TRENTHAM HANDICAP FORM WAS POINTER FOR RICCARTON

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 October 1948, Page 3

TRENTHAM HANDICAP FORM WAS POINTER FOR RICCARTON

Handicap form at the Wellington Racing Club’s spring meeting may prove of considerable value in assessing early prospects at the C.J.C. Cup carnival fixture, which opens on November 20. Feature events were the Wellington Handicap, won by Coral Are, the Watkins Handicap (Renowned), the Pearce Handicap (Kartik|ya) and the Harcourt Stakes (Signal Officer). All four winners

are engaged in the N.Z. Cup. Topweight honours in the New’ Zealand Cup are shared by Signal Office]* and Beau le Havre, who have been awarded 9.7, the maximum allowed the handicapper. Signal Officer won the weight-for-age Harcourt Stakes after having finished second to (.•oral Arc in the Wellington Handicap. Beau le Havre appeared at Waverley on Monday and was seen in an exhibition gallop. In November last year Beau le Havre carried 9.3 to win the New Zealand Cup by half a length from Royal Tan (7.12), with Royal Victor (7.101) a length and a-half away, third, a head in front of Signal Officer (8-8). In that race Signa. Officer was accounted rather unlucky in that his rider asked him to accomplish too much, with the result that he was rushed to the front at the half-mile and had nothing in reserve when Royal Tan and Beau le Havre challenged. Since then Signal Officer has developed into leading stake-winner and the C.J.C. handicapper has given an indication of his opinion of the Salmagundi gelding by placing him on the same mark as Beau le Havre. At Trentham Signal Officer carried 10.3 in the Wellington Handicap and missed the jump-out, thus being well back till six furlongs had been covered. He still had a dozen horses in front of him at the ha f-mile but finished solidly to get second money, though he could not match the brilliant finishing run of Coral Arc, to whom he was conceding 451 b. In the weight-for-age Harcourt Stakes, run over 11 furlongs, Signal Officer registered a sound performance to justify the short price accepted by his supporters. He will have limited opportunities in future in handicap events, but is good enough to win the New Zealand Cup with the fixed maximum. Last year Beau le Havre carried topweight to win the main event at Levin before going to Riccarton to win the New Zealand Cup Recently he finished just. behind the placed horses in the Mitchelson Cup with the steadier of 9.12- That race appears to have proved beneficial to him, and lie looked well when he did his exhibition gallop at Waverley on Monday. The same programme may be fo.lowed this year, but • cau le Havre will have to make history if he is to be successful at Riccarton, for the N.Z. cup has never yet been won twice by the one horse. Though the Pearce Handicap on Monday was only a mile race there was no semblance of a fluke about Kartikeyas win. This Riccar tontrained four-year-old has won previously at Trentham, but was allowed to pay double figures on Monday. He has 8.3 in the N.Z. Cup, 31b less than he carried in the Pearce Handicap over a mile, but he is bred io stay and should shape well in the oig two-miler. Royal Tan was an each-way favourite in the Wellington Handicap but was never going kindly, finishing well back, as he did again in the heavy going in the Watkins Handicap last Saturday. Probably he will appreciate his home track better, but he will have to show considerable improvement on his Trentham form to have a chance with 7-12.

Coral Arc was an impressive winner in the Wellington Handicap, coming on the scene in the final stages

to win going away from his field. He was not produced again at the meeting, declining his seuond-aay engagement in the Watkins Handicap, in which he had been given 7.12. m the N.Z. Cup he is on the 7.4 mark, being now in receipt of 3Lb from Signal Officer. He has staying bloou on both sides of his pedigree, as he is by Coronach, a Derby winner anti sire of Balgowan, who got the thicK end of the Auckland Cup prize last Boxing Day, and he is from the dam of laurangi, who beat all but Serenata in a New Zealand Cup. BaLinagh and Welcome Guest, who filled third and_ iourtn places respectively in the "Wellington Handicap, also ciaim engagements in the N.Z. Cup, and of the pair Welcome Guest may be preferred. He is bred to stay, being by Royal Chief from Clarenceuse, and in his present form and with only 7.7 to carry he must be given an excellent chance. Welcome Guest beat ad but Renowned in the Watkins Handicap last Saturday, proving his consistent form, as a fortnight earlier he had won the Masterton Cup. The manner in which Renowned cut down the leaders in the final furlong of the Watkins Handicap suggested that staying is her forte, and as she is by Beaulivre from that great mare Cuddle there should be no doubt about her stamina- Renowned has 7.1 in the N.Z. Cup, the same weight as that allotted her in the Watkins Handicap, in which her connections elected to put up silb overweight. This four-year-old mare may yet earn higher distinction. There were other potential stayers among the handicappers seen out at Trentham, and in addition there were several promising hacks, as for instance Colorado Maia and Helio, it wiL be interesting to see how they shape before they line up for the big two-mile event at Riccarton in just over three weeks’ time.