ENGLISH RACING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 683, 9 February 1933, Page 12

ENGLISH RACING.

Spring Handicaps are Being Discussed.

EARLY IDEAS. (Special to the “ Star.") LONDON, December 29. No sooner is one season over than we think of the next. Already entries for some of the spring handicaps, are announced. The names of fifty 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-season horse. There 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 of thirtyone four-year-olds, ten five-year-olds, six six-year-olds, and three aged. The records of the race also indicate that mares seldom win, but one has now been entered who appears to have every qualification to succeed. This is Dorigen, 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 an 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 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 he could have covered a longer distance without weakening. Cup Nominations.

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 nineteen, and, according to the conditions, the . top weights will be Orpen, Disarmament and Abbots Worth)', who, being five-year-olds, will carry 9st 61b.

The King may be represented by Limelight, who has excellent form, and another 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. 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 insance, 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 for ever. 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 two miles and a half. 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, Yellowstone, Taj Ivasra, Silvermere and Will o’ the Wisp. TRAINING SKILL. American Praise for Recent N.Z. Visitor. Fred Williams, one of the leading trainers at Randwick, and a recent visitor to New Zealand, was paid a nice compliment recently by the wellinformed American writer “ Roamer ” in the “Thoroughbred Record” (Lexington, Kentucky). It happened this way: Quite recently “Roamer” in an article had said that the line of Springfield in tail male was as dead as the dodo in every country, and would never survive, when along came Peter Pan in Australia to keep the line alive. Peter Pan is a direct descendant of Springfield through Pantheon, Tracery and Sainfoin. “ Roamer,” commenting on the purchase of Pantheon in England and his departure for Australia, says: “"Spalpeen was placed in the hands of Freddie Williams, and showed over a stone improvement, and won several important races under his new name of Pantheon. Now it happens Freddie Williams took a trip round the world, and spent more than a week in New York, in the autumn of 1928. He visited Belmont Park, inspected several of the stables there, and one did not have to converse with him very long to form the opinion that Mr Williams knew one end of a horse from the other.

“ My notion is the major share of the improvement of Pantheon was due to his trainer, and I have never weakened in my opinion of Freddie Williams’s skill as a trainer, which even now is being borne out by the success of Chatham.” WESTPORT J.C. £1270 in Stakes and Five Trophies for April. (Spec ial to the " Star.’’) WESTPORT, February 8. The prize money at the Westport Jockey Club’s annual meeting on April 8 and 10, 1933, amounts to £1270, and there are five trophies to be won. There are two light harness events each day, and a feature of the programme will be that, in galloping events two dividends will be paid on races with five or more starters, and in the trotting events where there are six or more. Nominations close on Tuesday, March 21,