AVONDALE POINTERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 204, 14 September 1937, Page 15

AVONDALE POINTERS

(Special — From "Early Bird")

Some Cup and Sprint Fancies BIG FIELDS & PROBLEMS

AUCKLAND, Last Night. The five- outside horses entered for the Avondale Cup stood their ground at acceptance time last Friday night. They were Catalogue, Boomerang, Cerne Abbas, Maine and Small Boy. The Gisborne team — Small Boy and Golden Blonde — are to race at Avondale and will probably be kept in the north until the ' Taumarunui and Auckland fixtures are decided, for they have been entered for the fixture early next month at Paeroa. A last-miuute decision caused Barricade to be withdrawn from his engagements at New Plymouth recently, but the Australian-bred three-year-old is ali right aiid he is to race at Avondale this week-end. He is in the hhek sprint and Champion Plate and whichever event is chosen for him will see him performing prominently. Bumper iields will be the order of tho day at Avondale on Saturday next, surprisingly "large numbers having been paid up for in several events. The 29 likely runuers in the Maiden just misses a division total, but with 21 in the Cup and tliree more than that in the sprint these events are going to be very hard to win, despite the fact that tbo Avondale cdurse is one of the best in tlie Doniiiiion; there is certainly no superior. It ls probable that the 24 remaining in the two-year-old classic, the Avondale Stakes, will be materially reduced by starting time, While the big field in the Maiden Plate will make this race very difiicult, there is some good form to go upoii and provided thcSe horses can get away well they should be in the limelight throughoUt,' for no matter how big a course is, in a large field the good begmners have all the best of it. The Vamp it will be remembered was very unluelcy in the liack mile at the Pakuranga meeting last month, and Mai de Mer also ran a fine race in the sanie event; so did Erlick. Saccone finished right up fourth in the liack sprint that ■day also, while Marie's Acre, the half biother to Gay Blonde and company, ran well under difiiculties, this being his first race. Others engagcd in Saturday 's Maiden that have shown prooiise are Cometarium, Seven Seas, Bryce Street, Hot Shot, Tui Nui, Eaepata, Forcst Acre, Land Girl and Privy Seai. But backers havo only two chances of picking a dividend, unless they striko a ljracket. A Plate Prospect The form of Besiege was so very gcod at the back end of last season that ha is going to be sought after in the Champion Hack Plate next Saturday, and it is in his favour that he is right at home in soft ground as well as on firm turf. He is trained at Te Awamutu by his owner and as he has been kept up to his work since wini'ing at home over two niontlis ago it should not be for lack of condition if he i« ifefeated. Besiege has now entered upon his fifth year and he should therefore soon be eievated to the ranks of bandicappers. Black Musk was a good hack last season, and like Besiege he will probably end up in open middle distance company before tbe present racing season comes to a close next winter. He is a nice type of galloper and while he went otf a bit in his last few outings there is no doubt that he has the makings of a good horse. Black Musk one of the several with chances remaining in the Hack0 Plate contests next week-ond at Avondale and while he is to be given a chance on the opening day it is probable that he will do» better on Monday, seeing that he has not raeed for some time. With big fields* engaged in the big Avondale double next Saturday, Cup and sprint, the winners ai'e not going to be easy to find. In the Cup good prospects appear to be Catalogue, Iversen, Yalmint, Scotland, Boomerang, Iviltowyn, Veloeipede, Cerne Ablifts, Tybalt and Gay Rebel. Triune, whn will be eoupled with Airam, wiil probably bo a keavily backed candidato for the Flying Handicap, but he is noi a good horse at the barrier and it will be remembered that he was started irom behind the field at tho Pakuranga meeting last month, and even then he finished close up. The three-year-old Royal Chief cannot have his weight increased for winniug tho Wanganui Guineas and as be was tho unlucky runner in the sprint the first day at Wanganui, he must go well ou Saturday, for the Avondale track is all in favour of a good finisher provided he is reasonably well plaecd to the straight. Maori Song has wiuning form, his score being four on end, the last m open company, while Jonatlian looks like coming back. Othei interesting sprint runners will be Stretto and the three-year-oids Bacholox King and Royal Bachelor.