AUCKLAND CUP

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 64, 8 December 1937, Page 15

AUCKLAND CUP

Herald-

Tribuue.)

Cernfe Abbas Not "Fired*' In FORM REVIEWED

(Special to

AUCKLAND, Last Night. _ Thdre is a stftmg fepyesOntation in the Auckland Oup of hOrsfcfc which did tne liiofe Impdttant of theit spring racing at thig end of the North Island, and at Riccarton. The withdrawal of Cuddle is to be regretted, if only for the fact that widespread intefest Was being taken ih her chance of equalling Nelson 's 50-year-old feCOrd of winning thfee Consecutive cups. Her owner could not have been dissatisfied with the 9.3 aliotted her, which was not out of proportion for a mare having a NeW Zealand and two Auckland cups to bei' credit— the best two-mileB handicap form of all tbe entrants. Probably it was apparent concessions to other horses which displeased Cuddle 's connections. There is &n iiupfeSsiOn that Cernfe Abbas, the New Zealand Cup winner,, h&s been "flred" into the Auckland (Jtip Ut 8.1» fcihe Won the N6w Zealand GUp With 7.10, and a fiSe Of five pouilds foi- that success is not unduly harsh. But she was beaten with 8.8 in the Metropolitan Handicap by Argentie 8.9 and Oiiddie 9.12, thei'e bemg two lengths between hrst and second, and three lengths between seCohd apd third. Taking a lihe thrOUgh \Viid Chase, Cefne-AUbas is nO eei'tainty at Auckland. There wefe lTlbs. between theni in. the New Zealand Cup, and at Auckland there is only lOlbs. It is doubtful whether Cerne Abbas won the New Zealand Cup with half a stone in handk "Wild Chaso was unlueky that the pacemaker collapsed at the false rail and lef t hina in charge to make , his own pace for the iinal three furlongs. Had he been iucky enough to be carried along for another furlong, Wild Ghase may have won the cup; ArgeUtio waa second last year with 8.9 and miist be considered again with only 8.11 after winning the Metropolitan, but he is better at 12 furlongo than at two miies. Although he was Off the coutse iuost of the way in the New Zealand Cup, thefO WhB nothing imores1 sive about his iiniShiiig rUU. Satisflea with weight. The cohnections of WilHe Win are quite satieiied with his Weight (8^10) in the cup, and have offered the ride to 1 u J. Hllis. who won the cup in the last tWO years on Cuddle. Mrs Camp-1 bell states that the trip to Melbourne has niade Willie Win. Previously a delicate hofse who did not do Well when away from home, he thrived on the tiavelling to Yictoria and back, and she expects him-to be a hard horse to beat at Auckland. His trainer said that Willie Win did not get anything like the run Th6 Trump got in the Mel* bourne Cup, and on the final day his defeat into' third place w&a oceasioned *by his being denied a position at a critical stage of the faC6; Cerne Abbas has done nicely since the New Zealand Cup meetiiig. She is probably as 50Und a fetayer as there is engaged, and should run well undef 8.1» She will be ridden by C. G. Gooilsbro, who understands her, &nd she has the size to stand up to the bumping that usually goes on in the big helds in this event. A better line on Pfiesland's form will be obtainable after he has contested the cup race at Te Awamutu next week. This is a double which another Taranaki hofse in Depredation brought off in 1916. B. H. Morris will most iikely be his pilot again. Priesland may not be a true stayer, but will have a better chance at two miies at Ellerslie than he had at Eiccarton. In the New Zealand Cup'he was the object Of severe interference in the straightj but struggled on for fourth. Evidence that he is a tough customer he provided on Derby day (two days after the cup), when he very brilliantly won the Fendalton Handicap. That success was as convincing as any registered at Riccarton in Cup week. It would be unwise to ovCriook the chances of Silver Streak. What he did at Eiccarton with 7.9 he should be capable of doing' at Ellerslie with 7.2. The handicapper has weighted him a non-stayer and is probably right, but at the same time Silver Streak wa's flying as fast as any of the placed cup horses into third place at the finish. He ia an every-day customer, always lit, and seldom ruus a poor race. If they were in their best form, Might, Ponty, Shy and The Buzzer would be the pick of the lightweights. Might was iinishing on very fast when he i'ell in the New Zealand Cup. He has not done the preparation for an Auckland Cup. Ponty has had Only two races tlus season, but he is a Wellington Cup winner with 7.7 and a potential stayer Shy has no form at two miies, but was winner of the Wellington Handicap of 11 furlongs with 7.5, and has finislied on in most of his races like a horse possessing some stamina. H. N. Wiggins has been offered the ride on the The Buzzer. He gallops like a stayer and is bred that Wtty. His Woodville form this week may throw some further llght on his chances. ' Wild Chase, Cerne Abbas, Friesland and Willie Win are the early fancies in this quarter.