AUCKLAND DOUBLE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 265, 9 November 1945, Page 6

AUCKLAND DOUBLE

KING GEORGE HANDICAP AND STEWARDS (Special). Auckland, Nov. 7. The stablemales Chung Chong and Verdant, who are under orders lor the New Zealand Cup and Stewards Handicap respectively, are among the fancied division for the two big events at Ellerslie on Saturday and they should prove hard to beat. If they win here they will be liable to a rehandicap for their Riccarton engagements. In the case of Chung Chong this may not come amiss, for he is not an easy horse to ride at the minimum weight. Both these gallopers are in excellent shape. It is expected that Sir Bian, who is not engaged this week, will be sent south for the New Zealand Cup. Two lightweight prospects in Saturday’s Electric Handicap are Sir Leon and Good Bay. The latter, of course, won a double at Whangarei, but Sir Leon had one run only at that centre, finishing fourth under 9.13, less a 31b. allowance, in the hack sprint. As Sir. Leon was a long way back in the early I stages it was a useful effort and sug-j <»ests possibilities at Ellerslie with only 7.0 on his back. He is also m the Members’ Handicap with the bottom ■ weight. One of the most interesting races at headquarters on Saturday will be ths. Avondale Stakes, which at the mo-! ment looks like being run in two, divisions, even after making due allowance for the numerous withdrawal" usually associated with this class o( event. One well-backed candidate will be Rating. He won the first juvenile race of the season in the north and then in the Auckland Welcome Stakes he was hopelessly left in his division, but he impressed, by the courageous manner in which he came home for third behind Beau le Havre and Yusul. The earliest winners tend to go off as the season advances and perhaps this may be the case with Rating, but. on his last showing he is still a possibility in the Avondale Stakes. Both Beau le Havre and Yusuf are also in the Avondale Stakes and they can be improved, especially the latter. Then there is Regal Praise, the winner of the second division of the Welcome Stakes, whose winning run had to be seen to be believed. That was a hard race and a repetition will see her score again, if she is none the worse for it. The Te Arolia big dividend payer, Grand Tourist, has shaped promisingly. The quintet named should fight out the issue on Saturday, but with so much new blood engaged it is difficult to say what the outcome of the classic will be, especially if the good ones seen out so far are drawn in one division, as sometimes happens. The preference just now is for Rating and Beau le Havre. It is strange to note that the three-year-old Kerry Lad is still eligible for maiden races. His engagement on Saturday at headquarters is in the N'hotupu Hack, run over eleven furlongs, so obviously his trainer considers him a stayer. This may prove to be so, for in his recent engagements Kerry Lad has been running on at the end of his races. The opposition to him this week is not particularly strong.

At the recent Ohine nuri meeting at Paeroa trainer F. D. Smith won boLn divisions of the Taumaruni Stakes, a maiden event, w'ith Bronya and Balgowan. He now has this pair engaged in Saturday's Three Kings Hack and Apprentices' Handicap respectively and it would not occasion surprise i this pair won their divisions in these' two races. The ground is firmin' now and this will suit both three-year-olds. Bronya is a very brilliant lilly, whereas Balgowan is of the more solid type and likely to develop into a really good horse. Balgowan will be ridden by J. Bagby with a penalty of 51b, but he will still be handily weighted.