SPRING HANDICAPS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 2, 25 September 1937, Page 19

SPRING HANDICAPS

"Early Bird',)

Candidates for Mitchelson Cup AVONDALE FORM

(Special — From

• AUCKLAND, This Day. Matamata is no't by any means a large training eeaitre, goinp: purely on the nurnber of horses trained there, but judged hy Avondale handicap results it is a small place in a big way. Three of the four principal handicap events fell to Matamata gallopers — Scotland, Enge and Maori Song, while Jonathan was in the ■money and Marie's Acre scored a first and a second. On a percentage basis Matamata easily led tlie Test of the province, in handicaps. An anaTysis of the handicap form as revealed last Saturday and Mondav may be of some help in an endeavour to solve coming problems, for practically all of those engaged will be seen again at Ellerslie in the near future, and on the rich provincial circuit. As winner of the Avondale Cup, Scotland must be kanded the palm, for there was a lot of merit in his performance, seeing that he was rather awkwardly placed in the fir^t half ipile. He gradually improved his position and thesi when the opening on the rail presented itself he went straight tkrough in a fine run of a non-stop variety. It was a slashing effort and once again stamped the Acre gelding as hard to beat over a middle distance when cuught on his day. Enge did not enjoy the best of runs on the opening day, for ha was on the rails. early and then got into trouble when the leaders, pulling hard, ran past him and he finally fixiislied well Hack. On Monday, with a softer traok to move in, he was mere at homo and a feature of his win was the manner in whieh he retained his adrantage over the final quarter of a mile. At the distance it looked as if he would be overhauled, but he aciually went away slightly. Elnge will now be m an awkward position in the handicap and he may he at his peak if allowed to nait for soft tracks. Boomerang, runner-up to Scotland in the Oup, went one of his best races. On Monday he was not very forward in the field, but hand^ enoughi at the home turn until the outside horses bored in and put him on rails. Armacourt, third in the Cup, was also awkwardly placed on Monday and failed to ' show up at the end under conditiona that must have suited her better. Jonathan's Return Day Wind occasionally runs very good races and Monday saw him threatening to win again, only Enge standing between him and the big end of the purse. On a turning course he will be difficult to beat and as he is in the Mitchelson Cup next month it may vbe as well to rememher that he finished. second to Gay Talkie in soft ground in the Nolan Handicap, one and a half miles, last Easter. A pleasing feature of Monday' s Plumpton Handicap was the good race run by Jonathan, who by the way still holds the mile and a quarter record of 2.4 1-5 under 9.12— r a phenomenal1 performance. He was forced to cover plenty of extra ground and even then he was going on with it and with a little further to go would have been second and might even have bothered. Enge. On this showing Jonathan's debut as a hurdler— and it is said he knows a good deal about hui'dling already — • is certain to be deferred. Gay Rebel failed to show up as well as expected iu the Avondale Cup, but he was a bit unlucky in the handicap on Monday. In the first place his usual rider was injured and a substitute had to be found at the last minute. In the back streteh Gay Rebel lost bis position at a crucial moment andj he then had to go rqund the field. He was wide out all the way home then and ut the post he just failed to catch Kiltowyp for the barren honour of fojjrth place. It was a steirling effort, nevertlieless, apd suggested that with a run he would have finished in the money. Mention of Kiltowyn recalls that he ran two solid races, the second day under cofiditions that did not help him. He has only to reveal sliglrt improvemient to be diffoult to beat in the Mitchelson Cup, even if he has yet to prove himself over that distance. Duai Cup Candidate. Catalogue pulled too hard each day to hold a winning chance last week-end and this tendency will have to be curbed if he is to win the Mitchelson or New Zealand Cups. He was pulling hard at the head of the second bunch making the home bend on Monday and tlien drifted right bapk in the straight. However, the racing he has had may be the meaps of getting him to race more kindly for his jockey. lt was rather significant that" Valmhit fipished in sixtb place both days and on Monday he too was a victim of a slight check at the bottom of the straight ; however, he will always be at his best on soft tnrf. Tybalt ran fairly good races each day and ho ouglit to pick up epe of the cups or handicaps on the provincial circuit later on. Loombination flashed into the picture on one occasion on Monday, but little was seen of Fersen. Mungatoon is improving with racing. Cerne AWbas * failed ;fco gp with the field in the Cup, her old trouble again, and she cannot be dismissed ligbtly for tlie Mitchelson Cup, whieh is a mile and a half and is a stayer's race.