup, and his Trentham | performance, over that particular di.sJ tance, was equal to that of any of the j other Cup candidates, several of whom I* finished behind him. Scion is by Boniform, from Bonny Jean 11. an imported mai© by lan from Bettyfield, a granddaughter of Springfield, a. noted English sire, who also comes into Bcnifofm’s pedigree, i So far Scion has not won over a, longer 1 journey than a mile and a distance, so he has to be taken on trust for the longer journey. His form, up till then, could not be described as impressive, but he is probably improving and he finished so well at Trentham last Saturday that he made fresh friends. With this in mind, many people will be prepnred to find him racing prominently. if his astute trainer elects to start hi«t; as well as Royal Box. ;