THE EASTER DOUBLES

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1934, Page 6

THE EASTER DOUBLES

ELLERSLIE AND RICCARTON

FORM OF THE ACCEPTORS

With the race preparations for the numerous Eastei meetings opening on Saturday now completed, interest in the Dominion's racing world will now be centred on the holiday prospects, and particular regard will be paid to the near-at-hand fixtures and to the Ellerslie and Riccarton double e\ents. The Wanaiapa and Feildmg will be the mam meetings patronised from Wellington-and the district, and the usual good holiday attendances are expected by the officials of these clubs. The piesence of the best class horses, however, will keep the Auckland and Canterbury Meetings little if any less in the local news THE ELLERSLIE DOUBLE. The big e^ent at Ellershe is of course the Easter handicap, run o\ ci a mile, and the handicap e\ent of next lmpoitance on ;the opening day, in. the minds at least of most mteiested sporting men, is the second "leg" of the double, the Bnghton Hurdles. The customary strong fields have been accepted' for each of these races. In the Easter Handicap there is no Golden Wings this yeai, but the field of :19 is a very solid and useful one:neverthcless, -with a stiong spimkling of thice-year-olds. A three j ear old an Golden Hair won the recent Thompson Handicap, and, although this filly will be running in the Oaks, on Saturday in preference to the Easter, horses of the age aie still well Represented with. Red ' Manfred, ' Gay Sheila,-Star Artist, and Impaste, and in a lesser degree with Rereatu and Sea Fox. Red Manfred again has weighMor-age (8.6), as he had in the Thompson, and on 'top of iis close third then ■he must be considered to hold a reasonable chance, as Golden Hair and. Cricket Bat, who beat him home, are now out of the way. Gay Sheila also appears; nicely placed with w eight for-age (8.3)^ for she has performed excellently up to a mile this season, and she has recent winning form behind her. Star Artist has bad.most of her successes over sprmfc couiseb, but it is in her favour that she won the seven-furlongs Wjnyard Plate at Takapuna decibively" Impasto is still another speedy spunter, and recently he won over a mile*, at Te Aroha. Perhaps the best of this group will prove to be Gay Sheila." , Among the older horses those who must appeal with force are Kiltowyn, Jonathan, .Takakua, L'Allegro, and Golden Chant, but Curie, despite his top weight, is also not without a likely chance with any improvement at all since his Napier, racing Kiltowyn looks to be one of the hardest horses in the field to beat. He has been a most consistent peiformer since he began racing, and his successes m the Summer Cup and Grandstand Handicap, both 1%-mile events, at the Auckland Summer Meeting ranked him as definitely above the average, handicapper in ability. Despite his lack of recent racing he is likely to be one of the t first favourites ori the day.. Jonathan recently won well over a mile at Te Rapa at his most recent stait, so that he is in good form Takakua is. dangerously weighted with 51b lesi than he -iad in the Thompson, in -which he finished right, up behind the places alongside irgentic, and he is a horse susceptible to Jnprovement since then. L'Allegio showed ji return to'form by winning at the recent waikato Meeting.' Golden Chant is a promoted hack who has impressed immensely in her latest efforts, ahd although she has not jet gone above six furlongs it must be remembered Hhat the big miles aie as often ai not won by the sprinters, especially by those ,who ..have revealed hue solidity, as this mare has. l There are several other quite 'distinct possibilities, such as Pomp, Imamint, Carfex, and Lordly Knight, .but for the present the most favoured horses may be Kiltowyn, Gay Sheila,: Golden Chant, and Takakua.

A field of a dozen has made the payment I for the Brighton Hurdles, and this issue is decidedly open. Among those engaged who have recently displayed form "are" Snow Prince, Mia Stella, Wee Pat; Callamart, and Thespis, and a group, who will have improved with recent racing are Prince. of Orange, Biform, Simeon, and. Lucess. The Tesult of this race labt year was a big surprise, for the winner turned^ up in the little-fancied Billy 'Boy, who" had been off the scene since the spring.

THE RICCARTON DOUBLE. " The racing at the Canteibury Meeting does not open till next Monday, and final acceptances for the principal events Kave not yet been made. What is, generally referred to as the Riccarton Easter double comprises the Great Easter Handicap (7 furlongs) and the Great Autumn Handicap (1% miles), these two events being run on. the first and second day. respectively and therefore providing versatile, horses with, an opportunity of double success. ■ - ' •

The Great Easter Handicap is at present a score strong numerically, and, a rather bigger field than last year's eleven promises to go to the post. The issue would be most intriguing if the field were" just one", horse smaller, and that horse was.Silver Ring. As it is Silver Ring completely'dominates the position, and, despite somewhat evasive announcements as, to his. programme, Silver Eing at present looks to have every cause for- being started inthis "leg"1 of the double at least. ■"

If Silver Eing does start he will bei ; S big favourite. On all recent performance he is as invincible in the Dominion,, at present as Phar Lap was in the Commonwealth a few seasons back. ,';He has. avoided liability to rehandicap by contesting w.f.a. events, and1 his present impost of 9.3 should not iSouble him at; all. If one had even the shadow' pf>^a doubt about his ability a week or two ago he removed it completely, by. his facile,, wins in the North Island Challenge Stakes and the Awapuni Cup.

Admittedly Silver Ring's opposition; is strong, and without his presence several horses would have first-rate winning prospects. Among these are the 'Cricket BatCopyist bracket, Diatomous, Vintage, Cranford, Gaysome, and Ranelagh particularly. Cricket .Bat was beaten only a head by his stablemate Rebel Song last; year, but he has rather too muchswill of i his own at present for the average investor to warm to him, and Copyist looks a rather more'likely< sort than he does witE; the handy impost of 7.5. Diatomous, onManawatu running, may , find s seven fur-^ longs just too far for" him yet. 'TheiDiinedin Cup winner Vintage is a versatile performer who might aim at the same"feat' as Rebel Song essayed, ( last year, and .go as near succeeding.\ Cranford seems just too unlucky in big races. Gaysome has been working brilliantly at Riccarton and' she' is sure of a solid backing. Ranelagh, the unreliable, won too well at Trerithnmto be left out of the serious count, despite his failure to gain a place at Oamaiu on Saturday.

The Great Autumn, -with its present .field of fifteen, should also be a splendid' race this year. Success in the Eas£e(f. would earn Silver Ring a' rehandicap. up to 71b, and as lie would probably have the whole parcel, taking his weight to 9.7* he may in the meanwhile ,be considered a more likely runner in the" Challenge Stakes on, the; same day. In his absence Vintage, unless he should perform below expectations in the Easter, will be the favourite, and he will be a very hard horse to beat at VA miles. Argentic and The Smuggler, both winners at their most recent start, have the likeliest form among the others, but Cricket Bat, Shatter, Great Star. Final Shot, and Irish Lancer arc aU. horses capable of succeeding .if there is any weakening in the,--better-crcdentiallcd division.-- .*■'. " "'