NEW ZEALAND CUP

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 80, 1 October 1935, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND CUP

EARLY VIEW OF WEIGHTS

SOME SURPRISING MARKS

Two impressions are immediately made by a glance at the weights issued yesterday for this year's New Zealand Cup, the leading handicap on\the Dominion's .calendar: the' race is again going to be contested, with perhaps a single exception, by a field of lightweights, as it was last year; and some of the more likely candidates are excellently placed in the weights owing to the depression ol the handicap by Vantage. Unless there should again be a peculiarly-run race on November 9, one would feel inclined at present to name the likely group as that in the upper seven stones, or just below. There will be a first acceptance on Friday evening. VINTAGES WEIGHT. There was no question about what horse had to have top weight. But in assessing Vintage at 9.5,-Mr. J. E. Henrys, in view of the quality of the rest of the field, may have started a pound or two lighter than was generally expected, tor there is now no limit to the weight a Horse may be given in the Cup, as. there was for several years up till the occasion of Nightmarch's success in 1930 under the then maximum of 9.6. In recent years Mr. Henrys has certainly made a practice of keeping the topweight down, possibly because he does not believe that the distance handicappers are so outstanding as in earlier days, but thirty odd years ago he did not hesitate to set such horses as Advance, St. Paul, Achilles, Nonette, and Explosion well up in the higher nine stones, though no horse has actually ever yet won the cup with more than 9.6. Vintage, with 9.5, has been generally better treated than he has been at the hands of various Australian handicappers. Alter easily winning the last Wellington Gup under 9.9, he was set at 9.7 for the V.A.T.C. Australian Cup and at 9.5 for the Sydney Cup, against the best that Australia could oner. And in this year's Melbourne Cup he was weighted at 9.2 (Peter Pan 10.4, Hall Mark 9.6), and in the A.J.C. Metrdpolitan at 9.7 (Hall Mark 9.11). The class in the New Zealand Cup can hardly be compared with that in the big Australian handicaps. Since winning the Wellington Cup Vintage has raoed only once, when he was surprisingly beaten by Topical in the V.R.C. Essendon Stakes last autumn,- but he was on the- verge of breaking do-wn then and was sent back to the Dominion immediately afterwards "to prevent development of the threatened trouble. As, under the w.f.a. scale of the Essendon, with its penalties and allowances, he was in receipt of a stone- from Topical and 191b from Hall Mark, he did look the good thing the betting indicated he was considered, and though he was defeated it would not be proper to give too much heed to that performance, as he was obviously not the same,"Vintage as had-won at Trentham. As Vintage appears to be going along satisfactorily, .in . his present work he may for the present be ranked among tfte likely starters next month. If he continues to stand up to his work and otherwise has a complete preparation he must be a decided prospect for the Cup with 9.5. He is a great weightcarrier, as he proved in the Wellington Cup, and there is every belief that he will not be troubled to reach the two miles. He did miss a place in the last-Auckland Cup under 9.0, but he was One of three horses to meet serious interference along the back stretch in that race when apparently going particularly well, and he afterwards won the A.R.C. Handicap and the Clifford Plate at his other two starts at that meeting. EIGHT-STONE DIVISION. There are half a dozen horses in the eight stones for the "big Riccarton two-miler, but only one of them may be a starter. This is the Aucklander Gay Marigold, who is set on 8.1. Gay Marigold is a solid little galloper at her best, but one is justified in questioning if she will get the Cup distance. She failed to do so in the Auckland Cup after having full Opportunity; ..and, as a daughter of Grand Knight, one would mark her limit in the best company as about a mile and a half. Even at-this distance Vintage gave her 181b and outclassed her in the last Wellington Cup, and now the difference is just the same again at a 41b lower scale. Through other horses too. Gay Marigold is by no means over-generously handicapped. The weighting of those between Vintage and Gay Marigold, though they are very doubtful runners, is interesting as showing that Vintage is not at all harshly assessed wjth his 9.5. Silver Ring, at 8.13, cannot yet be considered seriously in • a two-mile connection, and his weight has probably surprised his connections. . Sporting Blood, on the same mark, is 71b above what he has in the A.J.C. Metropolitan and 51b above his Melbourne Clip weight; but he has been a winner on his present trip to Sydney and he was the star performer at the last New Zealand Cup Meeting with wins at all three starts, including the N.Z. Derby, so the handicapper has been justified in taking no risk with him. King March has broken down badly during the last month, but it may be observed that,, though not entered for any of the big Australian spring races, he was allowed to receive 181b and 141b from Vintage in the handicaps' for the Australian Cup and Sydney Cup respectively in the autumn, and now the difference between them is only 101b. Omitting the Auckland Cup,, Vintage proved King March's master at level weights twice at the Auckland Summer Meeting. In the last Wellington Cup Mr. H. Coyle separated the pair by 51b (King March not accepting), and in view of subsequent racing King March has deserved to receive all his 101b concession from Vintage in the New Zealand Cup, if possibly not a little more. Gold Trail (8.8) also serves to show in a degree the relative favourableness of Vintage's weight. In the Melbourne Cup Vintage was'set to concede her 141b, arid now the difference is 111b. In winning the last Auckland Cup Gold Trail was certainly in receipt of 171b, but Vintage subsequently proved how much superior he probably is to the mare. Tauramai, with 8.7, comes in at a lot better terms all round than he was weighted in the big events in Australia, but he was without any question very, hardly dealt with by the Australian handicappers, particularly in the Melbourne Cup, in which he was set on 8.10. Until the acceptance it would serve no purpose to deal individually with the assessments of the ethers, though unless Vintage is fit and at his best on the day, if will be one of them who gathers in this year's spoils. There may even be another Steeton in the field—she is there herself again—but one would need to be a wizard to discover such a long shot at this early stage. Kiltowyn, at 7.13, is one of those who have been let in the race really well, for he is a horse who has all the cre^ dentials for staying the long journey. It is only necessary to note that on the weights for the Mitchelson Cup, which appeared yesterday as well, he is on top with- 9.0, giving 41b to Gay Marigold and 61b to Kelly; whereas in the New Zealand Cup, in which he should be the likeliest of the three to stay, he is allowed to receive 21b from Gay Marigold and is asked to concede only 21b to Kelly. In the last Auckland Cup, in which he was one of those to meet trouble as Vintage did, he was receiving. 151b from Vintage and now the difference has been extended to 201b. Cuddle's connections probably anticipated all the weight she has (7.13). but they'must have"thbu'ght she Would be more than 201b away from Vintage,

who gave her 271b and a decisive beating in the Wellington Cup. Through Auckland opinion Kelly is rather too cftse to Kiltowyn for one. Senior's weighting on the same mark as Kelly (7.11) is perhaps the surprise of the whole handicap, for in the Mitchelson Cup he has been rated 91b inferior to Kelly and on the same mark as King Rey, who now comes into the New Zealand Cup at 91b better terms. Indeed at 7.2 King Rey looks a likely sort of lightweight for next month's race. Other lightweights who will appeal for the present are Arctic King, Fersen, Silver Sight, Korero, Gay Boy, and Argentic.