TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1557, 26 February 1920, Page 19

TURF TOPICS.

Mr. H. W. Davis, of Wellington, lias been appointed South Island representative of the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association.

Rose Pink broke down prior to the Dunedin meeting, and was in consequence not produced on either dayThe daughter of Kilbroney will now get a well-earned spell. During the past three seasons she has won 3057 sovs. in stakes.

The Trentham Gold Cup, the two miles weight-for-age race, has never drawn a large field. In this respect the prospects for this year’s race are brighter than usual. Among the probables are Sasanof (last year’s winner of the race), Amythas, Karo, Mascot, Vagabond, Snub, Royal Stag, and Bonnie Maid.

After winning the Juvenile Handicap at Warwick Farm, N.S.W., Little Lass, by Paddington, put her head down and bucked her apprentice rider off. She is said to be adept at that game. Her rider had to be carried to the scales to be weighed in. What if he had been killed? There is no provision in the rules for such a contingency.

When Punka acted as runner-up to Melee in the Hamilton Cup it was generally conceded that the daughter of Cooltrim —Drowsy would -not be long in rewarding her owner' with a win. She was not accepted for on the second day at Hamilton, and her next appearance was in the Woodville Cup on Wednesday last, in which she had the services of H. Gray and ruled a strong favourite. In the race in question Punka was not too well placed in the early stages, but put in a good run at the finish, being close up fourth when the judge’s box was reached.

Some really good three-year-olds have enrolled their names as winners of the Dunedin Cup. but the history of the race has never been identified with a better-class horse than Amythas (says “Sentinel” in the “Otago Daily Times”). It is true that he had a fairly weak field against him, but he won galloping away at the end, and it was really a case of Eclipse first and the rest nowhereTo win in record time under 9.1 and yet finish full of running was a most impressive performance that the writer has never seen equalled. Advance was a great three-year-old. He won the Dunedin Cup with 8.7, and put up some good performances at the Auckland autumn meeting, where he won the Easter Handicap with 9.6, the Century Stakes, and the Autumn Handicap (one mile and a-half) with 10.5 up. Still, great as he was at that age it is doubtful if he was a better, three-year-old than this year’s Dunedin Cup winner. The writer saw Advance run a good few of his races, and held a big respect for the “Black Demon” from the Porirua stable. Sir Modred was a really good three-year-old, and so was Gipsy King. ’ Passing years may have dimmed ideas as to their prowess, but they were not such smashers as the Demosthenes —Gold Treasure gelding. Gipsy Grand was another great three-year-old (a good big one like Amythas), who was a great galloper, but he fought a good deal, and did not go as kindly as one could wish. Orloff was also a very good performer at that age. He won the Dunedin Cup with 8.13, and won well from a better field than Amythas made look like hacks last week; He afterwards went north, and ran second with 8.10 to Mars’ 7.7 in the Wanganui Cup, in Advance, then a six-year-old, was unplaced with 11.3. Of course, it is giving memory

a big chance to say so, but the best three-year-olds that have ever won a Dunedin Cup are Amythas, Advance, and Gipsy Grand, whilst Sir Modred, Orloff, and Gipsy King rank next.