Keen Race Expected In Cup

Chronicle (Levin), 21 January 1949, Page 6

Keen Race Expected In Cup

L.M.M.)

I (Special — From

II " o . WELLINGTON, January 21. I _ Splendid fields* are carded for the opening- day of the WellI "Jfton Racing Club's three-day summer meeting at Trentham II toinoiTow. The Wellington Cup, the main Ovent on the c aird, I has drawn one of the best fields of stayers for some time and is I expected to be the tit-bit race of the day. , Auckland Cup runI ning may prove the best guide for patrons, although there are I a iew prospects in the field who did not race at Ellerslie. Bruce |- and Coral Arc are the ruling favourites and this pair are likely II to fight out. the issue. However, another good stayer in King's || Ransom seems to have greatly benefited from Xmas racing at j Ellerslie and if his track work at Trentham can be taken'asa | good guide, he must also have a say in the finish. He woTked | well before the Auckland Cup, but failed bad'ly, so he might | have to be taken on trust. The two northerners, Lord Revel and | Quick March, and the southerners, The Grate and Helio, are not | without good prospects. However, fancy is for that good stayer | Bruce if the track is in good order. j -=v, | The sprint is problematical with 9.1 which Golden Souvenir carried I several of the country's bestlin 1946.

i speeasuers m the field. Citril'js | Auckland form was sufficiently good [| to make her an outstanding prospect. I expect her to make a great I race of it. Her main danger looks like coming from Da Vinci, Full | Play, False Step and The Pagan. | The track is in excefient order | after Wednesday's rain, but the | weather outlook is none too prom- | ising. The forecast is for rain. | The Ashhurst meeting is being | held at Awapuni tomorrow, pros- | pects for which appear on this page. Best form in the Te Marua IHighweight is held by Palissy, who won at Woodville last week and the Trentham trained gelding is the likely favourite in the possible absence of Pimlico. Other form or [ near to form prospects are Aristea, Sunshine Bay, Golden Hope, Lord Latour, Tussock, Nepeta and Kentucky Flignt. The last two named |have also accepted at the Ashhurst | meeting. The Wellington Stakes should provide an interesting race between Gold Script, Tauloch, Magical, Super Snipe, Western Winner and Birdman. Gold Script, the brilliant Auckland youngster will be the favourite. Unless something unforeseen happens the winner will come, from the above named horses.

Plenty Of Form j , There is plenty of form repreiSented in the Pencarrow Handicap with such good hacks as Virginius, Telegram, Sly Gold, Coroftn, La Modelle, and Gay Gordon, while Follow Suit is not far short of top form. Determination's Woodville running last week can be discounted. Prawns might be the best of the others. Both Virginius and Telegram have been working iwell and should race well at the meeting. With Corofin this trio I should dispute the' favouritism. A good field of two-year-olds will parade for the Fitzherbert Handicap in which Neptina is likely to dispute favouritism with Sweet 'Spray, Koala and Pontresina. These four along witn Robinfaye, Limpid and Warspite have the best form to recommend. Pontresina did not appreciate the reverse way found at Ellerslie, but should be s'een to better advantage at Trentham. Prospects For Cup The Wellington Cup has drawn a good field of 25 in which Auckland Cup form may prove most reliable. Both Bruce and Coral Arc, two of the best stayers in the field, are the ruling favourites. Bruce ran a sound race in the Auckland Cup to finish third with 9.6 and with 2 lbs. more tomorrow is not without distinct prospects. If he succeeds he will establish a new weight-carrying record in the Cup, the present record being the

; Trainer-rider L. J. Ellis said yesl terday sthat Bruce has never beer better and he expects his chargE . to give a better account of himseli tomorrow than was the case in the Auckland Cup.. Coral Arc is creeping up in the weights, but witb ,7.13 looks like being Bruce's most ! dangerous opposition. Unless he |has made a remarkable recovery Beau le Havre, on Auckland form, cannot be recommended. At his best he would keep this field busy. • Although he did not run well in the Auckland Cup King's Ransom 'will come in for strong. support. iThe Auckland racing has done him ,good and he looks in great nick to give a good account of himself tomorrow. His track work at Trentham has been exceptionally good. Lord Revel was the unlucky runjner in the Auckland Cup and he is considered the main hope of the northerners. He has completely recovered from the slight injury sustained during the running of the Cup and has good track work to recommend him. He looked the ■part on the Trentham track yesterday morning. The Grate, stablemate to Frances, Auckland Cup winner is improying in racing condition and when, seen -at Trentham yesterday looked one of the fittest mares on .the track. The st'able. holds high respects for this mare and is confident she will give. a goo$ account of herself. " In fact they like her prospects Very iriuch.'' Quick. .March .come^ , with ' a big i

reputation from Auckland. Bred on sound staying lines northernersexpect, him to go elose to winning the Cup. Of the others best prospects are held by Renowned, Helio and Royal Tan.- Helio is expected to race well at the meeting... . Hush, Arctotis, Siy Ferry, Beau' Conte, Swing Bridge, Military Maid. and Boyhood are the best form horses in the Ruapehu Hack Handicap. Hush's petformances have been siich. as to make this Hawke's Bay fepresentativ.e the favourite. - Good Sprint Field , The .Telegraph Handicap has drawn one of the best sprint fields in the country , and looks very ' open. Da Vinci showed at Woodville that he is at his best form, and I expect him to give a grand account of himself. Citril, one of the best sprinters in the country, has drawn a bad marble, but her class and smartness out of the barrier should surmount the difficulty. : She is looked upon at Trentham as being the hardest to beat. Full 1 Play is given a good chance by i southerners. False Step comes in ' on a handy weight and if she re^- ; peats her track. work tomorrow she ( will be hard to catch. She looks i very fit. Of the others Voltaic, . The Pagan and Swift Robin read best. The Hob is a doubtful start-}(

er, having gone sore. " A big field is engaged for the concluding event, the Anniversary Handicap, in which Gollen, a brilliant miier, is sure to be f avoprite. He certainly looks all they .say of him, but will need to be brilliantly off the mark to make light of. the bad marble, he' has dr;awn. Revolte has been working ' so* well tliat he must. com^ into cphsideration, the same also applyfng' to Imperial, Julius Caesdr, " Veihe d'Or, Cressida, Jan, Atomic, ';The Stormovik and Magnafor-m. if /. a surprise' is in store it is likely to come from the southerner Jan.. .• ■ , Horses expected to race. proipiriently tomorrow are: ... 11.0. — Te Marua Highw'eight. — , Pa.issy, Aiustea, Sunshine ! Bay/ A 11.55.— Wellington Stakes.— Gold Script, Super Snipe, Tauloch-. ' ; - ' 12.45.— Pencarrow Hack' Handicap— Telegram, Virginius, Corofin. 1.35. — Fitzherbert Handicap— Neptina, Pontresina, Sweet Spray. 2.25.— Wellington Cup.— Bruce, Coral Arc, King's Ransom. 3.15. — Ruapehu Hack Handicap — Hush, Arctotis, Boyhood. 4.5— Telegraph Handicap.— Citril, Da Vinci, False Step. 4.55.— Anniversary Handicap.— Gollen, Jan, Revolte.