DRESS PARADE OF CUP CANDIDATES

NZ Truth, Issue 1142, 20 October 1927, Page 9

DRESS PARADE OF CUP CANDIDATES

Two-thirds of Wellington Handicap Field Are Engaged In Big Riccarton Two-Miler

TOP- WEIGHTS SHOULD PLAY THE LEADING ROLES

THE winner, if engaged in the big Riccarton event, will of course, be re-handicapped, but it is, perhaps, safe to assume that this bogey will not worry owners a great deal. With a 9.6 maximum, the New Zealand Cup is anything but a handicap, and a little bit of extra poundage here or there will be of no moment. Star Stranger will carry number one cloth and will be called on to lump 9.8, four more pounds than he deadheated with at Ellerslie over a furlong less. He meets Mask on exactly the same terms again — only on a higher scale — and on the Ellerslie race he should beat the Wanganui horse. He was dead unlucky not to get the verdict up north, not to mention his bad luck during the race. To get up to even dead-heat was a tremendous performance and one that will not be forgotten for long. Thus wherever Mask is, on Ellerslie running, Star Stranger should be in front of him. Star Stranger has been rehandicapped once for the Riccarton two-miler and he can be given . only two more pounds. He may as well have them. Mask promises to reach his real best

swM»mmtimiMwmH»BiHHHi»miitmtimiMiiimiimnmmimirommiin«Mim ll pOURTEEN horses are left in the Wellington Handicap, of 1 1 one mile and three furlongs, and of this number no fewer If than nine still claim engagements in the New Zealand Cup. || Practically every runner in this week's race has some || recent form, and this makes the sorting-out of the winner If a hard, and, incidentally, alluring task. j fimimwitn»wiroitiwmMnwuffl«H»miiu»iwmuwm^

this season and he has the stamp of a horse made to carry weight. He is game and when the stick comes out on him he does not turn it up. "With a little bit of luck, Degage would have beaten Cerf in the handicap the first day at Otaki. There she was galloped on and now she has had to be withdrawn. This is bad luck. Rapier is being given a nice, quiet preparation for next month's handicap and he had a good gallop at Kurow, where he won the Cup. There he quite comfortably beat Vaward, which at Wingatui last week accounted for the field in the big race. And in that field was Set Sail,' which is given a royal chance in the big cup. On this running Rapier would appear to have a good show in Saturday's event with 8.8.

Tresham has done some travelling and racing since the spring opened, and it has only been in the last two starts that he has failed to show up. Perhaps he is going off and wants freshening up again. That must be the reason, for otherwise he is as good as ever he was. Coming in fresh, Yoma may be in need of the race. Last autumn, and early in the winter, he was showing first-class handicap form and if right in condition he would be a dangerous one. Back to a weight that he does best under is Bennanee. He is a peculiar sort of animal — winning one day like a champion and failing the next ignominiously. Royal Game is not very big, but what there is of him must be made of ferro-concrete. To date this season he has had

eleven runs for three wins. Since starting as a two-year-old (he is four now) he has contested sixty-seven races. These figures speak for themselves as to his hardiness, but they probably will not help him to win Saturday's race. Back Mint -will be coupled with Royal Game. He has freshened up nicely with his short let-up and it can possibly be left at that. Of Rouex and Novar, the former is better liked, but he may find some trouble in getting the last furlong. There are six on the minimum and the Comedy King gelding, David Garrick, will probably try and emulate his Napier performances of leading all the way. He is sure to set a good pace and therein is his chance — of making the top-weights carry their lead all the journey. Nippy, with thirteen pounds more, was second twelve months back to Merry Day and a return to his best form would make him a nuisance. However, from whatever angle the race is looked at, the form cannot be passed by of STAR STRANGER, RAPIER and MASK.