AVONDALE CUP

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 202, 11 September 1937, Page 19

AVONDALE CUP

-From "Early Bird.")

Review Of Fancies From the North WEALTH OF TALENT

(Speeial-

AUCKLAND, Last Night. With only :Scotland and Veloeipede entered for the New Zealand Cup from Auckland stables, it looks problematical as to whether the north will be represented in the big Riccarton race. Young Paddon, who showed a lot of speed in the mile liaek event at the Pakuranga meefcing, should be more at home in the hack sprints at Avondale, for he is nicely placed in the Heud^r^ son Handicap on Saturday of next week. Knight of Australia continues to please in his work and he has more than an outside chance in next week's Avondale Cup. He has been , at his best in the soft tuTf and as there has been more heavy rain this week it is more than probable that an easy track will be raced over at the Avondale fixture. Veloeipede won the Avondale Cup a year ago, carrying 8.3 with the 7.7 minimum. He has raced only three or four times since then and in next week's contest he is in with 7.5 under the 7.0 minimum. Placed so nicely it can be taken for granted that his owner-trainer will be anxious to hurry him along in his preparation, for it looked. as if he would requir.e a lot of work when raced at Pakuranga. There was something very impressive about the way Captain Bruce won his first race, that being at the Pakuranga meeting last month. He had all tho wo.rst of the runnmg and even near the post did not look like winning, but his firia.l burst was that of a good horse. He should add to his record in the haek ranks at the Avondale fixture, for he seems to be going on the right wayCaptain Bruce should be a good stayer later on. The Best. Little early business has been doing on the Avondale doublet which is not going to be much easier after the acceptances have closed, for it is unlikely that a great many will drop out at the final pavment this week.' Horses with first race'chances in the Avondale Cup are Seotland, Kiltowyn,_ Catalogue, Fersen, Boomerang, Veloeipede and Cerne Abbas, while of the big sprint field Triune, Gallio, Jonathan, Stretto, Maori Song and the three-year-olds Royal Chief, Airam, Baehelor King and Royal Baehelor are highly regajrded. There may be 20 runners in the snrint.

Apparently trainer A. Cook ts gomg to have Huntingmore tried right out as a Guineas candidate^ for he has entered him only in the hack mile on the opening day at Avondale. This three-year-old Tevealed a lot of pace to leadj the Pakuranga sprint field for over half a mile last month and as he has made progress as a result of that outiug such a free goer may be a real surpr|se packet in the classics, as Karapoti was Some years ago. Huntingmore is well placed in the hack mile on Saturday of next week. Winner This Spring. Merial showed fair rorm at Trentham in July and then last month at Ellerslie she lost ground at the start of the big mile and was never afterwards siglited. This was well below the form she is capable of and it is possible that she will do better at Avondale next week-end. She is in the sprint on the opening day and wkU'e. she will have to produce her very best to head oif the large field in that event it is probable that she will get on the winning list later in the spring, for she can be placed to advantage. The two engagements set for^ Tip Toes at Avondale inelude both the 'haek Plate contests, and as she has given every evidence of being good over a middle distance there is every reason to anticipate that she will not lack opportunities. Her winning effort in the mile at Pakuranga was a very fine one, for she had to be game to get up and then light oif her cliallengers. She has done well since that day and will be in excellent order next week. ( In theix last several outings both Parquet and Professional have been racing in open company, but with the raising of the value of the hack qualifieation they are now baek in the lower grade. These two appear 'in the hack sprints at Avondale, an(i ijhe distance , will be too short for Parquet; it will not be so with Professional, for he is will placed considering that he ifi back to hack company, and with only 8.5 he should show up in his coming engagements. Incidentally the short hack races are not going to be "easy to win at the suburban track. t Just how open is the maiden event the first day at Avondale is -revealed by the list of possibilities: Mai de Mer, Land Girl, Bron'ze Wings, Erlick, . Tho Vamp,' Bryce Street, Privy Seal, Raepata, Saecone . and Forest Acre, while only a little below thiB 'divjsion' a dozen pthers'will have to be cohsidered. ^ Fortuudlely this race will not require to bo divid'ed next week; hitherto there have been over 30 acceptors, necessita'ting a division, which races' are not fancied by baelcers nor "club oilicials.