HISTORY LESSON

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 205, 15 September 1937, Page 15

HISTORY LESSON

t "Early Bird. ")

Riccarton and Avondale Successes CATALOGUE MAY REPEAT

(Special — Froir

AUCKLAND. Last Night. There does not iseem any possibility of "Winter Cup form being of rnuch use in analysing Avondale Cup pros%eets generally, but this year it furnishes a direct pointer. For the past ten Winter Cup contests eight have had not the least bearing on the big event at Avondale, and this was underetandable on a couple of occasions in reeent years, when the northern event was run two or three months after ihe Riccarton mile. However, on two occasions during the past decade has the Winter Oup winner played a very vital part at Avondale, and these were the only times that the Riccarton winner wcnt nurtli to take on the handicap horscs at the suburban ceStrc. This is unique^for of the 30 horscs placed in the last ten "Winter Cups only two have coiuested the Avondale Cup — and they won both. With South Island horses being in the great majority so far as Winter Cup runnerS are concerned, this is perhaps , understandable. In conseeutive seasons, in 1928 and 1929, when a fcw far-seeing ones might have been able to prediet coming hard times, the two Winter Cup victors -were Bisox and Historic. The former also won the Avondale Cup, and in the following year Historic also completed this nnusual double. Last month Catalogue won at Riccarton and he, too. is now in line to follow in the footsteps of Bisox and Historic, and on his present form he may complete the triumvirate. However, he is not favourably placed on the score of weight as compared with Bisox, for the latter won at Riccarton with 61b. over the minimum and at Avondale she carried but 31b. above the minimum. Historic won the Winter Cup with .18 ib. over the minimum, and the Avondale Cup with 8.11, or an additional 71b. rise. Catalogue was 131b. ab.ove the minimum i.a the Winter Cup, again ran well later at the meeting, and in the Avondale Cup has to concede the bottom weights 241b., so on the figures . and the addilional distance he will have a diiScult task, not to be compared with ' tlraU conf ronting Bilsox in her year, and his job is going to be much more difficult than was Historic 's, and we know the latter was a good horse. If Catalogue is as good as the onetime Trentham galloper lie should win tho Avondale Cup. but that is. a question that the race itself will answor. Mention of Historic recalls that he rogistered several flrst-class performances in the Auckland distiet. In his seeond Avondale Cup contest he iinished third, and immediately afterwards he seeured seeond place in the Mitchelson Cup and a year later he dead-heated with Frince Val in this same race. So Catalogue has the job in front of him.